Question: what method of revision is the best for maths?

Amy Mason answered on 18 Nov 2024:

The one that works for you. There is no singular best method of revising, you have to try out lots of different strategies to find ones that work for you. I tried

– making flashcards and using spaced repetition to learn them
– saying facts out loud with specific accents/emotions in my tone. You have to do the exact same quote and style each time, but it made me remember things from how I felt and the set of my jaw to make the accent.
– Making cascading graphs of information. If I needed to learn a long proof, I would break it into 3 parts, and then break each of those parts into 3 until each part was 1 fact or step long. Then I memorised the top level, then the 3 parts of the first thing on the top level etc. The idea was that each memory bit triggers of the 3 things about it, and helps you put it all back together in order.
– using physical sensation. I used both writing equations in sand and using body paint to paint them on myself. Another friend of mine tried designing dances around proofs and sock puppet plays.
– teaching the idea to someone else. This could be someone else also trying to learn it or someone who knows nothing about it.
– doing lots of practise exam questions and looking up the thing I forgot but needed to know each time. This was really good for identifying what I needed to memorise.

Other things might work for you. Play around, try different things.