What's the best way to revise for my exam?

I always found that the best way to revise, above anything else, was making sure I knew exactly what was going on in the text I was studying. You can do this by re-reading the text and by checking SparkNotes to ensure you understand everything that's going on. Perhaps make flashcards to summarise important plot points and have someone test you on them in preparation. 

Next, you need to identify the main characters. Writing notes about their role in the text and the connections they have with other characters and events is a great way of doing this. If you learn visually, you could even create a powerpoint and use pictures from the internet to help.

Then, you must identify the key themes. For example, death, love, power. It really depends on the text, but you should try and write down even the obvious ones, as they will probably be important. 

Once you have the notes prepared about the characters and themes, you can add some important quotes to match with each one. This way, whatever comes up in the exam, you have supporting evidence prepared. 

Finally, if you have access to past papers, try and plan answers to the questions that have come up previously, using all your knowledge from the revision notes you've already made. This will help you to perfect your timings for the actual exam, and get you thinking about the text you're studying. 

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