With lots of exams and deadlines coming up, revision can seem pretty daunting! It can be hard to know where to start so we’ve put together a few revision techniques to help you feel confident in your revision.

Know yourself

Everyone works differently which means that people will revise in different ways. Spend a little bit of time figuring out what makes you productive, whether it’s working with friends or working solo, drawing mind maps or making notes. This ensures that the work you do will be useful and will help you to achieve more.

Make notes

Collating all the key subject areas and topics is a great way to start your revision. This can make what you are doing more structured and will help you know what to prioritise during your revision. Don’t get too hung up on making your notes though! It can be easy to spend too long writing notes and not enough time learning them.

Past papers

Completing past papers is one of the best ways to revise, this is because it shows you what you actually know and what you may not know as well. It will also help to familiarise yourself with the kind of answers you will have to give. Also, whilst going through past papers make sure to make a note of the topics and themes that come up so you can check that you have covered them!

Plan essays

Some exams will require mini-essays as answers so it is a good idea to have some planned or written under the topics that you have studied. This means that you will feel more confident when writing your answer, as well as learning how long each essay takes you to write.

Revision sessions

Often lecturers will hold revision sessions when it gets closer to exams in order to help prepare students for them. Make sure you attend these as it is likely you will get key advice from the lecturer and the chance to ask questions! Plus the planned session means that you have a chance to focus on one particular area so you can just build it into your revision timetable.

Queue cards

These are handy to use for brief notes and they are a great way to test yourself! It works on your active recall and will build your confidence in answering questions. These are good to use to learn facts and figures in preparation for your exam.

Diagrams & mind maps

If writing notes or queue cards aren’t for you then diagrams and mind maps might be more suited! This method of revision is a lot more visual and could help you to understand tricky topics. They are also a great way to brainstorm ideas for essay plans and coursework!

Be realistic

When you’ve started revision it can be tempting to keep going for as long as you can but this can make you unproductive with your time. Taking lots of short breaks can help to ensure that you are more focused during the time that you do work.

For extra help and support head to the University’s support website here where you can find details on regulations, computer labs, Maths and English support, personal support and other guidance. Good luck!