Top tip
"If I find a topic especially difficult, I like to go through my notes and write down the hardest things to remember on no more than one side of A4. Fold it up, carry it with me and whenever I have a spare moment I go through it and within a day I know everything that's on it."
- Nathalie Podder, ICU Deputy President (Welfare), 2021-23
Preparing notes for revision starts when you’re in lectures. If you don’t have good notes to build on, it’ll be much harder to revise. You can find out more about making useful notes in the Effective note-taking section.
When preparing for exams, you’ll want to have a clear idea about what the exam is testing you on. Knowing what to expect can help you to be confident about the exam, and will also allow you to structure your revision effectively.
You can find advice about sitting exams on the In-person examinations page.
How should I revise?
There are many different ways to revise, and you’ll need to discover what works for you. You’ll find that using different techniques stimulates different parts of your brain, allowing you to concentrate for longer. Find out what suits you, but try not to experiment with too many new revision methods right before an exam.
Tips for preparing revision notes
Preparing Revision Notes
Ensuring your revision is as effective as possible
Ensuring Revision is Effective
Some of the revision methods that students have found successful in the past include:
- Prepare a revision timetable
- Index cards, mind maps and consolidated notes
- Posters and visual aids
- Key words, phrases, themes or concepts
- Summary tables or charts
- Teach someone else
- Do test questions
- Review your material
- Keep calm and relax
- Sleep and eat well
