How to ReviseFirstly, you need to decide how you are going to revise. Simply re-reading your notes or books will do little to help you learn the information. Make your revision active to improve your ability to store and remember knowledge. So don’t just sit and read your books – try some of these ideas and REALLY revise!

KWL Grids

Think of a subject e.g. photosynthesis, and write down all you know about it. Check your answers with ‘what you need to know’ and identify any information you have missed out. This is what you need to revise.

Smart Lists

To create your own 'Smart List' think of a subject or topic area you need to learn....

Write down everything that you know about this without looking at your notes - it could be as basic as bullet pointing.

Once you have completed your list compare this with your notes.

Add the elements you missed in a different colour, and spend some time going over these elements only.

In the days and weeks that follow try to do your list again - and hopefully there will be more elements on there this time.

Your lists will help you to identify your areas of confidence and weakness - so that you can tailor your revision around this!

Mind Maps

Mind Maps are brilliant for summarising a topic and drawing themes and ideas together.

You can cram so much information on to a Mind Map if it is done correctly. Present it using images and colour to trigger your memory in an exam.

Using A3 or A4 paper is wise, so that you can fit all the detail you need on your map clearly.

Once the mind map is finished you can then display it somewhere that you will see it regularly - in your room, back of a door, next to your PC monitor etc..... A great way to revisit this would be to take the mind map down then try to recreate it from memory!

What I know

What I want to know

What I have

learnt.

Mnemonics, Acrostics and Rhymes

Mnemonics are great for remembering lists and themes - especially when they have to be in a certain order!

To use mnemonics, write down a list of things you need to remember, and underline their initial letters...

Use your imagination to come up with a rhyme or word to help you remember your list - this can work for any subject or topic....

The most common and simple form of an acrostic poem is where the first letters of each line spell out the word or phrase.

In the exam when you see questions that rely on your mnemonic you can simply write it in the margin to help your answer and cross it out when you are finished!

Flashcards

Flashcards are great for small snippets of information that you need to know for the exams...

You can use your notes to create flashcards that have questions on the front and answers on the back. Make it challenging! Once you have made a good amount of flashcards you can test yourself.

If you get a question right put the card on one pile, if you get it wrong put it on another.

Wait a while and then try the 'wrong' pile again...

Keep using your flashcards until you can go through the whole pile and get them all right.

Alternatively, you can use them for displaying small diagrams or definitions and study them whilst watching TV or having tea!

Exemplar Work

You will all have an example of a piece of work that got you good marks... use this as inspiration for your independent study.

Identify what made this piece of work so successful and use this to guide the work you complete during study time.

You might like to ask your teachers for some exemplar work from their subject areas.... If you are struggling with a topic area,

having the opportunity to read an answer from someone who nailed the question can improve YOUR answer massively!

Record Yourself

Most Smart phones have recording facilities built into them, which means you can record quick notes here and there....

You could record yourself reading some revision notes and play this back a few times to help you remember it, or even record 'to do' lists for yourself as and when you remember them!

You can even download blogs from the Internet of 'soundbites' on topics - just in case you would rather hear someone else's voice rather than your own!

Condense Your List

Nobody wants to revise from pages and pages of writing - especially when you are trying to improve longer or extended essay answers....

The aim here is to cram lots of information into a much smaller space so that you are not faced with too much paper and detail....

You can start with 10 worksheets - try summarising the main points from each one onto a post-it note....

Then use your 10 post it notes to condense this into 5....

Before you know it you will have summarised the key points right down from what looked like mountains of work.

Study with Friends

This one will either work for you or it won't....

Studying with friends can be really effective and time-saving, but if you are not self-disciplined can turn into one BIG gossip session with no work done at all!

Small group studying works best, with everyone studying the same topic or theme. You can then divide the workload between you and teach each other.

Golden rules:

If you go to each other's homes, choose a venue that you can be monitored in - like the dining room.

No mobiles allowed - It is too easy for Facebook checking!

Put a good chunk of time aside - perhaps get a takeaway as a reward at the end of the evening?

Remember, understanding how something works is sometimes better than trying to learn lists of numbers or tables of facts to perfection.

Exams are often more about understanding than recall. Always try to show how you work something out as this could get you added marks, especially with maths.

Keep yourself hydrated while you revise and take plenty of short breaks. Get some exercise and fresh air.

Before your exams, get plenty of rest and do not revive past your normal bed time. Make sure you have all your equipment and wear your correct uniform – you do not want to be questioned about why you are not wearing your tie or why you are wearing trainers!

In the Exam

Things you should do…

Get all your equipment out and place it on your desk.

Check where the clock is so you can check the time throughout your exam.

Listen carefully to any instructions given by the invigilator.

Fill in the front cover correctly using a BLACK PEN.

