Across the UK, students are preparing to begin revision for their exams. Whether they are SATs or GCSEs, all exams feel big and important at the time and so can result in a lot of stress. There is one very simple way to avoid stress when taking exams- revise! Unfortunately, this isn’t so simple for everyone. No one likes to take time out of their day to do extra work and study. So can we motivate ourselves to do the work we need to do to pass our exams?
One way that you can make studying for tests easier is by creating daily to do lists. By splitting big jobs into lots of smaller jobs, it makes it easier for our brains to process them and we therefore get more work done more efficiently. For example, instead of writing “read history textbook” on your list of things to do, you could split it up into chapters. Research shows that this method is effective because we are less likely to procrastinate if the task that we face appears small and easy.
Another way to make revision easier and more efficient is to get yourself into a routine. If you know that you do homework everyday between 3pm and 5pm, or that you study science for one hour every day before bed, it makes it seem like less of a chore. Routine can help us to get work done when we don’t want to, as we feel like we have less of a choice about doing it. As self-discipline is one of the main problems when it comes to revision, this is a very effective method.
In conclusion, making daily to do lists and getting yourself into a regular study routine can really help to motivate you to study and to minimise procrastination time. The key is planning, so make sure to take time to plan and create revision schedules. This will clear your mind and make it easier for you to take in the information that you need for your exams. Good luck!
