REVISION TECHNIQUES
Many students complain that as the time passes, they forget what they had studied. Although they had solved a sum just few days ago but when same sum is asked in the exam, they are not able to solve it. There can be two reasons for this:
1. They do not carry out the class room study properly,
2. They do not revise what they have studied.
When we study a subject, we understand it & remember it well. But, without revision we will forget the chapter soon. When we prepare a subject, the information is stored in our short- term memory. If it is not transferred to the long or medium term memory, it will be lost. Most effective way to transfer information to long- term memory is to revise it.
But, fist let us understand the rate at which we forget the information stored in our memory without revision.
| Time elapsed | Information lost | Information Retained |
| 1 hr. | 18% | 82% |
| 1day | 82% | 18% |
| 1 week | 86% | 14% |
| 1 year | 90% | 10% |
Hence, most of the information is lost in first twenty-four hours or the memory loss is highest in first twenty- four hours. After twenty-four hours we remember very little of it. Hence, first revision must take place within first twenty-four hours.
WHAT IS REVISION?
Revision is not re-reading what has been studied earlier. To read again is re-reading & not revision. Revision means to re-visualize the information already stored in our brain. To revise, we do not need our books or notes. We only have to close eyes & visualize all the details of the chapter, which we have read.
Normally if we revise something four to five times, it is transferred to our long-term memory.
Following table suggests the revision schedule:
| REVISION | WHEN | DURATION |
| 1ST Revision | After 1 hour | 5-10 minutes |
| 2nd Revision | Next Day | 15-20 minutes |
| 3rd Revision | Every Sunday | 2-4 hours |
| 4th Revision | Last day of the Month | 8-12 hours |
| 5th Revision | Previous day of Exam | 2-3 hours |
Group Study method is a very good study technique to understand subjects & their details.
In this method each member of a group of 4 to 5 members decide to study in detail one chapter out of the chosen chapter & explain it to rest of the group.
