Revision Tips (from the authors)

A big difference between school and uni is the amount of self-study you will be expected to carry out. Some of the authors have left you some tips, starting with more general ones, which we’ve picked up over our first year.  

Before you read through, note that all of the vocabulary on this website can automatically be turned into virtual flashcards on Quizlet or Anki by copying and pasting the tables directly into both sites’ import functions.  

Some general revision techniques: 

  • Work together in groups! 
  • Go on Moodle to access past papers as well as multiple choice quizzes that highlight common slip ups (and do them) 
  • Keep your basics in check by writing your own flashcards or writing your own questions to ensure you understand them 
  • Try to familiarise yourself with any concepts before the lecture! PowerPoints will be available beforehand and there are plenty of papers and videos (such as Khan Academy) online that can aid you 
  • Be critical and reflective with your own work – this will help you improve a lot faster 

scroll down for topic-by-topic tips 🙂

Maths (and Stats) / Physics / Geophysical Sciences 

To learn any number-heavy topic, it is important to understand the concept behind each one – how does the formula work? What does each term in the formula represent and how does each one contribute to the overall formula? Why and how does the concept work? A good way to understand its significance is by researching real world applications of your concept/formula. Not only does this give some meaning to what you are learning, it also gives you a better understanding of how it works, and you can remember it more easily. Aside from your lecture notes, look at other websites such as Khan Academy, as they explain things in a different way, and this can let you understand and learn a lot better. 

The best way to revise is practice, practice, practice! Knowing how and when to apply each concept is very important, and the key to this is by doing as many problems as possible. There are many resources available on the module’s Moodle page, such as: 

  • Quizzes on each topic
  • Example questions in lecture/course notes 
  • Past exam and ICA papers 
  • Tutorial exercises 

Definitely look at other websites for practice questions as well! Again, Khan Academy is a great resource. 

While marking your work, be sure to note down which area you tend to go wrong in – are you not familiar enough with the formulas? Are you not sure which formula to apply? Calculation errors? Is it a certain topic you’re not familiar enough with? Highlight the type of questions you get wrong, review the notes on their topics and focus on doing more problems regarding these topics – a good resource is the quizzes on the module’s Moodle page, as there are specific ones for each topic.
 

Life Sciences / Earth and Environment 

In this area, there are lots of facts and concepts you have to learn and memorise. But you can’t simply just memorise them! You should establish a good understanding of each concept and how they work. Not only does this make remembering facts significantly easier, it will also certainly help you with other topics as they are all interconnected in some way.  

Flashcards are a brilliant study method for Life & Environment Sciences. Be sure to test yourself on terms and concepts multiple times a day. I recommend downloading Quizlet on your phone and creating flashcards on the app – this allows you to easily squeeze in mini revision sessions on tube journeys, bus rides, or any other pockets of free time throughout your day if you don’t have time to set aside a study session on a certain day. 

A really good way to solidify your understanding of each topic is to pretend you’re explaining or teaching it to someone. This can highlight any areas you’re not familiar enough with, and organise the concepts in a more logical, coherent way in your head. Lastly, definitely be sure to do questions as well! Scour your module’s Moodle page for any quizzes, example questions or past papers. 

Chemistry 

Chemistry effectively is a giant mind map, with several ideas and concepts linking to each other but also branching out into several other concepts, not only within chemistry, but to other disciplines such as physics and biology. This can be extremely overwhelming if the main focus is memorising for instance, every mechanism there is to know or every method in working out a differential equation. Similarly to Life Sciences, what’s more important is the comprehension of these ideas to the point where you can apply them to different styles of questions. Furthermore, Chemistry is a subject that requires a secure and strong understanding of the basics. Knowing how electrons move, or what elements are nucleophilic or electrophilic will produce the foundations to aid you in learning content further on. These in conjunction help substantially in navigating how to keep on top of the content, by recognising that a lot does not need to be memorised, but rather applied. 

Some further important points: 

  • Do not underestimate visualisation. Draw out every mechanism and the movement of electrons; see which are the same/similar and categorise them.
  • Use your MolyMod kit! If you’re not confident in your 3D spatial visualisation, the kit can help with identifying isomers and enantiomers 
  • Do not ignore the maths. Maths will have an involvement in almost every Chemistry lecture so ensure that you aim to understand the method behind it before attempting problems
  • Focus on larger concepts. Allocate your study time accordingly to concepts you know will definitely be on any upcoming exams rather than obscure topics that potentially have little bearing. That being said, try to go over everything!