How on earth do you revise?

shredder · 29-04-2005, 17:19

Hello! Wonder if any kind souls can offer me some advise? I'm trying to revise for my university finals and I've realised I actually have no idea how to revise!? All I seem to be doing is copying out my notes so I have them on two sheets of paper instead of one! Hmmmm I have found this to be a most ineffective method!Anyone have any methods they can recommend? All I have is an aching wrist and no more useful info in my head than before I started!

paulyoung666 · 29-04-2005, 17:25

all your way to your university finals and you dont know how to revise

, having said that if you have got this far i reckon you might be one of the gifted people that does not need to revise , apart from that , how far are they away ?? , all i can suggest is to read your course work and course books to try and cement it in your head

Paul · 29-04-2005, 17:26

Dunno, I've got 2 exams to revise for at the moment and I'm going to be doing some notes tonight and then it's time to start reading through all my notes to date, 2 books and 2 folders. All good fun this studying malarky

shredder · 29-04-2005, 17:29

haha I have been one of the lucky ones, I've never revised in my life, but I think for these exams I really should! My first exam is on may 16th....so i don't really have much time left. I've tried reading my text books but for some reason it goes in one ear and out of the other. I'm quite a creative sort of person and that method really doesn't work too well with me!
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Isn't it just Paul?! i've got pages to get through and 5 3hr exams, oooh I can't wait to graduate now!

danielf · 29-04-2005, 17:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by shredder

<snip> I've tried reading my text books <snip>

That's usually a good starting point...

Dave Stones · 29-04-2005, 17:37

5 3 hour exams? i laugh. handed in 5 pieces of coursework today, got 3 more in on friday. then between the 10th may and 1st june i have 8 3 hour exams... and this is just at the end of my second year.

writing down the pertinent points on cue cards helped me last year

shredder · 29-04-2005, 17:39

8? rather you than me? I know what you mean about the assignments though, handed all those in a few weeks ago, dissertation included. Thanks for the advise, think i'll give the cue cards a go.

punky · 29-04-2005, 17:39

Its a shame copying doesn't work for you... it did well for me. I did it more than once though. Environmentalists won't like me for this, but I just to fill pages with copied notes, and then throw them away and do it again. I found writing text requires more of your brain than looking at it, so your brain remembers it better than just looking at it

The other thing I use to do is fill out index cards, with basic facts, that you carry around with you. This works best for complex formulae etc/The rationale is that actually, you do have a lot of wasted time during the day, 5 mins waiting for the bus, 3 mins waiting for a checkout in a supermarket, etc. All that wasted time time adds up to a lot of extra revision

The last thing I used to do, instead of reading like 15 pages in 1 go, i'd read one page, and test myself, then go on. The extra interactivity helps reduce the monotony, because when it gets like that, your eyes tend to gaze over the text rather than read it, and you aren't really learning.

HTH. Good luck with your exams.

shredder · 29-04-2005, 17:42

Thank you! you guys have given me the motivation and ideas I needed, will go to the shop now and buy some index cards!

danielf · 29-04-2005, 17:43

Quote:

Originally Posted by punky

Its a shame copying doesn't work for you... it did well for me. I did it more than once though. Environmentalists won't like me for this, but I just to fill pages with copied notes, and then throw them away and do it again. I found writing text requires more of your brain than looking at it, so your brain remembers it better than just looking at it. <snip>

I did somethnig similar in that I would write summaries of the textbook. I never really looked at the summaries again, but found the process of writing them down helped in remembering.

shredder · 29-04-2005, 17:45

I think that's what put me off the idea (not looking at them again) of writing out loads of cards (irrational I know given that I was quite happily copying out pages!).

Plonking · 29-04-2005, 17:50

good luck

I normally just write notes, then condense them down, and write again, and again, until it's just a list of key references - which I then make myself write out from memory over and over again... I do psychology so a lot of it is to do with names and dates, and who said what at whatever time, so this way may not work for you

I seem to be lucky in that it's my final year but I have three exams, two of which are 2 and 1/2 hrs, and a third which is 3 hrs... one is on a saturday morning though...

P

**Paul M** · 29-04-2005, 17:52

Sorry, can't help you - I've never revised for an exam .... ever

shredder · 29-04-2005, 17:56

saturday morning, that's harsh! I did psychology at a-level, not as hard I know but I remember learning the dates! I still have to do that on my course it's models and theories, I'm trying to revise for a business strategy exam at the moment. I've just bought some cue cards so i'll get started on them, I like your idea of repeatedly condensing the notes, I think that might just work!
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Quote:

Originally Posted by Paul M

Sorry, can't help you - I've never revised for an exam .... ever

That would be the same as me then! After this I don't plan on repeating the revision experience, especially as it's really hot today and i'd love to be sat outside drinking a nice cold glass of wine

allieyoung666 · 29-04-2005, 18:01

I had real problems of this nature when I was at uni, I revised quotes on flash cards and I mind mapped so I had well thought I would have an idea. Plus our lecturers guided us in the right direction, Do you have an LRC at your campus libary as they have really good ideas as well.
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Quote:

Originally Posted by allieyoung666

I had real problems of this nature when I was at uni, I revised quotes on flash cards and I mind mapped so I had well thought I would have an idea. Plus our lecturers guided us in the right direction, Do you have an LRC at your campus libary as they have really good ideas as well.

Whopps I forgot this as well, my and some of my friends hired a room and we crammed in there. Also try the internet .