Whether you’re revising for assessments or preparing for big exams, this guide is here to help you.
By following our revision tips, you can feel more in control, less overwhelmed, and ready to do your best academically, while taking care of your mental health.
Revision isn’t just about working more, it’s about working better. It’s easy to fall into habits that feel productive but aren’t actually helping you learn.
Here’s what revision is not:
-
Reading a revision guide cover to cover and hoping it sticks
- Copying entire pages from textbooks into your notes
- Highlighting every sentence in a chapter
- Staying up late cramming the night before an exam
Remember: revision is re-vision
You’re reviewing what you already know, making it stick in the way that works for you. It’s about reinforcing, rethinking, and reshaping your understanding so you’re ready to recall it when it counts.
Setting up your revision space
Where and how you revise can have a big impact on how well you focus, how much you remember, and how confident you feel. A good revision space helps your brain switch into ‘study mode’ and stay there without distractions pulling you away every five minutes.
Top tips for a great revision space
- Create a calm, quiet space just for you
A tidy, peaceful environment helps your brain focus better and feel less overwhelmed.
- Plan your revision timetable – and schedule in breaks
Regular breaks and free time help your brain recharge and stop you burning out.
- Let others know when you’re revising
Ask family or housemates to give you quiet time so you can stay in the zone
- Keep your revision organised
Use folders, colour-coding, shelves or even labels - not just for your notes, this is for your mind, too. Having your thoughts, revision order and tasks organised is important.
- Keep distractions to a minimum
Put your phone on silent or in another room, or use a focus app like Forest or Pause to help you stay on track.
- Have everything you need in one place
Pens, paper, highlighters, water, snacks - avoid the distraction of getting up to find things.
Revision techniques
In your face
Stick post-its, flashcards or posters everywhere you look — the fridge, your mirror, even the bathroom door! Keep it simple with key facts or formulas. Ask people around you to quiz you now and then, because it helps your brain practise recall without sitting down to revise.
Top tip: Swap them out regularly to lock in more knowledge!
Iconic
You’re used to working with words - but your brain loves pictures. Try turning key points or chapters into simple icons, doodles, or even emojis. The idea is this: when you see the image later, it helps you recall the information behind it. It’s a powerful memory trigger, even if your drawings are just stick figures or smiley faces! Over time, you’ll be able to sum up whole topics using your own visual shortcuts. Fun, quick, and way more memorable than just reading notes.
Mind map
Start with your main subject in the centre, then branch out into key topics and details. If a topic gets big, turn it into its own centrepiece - like a mini mind map inside the main one. Draw links between ideas when you spot a pattern or connection - like religion across historical conflicts or colours in different books. These links help your brain see the bigger picture - and remember it better.
Look back
Perfect for using with a revision guide!
1. Read one page for 3 minutes - stay focused!
2. Close the book and write down everything you remember (3 minutes).
3. Check the guide - how much did you miss?
4. Read again for 3 minutes, then close it.
5. In a different colour, add the missing info (3 more minutes).
This trains your brain to actively recall and not just recognise information. Once you’ve got the bulk of it, move on to the next page.
A-Z
Pick a subject — your goal is to find a word for every letter of the alphabet that links to it. Some letters will be easy… others, not so much! This gets
your brain digging deep to recall what you know.
- Can’t find a perfect word? Pick a tenuous one, but justify it!
- If it doesn’t relate to the topic, it doesn’t count.
- Start broad (like History or Science), then try narrowing it down to specific topics or themes for a bigger challenge.
- Great for solo revision or testing each other in pairs
Pop quiz
Use your knowledge (and a revision guide if needed) to come up with fact-based questions to test your friends. These are great for building the foundations of longer exam answers. Write each question on a revision card, with the answer on the back. Get together with study buddies and quiz each other. Add a
bit of fun by keeping score and offering a small prize for the winner. The more people involved, the more fresh questions and ideas you’ll come across.
Cut it out
Write out the key points for a topic, then challenge yourself to fit only the essential info on one side of a card. This forces you to prioritise and simplify. Create a full set - easy to glance over before exams. With practice, you’ll be able to summarise whole subjects on just one side.
Revision clock
Draw a clock face with 10-minute sections. Choose a big topic like Macbeth and split it into subtopics - themes, characters, key quotes, context, and structure. Spend 10 minutes on each, writing everything you remember.
Want a challenge? Try a full subject in 5-minute sections to focus only on the key points.
I enjoyed film studies at college and my fondest memories were in my film classes. Portsmouth had one of the best facilities in the country for film and was ranked third for my course.
One thing I wish I'd known about uni is that building friendships and independence would come naturally. Don’t limit yourself when you first start, make an effort to go to a society event or chat to your flatmates and course mates."
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