A LEVEL

REVISION
GUIDE

TOP TIPS
Time management
Concentration
Revision techniques
Sitting the exam and nerves
Revision Planner sheets

AND, most importantly, for the hard

workers amongst you

Keeping a healthy balance between work and play

STUDY SKILLS
Any type of studying will incorporate the use of various skills. It is not one single factor that leads to
success it is a variety of factors. Successful learning and passing exams can be based on the following
FACT:

Feel right about learning you should feel relaxed, alert, motivated and
positive.
Acquiring and absorbing information your preferred learning style will
assist with this (left or right sided brain visual, auditory or kinaesthetic type
learners)
Constructing meaning understanding and utilising the information
Transferring the information to long-term memory 80% of all new learned material will be lost
unless regularly reviewed.

When you are at school your lessons are gauged to achieving the first three of these factors. Transferring
the information to long-term memory, however, is something you need to do out of school hours.

Information is retained and recalled if:

It is presented in short bursts

It is reviewed regularly
It is linked to other information
It involves more than one sense
It uses both left and right sides of the brain
It is relevant to you
It is remembered by using mnemonics, chants or mind maps

Task:
Write down ways in which you manage your study time. When do you study? How long
do you give yourself? How often do you study? How did you prepare for your mocks?
Did it work? What will you do differently?
TIME MANAGEMENT

In order for information to be transferred into the long term memory, it must be regularly reviewed.
Studying is like exercising the body to make a difference, it must be done consistently and on a
regular basis. Once every now and then is not enough.
You will learn more and recall more if you have regular study habits.
It is better to study for one hour per day that for one day at the weekend.

Studying will always take up a lot of time we cannot get around that fact. Most students will agree that
they would like more time to study. There are three ways in which to achieve this:

1. Find more time for study

2. Make more time for study
3. Use time more efficiently

Find more time for study

Look at your activities over a typical week the best way to do this is by making a timetable
This will allow you to see gaps in your schedule that could be made into study time. An hour should be the
minimum gap
Try to look for regular gaps once daily is ideal
Remember it is more effective to study in small, regular sessions rather than once a week long sessions
(just like with physical exercise!)

Task: Fill out a blank timetable for next week and identify gaps for study.

Make more time for study

If you cannot find more study time then you must make more study time
Self discipline and sacrifices may well be needed

SLEEP

Getting up an hour earlier or going to bed later will create more time in your day
Everyone has a preference you learn better either earlier in the day or later. Decide which is best for you
and always stick to doing it this way

LIFESTYLE

Spend less time socialising and/or doing hobbies

Study for an hour before going out treat it like a reward for the studying
Study with friends as a group
TELEVISION

The average person in the U.K. spends 25 hours per week watching TV. That is 3 hours per day that
could be used for study!!
Decide what programmes you want to watch then switch the TV off when they have finished
Or leave the room if others are still watching
NEVER try to study with the television on!

FAMILY

It can be difficult to find quiet study time if you have a large family
You may need to get up earlier or stay up later than everyone else (whichever suits your learning style)
Explain to your family and friends that you need quiet study time for your course ask them for their
support
Do tell your friends that you are seeing less of them because of study not because of them!

All these sacrifices may seem difficult at first but with practice it gets easier and you will be able to study
for long periods without getting bored or tired. This is because you will be practising and developing your
study skills.

Use time more efficiently

Keep your school notes organised and in order. Use coloured dividers and write on the tags to identify
each topic. Time spent searching for notes is time wasted.

You could make your own verbal notes using your mobile phone or ipad then listen to them when reading
is not possible e.g. walking down the street.

ALWAYS take notes or a book with you wherever you go. You can study from them whilst on the bus,
waiting for the bus, during lunchtime, during a quiet period at work etc.
Even short periods of time can be put to good use.

Get used to reading in public. Many students and teachers read in public you must have seen them.
This is how they pass their exams!

SUMMARY OF TIME MANAGEMENT

Arrange your study time into small, regular blocks of time
Analyse your time spent over a week to identify gaps for study
Make more time for study by making small sacrifices in other areas of your life
Develop methods for grabbing every spare minute for studying

What will you do differently as a result of this time management advice?