Read the exam paper and highlight and underline any important points. Work out how much time you can spend on each question and which ones

you need to answer.

Decide which questions you can do best and start with these – it will help to

boost your confidence.

Leave enough time at the end to check what you have done.

Don’t …

Panic if your mind goes blank – if you have done the work it will come back.

Look for the key words in the question to jog your memory.

Forget to include all your working out – you get marks for showing your

method.

Waste time worrying about losing the odd mark in part questions – you can

always come back at the end if you have time.

Let your handwriting let you down – if the examiner can’t read it, you don’t get

the marks.

After the exam…

Don’t go over the exam again and again in your mind – it might put you off

your next exam.

Have a break.

Relax.

Prepare for the next one.

Feeling Stressed Out!!!A little bit of stress before exams can be good for you, but too much can cause strain

which is very harmful. We can suffer because of loneliness, fear of failure, overwork,

pressure from parents, guilt and boredom.

You might be suffering from stress if you:

Want to be alone.

Have difficulty sleeping.

Find it hard to concentrate.

Become very emotional or sensitive.

Lose self-esteem and feel depressed.

Suffer from headaches or skin problems.

Have a lack of appetite or eat too much.

Things that can help you with stress:

Study in short bursts – you will remember more this way.

Take lots of breaks when you are studying.

Get plenty of exercise – fresh air and physical activity are great confidence

and concentration boosters.

Don’t study one subject for too long – switch between subjects as you revise.

Practice old exam papers so you know what to expect in your exams.

Ask if you need help from parents, teachers or the doctor.

Do your best.

How to relax:

Find a quiet comfortable place, lie down and close your eyes.

Tense all of your muscles, clench fists etc… now deliberately relax each

muscle until you are totally still.

Breathe in deeply and hold your breath for a count of five. Breath out gently.

Repeat this – listen to your breathing for a couple of minutes. If thoughts

enter your head, let them go – just concentrate on your breathing.

Now relaxed, enjoy the quiet.

Mon

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3-4pm 4-5pm 5-6pm 6-7pm 7-8pm 8-9pm 9-10pm

Tues

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WEEK DAY REVISION TIMETABLE

Sat9-10am 10-11am 11-12 12-1pm 1-2pm 2-3pm 3-4pm

4-5pm 5-6pm 6-7pm 7-8pm 8-9pm 9-10pm 10-11pm

Sun9-10am 10-11am 11-12 12-1pm 1-2pm 2-3pm 3-4pm

4-5pm 5-6pm 6-7pm 7-8pm 8-9pm 9-10pm 10-11pm

WEEKEND REVISION TIMETABLE

How Parents Can Help

Many parents feel at a loss when their children start their exam years in school (Year

10 and 11 – Key Stage 4). Of course, you don’t have to be a parent to make the

difference. Whether you are a carer, older brother or sister, grandparent or

neighbour, it won’t make any difference to the effect you can have and the help that

you can offer. The following are some ways that you can help and support your child

through these difficult years.

Whenever I try to help her, it always ends up in an argument or me making

her more stressed!I didn’t do GCSEs at

school. How am I supposed to help?

I don’t understand all these controlled assessments, levels

and terminal exam – it’s completely different from when

I was a school.

There’s a million websites out there

but how do you know which are any

good?

He always leaves everything to the very last minute and then

starts getting stressed and in a bad mood because it has to be in tomorrow and he hasn’t got the things he needs to do it!

Different children require different kinds of help and support and parents are the

experts on their own children. Your support, encouragement and interest can make a

massive difference to your child’s motivation and ability to cope with the academic

and organisational demands of the exam years.

Your role may include some of the following:

Being attendance officer and making sure your child goes to lessons and

revision sessions and understands the importance of making the most of

lesson time.

Attending parents’ evenings, asking questions and finding out how best to

help your child at home.

Providing equipment for homework – pens, paper and other necessities.

Arranging a quiet place to work.

Being the banker – paying for revision guides, files etc.

Being a ‘Study Buddy’ and showing an interest in the subject they are working

on (without doing it for them) and testing them when they ask you.

Being a sounding board and adviser – helping to break down tasks to make

them more manageable, keeping an eye on their progress, celebrating

achievements and seeing a positive way forward when things don’t go so well.

Project Manager – agree rules for home learning and revision help them to

make a realistic timetable including some ‘fun stuff’ and time to relax.

Being a go-between for your child and the school when necessary, making

sure problems are nipped in the bud and asking the questions your child

might find difficult.

Acting as an information provider and interpreter. Searching websites, finding

out about the subject and looking at old exam papers.

Encouraging your child to turn their phone off, or allow you to look after their

phone whilst they are revising. Mobile phones and i-Pads can be tempting

distractions.