Many of you have started or are preparing for upcoming assessments and may be studying in a different environment than you are used to.
The KnowHow team have put together 10 revision tips to help you stay focused and make the most of your revision time when studying for online assessments.
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Set up a dedicated workspace
You may be used to studying in the Library or other study spaces on campus. To study productively off campus, it’s a good idea to set up a dedicated workspace, away from distractions.
If possible, try to create a space that’s separate from where you relax and if you’re sharing space with others, try to agree a time when you can each use the space. It might seem obvious, but carefully choosing where you work can make a big difference to your productivity.
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Establish a morning routine
Although you may not leave the house as often as usual, it’s important to keep a morning routine to help you maintain productivity. Tips to create a positive morning routine include setting an alarm to wake up at the same time each day; getting up and getting dressed and preparing a healthy breakfast.
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Study actively
Studying actively will help you to stay productive when revising. Taking notes during online lectures or tutorials and using active study techniques such as mind maps, flash cards or post-it notes will help you to engage with large amounts of information.
Taking part in group discussions or other interactive activities set by your tutors will also help you to study more productively.
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Create a study plan
Creating a realistic study plan is an important part of your revision. To make sure that your study plan is realistic you should consider:
- How many assessments you have and how confident you feel in each topic
- When you are most productive
- What other commitments and responsibilities you have e.g. online classes, household chores, childcare.
An unrealistic study plan that doesn’t consider the other tasks in your daily routine will make you feel demotivated if you can’t stick to it.
KnowHow have created useful study plan templates that you can download and use to plan your revision.
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Break up tasks into manageable chunks
Breaking up your daily tasks into chunks can make them feel more manageable and help you to prioritise your workload. Make a daily To-Do list of tasks that you would like to achieve and try to schedule the most challenging or time-consuming tasks for the time of day when you work best.
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Use techniques to stay focused
It can be easy to lose focus throughout the day. The Pomodoro technique is a useful method to help you stay focused when revising:
- Choose a task you want to complete
- Set a timer for 25 minutes and work on the task until the timer rings
- Have a 5-minute break
- Repeat 4 times
- Have a 30-minute break
Find more useful techniques to help you beat procrastination in KnowHow’s online tutorial.
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Reward yourself
Rewarding yourself for completing tasks can help you to stay motivated, feel accomplished and achieve more. Rewards could include watching an episode of your favourite TV programme, playing a game or just getting up and taking a break from your workspace.
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Get fresh air and exercise
Revision can mean that you spend a lot of time sitting down and looking at a screen. It’s important to take breaks from screen time and get fresh air outside if you can by going for a walk or a run. Moving your body helps to relieve stress and release endorphins to lift your mood whilst you study.
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Stay connected
Group study sessions can help to motivate you and add some fun to your day. Even if you can’t see your friends and classmates face to face at the moment, you can still stay connected and support each other from a distance using apps such as Zoom, Microsoft Teams and WhatsApp.
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Take advantage of help and support available
The KnowHow team have put together a series of resources that are full of useful advice on preparing for online assessments. These include tutorials on Canvas through the module ‘Canvas KnowHow: Study for Success’ which includes support with topics including note taking, statistics, literature reviews, critical reading and academic integrity.