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'Studying' needs to become a habit, with well established routines so you will reap the rewards for all your hard work.

Everyone learns and recalls information in different ways so not all the tips provided here will be useful to you. You will need to identify the methods that suit you best. Don't be afraid to experiment, to find the style that suits you but don't spend too long on the process.

Hereis a really simple way of creating a revision plan using microsoft excel - it includes an example.

Learning Styles - How do you study best?

Be a flexible learner. Your learning style may alter over time and different styles may work for different subjects and at different times of the day. You will probably learn by using a combination of these styles.

• Visual LearningWhen trying to remember something, you can often visualise a picture of it in your mind. Study Tip – Use colour, Draw frames or call out boxes around important information. As much as possible, translate words and ideas into symbols, pictures, and diagrams.
• Auditory LearningYou learn best by listening and discussing. When trying to remember something, you can often "hear" the way someone told you the information, or the way you previously repeated it out loud. Study Tip - Talk about information and ideas. Work with friends to assist you in learning course material. Get yourself in a room where you won't be bothering anyone and read your notes and textbook out loud.
• Kinaesthetic learningYou learn best by moving around and touching objects. You like to be physically engaged in a “hands on” activity. Study Tip – When studying, walk back and forth with textbook, notes, or flashcards in hand and read the information out loud. Think of ways to make your learning tangible, i.e. something you can put your hands on eg a Koosh ball.

Where do you study best?You need suitable surroundings for effective study. These include:

• a well ventilated room, with a comfortable temperature
• good lighting
• quiet music without words – Baroque is best
• comfortable loose fitting clothes
• a firm-backed chair at a desk or table
• avoid interruptions and distractions. Get everything organised before you study
• a clutter free environment to avoid distractions

How do you organise yourself?

Effective use of your time is necessary for your success

• Write a list of all the tasks you need to complete.

Prioritise the list– urgent, important, some value, don’t do or do last if you have time

• Study at your best thinking time
• Break your work down into manageable tasks.
• Drink at least 6-8 glasses of water a day.
• Take a break for 10 minutes, every hour and walk around.
• Don't procrastinate.
• Complete the most challenging tasks first
• Use a diary or progress chart

The 7 keys to memory- remembering what you have learnt

• Primacy – Learn the most important information first
• Recency – Revise the most important information last
• Reviewing and Repetition – Go over your notes regularly – first day after learning them, one week later, one month etc.
• Standouts – ‘Memorable moments’ ( Something like Mnemonics, Acrostics or Acronyms may jog your memory.) Highlight key points, eg use your favourite colour for important facts, frame key ideas, number main points. Use rhymes, songs, and raps
• Chunking – Learn only 3 or 4 things at a time
• Association – Create real life examples to make it easier to remember information
• Visuals – Draw pictures and diagrams for key concepts.

Graphic Organisers- How do you organise your thinking?

There are many different ideas that can help you and your teachers will have suggested some of the following to you:

• Overlapping circles map - to compare two ideas
• Fish-bone diagram - to show a variety of causes and their effect
• Retrieval chart - to show the relationships between ideas
• Adaptations - use a series of questions and/or headings to help organise your thoughts
• Flow diagram -puts information in order
• Time lines - puts information in the correct time sequence
• Mind-map - a visual representation showing links between ideas. Incorporates meaningful drawings and colour.

GOOD LUCK AND HAPPY STUDYING!