Revision Tips

1. Start revising early

i.e. months, not days before the exam. Make a timetable to plan your revision and stick to it.

2. Don't spend ages making your notes look pretty

This is just wasting time. For diagrams, include all the details you need to learn, but don't try to produce a work of art. Limit yourself to 2 or 3 colours so you don't get carried away colouring things in.

3. Take short breaks

Not every 10 minutes! During these breaks it is a great idea to try to exercise once a day if you can. Go for a run, a swim or a game with your mates – you will feel better for it.

4. Use revision guides

5. Stick revision notes all around your house

So in the exam you think — "aha, quadratic equations, they were on the fridge..."

6. Get yourself drinks and snacks

So you don't make excuses to stop every 10 minutes...

7. Sit at a proper desk

Don't try to revise in bed — you'll be in the land of pink igloos and elephants before you can say "Captain Birdseye".

8. Don't put it off

"Procrastination" is the long word for it. And it means rearranging stuff on your desk, getting a sudden urge after 16 years to tidy your room, playing the guitar, thinking about the weekend, writing love poems about that girl/boy you fancy, painting your toenails, etc, etc, etc,... Sit down at your desk and GET ON WITH IT.

9. Don't just read your notes

You have to WRITE STUFF DOWN. This is real basic "how to revise" stuff.

10. Don't turn yourself into a revision zombie

If you stop doing anything else but revision you'll turn into a zombie. It's really important that you keep time to do things you enjoy... like cinema, shopping, sports, frisbee, rock-climbing, making model planes, nose-picking, whatever tickles your ferret... When you're doing these try to relax and totally forget about revision.

11. Do lots of practice exam papers

This is especially important as you get close to the exams — CGP has plenty available (another blatant advert).

12. Find the right environment to revise

NOT in front of the TV. NOT listening to the radio. Music can sometimes be OK, but you need to find the right kind. It's got to be something that's just there in the background that you're not thinking about at all. Music without singing is better as you won't be tempted to dance around your bedroom like a big fool.