With the final school term of the academic year upon us, GCSEs could well start to be on your mind more and more.
It’s important to stay calm and not overthink what’s coming too much. We’ve created a helpful guide of advice for revision and preparation to help build your confidence and get yourself in the best position possible for when your exams come around.
It’s never too early to start
GCSE exams start on Monday 16th May this year and although that may seem a little way off yet, it will be here before you know it. You’ve probably got quite a few subjects to study for so the more time you give yourself to revise, the better prepared you’ll be. The earlier you start your revision, the better you will know each of your subjects and the more confident you will feel going into your exams.
Planning is important
Rather than looking at the first textbook you have to hand or first study pack you find online, make a timetable to co-ordinate your revision plan. Take a look at your exam schedule and know which subjects you’re going to study on each day. Try to do at least a couple of hours before moving onto something else and set targets and goals for what you want to achieve in each session or each day. If you know you need to do extra revision for a certain subject, you can factor this in too.
Don’t go it alone
Sitting alone in a room isn’t the best way to make sure you’re retaining the information you are trying to take in. At times it’s a good idea to get together with friends who are preparing for the same exams as you. This way you can bounce various ideas and tips around the group and try to motivate each other. You can also test each other out to see what you might need to brush up on.
It’s not just about notes
Reading through your textbooks, school work or online guides and writing down the key information is a great way to revise but it’s best to try different techniques to keep your mind stimulated. Everyone learns in different ways so making other visual or audio prompts helps just as much as a notepad and pen. Work out what works best for you.
Know what’s coming
Refresh yourself of the course syllabuses and how your exam might be structured. Questions can often require short, snappy answers and quick calculations but you could well have some essay-type questions too so practice writing long form answers that include a number of key points on a certain subject. Taking a look at previous exam papers is another great tool too as you can understand how the questions are marked.
Take care of yourself
Studying for exams can be stressful so it’s important you look after your mind and your body. Take breaks in your revision so you are not sat down in front of a book or screen all day. Reward yourself if you feel you’re doing well to reset your mind and think about something else. Remember to get outside in the fresh air, do some exercise and eat healthily to keep up your energy levels up. At night, get plenty of rest so you’re refreshed each day.
And finally…
There is still plenty of time on your side so absolutely no need to panic or stress about what is ahead. You’ve worked hard all year and now it’s just about fine tuning what you have studied along the way. When your exams do come around, make sure you have a good night’s sleep beforehand, eat a decent breakfast in the morning and try to stay as relaxed as possible on the day.
Good luck!
