Best revision techniques

If you’ve read our post here, you’re already an expert on how to revise! We cover our method ‘UPA’ which provides you with a systematic approach to conquer your revision schedule. Here are some of our best revision tips and tricks to help you revise!

Start early

Time can only be lost and never gained. The earlier you start the more time you have to prepare and understand what you need to learn. If you start too late you risk rushing your revision and not having enough time to cover everything.

Top tip:

Don’t start too far in advance, a few months is usually good. You don’t need to start revising for your GCSEs in Year 7!

Plan

Plan, plan, plan. Revising without a plan is like skydiving without a parachute… It can seem impossible to know where to start and how to tell if you’re on the right track without a plan. Creating a plan relieves a lot of pressure and stress, whilst clarifying your goals.

'Tidy desk tidy mind'

Your work environment affects how you think, and the quality of the work you do. Having a cluttered work desk, noisy environment, or lots of distractions will all impact your revision quality. Having a tidy desk and workspace will help you get in the zone!

Have clear boundaries

A big mistake lots of students make is not having boundaries or a timetable for their personal lives and their revision. Not having this can make you switch between the two very quickly, and suddenly you’re revising at 11pm in between Netflix episodes. Having clear boundaries between the two helps separate your work and personal lives and will help you feel less stressed.

Test yourself

A good way to know if you’re on track is to give yourself a small test every so often. The results will show the topics you need to work, or will show that you’re on the right track.

Teach to a friend

If you want to know if you understand something, see if you can teach it to a friend. This is a great way to test your knowledge and it can also help your friend too!

Study with friends

In line with our last tip, study with friends. This can help keep you motivated, ease nerves, and learn with your peers who will be in a similar position to you.

Take more short breaks

We’ve all been there, finishing an intense 2-hour revision block but feeling so tired you can’t do any more for the day. To avoid this, make sure to take frequent short breaks to keep your energy and concentration up.

Top tip:

We recommend a 5-minute break after 30-minutes of revision.

Use UPA

When in doubt use UPA! Check out our revision guide to learn how to revise!

UPA

Understand

Practice

Apply