How To Revise 6 Step Method

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Revision. We all have to do it at some point of our lives. Like I said in last weeks post, sharing 11 Revision Tips & Tricks, it is a pain in the bum. But now that exam season is right around the corner, the dreaded r word is being said left, right and centre by parents, teachers, friends, yourself...

There will be students who are well on their way with studying and there will be those that still have an untouched textbook somewhere in their room. Im probably classed as somewhere in the middle - theres still quite a lot to do but hey, at least Ive made a dent in the work. For me, that is pretty darn good to be at where I am, as Ive never been the best at revision. In the past, I have usually started a little to late to be able to get a good amount of studying in. On top of that, I had no idea how to go about revising and would be all over the place; index cards one day, a half finished poster on the same topic the next day. 

But, this year, I have finally found a method that works for me. I get bored of doing the same thing over and over so by doing index cards, mind-maps, answering questions etc, I find it more enjoyable as Im learning the information from different approaches. It may be best to find out what type of learner you are first, so that you are able to tweak the steps to suit you.

How to revise

Start big. Narrow the information down. Learn it. The blow it back up.

1. Write down a list of topics for each subject, then create branches off each topic and list the sub topics. Through doing this, you have a clear idea of what it is you need to know all in one place.

2. Go through the list and pick out areas that you find most difficult, dont know much about etc.. and focus on these first.

3. Create a poster, a powerpoint, a good set of notes (whatever your chosen method) for each subtopic.

4. Condense the information, from no 3, into index cards or a mind-map. It is probably best to do index cards as you can carry them around with you. But if you prefer a more visual piece, a mind map may work better. Or have both.

5. This should be a continuous step, just keep going over the information. For example, I like to flick through my index cards whilst walking to college or waiting for the kettle to boil instead of scrolling through instagram (but instagram still slips in there because breaks are important). I also like to have my mind-maps hung on my wall so that I can look at the whilst brushing my hair or getting dressed.

TIP - Imagine you are teaching your notes. Your family may think you have gone a little bonkers talking to yourself in your room, but actually saying the words out loud, rather than just in your head, helps you remember the information better.

6. Start answering questions from textbooks, doing past papers, writing out essays. This step should play alongside no 5 - continuously until the exam. This is an important part of revision as you are applying and putting into practice the knowledge you have learnt. At first, it may be a good idea to just take your time, but then gradually shorten the amount of time you spend on the task until you are doing it in timed conditions - so you are prepared for the exam.

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Life Feeling Trapped Unlike Others

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Everybody struggles with negative periods in their lives, they are something we all go through...sadly. Whether it be stress from exams or work, or something as huge as the death of a close one, it can feel as though we are trapped in a box and locked away from positivity.

A few months ago, I wrote a blog post (well technically, I scribbled it in a notebook and I even drew a little diagram) one night at about 12am. I did consider typing it up a few days later and sharing it but, I felt slightly apprehensive about it as I was being pessimistic and preferably Id like to try and keep away from sharing negative content. But, then I came across it the other day and thought what the hell Im going to share it. Why? Well, I feel as though things have changed since writing it and it made me realise that life is full of ups and downs. Just because it feels like you are stuck in a negative period, for what feels like forever, there is always something good coming.

A few months ago....

At the moment, Im feeling in a bit of void. I feel as though Im just plodding through life. I cant imagine much of an exciting future that will be any different from the way my life is right now - which is basically just a continuous cycle of learning (at the moment college and then possibly uni), spending countless hours on my laptop, eating, sleeping and repeating.

Its not as if I dont try to do things, but it just seems that wherever/whatever I do, I just come to locked doors. For example, I have been trying to get a simple part time job for 2 years. When I look around me, I see people my age quitting a job one week and having another the next, or simply getting a job through someone their parents know. Yes, I did get a paper round for a few months but that was only once a week and wasnt much. I am grateful that I had at least something so that I could put money towards things Id like and stop relying on my parents as much - but with around £5 a week thats pretty difficult to do. 

It would be nice to add a little bit of socialising into the cycle, but not only do I have only a small group of friends, they all have their friends outside of college. To add to this, Im not the most sociable of people. Dont get me wrong, I love spending time with friends, but when Im introduced to new people I crawl back into my shell as I find it so scary (this is literally what my first blog post was about). Thats why I enjoy blogging, as I can share content and connect with people in an environment Im comfortable with.

Combining the above two with the prospect of uni this year terrifies me. I will have to meet a bunch of new people and, although Im doing a subject I enjoy learning about, narrowing my studying down to just one subject panics me because it feels like Im making a big commitment. To top that off, I have no clue what I want to do after uni ( I thought I did, and I still like the idea of that something, but Im not sure). I understand that this is a common thing amongst so many people. But it would be great if you have opinions, advice etc to give on this as sometimes its nice to hear what others have to say - as it can help or give a different perspective.

There is a whole list of things I would love to do/achieve and it would be brilliant if I can start unlocking doors (I know its a cheesy way of putting it but its the best way I can think of explaining it).

Everything is better with a diagram - am I right? Basically, what Im trying to say is there are doors leading onto to things I would like to gain/do in life but I cant open them doors. But I feel that gradually the people around me, the people I watch on Youtube or the individuals blogs I read, are opening more of their doors.

Reading this back over has actually made me smile as things have started to change. Its great to be able to look back and see that right around the corner, from when I wrote this, things where going to start looking up. Im not saying, by any means, that Im now living life my perfect way. Nope. Nobodys life can ever be perfect, in my opinion. Yes, sometimes it seems like some individuals live a perfect life, especially bloggers and Youtubers, but everyone is dealing with something even if it is just a minutiae thing. Some have even spoken about it themselves, for example Zoella.

I think one of the main messages Im trying to get through in this post is - dont compare yourself to others and it is important to remember that things effect each of us differently; something that might seem petty to you, may be a huge stressor for someone else.

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