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  3. Revision techniques

Revision techniques

There are lots of different ways of revising; this section will allow you to try some different techniques and see which suit you.

Covered in this section

  • Tips for retrieving what you know and visual techniques
  • Summarising and quick review methods
  • Revising with others
  • Tips for language students
  • 20 mins to complete this section
  • Video (3)
  • Audio (10)

There are many revision techniques to choose from. You may feel that one technique may be more suitable to your natural learning style but using a variety of techniques helps your brain learn in different ways. In addition, some techniques may match the subject matter you are learning better than others (for example, line diagrams are useful to display complex processes). However, it's probably better to avoid new techniques too close to the exam.

In this video, two OU students explain their different approaches to revision. Katharine describes how the physical act of notetaking and underlining directs her attention and helps her memory. For Matthew the act of condensing his notes is particularly useful.

"I rarely write things by hand, so I always handwrite my revision notes to get my hands used to writing for longperiods of time ready for the exam."

Learning Consultant, Anna, describes some notetaking techniques and encourages students to choose one that suits their particular module.

Here's a summary list of revision techniques (RTF, 97KB) - print it out and hang it on your wall near your study area. There's more detail about these techniques within this section.