The 5 Biggest Revision Mistakes English Students Make And How To Avoid Them

1.) Spending nearly all your revision time memorising long lists of quotes.This is the number one concern I get from students when I ask them about revision. Well, good news, you don`t have to worry so much about all those quotes! Remember that the mark scheme specifically says it allows quotes and accurate paraphrasing. Of course, it`s good to have some quotes, but spend time beforehand deciding on some concise quotes that can be used for a variety of questions and just do your best to learn those. Ultimately, examiners are looking at how well you know your text, and if you paraphrase correctly you are still showing them you know the text. So do spend some time learning a few quotes, but also allow plenty of time for practice questions and essay plans, which leads nicely onto mistake no.2!

2.) Not doing practice questionsNothing is better preparation for an exam than practicing the activities you will actually be doing in that exam. I`ve known students who have gone into exams feeling confident because they have memorised a page of quotes, but when they sit down and look at the task in front of them they realise that the exam is more than a simple memory test, and they haven`t practiced using the skills they need to respond to the task at hand. Don`t let this be you! In the exam you will have to plan and write an answer within tight time constraints, so you will need to have practiced coming up with a logical essay plan and be used to writing clear paragraphs quickly.

3.) Making spider diagrams / revision posters using information you already knowIf the start of revision time for you involves getting out your A3 paper, ruler and a variety of coloured pens - hold on a moment. If a revision method is something you can do in front of the TV, it`s probably not worth doing. This doesn`t mean there`s no place for your spider diagrams - but you should be using this opportunity to consolidate information you have across a variety of sources - the text itself, your study guide, your notes etc. into one meaningful document. This means revisiting these different sources and selecting, prioritising and linking the information carefully. Once you`ve done that, and this is the bit that makes it useful, use the spider diagram to plan an essay/answer on that topic. This processing of information will engage your brain far more than colour-coding facts you already know on a poster.

4.) Not revisiting the texts Revision guides are wonderful things - they break down novels and plays into bitesize chunks to jog our memory. That`s great if the majority of the text is still in your memory from being read recently. But the very nature of revision guides means they cannot cover everything you need to know for the exam. You could easily be asked a question in the exam that isn`t covered by your revision guide, and if you haven`t read the text in over a year, you`re going to be justifiably panicked. Re-read your shorter texts and poems, and make scene/chapter summaries for any long novels. And if up to this point you`ve been getting by without having read the whole text, please prioritise reading it! Remember that chiefly, examiners want to see that you know your texts, and if you haven`t read it, they`ll be able to tell!

5.) "Looking over your notes'What separates good and bad revision techniques is how actively your brain is engaged. Rereading notes and study guides is a passive activity, and chances are you`ll have forgotten most of what you read within a few hours. You will activate your long term memory far more effectively by actively engaging with the information - that means processing, analysing, consolidating and evaluating it. It`s harder work, but it`s far more efficient. Instead of just looking over your notes, try consolidating them as described in no.3 above, making connections, sorting it into tables, and using the information to plan essays. This resource was uploaded by: Gemma

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