It is that time of year again. Exam revision is in the air – or maybe you’d like it to be but it is not! Getting the balance between healthy, balanced teenagers and productive and efficient students is hard. And ultimately, if they are in their teens, much of this must be experienced and led by them.
Exam revision tips
Research shows that some things make for good, productive revision though:
- Eating well
- Sleeping (8-10 hours a night, some studies suggest a minimum of 9 hours) and recuperating well
- Planning revision into short, manageable chunks
- Interleaving different subjects (biology, then maths, then art…)
- Planning what to do as well as when to do it
- Active revision (less watching/reading and more doing)
- Self-testing
How to help – exam revision tips for creating a timetable
If your teen is amenable to it, then having some involvement in their revision planning might be appropriate. Consider creating a timetable and inserting:
- family plans/commitments
- their personal plans – if there aren’t many, insert a space for them, such as [friends]
- study leave / school time commitments
- subjects by 25 – 40 minute blocks – vary subjects (interleaving)
- what they are going to tackle each session and possibly how they are going to do this (see below)
- times for meals, showers and mini breaks!
- whole ‘rest days’ from time to time
- review times (each week?) where you review the timetable and flex it depending on what is going well, what is worrying etc
Talk to them about whether they want to work in the morning, afternoon or evening – when is best for them?
Regarding what to tackle, it can be really helpful for them to look through their exam content and work out (1) what they need to learn (2) what they need to practise. It is really important to get to part (2), as self-testing is proven to be critical in terms of successful revision.
Regarding how they revise, everyone has a personal preferences and if online flashcards are their thing, then great. However, I would think about varying the type of revision – making flashcards will demotivate anyone if that’s all they do. Look at suggestions from school and individual teachers. Remember to cross-reference: a great biology teacher might provide a good revision idea for DT. Don’t be afraid to speak out loud (if alone!) or use drawings, colours or actions to aid memory. Cross-sensory input can be really important. Can they record language words and phrases with a gap to practise them then listen back and try to fill in the gap before hearing the answer?
Be under no illusions – a detailed, thoughtful timetable takes time to put together. It can however create a sense of control and organisation.
I would encourage built-in review and flexibility to stop any sense of discouragement or rigidity. The temptation is usually to be too ambitious when designing this kind of timetable. It is important to acknowledge this if it happens.
Start by producing a ‘light’ timetable, with provision to add in as you go if things are going well. This will ensure a sense of success and good self-esteem – probably more critical than that extra session!
How to help – resources and support
Once your teen has decided on their timetable, have they got the right resources? Most should come from school (they may need to fill in any gaps from school) but you may be able to support. For example, can you download exam papers (from the correct exam board!) or test them on content verbally? If they are planning to make flashcards, have they got record cards? Do they want some A3 paper (or back of a cardboard box) to create a large mindmap? Revision exam-specific text books can be excellent and provide a systematic way of revising (check the exam board they are doing to buy the correct one).
Once they have a timetable devised by themselves, it will be easier to support them to achieve what they have decided.
- Suggest keeping their phone away from their studies
- Suggest using a timer for breaks or alarms for when to start. (A 10-minute break can disappear very quickly by the time you have got a drink, been to the toilet and stroked the dog…)
- Offer to wake them / remind them of their timetable when you’re around
- Praise or encourage them when they are keeping to their plan and support their time-off
- If you are around, offer them a snack or drink to coincide with a break and offer a listening ear – it can be lonely revising!
Can you make them do it?!
Probably not. It depends on the relationship and personality of the child – which as a parent you know best. We do know that intrinsic motivation is probably better than extrinsic motivation. ie If they decide they want to do it, it is better than being told by you as a parent. That is why ensuring they come up with their timetable is critical. However, I do think that as parents and educators we have a role in guiding them to think through their plans for themselves. If revision is feeling a bit stagnant, depending on your child, you might start a conversation with some of these starters:
- What would you like to do when you leave school? (If this turns out to be something that might require good grades, the conversation could develop in finding out what grades are required and a plan to get them).
- If you don’t know what you want to do in the future, would you like to keep your options as open as possible (with strong exam results)?
- Revision can seem a bit daunting. Would you like to come up with a timetable – I can jot it down if you tell me what your plans are? (This allows it to be led by them.)
- We’ve got some family plans coming up but I don’t want to disrupt your studies. Shall we look at the calendar together? (This might reveal how many days / weeks are left to revise! For those more motivated, it genuinely allows a planned revision / family time diary.)
- Have you thought about how much revision you’d like to do before the [maths] exam? (You may find they are ambitious but when you show them the calendar, they discover there isn’t as much time as they thought!)
- Are you happy you know what and how to revise for your different subjects – this can be tricky?
- Is there anything that is worrying you about the upcoming exams?
- Do you feel you have somewhere at home that you’re comfortable to revise? (Changing a room slightly, offering a desk space, suggesting a space outside of your home etc may be seen as a novelty to help kick start things).
Exam revision tips – how much is too much?!
I’m not sure anyone would want to put a figure on this as it massively depends on the child or teenager. You might want to consider how they eat and sleep – excesses (in either direction) may be warning signs. Personally, I would also want to see regular downtime and fun. It is hard to sustain intense revision for weeks on end and there is a risk of burnout.
Also, consider their language and unpicking the messaging to open up discussion. “I won’t pass this exam unless I study for 12 hours today” might mean “I’m scared of this exam and don’t know what I am doing”. “My friend is doing 12 hours a day” might suggest a conversation about productivity, smart working and ‘playing your own game’. “You don’t understand” might suggest finding a mentor or adult who does appear to ‘understand’.
Further help
If you would like to discuss revision further, please contact me for a parent consultation and / or to discuss mentoring. The introductory 15-minute call is free. I will also happily provide you with an example and blank revision template – just pop a note in the ‘contact’ form to this effect.
