Revision Techniques

With Exams starting for Years 9 – 11 in Week 8, now is the time to be revising at home. Below are a few techniques we encourage students to try: 

Preview/Review: 

• The Preview (5 mins): Flip ahead in your textbook or online portal the night before a class. Look at the headings, bold words and diagrams. Your brain will now recognise these concepts during the lesson. 
• The Review (10 mins): Sometime before the day ends, briefly read back over your notes. This simple act moves information from short-term to long-term memory. 

Active recall: 

• Try this instead: Close the book and write down everything you can remember on a blank sheet of paper (called a “brain dump”). 
• Flashcards and Quizzes: Use apps like Anki, Quizlet, Gen AI or write your own practice questions to force your brain to retrieve the information. 

Pomodoro sprints: 

• The System: Set a timer for 25 minutes of hyper-focused work (no phone, no tabs open except study material). When the timer goes off, take a strict 5-minute break to stretch or grab a drink. Repeat this three or four times, then take a longer break. 

Two-tier note taking: 

• Tier 1 (In Class): Rough, fast and functional. Focus on capturing the main ideas, examples and what the teacher says/draws attention to. 
• Tier 2 (At Home): Condense and organise. Turn those messy class notes into clear summaries, mind maps or Q&A formats while the info is still fresh 

Eat the frog first: 

• The Rule:  Identify the hardest, most complex, or least enjoyable task on your to-do list and do it first. Once the “frog” is eaten, the rest of your study session will feel like it is already a success. 

Stephanie Murphy

Assistant Principal: Learning and Teaching