How can I successfully revise and prepare for my exams?

Transcription

1 How can I successfully revise and prepare for my exams? Study the pictures and complete challenge from below. Challenge: What revision methods can you see in these pictures? More challenging: Order the revision methods in terms of effectiveness in your opinion. Be prepared to justify your ideas to the class. Mega Challenging: Are there any important revision methods missing? Explain any others you can think of and why they are important.

2 Help! I don t know how to revise!

3 How can I successfully revise and prepare for my exams? Key Words Consolidation when your brain takes the information you have learned and makes a medium term imprint when you are doing something else. This makes you able to recall the information. Application when you apply the info you have learned. This is the only way you can help your brain with consolidation through revision. We will look at practical ways to apply learning today. Learning Outcomes: Correctly identify ways we can successfully revise and prepare for our exams Explain why the preparation techniques work and how we can successfully apply them to our lives. Create examples using the techniques, applying our learning in a variety of subjects.

4 What is the point of revision? It is to remember things. The best way to remember is through cues. A cue is something that you associate with something else.

5 The first rule of revision: Don t worry. Worrying will put you off and stop you from doing anything at all.

6 Second rule of revision Do not take the easy option and go over things that you already know. This might make you feel better (and boost your confidence) but actually is of no benefit.

7 Third rule of revision Find out exactly what you need to know! Look at the textbook or revision guide this will often summarise what you need to know.

8 Final Rule: Plan your revision. There s no point in trying to cram too much in. You know when your exam is. What will you need to cover by that date?

9 Example Plan!!!

10 How can I revise then? Everyone is different and so you all have different things that work for you. BUT your revision MUST be active. - you have to engage your brain. Just reading your notes or completely re-writing your notes does NOT work. You have to think about what s written and distil the information, most simply highlighting key points and using colour. There are so many things you can try

11 Start revising at least 6 weeks before your first exam. 1) Try mind mapping, or note the key words and facts in bright colours. Copying notes out isn t very effective. 2) A typical revision session could be: 10 minutes revision + 5 minute break + 10 minutes revision + 5 minute break + 15 minutes revision. Keep revision time to a maximum of 2 hours in an evening. 3) Do the hardest part of work when you are least tired. If you don t understand what you are revising, then you have time to see your teacher. 4) Give yourself goals and targets to help you concentrate. Treat yourself to watching a favourite programme or playing a game as a reward. 5) Don t be afraid to adjust your revision timetable. You many find some parts harder than others and need more time. 6) Try to get your revision down to a few key and more difficult to remember points, maybe on small cards or post-its. You can look at these a day or two before the exam. 7) Remember, you can only revise it if you understand it. If you don t understand it see your teacher. 8) Revising with somebody can be very helpful. Devise a quiz and test each other. 9) Start your revision early enough and you will have time to do this!

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13 Help! I don t know how to revise!

14 How can I successfully revise and prepare for my exams? Key Words Consolidation when your brain takes the information you have learned and makes a medium term imprint when you are doing something else. This makes you able to recall the information. Application when you apply the info you have learned. This is the only way you can help your brain with consolidation through revision. We will look at practical ways to apply learning today. Learning Outcomes: Correctly identify ways we can successfully revise and prepare for our exams Explain why the preparation techniques work and how we can successfully apply them to our lives. Create examples using the techniques, applying our learning in a variety of subjects.

15 How can I revise then? Everyone is different and so you all have different things that work for you. BUT your revision MUST be active. - you have to engage your brain. Just reading your notes or completely re-writing your notes does NOT work. You have to think about what s written and distil the information, most simply highlighting key points and using colour. There are so many things you can try

16 Mind Maps

17 Mind Mapping. Dating back to the 3 rd Century, this method helps you to put your learning into categories, and visualise what is important. The use of colours, key words and pictures help the brain to store the information. See the example below. How to mindmap: 1) Start in the centre with an image of the topic 2) Select key words or phrases from the topic 3) Arrange these around the central image 4) Main points radiate outwards from the central image 5) Details flow from the main points 6) Use images, symbols and codes throughout the map 7) Each image or word should sit on a line 8) All the lines should be connected 9) Make the lines the same length as the word or image 10) Use colour to separate different ideas

18 Roman Room Instructions. This technique is 2000 years old and still used well today. It is one of the most popular memory techniques in existence. Simonides, a Greek poet, discovered it when he tried to recall people who had died. Part 1 the set up Imagine a room that you know really well. Begin in one corner and make one complete circuit of the room in your mind. As you do, choose a number of objects or locations. Retrace your journey and remember the objects. Part 2 locking on your information Condense your information into keywords or phrases. Choose trigger images to represent the information. Associate these images with the objects in the room. Part 3 retrieval Take a tour around the room in your mind. Visualise the known objects and their associated images. In the exam, picture your room and the objects to help you remember.

