revision tips...

[magicbeatle]

I have an important career-changing exam approaching in 2 weeks!   Does anyone have any useful tips on revising and advice on retaining huge amounts of info?               

[joko]

you could try a technique whereby you read out information with a microphone, onto a tape or onto a pc then burn onto cd, and play it on a continuous loop while you sleep. you'd be surprised by how much you can take in while youre asleep.

you can listen other times too of course.

i'd suggest cd as a tape can be noisy when it stops or turns itself over and can wake you up, also most tape players don't have a reverse play function.

also try typing out the info onto your pc, (or with good old pen and paper) not to keep or use - copying it just makes you read every word and can help the info stick

good luck

[Piper-AK]

Don't revise for more than 20 minutes without a break - the brain takes in the first and last ten minutes of anything most efficiently.  Also, as above, write everything down incessantly instead of just reading it.  Write it down in various ways, not just the same phrases, as you will then have to think more about what you're writing down so it will sink in more.

[january_bug]

Ditto the advice already offered.  Also:

• Acronyms can be very helpful.  Everyone learnt the colours of the rainbow that way and we never seem to forget that!
• Look. Cover. Write. Check.  (well, it worked for spelling!)
• Mix it up.  Otherwise it's easy just to learn facts as a sequence, and not as separate bits of information.  So, if you're recording a CD of soundbites, if possible, record them as separate tracks and play it overnight on shuffle/repeat. 
• Most importantly....

GOOD LUCK!!!!!! :-)

[mfewell]

You don't say which subject, but something that always did me well in the sciences was to write a few really obscure facts and figures on a piece of paper and cram them at the last minute, outside the exam room. Throw the paper away of course before you go in. Then as soon as you start, write them all down on rough paper and make sure you work them in somewhere.

[ELVIS68]

Try and revise in the morning with a clearhead,as your brain is normally at its sharpest rather than at night

[El D]

Mind maps are your friend.

[Mistopheles]

Chanting - seriously! I had to learn over 500 cases for my law exams. I wrote them down as briefly as possible - bullet points only - and chanted them out loud whilst I walked. I practically wore a path in my living room carpet, but I passed my exams, and I've used this technique ever since. Also, if you have a friend / family member who can quiz you, that's a great help too. Good luck.

[Laurinha]

Re: piper AK

How does the brain know that the last ten minutes will be the last ten minutes - if you know what I mean?