The Importance of Revision Sessions
The thought of revision sessions and having to revisit some really trying content is enough to put anyone off returning to their department after all of the modules are finished. Also, the fact that in the majority of courses you only have to pass the first year (at 40%) which doesn’t count towards your final degree classification means that some people feel as though they don’t need to attend the revision sessions. I’ll admit that I’m a bit of a geek when it comes to academia. I find pleasure in learning and love to soak up as much information as I can. However, I know that there are students out there who don’t feel the same way and that’s OK.
Obviously, this is my first year attending revision sessions and honestly? I think they’re great. Let me tell you why. Before the revision sessions started I had planned to revise everything that had been covered on my course (apart from topics I had written my essays on as you can’t repeat material). The thought of this was a tad overwhelming. So you can imagine my joy when I got to my first revision session and the lecturer told us that we only needed to choose a few topics to focus on. In one part of one of my modules we were told that we only had to revise one of two films! Having some idea about what to revise and what not to was a great help.
One key thing to remember during the revision process is that it is your lecturers who write the exam papers. This is where revision sessions save the day yet again. It is highly likely that the content they choose to focus on during the sessions will feature somewhat in the exam papers. We all know that they are unable to tell you the exact questions that will be on the paper but if you pay enough attention you may be able to pick up some clues. Again, this helps to give your revision a greater focus and can help you to avoid wasting precious revision time on topics that won’t come up.
Finally, although it may not seem like it at the time, revision sessions are a great way to ease your exam anxieties. They are a great time in which to ask questions, consolidate your understanding and share concerns with others. You know the old saying, “a problem shared is a problem halved”! It is highly likely that some of your peers will have the exact same worries as you. Even the people who seem to be on top of everything will have some concerns deep down. Exams usually aren’t pleasant for anyone!
I hope this post has managed to highlight the importance of revision sessions and has allowed you to see why I think they are worthwhile. But ultimately, as with everything on your academic journey, you need to do what’s best for you!
