No matter how old you are, at some point in life, you will have to revise and study material. Whether this be for an upcoming test or just for catching up on work, learning to revise efficiently will allow you to relieve stress on yourself whilst simultaneously improving your academic performance.
Why should you revise?
Although revision is a key aspect of doing well in examinations and classroom tests, it also helps relieve stress and anxiety. Furthermore, investing time and effort in going through your work will improve your confidence in the given subject and will improve your overall quality of work. A study published in 2006 led by Harris Cooper showed a positive and statistically significant relationship between homework and achievement outcomes.
Revision
According to a study conducted by Legco, the average study time for a student in primary to secondary education in Hong Kong is estimated to be about 10 hours on a school day, meaning that a student could be studying around 50 hours on a 5 day school week. Another study conducted in 2015 found that Hong Kong students studied 46.4 hours a week, with 17.7 of these hours being out of school. The same study identified three main periods of studying: normal schooling hours, homework or revision after school and private tutorial lessons. This is a long time for students to be studying weekly and you can make the most out of the time you have to revise by following these tips:
- Create a timetable
This might seem self-explanatory, but creating a timetable that gives you fixed periods of the day to study can be very beneficial and improve your overall productivity. It is important that when you are creating this timetable you also allocate certain times of the day during which you can do activities you enjoy (such as watching Netflix or talking to friends) in order to prevent burnout.
- Make a revision plan
Many people who create revision plans are unable to stick to them, which is why it is very important that your revision plan is attainable and realistic. Ways to make sure of this include creating a plan with room for flexibility, in case some tasks take longer than anticipated, and plenty of breaks.
- Make flashcards
Flashcards force you to use active recall when revising, subsequently allowing you to remember information for longer as you build up a habit of reviewing your flashcards. Depending on your personal preference, you can create flashcards on paper or online using websites such as Quizlet and Anki.
- The Pomodoro technique
The Pomodoro technique is a studying technique devised by Francesco Crillio in the 1980s, it consists of working in 25-minute sessions with a 5-minute break in between each session. After you have completed 4 of these sessions you take a longer break of 20-30 minutes before starting again. Traditionally, this is done using a tomato-shaped timer; however, there are now many apps that allow you to do this, such as the app Forest.
- Teach Friends
One of the best ways to understand information is by teaching it to others. You could try setting up study groups of 3-4 people in which every member studies a different unit and teaches it to the other members of the group.
Sources
Writing: Anvita Verma
Editing: Kristen Wong Graphics: Cynthia Mu
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