Try using mindmaps: whether you create your own by hand or use a program such as iMindMap 5 they can help you to actually memorise what you are studying and replicate it in the exam before you start writing. They can also help to work out relationships and correlations spatially where linear revision just doesn't help.
Find out what works for you: Take various learning styles tests online and for the most common result research their strategies. Also evaluate all the revision methods you have used in the past for every exam, then rate them from a scale of 1 - 4 (1 being highest), then combine all the '1's' and use them as revision strategies.
Our friend was pretty obsessed with revision strategies when it came to exams. Our friend tried out millions of strategies, and unfortunately only a few worked. The following really guaranteed people their A*'s:
Do the obvious first: This means reading over all your notes from school, textbooks, revision guides etc. You can also combine some revision aids in conjunction with reading such as taking notes, recording key notes etc. Our friend strongly recommend that you first skim over the text for each section, taking into note the bold/italic/underlined words, then ask questions as you read to deepen your understanding. Then look for the answers in the text/ask someone/research them. Once you have finished reading recite all the key concepts off by heart without looking.
Do extra research: When you have spare time, take advantage of it. I'm not saying to completely abandon what you find relaxing or enjoyable, but this can really benefit you for your exams. By extra research, Our friend mean researching difficult topics, watching university lectures (academicearth.org), hitting the library and borrowing advanced books...all these things can really boost your grade because you are going that extra mile therefore deepening your understanding which is vital for every single exam.
Divide and Conquer Method: (must read textbook/notes/revision materials first before you do this) Basically, if you have an equation for example that someone else stated like 'integral of 1/x ln(x)' make sure you understand it. You split it up into smaller elements, with branches stating what you know about one particular element, then how it links to another one etc. making constant connections really helps. Also look it up in your textbook/research it on the net if you don't understand it. One thing Our friend strongly recommend is that you sign up to a forum where maths geniuses live or something, then ask a question there whenever you don't understand something (really helps).
Eat & Breathe Practice Questions: Don't just stick to past papers, crave for more. Spend most of your free time doing millions of worksheets from the internet, questions from revision guides and your textbook, ones you have invented etc. When you get an answer wrong try and work out what went wrong and how you can arrive at the right answer (basically keep solving it until you get to the right answer).
Create a 'Mark scheme words' mindmap: Our friend took notes and made flashcards etc., tbh they didn't really help Our friend as much as this did. What you do is you get the mark schemes of every single past paper you can get your hands on then you write down word-for-word the answers for the questions you got wrong. Use coloured pens to make it look more appealing. Then look at this sheet everyday until you remember all the words/sentences/paragraphs. This is kind of like a 'cheat sheet' method that is a life-saver for when you get a 'fml, Our friend can't answer this' question in an exam.
Become a Teacher: Teach it to someone else, particularly someone who struggles with it. If you have no one to talk to, teach it to an imaginary class or a collection of your old teddy bears. Go through every single point on the specification and EXPLAIN every point on the syllabus, and give a brief description of every single key word (don't explain 'the, and, or' obviously, something like 'live wire' etc.). Think really deeply when you can't think of how to explain something, and if you have to, refer to your 'divide and conquer' sheets. Our friend can't stress how much this has helped Our friend. Seriously.
Time Management: Our friend struggled with procrastination, but Our friend identified her biggest distractions and got her mother to hide her laptop, unplug her TV then hide the plug..this worked to some extent however Our friend later discovered a better technique. getcoldturkey.com blocks the sites you waste the most time on but still allows you to access educational resources on the net. Our friend also found that if Our friend visualised myself in the future on a yacht, using all the senses such as seeing, hearing (sounds of birds, waves, yacht propeller etc.), feeling (soft breeze, heat of sun) it was great motivation.
Visualising myself doing the tasks Our friend wanted to accomplish that day (such as studying for history and taking notes then doing past papers) along with intensifying the feeling of reluctance of doing the task was also a good way to get myself to work. Our friend also used to visit one site - jameslist.com. Somehow it made our friend get to studying because of all the luxuries listed on the site and Our friend told myself the only way she could get them was by studying.
