Science Revision Tips

What is Revision?

Revision is storing away information. It's a bit like saving information on a disc or recording some music on a tape. By being in lessons for 2 years and completing your coursework you already have all the information you need, the next stage is fixing it in your memory.

Revision gives you a greater understanding of your work and helps you use the information you know when you're doing your exams. There are different types of people, and different ways to revise.

Most importantly:
• Don't panic.
• Don't worry.

Time Management

Is seems like your worst nightmare! So many subjects to revise and no idea how to start, it's not that bad.

No one expects you to lock yourself in your room and not come out for 4 months and no one expects you to forget your friends and become a hermit - in fact it is very important that you do neither of those things. The key to successful revision is careful time management.

Before you even open a book, construct a revision timetable. This is a simple plan that you must stick to, it helps you organise your time and allow you to fit in work, rest and play.

First decide which times you will not be able to revise, for example if you have a club you go to or a weekend activity you do, it is important not to stop all social activities, you will need to relax, but try to cut down to one or two occasions a week.

Next, set up your timetable so that you have 5 sessions a day each one lasting 40 minutes. If you have the sessions any longer you will get bored and loose concentration. Leave a 15 minute break between each session and longer for lunch.

Next, decide which subjects you will revise in each session, try to put similar subjects on different days, and don't put all your hard subjects in the afternoon.

Finally, give a copy of your timetable to someone at home so they can help you stick to it, put a copy on your wall so you can keep track of what you are supposed to be doing and when.

Getting Started

In science, first break your work down into Biology, Chemistry and Physics.

Next:
Choose one of the sciences and write down all the topics you have covered in this subject. Do this for all three sciences. Once you have these lists you have a much clearer and simpler revision programme.

Next:
Now you have your list of things to revise you are ready to start. The most important thing is to condense your work into smaller more memorable notes.

There are different ways to tackle this stage - I'll give you some possible ideas:

• Use your original exercise books and go through them with a highlighter pen, picking out the most useful points.
• Make notes in a notebook including the important points from each section.
• Use Index Cards, these are small cards which you can write basic points on, they are easy to flick through and keep tidy.
• Record your notes by speaking them onto a tape and playing it back to yourself - It may sound stupid but some people respond better to hearing information that reading information, how many sets of song lyrics can you remember off by heart?
• Draw mind map diagrams where you brainstorm the main ideas onto a diagram.

You must revise each topic again and again. Don't just read them through once, it takes longer to sink in that just one reading and every time you read them more information will stick in your brain.

Ideas

• Try revising with a friend, test each other by asking questions and setting questions.
• Use published revision guides, every exam board will have revision guides written by someone and they are often really brightly coloured and easy to read, ask your teacher which one he/she recommends.
• Use past exam papers, try and answer the questions under exam conditions. It doesn't matter if you get them wrong, you can then go and find out the right answers.
• Use pictures and diagrams as ways to remember things - think of cartoons or rhymes to memorise key points.
• Read through your notes and repeat them to yourself again and again, it will eventually go in.

Summary

1. Start early
2. Break down information into small workable chunks.
3. Construct your revision timetable.
4. Leave yourself time to relax.
5. Don't revise for too long at a time.
6. Use a variety of revision methods until you find what's best for you.
7. Re-visit your notes as many times as possible.
8. Relax and get plenty of sleep during your revision and your exams.

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Page Last Updated: 28th February 2009
Site Last Updated: 9th March 2010
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