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A/A* students, What's your secret?

What's your revision tips/techniques? What's your secret?

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for me i got A/A* at GCSE without much revision... i didn't revise english at all nor maths... i revised the sciences like they days/morning before by reading the revision guide...

i don't there is a secret or trick... whatever revision works best for you.
Original post by Bellissima
for me i got A/A* at GCSE without much revision... i didn't revise english at all nor maths... i revised the sciences like they days/morning before by reading the revision guide...

i don't there is a secret or trick... whatever revision works best for you.


What revision worked for you?
Original post by hopingtobeadentist
What revision worked for you?


like i said it depended on the subject... i think i DID actually revise maths but only the circle stuff because i just had to remember that...

for science, just read the revision guide...

didn't revise for much else... memorised some bible quotes for RE...

though i think in general the best revision method would be going through reading uides, taking nots IF that helps you and you have enough time... then doing all the past papers.
I help other people revise by testing them when I have the revision guide. Then I can see and hear the answer, whilst also helping someone else. Also, I know someone who makes mindmaps with more detail than the textbooks have, so I get a copy of those. But just keep trying things, and one of them will get stuff to stick in your head
Reply 5
It's a good idea to have goals, i.e. 'I want to go to Oxford, so I need to work very hard to get those grades or I will not make it.' Motivational videos are quite good too, I find this one particularly inspiring: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5fsm-QbN9r8&feature=related Get motivated. It won't seem like a chore to revise because its all leading towards something. Good luck.

Note: I got Bs at GCSE, then AAB at A level, mainly because I had motivation to do well.
(edited 11 years ago)
Reply 6
Aim high, work hard to achieve those aims.


Be modest when you achieve your aims, don't be too upset when you don't.
Reply 7
Work hard, you'll do well :smile:
Reply 8
I make revision cards or wallcharts or just make notes usually :smile: For history, I also made a timeline of events with post it notes :smile:
Original post by OwenFerny
It's a good idea to have goals, i.e. 'I want to go to Oxford, so I need to work very hard to get those grades or I will not make it.' Motivational videos are quite good too, I find this one particularly inspiring: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5fsm-QbN9r8&feature=related Get motivated. It won't seem like a chore to revise because its all leading towards something. Good luck.

Note: I got Bs at GCSE, then AAB at A level, mainly because I had motivation to do well.


I am motivated, I intend to go Kings College and study dentistry, I want to pick Biology, Chemistry, Psychology and Sociology in A-Levels.

Only thing I am not sure about is which college I want to go to, which type of dentist I want to be and if I will get good GCSE's :frown:
I got straights A*s at GCSE and I've got to say I did not put in nearly enough work to get those grades, I have no idea how it happened, and honest to god this is not me being modest. I now say my secret is eating a banana before each exam, it's the only plausible explanation. In truth, bananas are awesome brain foods.

But, for my revision method I prepare mindmaps in advance then in the days leading up to the exam I walk around my room reciting the mindmaps out loud to myself. This means I have the mental picture in my head of the mindmap (I don't have a photographic memory but I do remember in pictures more than anything else), the walking around my room gets oxygen to brain and saying it out loud consolidates it all.

However, we'll see this summer whether or not my GCSEs were a fluke!
I literally do all these stuff you guys have mentioned above, my predicted grades for GCSE's are B's and C's, how the hell am I going to get into Kings :frown: however my predicted grade for maths is A and I've already got A in statistic GCSE.

You guys are naturally smart, me dumb as ****.
I did mindmaps too... They work I reckon, especially if you like colour (like me) get some of those fineliners and make a colourful mindmap :smile: Also, I think if you are predicted Bs and Cs, you can clearly do the basics already, but learning and understanding the harder stuff in the syllabus and knowing how to answer questions on harder topics that come up will help you move up to the A/A* topic.
Reply 13
Hey at least you are predicted Bs i'm only getting Cs and a two As, i also want to be a dentist and i want to go kings. I'm aiming to just get Bs and in A levels i'm going to work my butt off maybe i can get away with being a late developer:tongue:
Predicted grades really don't matter. Just do as much as you need to and you'll be fine :smile:
Reply 15
Well first and most obvious i pay attention in class, i try and understand what the teacher is saying and if i don't understand it i will go over it at home. Then when it comes to the exams i go over and revise what I've done and go through the specification of each individual exam. I'm not the naturally intelligent people i have to learn everything completely. Past papers are also really useful. For different modules of an exam I get my sharpies out and make a big mind map
Original post by lil-mazie
Hey at least you are predicted Bs i'm only getting Cs and a two As, i also want to be a dentist and i want to go kings. I'm aiming to just get Bs and in A levels i'm going to work my butt off maybe i can get away with being a late developer:tongue:


Wow we can relate completely! And you've got a -1 in ratings just like me as well :P
We should keep in touch, just to see if we actually achieved it :P
What year are you in?
Original post by izzaha
Well first and most obvious i pay attention in class, i try and understand what the teacher is saying and if i don't understand it i will go over it at home. Then when it comes to the exams i go over and revise what I've done and go through the specification of each individual exam. I'm not the naturally intelligent people i have to learn everything completely. Past papers are also really useful. For different modules of an exam I get my sharpies out and make a big mind map


I like you, what did you get for GCSE's?
Original post by hopingtobeadentist
I literally do all these stuff you guys have mentioned above, my predicted grades for GCSE's are B's and C's, how the hell am I going to get into Kings :frown: however my predicted grade for maths is A and I've already got A in statistic GCSE.

You guys are naturally smart, me dumb as ****.


Forget everything else we've said, the main thing is to stop thinking you're dumb. Also, there will be a method that does work. I found out that teaching people helps me completely accidentally, so keep trying stuff.

But the main thing to know is that you're not dumb, cuz no one ever got an A* expecting a C
- Try to make an effort to listen in class
- Do the homework because it does help!
- Dont leave revision until the last minute, it'll only make you panic!
- Mind maps
- Past papers really useful as someone posted above, you will know if youre answering along the right lines
- Post it notes around your room and other places you go reguarly to make things stick in your mind
- Make a checklist of everything you need to know for the exam and work your way through it!
- Sometimes it helps people to write notes again and again but this can be boring!
- If it is an essay based exam, practice timed essays until you can do it comfortably
- Find out how long the paper is and figure out how much time you will allocate to each question
- Revision timetable to make sure youre dedicating equal amounts of time to subjects or more to ones you are less confident at
- Revision guides are usually concise and easier to read than a textbook

Everyone has their own ways of revising but I hope this helps! Good luck, youre hard work will pay off :smile:
(edited 11 years ago)

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