Find out what works for you: Take various learning styles tests online and for the most common result research their strategies. Also evaluate all the revision methods you have used in the past for every exam, then rate them from a scale of 1 - 4 (1 being highest), then combine all the '1's' and use them as revision strategies.
Our friend was pretty obsessed with revision strategies when it came to exams. Our friend tried out millions of strategies, and unfortunately only a few worked. The following really guaranteed people their A*'s:
Do the obvious first: This means reading over all your notes from school, textbooks, revision guides etc. You can also combine some revision aids in conjunction with reading such as taking notes, recording key notes etc. Our friend strongly recommend that you first skim over the text for each section, taking into note the bold/italic/underlined words, then ask questions as you read to deepen your understanding. Then look for the answers in the text/ask someone/research them. Once you have finished reading recite all the key concepts off by heart without looking.
Do extra research: When you have spare time, take advantage of it. I'm not saying to completely abandon what you find relaxing or enjoyable, but this can really benefit you for your exams. By extra research, Our friend mean researching difficult topics, watching university lectures (academicearth.org), hitting the library and borrowing advanced books...all these things can really boost your grade because you are going that extra mile therefore deepening your understanding which is vital for every single exam.
Divide and Conquer Method: (must read textbook/notes/revision materials first before you do this) Basically, if you have an equation for example that someone else stated like 'integral of 1/x ln(x)' make sure you understand it. You split it up into smaller elements, with branches stating what you know about one particular element, then how it links to another one etc. making constant connections really helps. Also look it up in your textbook/research it on the net if you don't understand it. One thing Our friend strongly recommend is that you sign up to a forum where maths geniuses live or something, then ask a question there whenever you don't understand something (really helps).
Eat & Breathe Practice Questions: Don't just stick to past papers, crave for more. Spend most of your free time doing millions of worksheets from the internet, questions from revision guides and your textbook, ones you have invented etc. When you get an answer wrong try and work out what went wrong and how you can arrive at the right answer (basically keep solving it until you get to the right answer).
Create a 'Mark scheme words' mindmap: Our friend took notes and made flashcards etc., tbh they didn't really help Our friend as much as this did. What you do is you get the mark schemes of every single past paper you can get your hands on then you write down word-for-word the answers for the questions you got wrong. Use coloured pens to make it look more appealing. Then look at this sheet everyday until you remember all the words/sentences/paragraphs. This is kind of like a 'cheat sheet' method that is a life-saver for when you get a 'fml, Our friend can't answer this' question in an exam.
Become a Teacher: Teach it to someone else, particularly someone who struggles with it. If you have no one to talk to, teach it to an imaginary class or a collection of your old teddy bears. Go through every single point on the specification and EXPLAIN every point on the syllabus, and give a brief description of every single key word (don't explain 'the, and, or' obviously, something like 'live wire' etc.). Think really deeply when you can't think of how to explain something, and if you have to, refer to your 'divide and conquer' sheets. Our friend can't stress how much this has helped Our friend. Seriously.
Time Management: Our friend struggled with procrastination, but Our friend identified her biggest distractions and got her mother to hide her laptop, unplug her TV then hide the plug..this worked to some extent however Our friend later discovered a better technique. getcoldturkey.com blocks the sites you waste the most time on but still allows you to access educational resources on the net. Our friend also found that if Our friend visualised myself in the future on a yacht, using all the senses such as seeing, hearing (sounds of birds, waves, yacht propeller etc.), feeling (soft breeze, heat of sun) it was great motivation.
Visualising myself doing the tasks Our friend wanted to accomplish that day (such as studying for history and taking notes then doing past papers) along with intensifying the feeling of reluctance of doing the task was also a good way to get myself to work. Our friend also used to visit one site - jameslist.com. Somehow it made our friend get to studying because of all the luxuries listed on the site and Our friend told myself the only way she could get them was by studying.
