There is nothing worse than revision. I would rather have blisters on my heels or a headache. Revision hangs around and sticks there and does not go away even if you close your eyes and count to 100. The thing is we all have to do it and the quicker it’s done the better.
These notes are really for those of you from Year 7 but you can do them any time after then but not the night before your exams…it’s too late. Revision starts well before…at least it does for sensible people who want to do well. If you follow these ideas they will help you with your GCSEs. Now I can hear you say, ‘but we don’t do them until Year 11’. I know that. But if you start now, then by the time you get to Year 11 all the hard work will be done.
The idea is to make notes manageable. A whole page of A4 covered in blue or black words is so scary I would rather be spooked by ghosts. So what you do is make them smaller. You end up with a small card with the key words and phrases on the topic and these note cards you learn and they will trigger off your memory.
OK…so you have just done a topic on say Henry V111 for example. You have ended up with pages of notes and handouts and pictures. You have a test on Monday.

1. Read through all your notes. Close your book. Get the dog or a teddy and sit them in front of you. Now tell them all you know about Henry and his life. Bet you know more than you thought you did! You will impress the dog or teddy to be sure!!
2. Get your notes and your text book and do a mind map on all the facts. Use colour and pictures whatever helps you remember.
3.Now using the mind map, write bullet points. Keep them short. Only use trigger words that will help you remember.
For example…a. Henry V111 1509-1547. Married 6 times. 1533 excommunicated by Pope. 1534 Act of Supremacy 1536 Act of Union. 1536-1539 monasteries closed…etc.
b. Jane Seymour. 3rd wife. Mum to Edward V1. Died 1537.
So all you are left with are small cards with key words and phrases on them and pictures. Some people write each point in a different colour. That might help you too. You can store these cards in a box with subject dividers.
Keep all these note cards for all the subjects as you can add to them as you go up the school as you will revisit some topics. If you never use them again no matter because you have practised doing them and the more you do them the quicker you get. Then when you are doing your revision for your exams they are there ready and waiting for you.
I hope this helps. Let me know. If you have any ideas tell me and we can share your ideas too. Good luck.