With exam season fast approaching, you'll see stressed teens running about with stacks of books, making the libraries their second homes. But all your work will be for nothing if you don't revise effectively, so here's a guide on how to study and how to do it well.
First: location. While it may be tempting to take all your books into bed and go over them with a nice cup of warm milk, don't think you'll get much done in that environment. If you try to work in a place you associate with sleeping, you will become sleepy or will at least be distracted by the thought of sleeping. The same goes for a place you link with distractions: if you sit down in front of the TV, chances are that you'll end up watching something or daydreaming about your favourite show. Instead, choose a quiet place with few distractions and lots of natural light, for example your garden. Or if there's no place at home then pack up your flashcards and go out. Studying in a place you don't visit very often - a library or coffee shop, perhaps - will help you remember what you revised there by setting the revision session apart from others.
When you decide to revise is also crucial to the efficiency of the revision. Never leave starting revision to too late in the day: studying when you're tired or hungry is less effective than if you've just had a snack and you're well-rested. But that doesn't mean you should cram in all the revision you can between breakfast and lunchtime. Take regular short breaks and get outside! No matter how much anxiety you feel about not completing your work, sitting down for hours is not good for you. In fact, recently the University of California San Diego found that people who sat down for more than 10 hours a day and did less than 40 minutes of exercise per day had biologically older cells than those who did not, ("our study found cells age faster with a sedentary lifestyle" Dr Shadyab, University of California San Diego).
Finally, what should your revision include? In 2013, a study was published in the journal, Psychological Science in the Public Interest, which looked at revision methods and how well they worked. It found that a lot of tried-and-tested techniques, like highlighting or rereading and rewriting notes, had little beneficial effect. One of the best ways found was testing yourself. So, if you are a diehard 'rewriter' and 'highlighter', try to combine these techniques, for instance, by writing out your notes on flashcards and highlighting them, then testing yourself. After all, two study methods are bound to be better than one, right? But don't let your revision bore you; not only will it not be fun, but you're less likely to pay attention. Instead do something that you find fun and helps you revise. You could try writing a song or a story with facts in it or drawing a memorable picture to stick on your flashcards. So now you know how to study well and there's no more reason to procrastinate: good luck studying.
Hannah Cowie, Kingston Grammar School
