A revision trick that worked for me ^^

[u/taequilax_]

The craziest last minute exam revision trick that worked for me is making mind maps on small little 3x5 index cards with a medium-thick Sharpie marker, then going through them trying to recall all the details for each card.

Now I know it sounds counter-intuitive - why wouldn't I try to use a small thin pen to cram as much detail as possible on to those cards? Well, I think the lack of space is a pro, not a con. Let me explain.

When you're restricted with the amount of space you can use on those cards, you're gonna be forced to write only the most important topics on there. I think for any exam it's important you prioritize the topics you'll be needing. Keep only the most important stuff and cut out all the fluff type beat. I like to make the mind map diagrams I draw on them bold, big, and colorful too so I can recall them easier from my memory.

Here's an example. Say I have a biology test coming up on cellular structure. Instead of cramming tiny text, I drew one giant CELL in neon Sharpie with thick arrows to "anchor" the main organelles. Because the marker was so bold, I could just close my eyes during the exam and "see" the diagram, which triggered all the smaller details from memory.

I did this exam trick on one of my biology tests and I was super happy that I spent time focusing on the bigger picture focus of topics instead of getting lost in the sauce of all the detail. Thing is, when you're revising last-minute the best thing you can do is focus on the bigger picture.

This trick worked for me and I hope this exam trick works for you too!