• Question: Science is difficult... Any tips for revision? ;D

    Asked by megann9 to Christine, Edd, Jess, Nicolas, Zara on 21 Jun 2011.
    • Photo: Edward Codling

      Edward Codling answered on 21 Jun 2011:

      There aren’t any quick fixes unfortunately – you just have to work hard!

      The best advice is probably to try and break things down into small pieces and work through these – otherwise it all becomes a bit overwhelming. Also try working through lots of past exam papers so that you know what the typical questions are and how they are written.

      The BBC has some good revision guides:
      http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/science/

    • Photo: Jessica Chu

      Jessica Chu answered on 21 Jun 2011:

      I think sometimes making up really silly stories.. so silly that it actually help me remember things (like a short movie in my head)! or can put words into a song and you can sing it out loud or in your head 🙂

      I agree that going through past exam papers helps a lot!!

    • Photo: Zara Gladman

      Zara Gladman answered on 21 Jun 2011:

      Hi megann9!

      I used the BBC bitesize guides that Edd has posted the link to. As well as websites, bitesize do TV programmes… I’m sure a lot of it will be on youtube too: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0XjyAkeQJag&playnext=1&list=PL94CCF361D3C6D491

      I used to try and learn my notes… then I would give my notes to a friend or my mum and get her to ask me questions and test me! Or I would test myself – after reading my notes, I’d put them away, then get out a blank sheet of paper and try and write down everything that I could remember about the topic. Some people find spider diagrams or ‘mind maps’ useful. They look like this: http://www.learningtolearn.group.shef.ac.uk/takingnotes/notes_spider_espa.html and you can use them to link different topics together/break bits down!

      It’s also important to make sure you have a good place to study… nowhere with a TV or computer or loud noises! Make sure that you’re comfortable, have no distractions and have everything you need. Take breaks and drink lots of water to help you concentrate.

      Good luck! 🙂

    • Photo: Christine Switzer

      Christine Switzer answered on 21 Jun 2011:

      I’ll answer your question with some questions: What subjects are easy for you? Any ideas why those are easy? The answers to my questions might help figuring out how to study for science. When I started studying French in school, I was really bad at it. I worked really hard and it didn’t matter. I still bombed my tests. I have a lousy memory and I was trying to memorise what I needed for the tests. The discovery that I made was that if I used it, I could remember it better. I started studying to use French rather than remember it and suddenly got a whole lot better at remembering it. I’m telling you this because the secret for you learning science might be trying to change how you learn it. Good luck!

    • Photo: Nicolas Biber

      Nicolas Biber answered on 21 Jun 2011:

      You can’t revise for science the same way you revise for languages. Languages are a lot of memorization. The first thing you have to do in science is understanding the connections between all the things you have to know, this will help you understand why certain bits of information are really important. Make sure you know the purpose of everything. I have always found things a lot easier to understand once they seemed useful to me … Sadly sometimes you have to pass exams that are best passed when you just memorize stuff. Not a great way to learn, but if it gets you through the exam, I guess it’s fair enough. I had to do that in organic chemistry, that exam was really laid out in this way.

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