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Revision: Do you write out your own notes?

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Original post by Nettled
*Nods* thanks :smile:

*Whimpers* then there's also history notes to make and geography..


Wow your doing 4 As levels? That's really difficult tbh. Push yourself to your limits so you don't regret on results day. We regret things that we never did compared to the things we did do. :smile:
Original post by Jehaan
If nothing else you could do notes for the topics you find most difficult ie start doing notes for difficult topics and work your way down int terms on difficulty and that way you'd be able save on time but still have time to do past papers. Also since it's the first year of the spec, will you have any past papers to do?


Ooh yes that's a good point. I was looking at starting it from the front of the textbooks and that looks too daunting. Well I don't think it makes a difference for bio/chem as content has not really changed so I could use old past papers. But history yea there's no past papers. Geography spec hasn't changed. So I'll have a fair amount of past papers available to do.
flashcards, repetition, mind maps and practice questions are what i do :smile:
good luck for all of your exams, i am sure that you will do brilliantly!


Posted from TSR Mobile
Original post by Shiv Loves Maths
Wow your doing 4 As levels? That's really difficult tbh. Push yourself to your limits so you don't regret on results day. We regret things that we never did compared to the things we did do. :smile:


Isn't everyone doing 4 AS subjects? Hah yes I might spend the rest of my waking moments of my time working up till exams. I have a lot to make up for!
Original post by Nettled
Isn't everyone doing 4 AS subjects? Hah yes I might spend the rest of my waking moments of my time working up till exams. I have a lot to make up for!


Lol I didn't I only did biology chemistry and maths. I did do physics but I dropped that like a brick after 2 months
Reply 25
(Tip to do with past papers not notes sorry)
I have a spreadsheet where I record what I got in each past paper and I have conditional formatting so the box is red if it's below 80% and green if it's above. I then have a box saying what all my mistakes were and people tend to saw a pattern. I summarised the question and then put the mark scheme answer for example I always forgot the features of a dynamic equilibrium so that way I remembered as I saw it right before the exam. I found it really useful to look at this right before going into the exam as I remember what not to do.
Original post by undercxver
Sounds good, hope those resources are helping. Only makes notes if you feel like it is helping you, otherwise just do the past papers.

For History I've been a text book and made notes, then summarised everything on a paper. Now just doing past paper questions.

As for Maths I've only done past paper questions and summary sheets per exam. I use the book every now and then if I need any help.


What do you mean by making summary sheets for maths? I've heard others discussing this technique but haven't really understood what's meant by it.
Reply 27
Original post by Nettled
Isn't everyone doing 4 AS subjects? Hah yes I might spend the rest of my waking moments of my time working up till exams. I have a lot to make up for!

I did 5 last year. Biology, chemistry, maths, religious studies and critical thinking
Original post by AmarRPM
What do you mean by making summary sheets for maths? I've heard others discussing this technique but haven't really understood what's meant by it.


It's a bit like this but more condensed.
Original post by Shiv Loves Maths
Lol I didn't I only did biology chemistry and maths. I did do physics but I dropped that like a brick after 2 months


I don't think that there was a option for us to do 3AS we were able to swap subjects though within the first few weeks. Which board are you with for science?

Original post by Jehaan
I did 5 last year. Biology, chemistry, maths, religious studies and critical thinking


Oh wow. And then there's you rare peeps :lol:
Reply 30
Original post by Nettled


Oh wow. And then there's you rare peeps :lol:


Aha trust me if I could've gotten away with 3 I probably would've but everyone in my year had to do at least 4 and tbh I did very little work for critical thinking and it's not considered as a stand alon AS by most places
Original post by Jehaan
Aha trust me if I could've gotten away with 3 I probably would've but everyone in my year had to do at least 4 and tbh I did very little work for critical thinking and it's not considered as a stand alon AS by most places


I still would have felt as if it was eating up my time lol. Any ways I'm going to get started on work. Good luck with your notes too :smile:
Original post by Nettled
I don't think that there was a option for us to do 3AS we were able to swap subjects though within the first few weeks. Which board are you with for science?

Oh wow. And then there's you rare peeps :lol:



Aqa for chemistry and ocr for biology :smile:
Original post by Jehaan
(Tip to do with past papers not notes sorry)
I have a spreadsheet where I record what I got in each past paper and I have conditional formatting so the box is red if it's below 80% and green if it's above. I then have a box saying what all my mistakes were and people tend to saw a pattern. I summarised the question and then put the mark scheme answer for example I always forgot the features of a dynamic equilibrium so that way I remembered as I saw it right before the exam. I found it really useful to look at this right before going into the exam as I remember what not to do.


Original post by hannahrobinsxn
flashcards, repetition, mind maps and practice questions are what i do :smile:
good luck for all of your exams, i am sure that you will do brilliantly!


Posted from TSR Mobile


Thanks guys! :smile: Good luck!
I don't find writing out notes mindlessly is particularly helpful.

I write essays, then memorise them.
Original post by Abstract_Prism
I don't find writing out notes mindlessly is particularly helpful.

I write essays, then memorise them.


That is what I plan on doing for English lit! :smile:
Original post by maggiedavies
That is what I plan on doing for English lit! :smile:


I think that's the only thing you CAN do for Lit! :tongue:
Original post by Abstract_Prism
I think that's the only thing you CAN do for Lit! :tongue:


Yeah pretty much just gonna write and even re-write essays and memorise them.

But I also have a textbook for King Lear (play), and revision guides for Death of a Salesman (2nd play), The Great Gatsby (novel), and Thomas Hardy (Selected Poems).

For the 2 plays, which are closed book, I have compiled quotes from throughout, printed them off and stuck 'em onto my wardrobe with blue tac.
The novel and poetry are open book but won't really have time in the exam to be flicking through, so the plan is just to constantly re-read and find some TSR resources, watch videos, etc.

As well as familiarising myself with spec, student guide, and mark schemes! :biggrin: Good luck! Also, what texts are you doing?
Yeah I do for all my subjects (though German..I don't really have notes...just masses of vocab lists and things i needa remember).

Reading through a textbook is so dull and some of them waffle on for pages, of which about 2 sentences are relevant to what u need
Original post by maggiedavies
Thanks! 'Tis a good idea to have the spec in front of you when making notes - will keep that in mind! :biggrin:


Yeah thats a great idea whoever suggested that my teachers are starting to give us sheets with the spec points on and we have to write notes from it, its very useful.

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