Hopefully by now you have your revision plan in place – you know when your exams are, what topics you need to revise, when revision classes are being held, and so on. You should have a clear picture of what you will be doing in the weeks and months ahead.
So how do you revise? There are many different strategies, and different people learn in different ways. But there is one fundamental rule that you need to follow no matter which technique you use. You have to do something with the information.
What do I mean by this? Let me state it very clearly – you cannot revise by simply reading through your notes, revision guides and textbooks. Some people claim that they can just read something and retain all the information. This is called ‘photographic memory’. Research has clearly proved that “there is no such thing as photographic memory”.
The closest thing to it is called ‘eidetic memory’ which is the ability, seen in only 5% of children and never in adults, to view a memory of something as if it was a photograph in front of them.
In the weeks ahead I will explore the various techniques that we can implement to help us retain information. Find the technique (or techniques) that work for you, stick rigidly to your revision plan, and you will be successful in the summer exams.
