Which A Level Revision Style Is Right For You?

One of the best ways to get on top of your revision is to work out which revision style is right for you. Don’t worry if this sounds difficult – it’s surprisingly easy. Your education should have given you a good idea of how you work best, so let’s take a look at the possibilities.

Whether you are in state funded college or receiving a private education from Lansdowne College, for example, the revision is the same.  There are a few theories on learning styles, but one of the most common ones is known as the VARK model, which is simply an abbreviation of the following:

• Visual
• Auditory
• Reading/Writing
• Kinaesthetic

What does this mean, you might ask? Each of these is a type of learning – and therefore, a revision style. We’ll run through the general characteristics of each, and then give you some tips for each style. Hopefully this will help you figure out which revision style is best for you, and how to make use of it during your education.

Visual

Visual learners work best when they can use images and things that help them to visualise the work. If you struggle to listen to someone speaking, but find it really easy to memorise diagrams, you might just be a visual learner.

How can you make use of this? Start colour-coding your notes – this will allow you to focus on the visual side of things, assisting your memory. Use memory maps and diagrams in place of written notes to revise from. You could even start associating images with certain ideas – for instance, think of formulae in terms of their visual effect, or visualise the scenes happening in Shakespeare.

Auditory

Maybe you just prefer listening, and everything else is a distraction. If you find you learn best from people explaining something rather than reading then this is the style for you. If it sounds like you, then start recording your notes. Rather than re-reading them, put them on your MP3 player and listen to them as you go about your daily business. Some auditory learners find music helps, so coming up with songs and rhythm patterns about your notes can be an excellent memory tool.

Reading/Writing

If all of this sounds a bit over the top to you and you just prefer reading and writing then that may well be your learning style. If that is the case, writing and rewriting your notes is probably the most efficient method for you. However, don’t just rewrite them perfectly – work on compressing the same concepts into shorter and shorter explanations. This is great preparation for your exams!

Kinaesthetic

Do you fidget? Or perhaps you doodle? If you find you need to keep busy and move about as you learn, you’re probably a kinaesthetic learner. Walking around whilst reading or listening to lectures and doodling as you read passages are useful methods to a kinaesthetic learner. If you can make or model things, then this is the perfect use of your time, as it’s engaging your need to be doing something with your actual revision.

Of course, you may well be a combination of these, so make sure you pick and choose what sounds most useful to you for your time in education.

Author Bio: Sarah is a freelance writer with special interests in education. She recommends getting a private education from Lansdowne College.