It’s that time of the year again, exams are round the corner and no revision is getting done. From the unfruitful stare at a page in the textbook, to the constant checking of the phone, it all seems like a waste of time. It is certainly not easy to revise but very necessary as it leads to good grades which in turn leads to a better standards of living in the future. I interviewed Zachary Lindow, 16, of Wimbledon College to explore the art of revision and how it can be done to great effect.
‘I do find revision hard at times but for me the best thing to do is put away all distractions. This includes things like mobile phones, magazines and the internet. I would say that the biggest distraction for me is my mobile phone so I leave it somewhere that is not in sight therefore not in mind’. It is easy to give up and resist to other urges such as mobile phones as it is extremely easy for the mind to wonder, however it is vitally important to find motivation within yourself to do the ‘correct’ thing and revise; it is for the long term which is not always what people consider but essential to build for. Zachary, just like anyone else, encounters numerous problems while trying to revise however simple solutions such as removing distractions do help. Revision is something that is much complained about but Zachary believes that the best thing to do is just ‘get on with it’ as he explains:
‘I find that not thinking about when I’m going to revise too much helps too. I just sit down and get on with it. Once I get started it all seems to just flow and becomes easier than it seems. Finding a quiet area to work is also essential for me as the slightest of sounds can make me loose track and disrupt what I am doing. Another useful factor in revising for me is getting the right amount of food and sleep. Without them, revision simply becomes something that cannot be done as I cannot function properly and my brain does not think clearly.
Revising for exams is certainly something that we all have to do at some point in our lives and it is all part of a process which leads to more exciting things however tips such as removing distractions and being in a quiet zone are all essentially invalid if the self-motivation is not there. At the end of the day, it is all done to the person involved. It is clear that, not just from this interview, but from the majority of people that take exams that ‘bluffing’ it does not work and cannot be relied on.