...
CONCENTRATION
Group task:
Record ways that you have tried to concentrate - in a lesson or studying at home
State whether they worked or not
Also list your top ten distractions whilst trying to study!

Lack of concentration can be in lessons or whilst trying to study at home

Concentration skills are easily developed as they are practiced
Start by studying in short periods, have a quick break, then begin work again, straight away. You can then
begin to make the study periods longer
A quick break could be to make a cuppa, have a good stretch or get some fresh air for 5 minutes.

PLANNING
If a new subject is hard to understand go back to the short study periods.
Difficult subjects are easier to grasp if broken into short, manageable sections.

AVOID STRESS
Dont force yourself, have a break, then start again. If concentration starts to wander switch to a
different task.
Try something more passive, like listening to an audio tape

DONT MAKE EXCUSES

Sometimes you have to force yourself some work will be harder than other work.

STUDY CONDITIONS
You need to be free from distractions. Put your mobile phone in a different room
Study alone
Turn the TV off -it is impossible to concentrate fully with the TV on
If you must have background noise, low volume classical music is advised but not from the radio
Ensure you are comfortable and all study materials are close to hand
A library is ideal have you tried the school library?
If you do not have a desk to keep your study materials in use a box
Good lighting is essential for study preferably natural daylight. If artificial, point it onto the page to avoid
eye-strain.

DURING LESSONS
Keep eye contact with the teacher as if having a conversation
Sit at the front of the room
Face the front of the room avoid turning around to look at other students who can provide distractions
Drink water to keep hydrated cold water will help you to wake-up if tired.

Make notes through-out the lesson this will make you an active listener
You should use your own words when writing notes this will make it much easier to remember
Making notes enables you to identify key points and summarise the information
Make notes in the margins of your handouts keep them neat, concise and clear.
Use abbreviations wherever possible.
Reading up on the lesson content before going in can really help with concentration.
If you tend to worry about unrelated stuff all the time and this stops you from concentrating, then write
down whatever it is that is worrying you this will enable you to get it out of your head and really works!

What ideas have you gained from this to help you with your concentration?

REVISION TECHNIQUES
Group task:
Discuss how you manage your school notes and how you revise for end of subject tests.
How do you file your notes?
What revision methods do you use?

PLANNING
Revision should be done throughout the entire course, not just in preparation for an exam. With this in
mind, revision for the final exam can start at minimum of 6-8 weeks before it.

Draw up a list of topics and then create regular time slots on a timetable - then slot each topic in
Consider the size of each topic and amount of factual information - canine husbandry will not need as
much time as microbiology!
Try to stick to one subject per session too many changes will confuse
The earlier you begin, the more confident and at ease you will feel
The best approach is to revise the entire course content
Or, you could concentrate on weaker topics.

TIME OF DAY
If you are tired, get some fresh air or drink a cold glass of water
Revising when tired is a waste of time
Work out when the best time of day for you to study is and plan around that. Late at night, however,
should be avoided
Treat yourself after each revision session, you have done well and deserve it, plus it will help with
motivation

Remember regular review of information is what enables the recall of it.

Small blocks of regular revision are best.

Even short periods of time can be useful. e.g. 10 minutes could be used to go over a list or to practise a
calculation.

It is better to do one small thing well, than to do several things badly!

METHODS OF REVISION

Condensed notes using A4 paper

Use of colour and highlighters
Mind maps, flow charts and spider diagrams
Learning posters with all information of them
Summary tables or grids
Prompt cards
Create a book of facts (one for each subject)
Diagrams and drawings
Mnemonics
Reading from a different text
Self testing written questions that can be used again
Teach someone else the subject!

As you end a revision session review the key points.

Can you add anything to this list?

Task:
Choose a topic that you are having particular difficulty with and
draw a mind map or spider diagram for it
SITTING THE EXAM AND NERVES
Most people get nervous when they take an exam it is to be expected. It is common to feel anxious from
the night before an exam or even every time you think about it. This is normal. In order to minimise
exam nerves the following can be applied:

BEFORE THE EXAM

Ensure you know the date, time and place of the exam.
Make sure you know how to get to the venue and how long it will take you.
If you are very nervous then it may be worth while visiting the place before the day.

