Notes From an Event Management Course: 5 Tips to Help You Revise
There are probably quite a few of you who are entering exam mode now, so the thought of sitting down to revise, or even the word itself can be a right turn off! It makes me think of being locked up in a room and staring at reams of notes from lectures which you now have to try and make sense of (they seem like another language!).
Below is my survival kit for revision. These tips work for me but may not for you. So feel free to try out these different techniques but remember that everyone learns in different ways.
- Find a spot for revision (or a few) that suits you
If the prospect of locking yourself in your room is a depressing one, then don’t! Go to a nearby park or even your garden and find a quite spot. Bring your notes with you and enjoy a productive day spent outside amongst nature. Truthfully, you may get distracted but, can’t you anywhere? Surely wanting to turn the TV on is teasing enough! At least this way you’re getting fresh air and not feeling deflated in the confines of your room. Also, it has been said that associating work with your bedroom is unhealthy, as it makes switching off after a long day even harder!
- You don’t have to go it alone
I found that it helps to revise with other people, especially colleagues, so that it becomes more of a discussion. Testing yourself can get quite tiresome, so why not ask each other questions and share what you’ve learned. It can be quite distracting in a public space like a café, so why not meet at the library for a couple of hours, do as much as you can and then treat yourselves to a coffee break afterwards?
- Listen to your own words
Now before you think – “Oh no, I don’t like the sound of my own voice” – hear me out! In addition to your revision material (I thought your eyes could use a break no?) why not record yourself talking through your notes and then play them back. You could even do this with headphones on whilst making breakfast. The iPhone has a handy voice note app built in so I suggest using that.
- Flash that card
Flash or cue cards are great for summarising key points or topics and jotting them down on one side, with the answers on the other. Highlighters can be used if you need to pin point specific words etc but remember not to cram too much information onto one card as this can be confusing!
- Picture perfect!
Diagrams, images – these mostly suit visual learners. One thing I do is look at my notes and see if I can make any diagrams that link topics and answers to the next. I then dot them around the house, putting some post-its on the fridge or on cupboards or mirrors (without irritating your housemates). So when you’re getting ready in the morning or making dinner etc these will help trigger your memory and help you to retain the information more easily.
Summary
As mentioned in one of my previous posts, don’t overdo it. Look after yourself by taking regular breaks every 45 minutes or so, grab a glass of water and some brain food and distract yourself for a while before going back to do some more. I know it’s easy to look at revision as a chore but think of it as more of a chance to experiment with ways of revising. Go outside, bring a blanket and listen to your voice note and read your cue cards, you can do this!
Good Luck!
Let us know if these revision tips helped you & make sure to share any of your own below!