How to make a revision timetable

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There are many perks to making a revision timetable. Not only does it keep you organised, but it ensures that you're maintaining a healthy study-life balance while getting you ready for your exams. Here's how a revision timetable can help you.

Prioritise topics

Before creating your revision timetable, decide which subjects you’re strongest at and which are your weakest. Outlining this before you start revising will give you oversight into what topics you need to spend a bit more time on.

Divide time appropriately

Once you’ve outlined which topics you’ll need to spend more time on, reflect this in your revision timetable. Allocate more time to any subjects you feel less confident about. Do remember to still make time to cover topics that you're feeling confident about. What’s important is revising each topic but being smart about the time allocated to each.

Chunk subjects

Split each subject you plan to study into separate chunks. This allows you to separate the subjects that you don’t need to spend as much time revising from those you do. You’ll also get an overview of how many topics you need to cover and how much time you should be allocating to each.

Colour-code subjects

Representing each subject in your revision timetable with a different colour will provide a better visual overview of your study. At a glance you can easily see what’s coming up. You can check that you’re spending the right amount of time per subject and pinpoint which topics you need to allocate more time to.

Schedule breaks

Divide your study time up with appropriate breaks. Short breaks every 30 to 35 minutes will allow you to vary what you study throughout the day. You’ll be able to approach each topic with a fresh mind and not feel burnt out after a few hours. Stepping away from your study and coming back with a clear head can also help with problem solving.

Fit around your daily life

Your daily life shouldn’t be put on hold because you’re revising. It’s important that you create a revision timetable that considers your usual daily activities. Scheduling these into your timetable will provide balance and give you the chance to take breaks when you need.

Be flexible

Studying a topic for less time than you intended or missing a study session isn’t the end of the world. Life happens and a revision timetable should account for that. Leave room in your timetable for flexibility in case you need to move some topics around. You might also find that on some days, you have more energy and motivation than others.

Try going digital

You might prefer crafting a hand drawn revision timetable, and that’s ok. But you may find a digital one more convenient. Using the calendar in your phone, your email or any timetable app will mean you always have your revision timetable with you. When you need to be flexible, it’s also a lot easier to make changes to a digital version of your timetable than a written one.

NEXT:

How to revise: revision techniques

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