Cramming For O’ Level Exams? Here Are Some Last-Minute Revision Tips
Last-minute revision has its pros and cons. For students who have fully grasped the material and feel ready to sit for the exam, last-minute revision can help them brush up on their knowledge and feel more confident. On the other hand, last-minute revision can be ineffective for students who have to catch up on their studies and lack sufficient knowledge in that particular subject. Due to a hectic schedule, personal commitments, procrastination, or other unforeseen issues, some students fall in the latter category.
Considering that the O-Level examinations are well underway, your child may find themselves in a time crunch to go through all the subjects and their content. No worries, we are here to help them if this is the case.
Listed below are tried-and-tested tips on how your child can revise for their exam in just a short time.
Devise and adhere to a study plan
At this point, your child has no time to waste, so good time management is a necessity. Good time management can be attained by establishing a study plan, which lays out a schedule that allocates a specific time to different tasks and activities, such as studying, resting, and eating. An ideal study plan should be well-balanced – meaning that students are given the opportunity to study productively without being burnt out in the end.
To devise a study plan, your child should first examine their current timetable and be aware of what responsibilities to attend to. This is to prevent your child from missing out on any commitments and over-studying. Afterwards, they can proceed with setting study goals and deadlines.
Use the Pomodoro technique
An effective method that balances time well between studying and resting is the Pomodoro technique, developed by author Francesco Cirillo in the 1980s. At present, the Pomodoro technique is an established time management tool that helps individuals concentrate on completing a single task in 25 minutes. When the timer rings, this marks the end of one Pomodoro session and the start of a five-minute break. Once four Pomodoro sessions are completed, you can extend the resting time to 15 or 30 minutes.
The Pomodoro technique is successful as it encourages students to work with the time they have. As your child is aware that they are given 25 minutes to finish a task, they can better resist distractions or interruptions and train their brains to re-focus. The 5 minutes break at the end also provides a sense of accomplishment, further motivating your child to press on.
Find a suitable study area
It should come as no surprise that a messy study area filled with distractions is a non-conducive learning environment. Distractions cause procrastination, which your child should avoid at all costs in order to revise effectively at the last minute. Whether in the bedroom, living room, or library, the study area should have minimal noise pollution and provide a comfortable environment for your child to study for long hours. Some students may find themselves having an easier time concentrating with background noise. In that case, they can consider heading to a cafe or putting on music to create a suitable ambience.
Sleep on time and wake up early
Some students may overlook the fact that their lifestyle habits have a significant influence on their ability to process and retain information. According to several studies, sleep deprivation directly affects our cognitive performances, leading to decreased levels of alertness and concentration. As your child has to be in tip-top condition to study well, they should get a minimum of six hours of shut-eye to rest and recharge their brains.
Having good quality sleep makes your child more likely to wake up early and be more refreshed. This enables them to optimise their study time during the day. If it is on the day of the exam, waking up earlier also allows your child to go over their notes and be more mentally prepared.
Study with Superstar Teacher
While some students can learn by themselves, others may prefer having a tutor to teach and guide them in their studies, especially on topics they are weak in or unsure of. This is where Superstar Teacher comes in. As one of the top-rated platforms for online tutoring in Singapore, Superstar Teacher offers a wide range of courses, from online Maths tuition to English enrichment classes. All our courses are taught by well-experienced and qualified tutors, so you can rest assured that your child can receive the best help in their studies. Sign up for a free trial to get started.
