HOW TO EFFECTIVELY REVISE WITH DYSLEXIA

If you have dyslexia, you might find it affects your learning and that some of the typical revision techniques don’t work for you. Our Student Support Team have some top tips to make the revision and exam period a little easier.

1. Try out some assistive software

Software such as Claro Read or Balabolka turn your notes or webpages into speech. You can choose from a range of voices and speeds to find something you find engaging and easy to understand.

You can download and save audio files, meaning you can turn all of your notes or text-based documents into audio files, you can turn all of your revision notes into audio and revise them without needing to read!

This can make your learning much faster and more interesting if you struggle reading large chunks of text.

2. Schedule your revision time to suit you

If you find lots of revision overwhelming, try revising little and often. Choosing a topic and focusing on that for just 30 minutes can help you remember the information you need. You don’t need to revise for 12 hours a day for the information to go in!

If you haven’t tried out the Pomodoro Technique, then give it a go. Pomodoro helps to break your revision sessions down into manageable chunks.

For example, if you have 2 hours to revise, break this into four 25-minute sessions with 5-minute breaks between each session.

This will help you maintain focus and make the information more manageable.

3. Work with others

Talking about your ideas and revision can be a great way to get your head around something. Schedule in some time to work with your classmates so you can talk through your work or how you would answer an exam question.

Teachers and tutors are also usually happy to talk more about topics or explain things in different ways that will help you understand and remember things.

4. Use colour and visual aids

Colour coding your notes by using highlighters and colourful post-it notes will help you find key information easily and can help breakdown large chunks of text.

Visual aids like mind maps, diagrams or pictures might also help you to digest larger chunks of information. Having a visual representation of your work means you can find the information you need at a glance, instead of reading back through pages and pages of notes.

5. Reward yourself

Making a list and ticking things off at the end of the day is really rewarding and will help you keep track of your progress. It will help you see that even if you did struggle with your revision, you still achieved something and managed to tick things off your to-do list!

If you join BCU, our Student Support Team will work with you to get the support you need. This may include particular exam arrangements, extra time for assignments and other adjustments that can help you during your time at university. Find out about the support available to those with Specific Learning Disabilities.