Making the best of a revision session

So you've sorted out a plan and decided how to make your revision active. Now you're facing an actual session of revision. What can you do to make the session really effective - in other words, how to get a lot done in the available time and how to make the material stick in your mind?

Most of what follows applies equally to any sort of study, but it particularly important to make each session count when revising. This is because you are under pressure to get more done in a given time, and because most people find it harder to concentrate on revision than on new work.

Organising when you work and what you work at is an essential preliminary to making a work session productive. Assuming that you have the overall pattern under control, here is an approach which works:

  • Try to sort out niggling worries before getting down to revision. While this won't always be easy, you should be able to stop minor problems of the 'What will I wear tomorrow ?' variety from intruding on your work.
  • Begin by setting aside a period for doing the work, with a definite start time and finish time. A fixed start time is important for obvious reasons - for one thing it will make you feel guilty if you fail to stick to it. Deciding in advance when you will stop also helps; you then know when the session will end, giving you something to look forward to.
  • If you promise yourself a reward of doing something enjoyable after the session this may help keep you going but this will only work if you are strict with yourself. Don't go ahead with the promised reward if you haven't done the work !
  • Take a break after each session to unwind before the next one (but don't let the break go on too long; 10 minutes is about right).
  • If you are doing a long stint it is a good idea to vary the sort of material you cover in each session. Spending three hours solid on one subject is heavy going even with breaks.
  • Before you get started check that you have all the notes, books, paper etc that you will need (but don't use this as an excuse to keep postponing the moment when you actually get to grips with the material).
  • Set yourself a clear target of what you hope to get done during the session - the more definite the better. You will get more sense of achievement out of finishing a specific task than if you just do as much as you can during the time. Experience will help you judge how much you are likely to get through.
  • Above all, make your revision active! As described in another article in this series - see right.