If you spend hours rereading textbooks and highlighting every line, you are falling into the trap of passive learning. Research shows that to truly memorize information for your IGCSE or A Level exams, you need two things: Active Recall and Spaced Repetition.
What is Active Recall?
Active recall is the process of actively stimulating your memory for a piece of information. Instead of reading a fact, you force your brain to retrieve it. Flashcards, practice questions, and blurting (writing down everything you know on a blank sheet of paper) are the best ways to do this.
What is Spaced Repetition?
Spaced repetition involves reviewing information at gradually increasing intervals. If you learn something today, review it tomorrow, then in 3 days, then a week, then a month. This interrupts the 'forgetting curve'.
Combining the Two
The ultimate revision strategy is using RevisionGrid to do past papers (Active Recall) combined with an app like Anki or Quizlet (Spaced Repetition) for definitions and formulas. Ditch the highlighters and start retrieving!