Revision: Why Working with Others Can Help

Believe it or not, there are many benefits to working with others on the lead up to an exam.
Revision is often considered a process whereby a student studies alone, poring over books and notes.
However, there are many reasons to suggest that revising together in a pair or a small group can be just as effective and productive- and for some students, it might be more so!

As a parent, you may have some concerns with this idea.

• What if they distract each other?
• What if my teen will treat this as an opportunity for a chat?
• How can teenagers possibly guide each other?

However, one initial solution to this would be to use a revision provider, such as ours. In this scenario, your teen is able to work with peers, and discuss topics in a group- but they are facilitated by a subject specialist. Our tutors can guide conversations, and provide excellent input and support for your child.  Another benefit is the small class size our revision courses offer.

 

 

You may be worried about your teen working with their friends.
Perhaps their friends have mastered the art of distraction down to a tee!?

Revision courses provide an excellent place for teens to meet like-minded individuals, who are often from different schools. Everybody who attends our courses are there with a common purpose- so your teen will truly benefit from peer working with new people.

Working with peers can be very effective to aid understanding.

Whilst a teacher in class may have explained a concept, a peer of a similar age to your teen might have another way of explaining the same idea- which might trigger a clearer understanding. Of course, one of the benefits is ‘relatability-‘ having someone of a similar age who can help break down an idea in an approachable style, and vice versa.

By speaking out loud, learning can often be concreted or re-affirmed.  This is ideal in a revision context, whereby the ultimate goal is to store the information in the mind, ready for exams! Talking about different aspects of a topic can be a real help (especially if your teen is not so keen on writing things down!) Encouraging your teen to try ‘teaching’ a peer or a friend can also be another good strategy. It places some responsibility on them to try and address a more difficult area of their studies, and relay it to somebody else in a clear and knowledgeable manner.

Also, working with others offers the chance to test each other. Many students agree that this is a popular strategy- and the support of flashcards or quiz questions can support this style of revision. Creating questions as part of the ‘quiz process’ is just as beneficial as learning the answers, as it asks of your teen to focus their revision knowledge carefully.

Overall, working with others to revise is a method which shouldn’t be knocked until it’s been tried! It can be hugely beneficial for your teen and, as mentioned, our SQA Unit in a Day, Easter revision or Prelim Revision courses could offer the perfect place to find a new peer and make a start!

 

You can find out more about our SQA National 5, Higher and Advanced Revision classes
by visiting the revision course section of our website.