Revision tips: why sleep and repetition will boost your brain power, by Abby Young-Powell

(Reblogged from The Guardian, thanks to a tip from our colleague Rodrigo Gómez)

When it comes to revising, how do you know which techniques work? We chat to students and experts to find out what methods really help you remember

With so many different revision guides, it can be hard to know what's good practice and what's not. We talked to a brain expert, as well as students and lecturers from universities across Britain, to get the best advice on how to revise effectively and remember what you've learned.

Getting a good night's sleep can help your brain recall and make revision easier
Photograph: Matteo Colombo/Getty Images

Plan your time

Start early: "The best revision is continuous revision, started as early as possible," says Sergio Della Sala, professor of human cognitive neuroscience at the University of Edinburgh. Revision should be "spread into several sessions, rather than lumped in at the last minute".

Revise on the go: By not confining your revision to one place, you can revise regularly, even if it's for short periods of time, says George Brooke-Smith, PPE student at York University: "Flashcards are great because you can carry them in your bag. Having them on the go can help you to take in information."

Get the most out of your brain

Understand the information: Understanding material is as important as learning it, says Professor Martin Coyle, lecturer at Cardiff school of English, communication and philosophy: "Pages of notes can often be reduced to a single page – don't let them dominate and crowd out your understanding and perceptions."

Professor Della Sala agrees, explaining: "You'll remember what you understand, as you can consign this to knowledge that you already have. Think of your knowledge system as a cupboard with hangers and the new material as items that need to be hung up. The greater the number of hangers, the easier it is to hang up new material."

Repeat to yourself: Neuroscience student David Cox says thatrepeating information is one of the best ways to remember it, as "pathways between neurons can be strengthened over time".

As well as repetition you can try "retrieval practice", which is "one of the best ways to revise", according to Professor Della Sala. He says: "Instead of highlighting or underlining textbooks, produce maps of the material, or read it a number of times, and then call what you have just read to memory and test yourself."

Another technique is "spaced repetition", where you increase the amount of time between recollecting information by recalling it to memory just before you forget it.

Teach your friends: Teaching others is a good way to understand and therefore remember your notes, says Oscar Tollast, multimedia journalism student at Bournemouth University: "For law exams, my course's Facebook group was a great way to revise. We could bounce ideas and answers off one another, which was brilliant. By answering somebody else's query, you were reaffirming and verifying what you had already learned."

Avoid distractions

Turn off technology: Google Chrome's StayFocusd and Facebook Nanny can help you restrict your online activity and Facebook use.

Asking a friend to help can also work, says Rachel Barry, who's studying law at LSE: "Facebook and Twitter are the big thing. I give my passwords to my partner, because then another person will know if I attempt to use them."

Another option is to turn your computer off altogether, says history student Zoah Hedges-Stocks: "Writing by hand helps to avoid all the distractions that come with using a computer."

Plan breaks: In order to stay focused you should plan set times for other things and have a clear finish time, says Professor Della Sala: "Distraction is not necessarily bad, provided it's planned, so it's good practice to take breaks."

Look after yourself

Get some sleep: Brain recall becomes stronger after sleep and information becomes easier to access, Professor Della Sala says. "Sleep is fundamental, as it allows memories to consolidate. It's a good idea to learn something just before going to bed, and then let your brain do the work."

What you said

George Brooke-Smith, PPE, York University: "In the past I've memorised by playing the piano and putting the information to music. You always remember the lyrics to songs so I've put [what I need to learn] into a song and remembered it that way. I've also written on my bedroom walls with a pencil, drawing mind maps or tick boxes."

Oscar Tollast, multimedia journalism, Bournemouth University: "I revise by filling out a notebook with everything I need to know and then recording myself reading these points aloud. I'll listen to them until they stick in my memory."

Rachel Barry, law, LSE: "I avoid the library because a lot of my revision is saying things aloud, so I have to do it in my room to avoid embarrassment. When I get into the exam I can hear myself saying [my notes], especially if I've said them animatedly."

Zoah Hedges-Stocks, history, Cambridge: "I can't work very well in my room. There are too many things to distract me. After the internet, the worst temptation is my bed. If you feel you've been working hard, it's easy to talk yourself into taking a 20 minute 'power nap'... only to wake up two hours later."

No copyright infringement intended. For educational, non-commercial purposes only.