Exam/revision advice Having just finished GCSEs I thought I'd pass on some wisdom. (Haven't gotten results so maybe none of this will work) just don't make my mistakes. 1. Condensing information GCSEs are basically how much can you cram in a couple of months. Textbook tells you lots of useless stuff and you have to condense that down otherwise you spend too much time learning about Hitler's dog than the WW2 battle strategies. These are ways I have done it: - highlighters, most people's brain are attracted to bright colours so use them are highlight only relevant information. This makes your work load look less so also improves mental wellbeing - sticky notes, in my science books on every page I wrote a post it with the key points written down. This helps you slowly learn so when you are going through you can focus on the post-it - mind map, I personally didn't use this but many of my friends did. If you are a more visual learner this can be a way to arrange information, just don't focus too much on presentation 2. Working effectively Revision is a slog but it is a necessary evil so once you force yourself from your bed, you need to spend that time well. - no lyrical music, I found that any music with words was distracting. I recommend Moby, it's calm sort of spa music which I found helped me focus whilst also made me feel less stressed. Many not work for everyone but worth a shot. - get out of your dump of a room, it's a tip (for most people). And even if it isn't, you sleep in your room so it has a more relaxed environment and is not good for work. If you have a room in your home you can go to, make that your new base of operations. When you leave your bed you are in a more positive state of mind which is ready to work. If you can go outside, even better - past papers, literally god's gift to students. Do all of them. Get into the habit of doing timed exams, especially if you struggle for time. It helps you get to grips with the types of questions asked and frequent ones you can plan ahead for. 3. Last minute revision Doesn't matter what your teacher says, you always leave some to the night before. Not an ideal scenario but here is what works best: - sleep. Working late doesn't do anything, you remember nothing and your brain has no power. Wake up earlier the next morning if you have to. - leave house asap. If you have work to get done in the morning, go to school or somewhere and do some FOCUSED revision in a calm working environment. I would know, I learnt an entire science module in 2 hours at school. - cereal, your body needs food to function. Can't learn nothing without some Coco pops in your system. 4. Before an exam - friends will be the death of you. Don't talk to them. Just relax. Their grades don't help your future so block em out till after the exam. You don't need constant reassurance because guess what, everyone else is stressed just like you. You being worked up and off loading to friends doesn't help them or you. Say good luck before and exams and that's all you need. - breathing, I'm no yoga master but I used this for every exam. It claimed me down so much and helped me focus before the exam started. - breathe in for 4, out for 4 - then breathe in for 4, out for 8 - then breathe in for 4, out for 12 - then breathe in for 4, out for 16 5. During an exam I've made all these mistakes so learn from me. - turn over all pages, I missed 10 marks. - check, then check again making sure you missed nothing - if you have a calculator make sure it works correctly and you don't need another, ask to examiner if you do. - flick through the paper before you start writing so you can start thinking about the other questions whilst writing. Any questions feel free to ask, I'll try my best. This isn't definitive advice but it helped me and extra knowledge doesn't hurt. If you have questions you can comment below or drop me a cheeky conversation. For those interested the subjects I took: (GCSE level remember) Edexcel Maths Edexcel Music Edexcel History AQA German AQA Biology (triple award) AQA Physics (triple award) AQA Chemistry (triple award) CIE English Language CIE English Literature CIE Latin About 25 exams in total. Try your best, honestly.
