Revising always seems tedious, and it's human nature to put off what you don't want to do, especially when there's no apparent urgency. However, by developing a method and getting used to following it, revision becomes much less of a burden, and results improve. Here are some tips for revising.
Learn to organize your time
This is the basic principle, but it is necessary to repeat it: there is so much material to study that it is useless to try to learn everything by heart. To memorize the essentials, the work begins from the beginning of the lessons. It is therefore necessary to have an idea from the outset of the objectives of the lessons and their general outline. This will prevent you from dwelling on the details and to remember the most important. It is also obvious that you must first make sure you understand the material well before memorizing parts of it. Everything will then be easier to assimilate.
Plan your revision
Although it's difficult to know your schedule well in advance, you should be able to predict how many hours a day you'll devote to studying. By making a plan, you won't be caught off guard, and you can even schedule breaks and relaxation at your own pace. A week or two before exams, it's even possible to create an hour-by-hour schedule.
Revise with friends
It doesn't work for everyone, but it's often helpful to study in small groups. Asking and answering questions with friends often helps you get a better feel for the material. However, it's essential that everyone is motivated. If someone in the group starts joking at every line, the study will get out of hand.
Use good old index cards
Even in our technological age, flashcards still have their relevance. Many teachers recommend their use. When well-designed, they are the best memory aids. Many students resort to creating flashcards when the course is too long and they need to quickly review the essential elements before an exam.
The worksheets also allow for more active reading. Since they're personalized, it's up to you to make them more engaging. You'll be less distracted than if you read all the texts provided by the teachers. There's nothing wrong with adding color to your worksheets and highlighting important passages. Some even add small drawings.
Since space on a fact sheet is limited, you should take care to summarize the material as concisely as possible. You can choose between writing traditional fact sheets and writing them on a computer. The latter option ensures that you won't misplace them since you'll save them before printing. Even if they get damaged or lost, there will always be copies. A site like Pandanote offers software for automatically filing lectures, which is a very useful tool.
