We’re four months down 2023 and you’re still mugging up notes only to forget them in the exam hall? Working hard is great and all but have you ever tried to work smart? With the proliferation of technology, long gone are the days of turning innumerable pages to revise chapters before exams. If you find starting with your revision just a day before your exam more mentally frying than an 8 A.M. class, then this blog is for you. Keep reading as we take you through five top revision tips that will help you smoothly navigate through the exam season.
1. The 2-3-5-7 rule
Yes, scheduling the revision sessions for each topic may be more challenging than the topic itself. But all you need is a calendar to mark the date of your exam. The day before the exam day will be a complete revision day, the next revision day will be 2 days after the prior revision day, and so on for the next 3, 5, and 7 days. This will give you the ideal revision schedule.
2. Google Sheets are your best bet
If you despise pen and paper more than your cranky professor, then online revision is definitely for you. Simply head on to Google Sheets and quickly type out the questions that have the highest probability of appearing in your exam. Then start answering them in the next column (disclaimer: no cheating, no tabs open!). Be a self-critic and start marking your answers.
Who likes boring black & white rows and columns though? Highlight the answers that score above 90% with green, the ones above 50% with yellow and below 50% with red. This way, you’ll know the exact questions that require more attention.
3. Dig out those past exam papers!
Please keep in mind that old is gold and that browsing the archives is never a bad idea. The best way to get ready for the exam day is to test yourself by completing previous years’ question papers following the actual allocated time. This will help you familiarise with the paper pattern and give you a better sense of how long it will take you to complete the real exam.
4. Choose sticky notes over lifeless notebooks!
Writing long-format notes in your notebook only to never flip through them ever again is so 2022. Instead, stick to the loyal sticky notes by briefly putting down only the key points which you can further expand later rather than writing big paragraphs of text.
Pro tip: Write the content you find toughest to remember in your favourite colour so you won’t mind reading it often.
5. Save all of your notes in one place
Are you still scrambling through the pages to find that one thing you highlighted in class? Unless you live under an isolated igloo, you’d want to use Microsoft OneNote where you can save all your notes in one place and access it anywhere and at any time. You can also categorise your notes according to subjects and topics and the search box will instantly take you to the keyword you entered. Additionally, you can add pictures, audio, or a hyperlink that helps you revise efficiently.
All said and done, if you don’t want to resort to last-minute cramming, then of course, studying at regular intervals and consistently updating your notes can help you perform well on the exam.
Hopefully, these tips are helpful for your revision and in easing your academic stress!
Written by: Taniya Firoz Khan
Edited by: Harsheni Maniarasan