Top tips to help you study better

Here are five top tips to help you study a little bit smarter when revising. These tips make a massive difference to the way you study and could make your workload more manageable as you prepare for exams.

Create clear study notes If you make your study notes clear and concise, they’ll be easier to understand when you revisit them during your revision. Additionally include keywords, dates and names in your notes and think about how you like to structure them. When we reflect on the way we learn and what works best for us, we’re using metacognition. 

Design colourful, eye catching and easy-to-follow notes Highlighting your notes helps make the main points stand out. You could use a system where you colour code things that you know, things that could use some more practice, or things you need to spend a lot of time on. There are different ways to structure your notes with, or without, colour – you could use mind maps/flash cards– but make sure you use the method that works best for you.

Structure when you make your notes Taking time to make your notes during, or straight after, class may seem like a lot of work, but it’s usually better to take notes down whilst they’re fresh in your mind. This will help avoid stress later on in the year. Keeping on top of your notes – doing little and often – will make them feel more manageable and avoid a backlog of work at the end of the year.

Create a study timetable Having a timetable for your revision will help you manage your time better. You could divide how long you have left until your exams by how many subjects you are studying – this will give you a rough idea as to how much time you can spend revising – don’t forget to include time for fun hobbies and seeing friends.

Ask critical questions Remember the five W’s – Who, What, Where, Why, When. Once you start asking these questions, you will get a better understanding of the situation and context.