Sitting down with a pile of notes and reading through them repeatedly is one of the least effective revision strategies for anyone.
It’s particularly poorly suited to ADHD brains, which need active engagement to consolidate learning.
Here are revision approaches that work much better.
Active recall over passive review
Instead of reading your notes, test yourself on them. Close the notes and try to write down everything you remember about a topic. Check what you got right and wrong. This is called active recall, and it’s one of the most evidence-backed revision techniques there is.
Flashcard apps like Anki are brilliant for this — and the spaced repetition algorithm means you spend more time on what you’re struggling with and less on what you already know.
Teach it to someone else
Explaining a concept to another person — or even to an imaginary audience — forces you to identify gaps in your understanding quickly. If you can’t explain it simply, you haven’t learned it yet.
This doesn’t need to be a formal study group. Talking through a topic with a friend, a family member, or even your mentor works well.
Use colour, movement, and variety
Revising in exactly the same way, in exactly the same place, for hours at a time is hard for ADHD brains. Mix it up:
- Use colour coding in your notes
- Create mind maps of topics
- Record yourself explaining a concept and play it back
- Walk around while testing yourself
Short sessions, often
Four 30-minute sessions spread across a week will almost always produce better results than a single two-hour block. Spaced practice is significantly more effective for long-term retention.
Revision timetables — keep them simple
A revision timetable works when it’s realistic and flexible. Plan subject by subject, not hour by hour. Build in rest days. And if you miss a session, adjust and move on, don’t abandon the whole plan.
Revision doesn’t have to be passive. Make it active, varied, and short — and it becomes much more manageable.