Exam period is creeping closer, and revision is looming. Bored of scribbling notes on paper, or endlessly typing on the computer? It’s time to shake up your revision using a whiteboard in the library or anywhere else you can find one…
1. Brainstorming
There’s nothing quite like a giant brainstorm on a whiteboard. Make it as creative and colourful as you want, because this revision could be the most aesthetically-pleasing of them all. What’s more, brainstorms allow you to zoom out and look at the bigger picture. In this way, you can see how your ideas link together and where the gaps in your knowledge.
And when you return from the library, take a look at Realtime Board. This software allows you to collaborate with your peers using an online whiteboard.
2. Quizzes
The shared working space on floor 1 of the library is a great place for you to work together with your peers who can be the secret to your success. Using whiteboards to come up with quizzes are a fantastic aid to your revision, allowing you to recall information and embed your knowledge into exam-style questions.
Take a look at some free apps, like Quizlet, that you can use in conjunction with the whiteboard to create your quiz.
3. Essay plans
Structuring your essay is crucial to its overall performance. Whiteboards are a brilliant aid in you deciding this structure and thinking about what you might include in each subsection. You can easily rub things out and backtrack on your ideas, to come up with the perfect essay plan. There’s nothing worse than having a tonne of crossings-out on your sheet of paper, but this is something you can avoid with a whiteboard.
4. Diagrams
Whiteboards are a fantastic tool to get your head around a diagram. A small graph on a piece of paper can make it impossible to decipher what is going on. Draw your diagram on a whiteboard, using different colours, and freely manipulate as you go along.
Sign up for a free trial with Lucidchart, which is an online resource that enables you to create diagrams and collaborate with your peers.
5. Key definitions
And finally, sometimes the biggest pain of revision is nailing your definitions. It can be the most boring and tedious part, almost just an act of regurgitation. But writing your key concepts on the whiteboard will help you learn these definitions and recall them easily during an exam.
Using a whiteboard lends itself most fittingly to visual learners: those who can better recall information when it is presented visually.
And don’t forget, using a whiteboard instead of sheets of paper is much better for the environment! The University of Warwick has a Strategic Commitment to Sustainable Growth, an Environmental Policy and an Environment Sustainable Responsibility. While you may feel that you are simply one among many, your actions against climate change can make a difference. Set an example for others in your community to follow by being proactive. Taking small steps towards saving the environment can change your whole perspective and cause you to reduce your carbon footprint in other ways too.
Start by using a whiteboard in your library.