Preparations For Examinations Begin

Since we passed the March equinox and International Day of Happiness, spring and summer are far more likely to be on everyone's minds. Bablake pupils are now starting to look ahead to the summer and with it the fast approaching examination season, so many are starting their preparations.  

Revision is going over previously understood work. After you have learnt something new, your brain makes a new pathway for information to travel between the synapse. If this pathway is not fired again, then it will disappear and with it, the skill or knowledge. So, by going over subject material frequently, the new link is reinforced and, with continued revision, the link will become stronger allowing more of the skill or knowledge to be retained.

Miss Sam Holyman, Junior Science Coordinator, is a keen advocate of using learning styles to maximise learning and revision. She advises: "For revision to be most effective, it is best to revise for an appropriate amount of time. As an adult's attention span is 40 minutes, many students may only revise effectively for 20 minutes. By planning small breaks, even toilet breaks, the revision can be much more effective. It is important to stick to the planned time in a revision session; this is because as time continues in a revision session the learning efficiency drops, but in the last 10 minutes it rises again – so if you stop early, you lose this extra information boost."

During Miss Holyman's lessons she has discussed different learning styles and how these can be used, building on material given to students in Life Choices sessions. Some of her students have created the materials shown in the photograph illustrating this articles: Danika (Lower 6th), a visual learner, created highly colourful Chemistry revision cards and achieved an impressive grade in her mocks, so is now using this technique in her other subjects too. Imaan (Y9) was inspired by the idea of how some Japanese cultures help children learn the characters of their written language, so she made a key ring of information about the 'Metals' topic to act as both a visual and kinaesthetic revision aid. Meanwhile our Upper Sixth Chemists worked in small groups to create revision mind maps which used sticky-notes and discussion to review their learning of the 'Acids' topic, using a revision technique which tapped into all learning styles.

To help harness your preferred learning style and make the time you are revising more profitable, more information may be found in Miss Holyman's article for Promethean Planet.