A little bit of a different post today and one which I hope will help at least one of you. Although my days of GCSE's and A levels are over and I am now at university, I still have to be very organised and on top of my work so what I have learned through my school days has most definitely helped me. I made many mistakes during the first year of my A levels when it came to revision and this severely affected my grades but I promise it might seem like the end of the world then, but you can turn it around and still do well if you put the work in. Stay positive!
Writing notes / Keeping them organised.
It's a no brainer but when you make notes in lessons whether on powerpoints or paper, keep them in a A4 folder and divide each module into sections. I know this may seem like a rookie thing to do, but so many people in my sixth form didn't do this and then when it came to revision they realised that they were missing half their notes and really struggled to revise from nothing. (obviously!) I am a total neat freak when it comes to my notes so I used to spend hours copying them up until they were just perfect and although this was relaxing and made me feel better, really it was a bit of a waste of time, yes, rewrite notes as a revision technique but they don't need to be immaculate, as long as you are going through the process then it's fine!
Cue cards are a great way for condensing notes which is a good technique to begin with, you could even write a question on one side and the answer on the other so you can quiz yourself. You have to keep your brain actively engaged with the material so keep shuffling the cards so you don't learn the order! Also, write the answers in exam style (not just notes) so that you remember how to answer the question rather than just random facts!
Plan your revision / Create a timetable
Make use of all your time but don't overwork yourself! You need breaks at least every 40 minutes and these breaks need not be long, even if it's a moment to make another cup of tea, then it is something. But make sure to leave an hour to have lunch and give yourself a bit of a relax before getting back into it. Overworking yourself will only leave you feeling drained and like you have no life, you do not need to cancel all plans just because you have exams. But make sure when you dedicate time to work, you are actually working - meaning putting away your phone, laptop, tablet, anything that will distract you and focusing solely on working, or really you're just kidding yourself that you've done an hour's revision but really, how much of that time was actually spent recapping material?
When it comes to lunch or snacks while your revising, keep it simple and healthy-ish. Everyone needs a pick me up in the form of something yummy to enjoy but try not to reach for all the carbs and sugar, this will leave you feeling sluggish and your brain will slow down meaning you have counteracted the hour's revision you have done and not actually retained any, or little of the material. Preparing your lunch as soon as you et up is a great way to save time and means you know you have something delicious to look forward to. I am thinking of putting some nice and easy lunch recipe's on my blog for inspiration if anyone is interested, keep an eye out. Also, try to stay away from sugary drinks, they have the same effect in leaving you sluggish once the sugar high has subsided.
Practice Papers
Yes, they are boring and when you get a bit of a poopy mark on one it knocks your confidence a little but how can you improve if you don't practice in answering the actual questions? It seems like an obvious thing but in my first year of A levels I hated past papers so simply didn't do them and holy moley my grades suffered. They are the best resource you have because you can memorise or get a good idea of the exact marking criteria and blast it out in the exam. I do not believe in the theory that exam boards follow a pattern in the questions they give, although there is some correlation but, and I stress this highly, do not rely on this. So many people get caught out by only revising what they think is going to come up and when it doesn't the are left with nothing to write, cover your own back and revise anything and everything that could possibly come up.
Quick Tips
A few final thoughts are these:-
- Set REALISTIC goals.
- Do not overwork yourself.
- Stay positive.
- Practice papers are your best friend.
- Stay healthy.
Good luck to all those with impending exams at any level of the education system, work hard and it will all pay off!
