How To Revise

 

The school year is well under way which means exams and tests are being mentioned more and more to students – especially those in Year 10 and onwards. Preparing for exams usually means revising, however, not every student will be confident nor willing to start doing extra schoolwork at home. In this blog we will cover a few various tips and strategies for revision.

 

Mind Maps

This revision aid is often also called a spider-diagram. The title of the topic/subject is put in the middle of the page, usually with a ‘thought’ bubble drawn around it, and then arrows from the title are drawn. Mind-maps can be detailed or written using bullet points. They can be colourful, written with markers, or in done in plain colours. Sometimes using colourful paper or markers can help students memorise the things they wrote better. The general idea is for the student to look at the material covered in class, or from an appropriate textbook, and then re-write it in their own words on the mind map page. It can also be helpful to, if possible, stick the mind maps where the student can often look at it e.g., bedroom wall. Our tutors can help with what content should be added to mind maps and get better results together.

 

Past Papers

One of the best ways to learn is through making mistakes. Students are more likely to remember the answers to questions they got wrong in the past. Thus, past papers are a great tool where the student can test their knowledge and then with the help of their tutor, they can mark their work and give them any corrections that are needed. This way the student can also practice exam technique as well as their knowledge.

 

Flash Cards or Bullet Point Lists

Similarly, when the student re-writes information in their own words when creating mind maps, flash cards or bullet point lists help to embed the information from the short term to the long term memory. Flash cards can be used with a partner, where one person asks questions and the other answers, or students can test their knowledge with their tutor. The tutor can also provide support in how to make the flash cards and what information should be on them. Some students may even benefit from simply speaking about the subject they are revising. Our tutors can also ask great questions that prompt the students to think about their subject and talk about it – this also helps to move the knowledge from the short term to the long-term memory.

 

There are many more other revision aids, and a Cardiff and Vale Tutor can help your child find the best revision method for them. We understand that every student learns differently, and we strive to explore all possible learning styles with our students so that each pupil is learning in the most personalised way.  Cardiff and Vale Tutors also know what exam keywords are essential and are most desired from the differing examining boards and therefore can direct your child’s revision in a way that will give them the best results.

This blog is written by Aleksandra Dul, our CVT English GCSE and A level Tutor.

Photo by Ivan Samkov from Pexels

Keywords:Revision, mind maps, revision aids, knowledge

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