Summary
- What is meant by revision before examinations?
- Importance of revision for students
- What happens when you don’t revise before an examination?
- How to effectively improve revision techniques?
Although attentively listening to a lecture in class is sometimes enough to help you write an exam and get decent marks.
However, for a student who aims at getting great marks, it is essential to not only listen attentively in class but also revise the day’s lesson.
What Is Revision and Why Is Revision Important for Students?
Revision can be defined as the act of revising content. Revising is the process of re-reading content that is previously done to extend or improve your knowledge on a subject. Revision is usually taken up with the sole purpose of attempting examinations.
The importance of revision can be seen in the fact that without revision students often score low grades in examinations.
That is why revision is important for students. It enables students to be more thorough in the subject matter.
Enumerated Below Are a Few Points on The Importance of Revision for Students
1. Helps to Recall Details
Revision is a second or third attempt at reading a particular concept. When you study a topic, it may be the first time you are reading the material.
However, when you use the term revision it usually means that you are not looking at the material for the first time. It may be the second or third time you are reading the concept.
The benefits of revision for exams is that it helps students recall minute details that you may have missed the first time you studied the topic.
2. Increases Confidence
Revising a topic before the exams helps you to gain more confidence. When you revise a topic many times before the exam, you become more confident of facing the questions in the examination. This is one of the main importance of revision for students.
3. Decreases Anxiety and Stress
As you are more confident of writing your exam, after a thorough revision, you tend to become less scared and anxious.
Many students have exam stress. A bit of stress during examinations is good. This stress keeps reminding you that you have an exam and you have to focus.
However, the moment this stress and anxiety cross a permissible level, it can harm your mind. Keeping stress levels low during examinations is a key factor in your performance.
Timely revisions can reduce stress levels to a great extent during examinations. The importance of revision before exams is to keep the stress levels at an optimum level.
4. Compliments the Study Efforts
Many times, students ask the question- what is the purpose of revision? Well, revisions complement the efforts of your studying.
Studying for an exam is an essential part of the learning process. Revising what you have studied makes you more thorough in the subject.
Being more thorough in a subject makes you well prepared for examinations and thereby helps you to get better grades.
The more you revise, the more well prepared you are for examinations. Being well prepared for examinations, fetches you higher grades and marks.
5. Subject Gauger
Revision helps a student identify the subjects he /she is weak and strong in. When you know the subjects you are weak in, you can spend more time studying that subject or lesson. Revision helps to gauge the strength of your knowledge on the subject.
What Happens when You Don’t Revise?
1. You Tend to Forget Minute Details
When you have studied a subject and don’t revise it just before the examination you may forget small details in the subject. These small details may be very important details on which the whole concept rests.
For example, forgetting a small concept like a chemical or mathematical formula or even going minutely wrong in the formula, can render the entire answer wrong.
On the other hand, if you had a revision plan in place you may not have forgotten the formula in the first place.
2. Increases Stress and Anxiety
As explained above, when you do not revise, you may forget a minute detail. This in turn leads to an increased level of anxiety and stress just before the examinations.
The importance of revision before examinations can never be undermined.
Now that we have seen why revision is important for exams, you may now want to know how you can best improve on your revision skills? Or in other words, how should I revise?
Always remember, revision does not take any significant amount of time. Please note that when we use the term revision, we mean a second or third reading and not a first-time studying.
Revision essentially means re-reading a concept. When you revise a topic, it may take just 20% of your time. The more you revise, the less time it takes.
3. Organise Yourself
You can begin effective revision by organising yourself. You can fix a separate revision timetable and follow the timetable diligently.
Once your examination timetable is set by the college you can also try to set your revision timetable accordingly. Make sure to revise each subject closer to the date of the examination.
4. Make Notes
While revising, you can make small notes that can help you read the concept faster at a later date of revision
5. Keep a Tab on Your Health
Believe it or not, even though we know the importance of revision, do not revise at the cost of your health.
Take care of your health and fitness even during revision periods. Get ample amount of sleep and eat healthy food to augment your learning power.
6. Separate Your Entertainment Zone for Your Revision Zone
By this, we mean to keep all those gadgets away while you revise. This is one of the best ways to ensure effective revision.
Also, it is advisable to revise in an area that is not your relaxing zone like your bed or TV couch. Revising in an upright position at an organised desk is the best method of revision.
7. The Tough for The First
Revise subjects you find difficult much ahead of the examination, leaving the easier ones for later. Following this revision system can reduce anxiety levels in students to a great extent.
Device Your Methods of Revision
Now that we know why revision is important for students, you must devise your method of revising.
When you devise your methods of revising, it becomes more effective and the concepts stay with you longer. For example, using flashcards to revise can prove to be a very effective tool for revision.
Flashcards break up the concepts into single words or small phrases. The moment these flashcards appear before you, you can enumerate the subject matter on your own.
Enumerated above are the reasons why revision is important for students. It must also be noted that there is no specific time for revision.
That means you may take half an hour to revise a subject or just 15 minutes. The time taken to revise is not in question, but the absorption of the concept in that particular time is what matters.
The more you study, the less time you spend on revision.
Conclusion
The importance of revision can not be undermined. Sometimes, revisions can make or break a student’s academic performance.
Timely and effective revisions can ensure students secure good grades with minimum exam anxiety and stress.
