Mindmaps are a great way to organise your topic notes on a sheet of A4 paper. If you prefer to write down your notes as you revise, a really useful way to shorten those paragraphs of information in your textbooks are to make bullet points on a beautiful mind map, creatively designed by you!
Once you’ve made a mindmap on, for example, meiosis, you can then put this up on your bedroom wall and then suddenly, as well as revising, you’ve redecorated your room into a beautiful, colourful and interesting space – talk about hitting two birds with one stone…
Read How to Create an Effective Revision Timetable>>
If you’re into quiz shows and fancy yourself as some kind of quizmaster, flash cards might just be the revision tool for you – this can be one of the most effective A-Level revision techniques.
If you consolidate your work – that is, check that you understand your notes – you are revising in a useful way. Perhaps you’re a bit tired of going over past papers and you want to be able to test yourself. Writing flash cards are a good way to test knowledge.
Simply write down a question on one side of the flash card and then write down the answer to this question on the other side. This could be as simple as “What is the formula of sodium chloride?” and then of course, you will write down “NaCl” out of sight of the question.
Read 5 A-Level Chemistry Revision Tips>>
Let’s face it, revision can be quite lonely and sometimes it’s a really good idea to have your friends around you while you revise. If, for example, you can’t remember how your teacher explained a specific concept, you can ask one of your friends to go over it for you. It seems to me that my friends explain some ideas in a clearer way than some teachers.
Group work is one of the best A-Level revision techniques (if you do it properly!). Don’t just revise in groups because you want to catch up with your mates – talking about football while you occasionally look at your textbook doesn’t count as revision! If you don’t fall into this trap, however, group work can actually make your revision easier than otherwise anticipated and it is a good technique to use if you know how to not fall into the temptation of getting distracted.
Alongside these three tips, don’t forget that one of the best ways to revise effectively is to take regular breaks. Having a break will allow you to unwind and perhaps get some fresh air, allowing you to not feel too tired when you revise. You should take a break once every 45 minutes. However, breaks should not be used as an excuse to not revise at all!
Revision is hard and is not something that many students look forward to doing. If you’re struggling, speak to your teacher about different ways to revise that might suit you and try some of the methods that I’ve written about above. After all, if you revise in a way that suits you, you’ll find revision much easier!
See The 3 Most Effective A-Level Revision Techniques>>
Words: Matthew Heneghan
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