Revision - advice from someone who's been there

Revision sucks. It feels like you’re going over and over the same content for an exam that you know will try to screw you over somehow. In my own experience, I’ve been asked questions about things that weren’t on the specification nearly every exam I’ve sat through, GCSE and A-Levels. Questions will trip you up, and you might blank out completely, but here are my tips for revision and pre-exam prep that should help you get through these trying times.

1. PERSEVERE. Do not give up under any circumstances. Hit a question you aren’t sure on? Move to the next one and come back at the end. Really boring topic in class? Sit up, roll your shoulders and push through it. You won’t regret sitting through that dull, boring topic when it’s worth 18 marks on an exam and you know the answer!
2. Find what works for you. Revision can be difficult, especially when it feels like nothing is going in. Try it all! Flashcards, Quizlet, PowerPoints, colourful notes, mind maps, rewriting notes, rereading texts, exam questions, anything! Something out there will work for you! For me personally, colour helps me revise so I use a lot of colourful notes, mind maps and flashcards (with little picture doodles relating to the information to help me remember). 
3. Break information down and build it back up again. If you have a long paragraph of information, for example, break it down to the most bare-bones of it you can, maybe just down to one sentence. Then learn that little nugget first. After you have that information, then you can try to learn all the less important info around it (This means that worst comes to worst, in the exam you have the minimum information than any extra bits so you’ll at least get some marks, as opposed to no marks at all!)
4. Finally, most important of all, take care of yourself. Revision and exam season can be intensive, no matter if you’re in GCSE’s, A-Levels, or university. Self-care is the most important thing during this time to help make sure you feel as calm and relaxed as possible going into an exam.  Things you could do include taking a nice long bath the night before an exam, not revising late into the night and making sure you have plenty of water and a snack right before. 
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Exams and exam prep can be exhausting, but please know it’s all worth it. While yes, exams aren’t everything and usually, employers will look at experience more (particularly if you’re doing something creative), they’re still important so you should still try your best! 

Good luck!

​Kaitlyn