Revision

Revision

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Study Tips

• Start revising early
• Attend any exam revision lectures
• Organise your lecture notes by topic
• Familiarise yourself with key reading
• Look on GCU learn for past papers
• Familiarise yourself with the exam structure – some exams are essay based whereas others can be short question and answer style
• Try to follow a study timetable
• Give yourself plenty of study breaks

More Study Tips

Studying for exams can be overwhelming and some students do not know where to start. It is best to give yourself plenty of time to revise each topic. You can find out more revision tips and tricks here Check out your schools Learning Development Centres (LDC) page for exam tips and academic workshop dates, click here

Learning Styles

Each student has different styles of learning. It’s important to think about what works best for you when planning revision.  These could include:

• Your ideal time of day to study
• what environment you function best in
• whether to study alone or with a friend
• which strategies can help (eg visual supports, memory aids).

Organise your "Study bubble"

• Ask family, friends and/or flatmates not to disturb you
• Turn notifications off your phone and if using your computer – log out of social media
• Clean area – free of clutter and distractions
• Get everything you need before you start: gather snacks and water etc
• Have your study playlist ready to do – (if listening to music helps)

Traffic Light Code for Studying

Red – most time consuming & requires concentration – start this when you feel most alert Amber – requires concentration but not as intense as Red Green – least demanding tasks – can do these when your energy levels start to drop Energy Levels Tune into your energy levels. You will absorb more when you feel rested and ready to study. Some days you may plan to study and not have the energy for it. You can either use the time to tackle ‘Green’ tasks or give yourself permission to rest. Your body and brain need to rest in order to function well. Give yourself time to reflect and absorb the information you have learned. Have a chat with parents or housemates about it.

Study Method examples

Skim over the topics Identify your strengths and weaknesses – get creative with your highlighters and make mind maps of the topics and colour code which areas you are confident with and what ones worry you. Target worrisome topics by breaking things down into smaller pieces – chat to your Personal Tutor about them and ask them to explain them more in simple terms. (benefit of starting studying early) Target worrisome topics little and often – we don’t want to avoid these in hopes they don’t come up during the exam!

Study Method examples (2)

Talking and discussingTalk with a friend, family member or mentor about the topics ‘teaching’ someone else can improve your own understanding and recall. Discuss group study sessions Teach your mentor! - Book mentoring slot/slots early Jan for this in advance

Study Method examples (3)

Other examplesMake audio notes on your phone or computer and play them back to help you remember them. Use AT ‘Text to speech’ to listen to articles or extended reading – switching methods can be useful when your energy starts to dropWrite out your essay-based answers over and over – This works for some people to help them memorise thingsGet Creative - Mind maps (either software or pen and paper) Flashcards (Use Apps /Generative AI or pen and paper) Listen/watch Ted Talks or YouTube videos as part of your revision

Powering down

Like working out at the gym, your brain needs a ‘cool down’ exercise before you finish up. It might be helpful to write a ‘to-do’ list for the next study session so you can empty this from your mental load. Manual task like cleaning your work station also helps with the transition from studying to chilling and you start your next session with a clean slate. Meditation can help with the transition from ‘study brain’ to ‘chill brain’ and you can start to wind down for sleep.

Good luck!