19 Mnemonics. A mnemonic is just an easy little word, rhyme, sentence or idea to help you remember something! The most memorable ones are the ones you make up yourself. Use these to learn lists or hard to remember information. For example: Spellings: Because big elephants can t always use small entrances Key points: EGBDF musical notes every good boy deserves fish Lists: My Very Easy Method: Just Set Up Nine Planets the order of the planets from the sun PEN parts of an atom proton, electron, neutron. or you could rhyme or rap.

20 Chunking. This is grouping items or information together into memorable chunks. This allows you to remember more easily and to link the smaller chunks to larger topics. Example: The average person can take in four numbers or words at a time, can concentrate on revision for a maximum of 45 minutes at a time and remembers information best shortly before bedtime. Chunked: Remember 4 words/numbers at a time Revision max 45 mins. Remember best before bedtime

21 Linking. This involves linking words or topics to things around you. For example you could link a topic to a song, a person or even a piece of furniture. The idea is that it triggers your brain to remembering the topic when you see the item you linked it to. Review. Look over topics regularly. Make a summary of the topic and look over it 10 minutes later. Do 30 minutes with a 5 minute break, then review again. Repetition. This is a simple method. Just repeat the information over and over. It will sink in eventually. 3 times is often enough to help remember a topic

22 Revision/Flash/Cue Cards Write a keyword on a card using your textbook for cues. Read the relevant part of the textbook. Come back to your cards and try to write notes on them (this tests your memory). You can then flick through the cards to help you remember.

23 Use post it notes/posters. All around your house put keywords in the toilet, on your bedroom wall, on your tv etc

24 More ideas. Make up a story linking together all the facts you need to learn. Try to explain to someone what you have been learning. Let them question you! Turn the information into posters, then put the posters around your room or house. The stranger the place, the more likely you are to remember it! Past papers - subjects like Maths generally require just practice practice practice. Don t go straight to bed after revision. Try to do something relaxing to help you to sleep. Choose to listen to music if it helps you. Don t listen to lyrics and keep it turned down.

25 It is not all about facts Learning facts is only part of the battle. You need to arrange your thoughts on paper and make sure you answer the question and can apply your knowledge. This means practice practice practice do practice papers.

26 Summary/Reflection. Revision strategies embrace or avoid? Draw out and complete three more on Each side of the table from today s lesson. Embrace Consolidation your brain needs time to imprint and retain learning. Application because. Avoid Gimmicks listening to notes while you sleep is not supported by science Cramming because.

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28 How can we improve our revision techniques? Watch the clip and answer the questions at your challenge level.. Why is last minute cramming a bad technique? Which is better for recall, revision in the day and early night or an all-nighter with coffee and books? What else is a waste of time? Why? How can you do something with the information. Why do you need to do this? Why is taking appropriately lengthened breaks so important? How is excellent revision like playing a computer game? How can your brain trick you into thinking last minute cramming has worked? What is consolidation and when does this happen?

29 Now time for you to think We ll read the first exam preparation technique and discuss solutions together about how we can all apply it. 15 min task: Read each of the case studies in your pairs. Ensure you answer the questions at your challenge level and above. Be prepared to feedback at the end of the task:

30 Feedback 1 Anyone got a good rap or rhyme?! 20 credits to the best one out of all the form groups.

31 Feedback 2 How can we apply emotional engagement and positive sleep patterns?

32 Any other tips? Write one more tip that you have found helps you personally prepare for exams and revise on your post-it. Come up and put it on the board. On your way out of class today you will pick up a different post-it from someone else to take away with you. Think carefully make your advice: 1. Clear 2. Practical 3. Useful