The lead up to your first GCSE exam can be a very daunting time, you are faced with the sudden realisation that exam season is no longer far away and it’s probably time for the real work to begin, despite promising yourself this would happen months ago.
Although it’s the word everyone hates to hear, the only way to combat these worries is to REVISE, and here are some top tips on how to do so:
First of all… breatheeeee
Although it may seem like an obvious one, it is vital that in the minutes between frantically scribbling down notes, choosing the right coloured pen, staring into space and most likely bashing your head against your desk, it really is key to take a few minutes to yourself and just breathe until your head feels still again, and if you feel like you’ve reached your limit for the day, stop, even the best of us need a break sometimes.
Once that one’s done, you need to work out how you’re going to manage your time in the most effective way, in other words, not only revising the subjects and topics you enjoy- the best way to do this is by making a timetable. This not only organises your revision time but also helps to boost motivation for your upcoming exams, if you’re still not sold- try colour coding it so it looks nice!
My next tip would be understanding your learning style and then tailoring your revision techniques towards these. By completing an online quiz you can easily find out whether you’re a visual, auditory or kinaesthetic learner, and once you’ve got this- remembering and recalling the information then becomes a whole lot simpler.
If revision is seeming a little harder than you expected, there’s no harm in learning through study groups with your friends, as long as you are actually studying. Although it’s very easy to get distracted by your friends, they may have information that you don’t and vice versa.
Finally, although it’s the one thing we all dread the most, practise papers really are the way forward. They allow you to not only practise your knowledge but also the style you should write your answers and the way in which you should interpret the questions. They may be the thing we all put off, but they are the most beneficial way you can revise- no matter what kind of learner you are.
One last thing, don’t stress, you’ve got this.