Worst revision mistakes that are sabotaging you

Although there are many good ways to revise, there are also many ineffective ways. Suprisingly, most students prefer making revision mistakes, rather than using the proper, and more effective, methods. This is because the ineffective methods seem easier, as they’re not challenging your brain. So, the next time you revise, make sure to avoid these revision methods!

Using passive recall

Passive recall is the WORST revision method to use. This includes methods like taking notes, re-reading the textbook, and highlighting. It’s ineffective because it doesn’t test your knowledge at all, instead, you just passively absorb the information. Luckily, there are many methods of revision that use active recall – flashcards, past papers, and practice questions. As well as this, if for whatever reason you absolutely have to take notes, try incorporate active recall into those.

Not having a revision timetable

If you don’t have a revision timetable, it can become very difficult to keep track of the topics you need to revise, as well as assessment dates. To counteract this, ask your teachers when the assessment will be, then create a timetable based on that. List out the topics you need to cover, as well as how confident you are in each one. Then, just schedule them!

Cramming

This may be inavoidable sometimes, perhaps you’ve got a teacher who keeps forgetting to tell you about your exams ahead of time. However, cramming is still very ineffective! This is because you’re more likely to get tired, and use passive recall methods. The only way to prevent cramming for an exam is by creating a study schedule ahead of time. If it’s already too late and you have no choice but to cram for an exam tomorrow, check out my post on how to cram effectively.

Not doing practice tests

If you like to use passive recall, then you’re probably also not doing practice tests. This is completely illogical, since practice tests are the most effective way to revise! Not only does it incorporate active recall, but you’ll also have practice answering exam-style questions.

Purposeless revision

Purposeless revision is revision that doesn’t have a clear goal. Too often, people tell themselves things like, “I’ll revise until I’ve memorised it” or. “I’ll revise until I know the topic.” The problem with these statements is that there’s no clear end goal, which can be discouraging and can lead to wasted time. Instead, set revision goals like, “I’ll revise until I can write all the definitions with out looking” or, “I’ll revise until I get 90% on a practice test.” These have a well-defined end point, which means that you know what to aim for.

Nobody likes being told that they’re doing things wrong. However, it’s important to make sure that you’re not making these revision mistakes, as they can drastically reduce the efficacy of your revision.