Getting Into Revision Mode After A Gap Year Or Long Study Break
Gap years are becoming increasingly popular. 98% of students say their gap years
helped them to develop as a person, 97% say it increased maturity, and 84% say it helped them acquire skills to be successful in future careers. Nevertheless, returning to studying after a gap year can be a challenge, with your tried-and-tested revision techniques now a distant memory. Fortunately, by making an effort to get yourself back into study mode, you can revise effectively
and ace your exams.
Little and often
Don’t push yourself too hard in the beginning. Effective studying takes time and practise. Remember: it’s a marathon and not a sprint. So, start studying from the beginning of the semester, little and often. Working consistently over time will gradually build up your knowledge base without leaving you feeling stressed out and overwhelmed. Devise a realistic study timetable to help you commit to revision in your spare time. Never leave it all to the last few weeks before your exam.
Take advantage of available resources
Whatever exam you’re revising for, you’ll find there are plenty of resources available to help you
study effectively and efficiently. For example, if you’re revising for a project management professional exam, a PMP exam simulator can give you access to thousands of realistic sample PMP exam questions. The style and difficulty of the questions will be similar to what you’ll
see in the real exam. Additionally, a separate quiz pool is available to let you test yourself on specific topics. When you’re ready, you can take a full-length exam with completely new questions you haven’t seen before. Similar resources also exist for other courses.
Eliminate distractions
Distractions take your attention away from your work, prevent you from
committing facts to memory, and can be a major issue when you’re not in the habit of studying for long periods of time. Be sure to eliminate distractions by turning off the notifications on your phone. Leaving your phone in a separate room altogether if possible is even better. Also, block your favourite time-suck websites, and listen to only instrumental music (so you won’t find yourself singing along). Scheduling a break around every 45 minutes can ensure you stay focused and on track.
Getting back into study mode after time away can certainly be challenging. By strategically easing yourself into an effective revision schedule, you can prepare yourself to achieve your best grades yet.