Exams are coming up fast and revisions with them… But you left it to the last minute this year. Don’t panic, there’s still time to rectify the situation. How to learn a lesson quickly? How to learn and remember your lessons more easily? What memorization techniques should you use to be ready on the day of your exams? Discover 10 solutions to be more productive and more efficient during your revisions!
1 Write revision cards
As its name suggests, the revision sheet is an essential step in revision periods. It allows you to summarize all the lessons over the school year to keep only the essentials and save time.
Best practices for writing your revision sheets? The idea is to write one revision sheet per chapter and this is for all subjects. Each sheet must then be concise, with important definitions, key dates, and central concepts. The more the visual aspect of your sheets (colors, diagrams, etc.) is worked on, the easier it will be to memorize. Finally, keep the same color code and the same structure on each revision sheet to make your brain work easier and to better remember the lessons. So remember to reread them several times to learn a lesson quickly!
2 Create a working group
Revising in a group can be a real plus, whether in terms of motivation or memorization. However, it is essential to frame things before the group sessions, if you do not want it to turn into a simple trip between friends.
To do this, first define the members of your group These should be people with whom you get along well, but who are also determined to pass their exams. So, let’s forget about the joker on duty right away!
Then, write down revision rules in black and white. This could be working times and break times, the meeting place, but also the revision schedule depending on the subjects.
3 Use mnemonics
A mnemonic device is a process used to improve one’s memory The most famous example remains the sentence “Mais où est donc Ornicar” to remember the coordinating conjunctions (but, or, and, therefore, or, nor, because). There are also dozens of others to simplify revisions. You can find a non-exhaustive list on the Studyrama website to learn a lesson quickly.
4/ Use flashcards
Flashcards are special memorization cards, also called memory cards Their principle is simple: you write a question on the back of a sheet and the answer to this question on the front. You can thus revise regularly by questioning yourself . This technique makes learning more fun, and therefore easier.
5 Record yourself on a dictaphone
The dictaphone is not only the best friend of those with auditory memory, but also of those who suffer from a dys disorder, such as dyslexia, dyspraxia, dyscalculia, dysorthography, or even dysphasia. You simply record yourself reciting a lesson out loud, then listen to each audio track as many times as necessary. Listening before sleeping can be very effective in facilitating memorization during sleep!
6 Use the mind palace technique
The mind palace, or memory pala is an ultra-powerful memorization technique for learning a lesson quickly. This learning technique is then divided into 3 stages:
- Visualize a route or a room that you know by heart.
- Divide this journey or room into key points. F or a journey, this could be the front door, then the parking lot, then a red light, then a roundabout… For a room, this could be the bed, the desk, the wardrobe, the chair…
- Associate each key point with a strong image of the information you want to learn and memorize. If you want to memorize important dates for your history-geography class, you can for example associate each date with the mental images of its event and associate these images with a key point of the journey or room visualized.
7 Create a mind map of your course
The mind map, also called mena tal map or heuristic map, is a very effective visual synthesis tool to help memorize information. Concretely, these mind maps are presented in the form of a tree where each branch represents a concept. In the center, is the main idea, such as an important notion, vocabulary words, a key date, etc. At the end of the branches starting from the center, is the information linked to this main idea (definitions, details of the event, etc.). And so on. The ideas are therefore organized hierarchically and visually
8 Using sketch notes
Sketchnoting is a visual and graphic method of organizing ideas. It is similar to mind mapping, but differs in titsconstruction. We move away from the tree with branches to more advanced artistic work . Thus, to sketch notes you must write titles and keywords associated with graphic elements such as drawings, arrows, frames, bullet points, etc.
In addition to the attractive side of these revision cards, they promote creativity and memorization . If you are a rather creative student who loves to draw in class, this revision method is ideal.
9 Use the Pomodoromethod
This time, we’re moving away from memory tools to talk about a formidable time management tool for productivity. We’ve named it the Pomodoro method. It’s very simple: grab your cell phone timer and set it for 25 minutes . During this tim, put yourself in airplane mode and work intensively. No distractions or breaks are possible! Once the timer rings, then set a 5-minute break . And this is for4 ccycles(2 hours in total) before taking a longer break. A good way to stay focused and productive in the long term!
10 Maintain a healthy lifestyle
Procrastination occurs even more easily when you are tired… To be full of energy, here is the winning trio: a good night’s sleep, a balanced didietnd regular physical activity.