Classic FM's Study Tips
We provide some tips on how to survive revision and exam periods.
- Put together a revision timetable with sensible work slots and lots of breaks. Show it to your parents and get them to agree - that way, when they find you 'not working', provided you're following your agreed timetable, you shouldn't get any hassle.
- Tell your family about your revision plans and ask for help if you need it - it may make them feel useful.
- Find a quiet and comfortable environment in which to work.
- Make sure you have one day at the weekend when you don't do any revision at all - you'll be all the more refreshed when you get back to it. Also ensure you get regular fresh air.
- Bullet points on crib cards are great for quick revision guides and for reading during 'dead' times, such as waiting for a bus. You can also pin them around the home. Try using mnemonics: the initials of a word can really help you remember key facts. For example, the order of the colours in the rainbow/spectrum are Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo and Violet - more easily remembered by ‘Richard Of York Gave Battle In Vain’.
- Try listening to classical music while revising. Click here to listen to Classic FM's Music for Studying Channel on My Classic FM featuring the ideal soundtrack to help you revise.
- Try recording your revision onto tapes or CD, then listen to them while out and about. Your revision will be most productive if you keep changing tack. Listening to your notes while you're out will also take away the guilt you may feel when not stuck in front of your books!
- Eat and sleep properly. Now is not the time to diet or stay up all night. Make sure you drink plenty of water.
- Try to cut down on your weekend/evening job - most employers realise that you need to spend time studying, but they may try to get you to do extra hours anyway.
- Know where all your exams are, when they start and how long they last.
- Prepare everything you need for each exam the evening before. Make sure you have all the equipment you need, e.g. calculators, rulers etc. Your invigilator should remind you of what you can and can't take into an exam before the exam starts - don't forget that taking unauthorised equipment (e.g. mobile phones) into the exam room can get you disqualified. Don't say we didn't warn you.
- On the morning of the exam, have a good breakfast, stay calm and allow plenty of time to get there. Now is not the time to worry about what you don't know, focus on what you do. Remember that you can only do your best.
