The way i always revise(if i am motivated nd plan to do very well) i start 3/4 weeks before the exams, and read of my notes time nd time agian. So basicly i memorise the book (not word by word but close to it). In that 4 weeks i will read the book about 4 times a day.. I dnt write anything down while i revise(no words or fancy diagrams).
Does it work for you?
If yes, then congratulations!
Continue with that.
You give yourself plenty of time and let the information really get in.
What i have noticed with most of my friends is, that they start about 3/4 days before exams nd get really on with it, like 10 hours a day of revision.
The way your friends revise, 3-4 days beforehand or even
the day before the exam, is what my teachers always called "to puke on the test". You get everything in fast and right before the exam comes, then you just puke the information all over and afterwards you'll be like you haven't learned anything.
The point is to learn and remember your knowledge years ahead. Now think, the last exam do you remember even half of the information you learned? If not, ncncnc (tsk tsk tsk) shame on you.
This way i would never be able to do, because if it gets that close to an exam nd i havent done anything i mentally give up!
Don't even think about doing it then! You have found your way of revising, and if it works, keep it.
i write everything down, because I am a visual and kinesthetic learner.
When I start on time, I write aswell. Small notes everywhere, different
colours and
sizes.
While reading a chapter, I
underline words/sentences with
colour-higlighters or just with a simple black pen.
After reading a chapter, I write a
short summary.
I
add important terms in a list, write down the page were you can find it (the term) and just shortly what it means. I do this after every chapter.
After I have read through the whole book
twice, I look at my short notes and that terms-list and see how well I have learned, what still seems a bit unclear.
After a
third time reading through the book, I write down questions to each chapter. I answer them later on.
At times I also combinate subjects. For example, we go through a lot of history in the mother-langue aswell, so I make sure I read my homework well and each time I read something in a subject, I try to remember what it was said about it in the other subject.. Get me? But you gotta do this from day one, to start doing this the last week won't be of benefit.
All this has to be done in time.. I usually give myself 1 - 2 months or at least a few weeks.
When reading through the book, doing those notes and so on, I have done this while
5 hours straight every day or every second day during 1 - 2 months. Otherwise it can depend a lot,
at least 2-3 hours a day.
I
eat well before I start and maybe get myself some coffee.
Normally, 1 - 2 hours straight ain't enough, I feel confused at the end of the day, it feels like I haven't concentrated knowing there are 24 hours in a day, I spend about 8 hours sleeping, 8 hours school and then I'm left with about 8 hours to study.
Stop watching TV or listen to music, that's my best advice. Avoid the Net aswell as much as you can, at least do not go to MSN.