Help for revision - AS Level

74jax

Can anyone help me in how to revise? It's been almost 30 years since I was at school, so I am not even sure we did revision then......:rotfl:

My DD has her AS exams this year and is trying to revise. She sailed through he GCSEs without really doing any work for them as she just had a nack of being able to 'get by' with good grades.

Fast forward to A Levels.......

She didn't attend revision classes for GCSE as didn't need to, so has never been taught the whole how-to-revise theory.

She is very good at using you-tube to find ideas, getting lots of folders, wonderful colored pens, lost of post-its etc etc but ACTUAL revision part I'm not so sure is happening. Although she can spend 4 hours on a Wednesday 'revising' so I guess she is doing something....

She's just asked me 'how do you revise?' and to be honest i'm stumped. She does read through her work and make notes, she does this mainly every evening after the the day at college and then on a weekend files them in the subject folder. I've told her to read her notes, she then said 'but do what with them'....... is the idea you keep condensing your notes?

Her subjects are (in case it makes a difference) Sociology, psychology, english lit and communication & culture. I know her psychology is based a lot of case studies so she needs to know dates, topics names etc.

Does anyone know how best to revise? Without meaning to sound stupid, is the reason to revise to come out with key words that then trigger a whole passage of writing (rather than learn the whole passage of writing)?

Any help would be great. Thanks you.

Indie_Kid

You may get more answers on the student money saving board?

It's important to remember that we all revise differently. Some people use post it notes, some use spider diagrams, some use bullet points, etc.

74jax

Indie_Kid wrote: »

You may get more answers on the student money saving board?

It's important to remember that we already revise differently. Some people use post it notes, some use spider diagrams, some use bullet points, etc.

Thank you - I didn't know we had one, I should have known we have a board for everything :T

missbiggles1

For the Eng Lit, rereading the texts is the best form of revision

Tuesday_Tenor

Long time ago, but for me it was previous exam questions that helped with Eng Lit. OK, the exact same questions won't come up, but planning your essay responses really gets you familiar with the texts, characters, plots ... So you can then apply other questions to them easily.

Does the school provide previous exam papers?

74jax

Tuesday_Tenor wrote: »

Does the school provide previous exam papers?

They do, they also actually mark them (something her school never did....) and give her them back, she then re-writes them with their comments and get's it marked again, each time trying to get a higher grade.

I agree knowing the 'order' of structuring your answer is a key part.

I think she may be doing more work than she thinks she is, but when she asked me outright 'how do you revise' I got tongue-tied.

onlyroz

The best way is to do as many past papers as you can get your hands on, preferably with a way to get them marked. Easy enough with something like maths, but something more subjective like English would probably require asking the teacher to take a look at the answers.

meritaten

Different ways of revising suit different people. Some can just 'read through' their coursework and it works for them. others virtually have to 'redo it'. most people go through the work and condense it into short paragraphs. some highlight 'key words'. others do 'mind mapping'.
while she still has time perhaps she could try the key words or mind mapping to see if it works for her (explanation of mind mapping and how to do it can be googled). it sounds as if she had a very good retentive memory for her GCSEs which may suit this method of revising.
you can also buy 'revision guides/aids' in most subjects. Personally, I swore by the Letts guides which actually taught me Statistical and Quantitative Mathematics.

pollypenny

For English lit, learn key quotations for themes and characters.

Ensure that these are 'brief, apt and accurate' as the old rubric said. It may be useful to do this in chart form. The teacher will probably have groups doing this in class, for display and each student will make a A4 copy for themselves.

I did Sociology A-level when it was a new, exciting subject. I read, read, read and read, not just the set books, but around the subject. I had a carp teacher who didn't set essays so I had little essay practice. My English skill got me a B.

Caroline_a

Surely this should be a question for her teachers? As others have said, different people revise differently and additionally different subjects require different styles of revision. So, you wouldn't revise Maths as you would revise English Lit, or French as you revise Physics.

arbrighton

As others have said, different things suit different people e.g. two of the kids I tutor (who I worked with in school through GCSEs) retain info much better having heard it so I suggest they record their notes and listen back, find relevant you tube videos/ talk through with friends etc. Some prefer mind maps or cards with key words and I've been helping to increase the linkages/ colour coding on mind maps to aid the comprehension and deeper understanding needed to complete A level bio, especially when going on to a course which is biology related.

I do a LOT of past paper questions with them too, sometimes by topic, sometimes whole papers in timed conditions which I then mark, or sommetimes 'open book' when they know there are topics they are unsure of.

Personally, I was very lucky as I could rewrite notes, with colours and headings and that would stick. I'm growing more fond of mind maps now (and I do have to revise to be able to tutor effectively). FOr many subjects such as maths and physics, just practising questions over and over until you were sure of the method was very important.

I'm less able to help with English Lit etc though