How do I revise?

Revise what? During an essay test?

(For those in the US, revising means “studying” in UK English.) What I do usually is highlight the key terms or important parts of what I am trying to memorize and then read and reread them. Or I will make note cards and rewrite the important bits; sometimes the writing it down imprints it in my brain.

@janbb Thanks! I didn’t know the term.

The best way I remembered things was to write it out. I rewrote notes, or wrote outlines as I read through a text book. Writing it out engraved it into my brain.

I would make out notecards- hundreds of them- and go over them every chance I had. I also met up with other students with flashcards and we quizzed one another. It worked great.

Know your dates and sequences for history.

Compare and contrast the views.

Do you have two friends who are taking the same exam and are serious about their school work? You could form a study group. Divide the tasks 1. Out line the material from text books; 2. make a list of terminology and/or persons whose names you should recognize; 3. Outline material from lectures. Make copies of the outlines and terms so each person has them. Have meetings and go over everything, asking each other questions. If the material doesn’t fit my categories, make your own that fit the subject matter. You can’t learn until you organize the material, whatever it is. You’ll know the information you organized. You just have to work in the other 2 members’ information.

I’d say plan your revision first. You have a month. Decide what exactly and how many times you want to revise. Also, you probably be having a fair idea how much you can do it in a day, so estimate how much you can in 30 days. Accordingly, cut or add revision materials. Check if you have completed what you planned at the end of day, and plan for the next day. This way you will not end up regretting left out portion after a month. Also, you may check your progress on a weekly basis.

It would be really helpful if you can tell us what is it that you want to revise. Way to revise may differ for different materials. Suppose you want to revise maths. I found it useful to practise everyday. See if you can recall, say maths formulae, while solving examples. I usually solve maths problems after meals when I am likely to feel sleepy. Study something that you want to remember early in the morning when you are fresh.

At the same time, maintain good health. Exercise daily to keep fit. Take sufficient sleep. One of my friends forgot many things he studied a night before because he didn’t sleep that night.Plan good and you will succeed! Good luck happens when preparedness meets opportunity. Best of Luck!

If you have an mp3 player or phone with headphones, record yourself going over the material and listen to it when you are in transit or even before you go to sleep.

I also like to rewrite notes, and quiz myself on paper a few hrs after studying.

Good luck!

Never realized you Americans wouldn’t know what revision was.. My bad..

Some of us did but my kids are half Brit.

I was going to give you a hard time by using the American version of revising, which is to say, rewriting. As in rewriting a document of some kind. But my heart wasn’t in it, so I just waited until the confusion came up naturally. Having spend a year in a British school when I was a lad, I knew what you meant. Although I’m still uncertain as to how the meanings came to diverge.

@wundayatta I find that very interesting, since my way of studying is rewriting (see my second answer at the top).

Revising by revising. Well! How….. tautological!