Scientifically Proven Revision Tips

Your ability to remain motivated and focused, and to concentrate for long periods of time, will be crucial to success in your A-Level examinations. Here’s three scientifically proven revision tips that can help enhance your A-Level exam performance.

1. Start your study and exam days with a trip to the Gym

A fascinating study from the University of Bristol, titled, Exercising at work and self-reported work performance showed that people experienced a positive mood on days when they exercised in the morning. This positive mood led to better mental performance during the day. So, why not start important study days with a trip to the gym?

2. Get more than 7 and a half hours sleep a night

It can be tempting to burn the candle at both ends when studying. However, this is most likely a counterproductive study strategy. Research from the Harvard Medical School shows that people who get between 7.5 and 9 hours of sleep may be up to 20% more effective. Always get enough sleep; your ability to acquire and attain knowledge while studying will be optimised.

3. Listen to music to focus your mind when studying

There is plenty of research showing that listening to music can improve your ability to focus and concentrate. For example, classical music has been shown to enhance brain activity and improve one’s spatial reasoning capabilities. It is known as the ‘Mozart Effect’ and this type of music has been shown to enable students to perform 12% better in their exams. Certain pieces, like Beethoven’s Fur Elise, have been shown to help students retain more information and study for longer periods. Another source of audio-aid can be nature itself. Sounds such as waves or running water, when listened to for just 15 minutes, have been shown to reduce stress and boost concentration and mental performance afterwards.

If you would like to have a closer look at some of the research referred to here, you can do by clicking on the relevant links below.

Research to show how classical music can enhance brain activity: https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/325492

Research from Harvard: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/sleep-deprivation-productivity-harvard_n_1334877?guccounter=2

Study from Bristol:  https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/17538350810926534/full/html