The night before:

Dont stay up late cramming! If you dont know it by now you probably never will!
Get a good nights sleep.
Avoid novelties stay in normal life rhythm.
Get any materials needed, ready TWO black pens, pencil, rubber, ruler and CALCULATOR do not
rely on borrowing equipment on the day.

AT THE EXAM
Ignore what others are saying prior to going in, e.g. Oh, what are the muscles of the hind limb
again? this will only send you into panic.
Check the examination instructions before you begin.
Confirm the structure is what you expect i.e. the number of questions and time allowed.
Answer the questions that you know and come back to those that you dont know.
Ensure you read the question and answers carefully and thoroughly.
Dont waste time trying to recall something if you have memory block come back to the question
and you are more likely to remember it then.
When finished go back and answer those questions not answered.
CHECK you have not turned over two pages & check the back page just in case.
When all the questions have been answered check the whole paper again.
Do not change anything unless you are absolutely sure that you have answered it wrong your first
instincts are most likely to be right!
Ensure you have answered all the questions.
If you dont know the answer, work by a process of elimination.
Look for intra-question clues!

NERVES
Some people find that taking a herbal remedy to help with their nerves, useful e.g. Kalms tablets.

If you are very nervous, begin to feel like you cannot cope, or feel near to panic you can try the following:

Stop what you are doing and close your eyes

Put the source of your anxiety out of your mind (try to focus on something else like a favourite, calm
place).
Sit up right in your chair and take some long, deep breaths.
Exhale slowly and completely letting your shoulders droop naturally.
You can also try:

Sit up right in your chair and grip the seat of your chair
Tense all of your muscles in your body
Then let your muscles relax slowly breathing out as you do so.

These are coping strategies for emergency situations, however, you can try them as general relaxation
techniques especially the breathing exercise. Other relaxation techniques employed for every day use
will help you to calm yourself and keep your nerves in check.

http://www.nwlg.org/pages/resources/knowitall/index.htm http://www.open.ac.uk/skillsforstudy/revising-exams-and-
assessment.php

KEEPING A HEALTHY BALANCE BETWEEN

WORK AND PLAY
It is important to make time for plenty of rest, sleep, food and recreation. You will not be effective if you
get this balance wrong. You need fresh air and time to relax - you owe it to yourself to look after yourself.

Task:
Fill in your free time tracker. Make entries for when you want to schedule breaks and time
for yourself. When you have done this, enter these breaks into your revision plan first.
Schedule your revision around these breaks.

On the following pages you will find Revision Planner Sheets

if you would like additional copies, please come into the Sixth
Form Office to collect.
Revision Planner INSERT your free time sessions first. The rest
is then available for revision

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday

3-4pm

4-5pm

5-6pm

6-7pm

7-8pm

8-9pm

9-10pm

Saturdays Sundays
Morning

Afternoon

Evening 1

Evening 2

Notes:
Revision Planner INSERT your free time sessions first. The rest
is then available for revision

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday

3-4pm

4-5pm

5-6pm

6-7pm

7-8pm

8-9pm

9-10pm

Saturdays Sundays
Morning

Afternoon

Evening 1

Evening 2

Notes:
Revision Planner INSERT your free time sessions first. The rest
is then available for revision

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday

3-4pm

4-5pm

5-6pm

6-7pm

7-8pm

8-9pm

9-10pm

Saturdays Sundays
Morning

Afternoon

Evening 1

Evening 2

Notes:
Revision Planner INSERT your free time sessions first. The rest
is then available for revision

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday

3-4pm

4-5pm

5-6pm

6-7pm

7-8pm

8-9pm

9-10pm

Saturdays Sundays
Morning

Afternoon

Evening 1

Evening 2

Notes:
Revision Planner INSERT your free time sessions first. The rest
is then available for revision

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday

3-4pm

4-5pm

5-6pm

6-7pm

7-8pm

8-9pm

9-10pm

Saturdays Sundays
Morning

Afternoon

Evening 1

Evening 2

Notes:
Revision Planner INSERT your free time sessions first. The rest
is then available for revision

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday

3-4pm

4-5pm

5-6pm

6-7pm

7-8pm

8-9pm

9-10pm

Saturdays Sundays
Morning

Afternoon

Evening 1

Evening 2

Notes:
Revision Planner INSERT your free time sessions first. The rest
is then available for revision

Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday