Quotes…arguably one of the hardest parts of the English exams! You can have all the brains in the world but if you get into the exam and you can’t remember them…it’s not good news! If it’s essay structure you need help with, check out my post on how to use your quotes in your essay here!
They are pretty important then but many students really struggle to revise and remember them.
Here are 3 simple hacks to help you learn your quotes!
1. Put your quotes on your phone background
Choose a specific focus each week. Perhaps ambition in ‘Macbeth’. Choose 3-4 quotes and commit to learning them. Focus is KEY! Trying to learn all of them at the same time is a recipe for disaster – which is why cramming the night before doesn’t work!
Once you have your 3-4 quotes, add them to a picture and save it as your phone background. Now every time you pick up your phone you will see them!
Most of us check our phones hundreds of times throughout the day – it can be an incredibly powerful way to absorb information into your long-term memory!
Of course, you can just write them on the notes section on your phone and take a screenshot. You can also use Instagram stories to design a picture with your quotes and then download it to your phone. If you’re feeling fancy, use the free app Canva to create beautiful graphics.
2. Reminders
Again, repetition is key!
There’s an incredible app called ‘I Am’ which pops up with affirmations throughout the day.
Here’s the juicy part! You can click ‘add my own affirmations’ and add in your GCSE quotes! Then, schedule them to pop up at regular intervals throughout the day. This is a better option if you want to learn LOTS of quotes. You can schedule 50+ reminders throughout the day! If you have a smart watch, you can sync it and get the quotes to pop up on your watch too!
Better still, you can also select ‘practice’, choose a duration of time and then watch all your quotes pop up in a timed sequence!
3. Record
Finally, you could record yourself saying the quotes out loud…maybe make sure no one is around when you do this!
Scientists believe that we remember information best when it is either first thing in the morning or last thing at night. Listen to your recording of your quotes every morning as soon as you wake up and last thing at night just before you go to bed.
This option is slightly different to the others as it relies on auditory learning rather than visual and can be incredibly powerful! Just watch…you’ll have all those quotes memorised in no time!
And…there we go! Remember, everyone learns in a different way and what works for one person might not work for another. The key is to try different things out and see which one works best for you! Get learning those quotes! Have fun and let me know which method you prefer! To help further, check out my free eBook: Essay Templates!