Top 10 Essential & Effective Methods on How to Revise Quickly

Create and stick to a revision table

For those who never utilize timetable, the function of revision table is not merely for aesthetic perfection, but to measure how much time you have left to study. Read your syllabus and tabulate everything that will come up in your exam. It is critical that you spread out all the subject you need to study over all the remaining time you have left. Do not end up revising the first 10% in two weeks and cramming the rest within three weeks before the exam. Then you will still need enough time to go back to the topics you previously revise to secure those information in the long-term memory. The whole point of revising is to make sure that everything you learn awhile back will still be there later on when you sit for the papers.

Be realistic with your timetable. If you are the type that can only stay focused for an hour or so (45 minutes on average according to studies), study in time blocks. Have a regular 15 minutes break after every hour of the study session, maybe for lunch or walk around the block for fresh air.

Find a quiet space

As the title says, find a quiet space to study, somewhere where you can be uninterrupted and focus on just one single thing, revision. Your local library or your room is both viable as long as you can get rid of any distractions, for instance, silence your phone and put it away in your bag. Coffee shops are a fine choice too, but it’s not for everyone, as it can get pretty noisy since not everyone is there to study and work.

Start in the morning

No matter if you are a night person, starting in the morning is always better than late night. Research has shown that people tend to get all their planned work done if it’s early, because you are likely to go outside close to the evening.

Also, start your revision months before your exam started to give yourself ample time.

Take breaks between each topic

Breaks are necessary for between study sessions. Rest your eyes and brain. While this doesn’t necessarily help your brain to process all those information you fed it, the rest will give you time to refocus later on.

Go for a quick bite or maybe a juice. Personally, I would avoid hitting the bed or the internet since its pretty tempting to go for a quick nap or a video, ending up with 2 hours' sleep or “just one more video” moment. Consider setting yourself a timer to stop you from getting carried away.

Learn to understand rather than memorize

Structure the information in a way that you can understand it. Memorizing is not learning, it’s only memorizing and memorizing is only skin deep. Reorganize the information, maybe make your own notes, read up on related topics or practice with previous exam papers. Don’t forget that learning is a two-step process of knowledge and application.

Ask yourself questions

How to revise quickly? Try to ask yourself questions, which can help you memorize the answer better. While you can just pile on facts and read them over and over every other day, turning that fact into a question form will help you to memorize it better. Instead of writing down notes such as the following: “the Great Depression started in 1929,” instead you should write it down as “When did the Great Depression started” in one column and the answer, “1929,” in the next column.

This method works at two levels. First it gets you to think about how to turn the fact into a question. The second is that during the revision, you could cover up the answer column and try to answer them. The more you quiz yourself, the more it will be drilled inside your head. Use this to your advantage.

Make summary notes

The best way to memorize information is to make that information into small chunks that you understand in your own words. Sitting down in front of the textbook will often just lead to a staring contest, ending with you anguishing over how little you have learned. No, highlighting is not the same thing, although it does help. As tedious as it is, it’s a good studying habit to get into. Write down that information you need over and over. Moreover, this way you don’t have to read through your 200-page textbook the night before your exams when you can instead read through 20 of them in a language you understand best.

Exercise

Getting yourself fit does have an effect on your studying mood and ability. A short 30 minutes cardio session before or after a long day of revision will help you to unwind from the stress. The increased blood circulation from those heart-pumping activities ensures that more oxygen gets into your brain. Not to mention the endorphins released that can make you feel more satisfied. The result? Less stress and mental fatigue.

Keep calm

Cramming is the last thing you ever want. Stay healthy, get your sleep and maybe hang out with a friend or two to recharge your batteries.

You only have eight hours per day to get all those information in your head, with only an hour that you can truly concentrate in. Keep yourself sane with regular breaks or end of the day rewards for the hard work.

If you can, grab your family members for cooperation. Zero interruption from them, including a cup of tea to perk you up (it could potentially be disruptive), and get them to cook healthy food or snacks for all meals. Whatever the case, tailor the timetable for a balanced “sleep-study-break” cycle and stick to that regime.

Rest and sleep

Research discovers that you can better learn something with a short rest in between sessions. In another study, it shows that a good night sleep helps in retaining information or new skills. A short nap certainly helps to consolidate the memories and keep you feeling organized to go on. If you are prone to an afternoon nap, then great, but for those night owls out there, it’s time for a change of habit.