Monday, 8 August 2011

Five alternative ways to revise

Books Books
It’s revision time, which means procrastination levels are high. Frankly, the urge to clean the bathroom is probably a little stronger right now, rather than sitting down with a pile of textbooks.

But there are some ways to make revision more interesting.

(Sadly, none of them involve watching re-runs of Friends, so it’s probably best you turn the TV off now…)
  • Flash cards: An oldie but a goodie. Write down a question on a piece of card, and the answer on the other side. Repeat with all the other questions you’re studying. Then test yourself.
  • If you’re lucky enough to have an iPad, the Evernote Peek app turns your content into a ‘notebook’ where you can reveal the answer using the Smart Cover.
  • Group revision: If you know others on the course struggling, get together and test each other.
  • Podcasts: There are plenty of podcasts covering a multitude of topics on iTunes - and most are free. Great if you prefer to learn while you’re cooking dinner, walking to uni or at the gym. If you can’t find a suitable topic, record the content yourself!
  • Mind maps: All that stuff currently buzzing around in your head? Pop it down in a spider diagram, or a mind map. It’ll make it clearer, and you’re more likely to remember things if you write them down.

What methods do you use for revising?

1 comment:

  1. Great tips. I'm what they quirkily call a 'mature student' returning to study - this time with the Open University. I constantly battle the hurdle that is procrastination I find. These tips are fantastic and one will both use them and share with my son, who is also studying. Will be interested to hear more from you.

    Jacqueline

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