How to revise well – making the best of a revision session

Making the best of a revision session is the third article in the series 'How to prepare well for exams'. The earlier articles (see links on the right) help you to sort out a revision plan and 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 sure that the stuff you are learning sticks in your mind?

Most of what follows applies equally to any sort of study, but it particularly important to make each session count when you are revising: you are under more  pressure, and revising is harder than doing new work.

Organising when you work and what you work at is an essential starting point.

• Try to sort out niggling worries before getting down to revision. While this may not be easy, you should be able to stop minor problems of the 'What will I wear tomorrow ?' variety from intruding on your work.
• Minimise distractions. Distraction can come from interruptions, noise, devices, temptation etc. So: put up the 'Do not disturb' sign, turn off your mobile, and avoid the internet. Some people revise better with music, some need silence: use whatever works for you.
• 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 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.
• Promise yourself a reward of doing something enjoyable after the session. However, 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 revision session it is a good idea to vary the sort of material you cover. Spending three hours solid on one subject is heavy going, even with breaks.
• Before you get started check that you have all you need - the notes, books, paper etc for the work ahead. But don't use this as an excuse to keep postponing the moment you get started
• Set yourself a clear target for 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 in the time. Experience will help you judge how much you are likely to get through.
• If you really can't keep on-task, stop, take a breather, but before you start again, work out why you had to stop, so you can do better next time.
• Above all, make your revision active! As described in the second article in this series