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A and A* students... Share your revision tips

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Reply 940
I got full marks for 3 out of 4 of my subjects at A2 Level - the other was a B in English, the exam being taken the day after my mum was hospitalised with a stroke and quite honestly I'm impressed with a B. I feel my revision was the key.

I used revision cards, mind maps, and MASSIVE theory sheets. I can't find my USB otherwise I'd upload a picture. But often I would stick 4 or 5 sheets of paper together, each with different topics on using LOTS of colour, and stick it on walls. The paper would be stuck together so to lead on from the previous subject well (linking topics or something).

Mind maps work really well for thematic work, which was especially key for my history exam, which involved looking at a whole period and analysing continuities and change. So I would do a mind map for the progress (or not) of peasants, and short evaluative sentences to show why they did/didn't change.

Annotating books worked well for English, with sticky notes and stuff like that. I reread the books a few times, memorised a few key quotes and themes, but like I said, that didn't go so well due to my situation at the time.

I strongly, strongly advise revising your arse off for AS and A2 - it'll pay no end at degree standard. The amount of people I've met at Uni who scraped by with, say, BBC or something with little revision are completely dumbfounded by revision at degree standard.

To me, it is time; I can revise (and usually do) all day, with very few breaks. It helps me cement my thought, and I give 2 or 3 hours to each topic.
Reply 941
For Science subjects I make notes in my own words with combined information from the text book and notes in class, watch video's explaining the topics (as I am a visual learner), do practise questions before progressing to Past Papers.

I revisit the topics where I dropped marks in the past papers and try to absorb the mark scheme for answers to common questions (Mainly Chemistry).

If there's a topic which I don't understand I discuss this with a teacher and learn it so I can relate this to the syllabus when I get to the topic in the text book
Original post by Riz10
Any tips for A2 edexcel economics- unit 3 & 4? thanks


Exam technique is key as with the first 2 units. this is particularly the case with unit 3 but unit 4 is more essays so have perfect essay plans for any possible essay they throw at you!
Reply 943
Any tips for A2religious studies - OCR - particular Ethics and Islam units

thanks
Reply 944
Original post by MoneyOverEverythin
Exam technique is key as with the first 2 units. this is particularly the case with unit 3 but unit 4 is more essays so have perfect essay plans for any possible essay they throw at you!


thanks!:wink:
Any tips for Law?
:biggrin:
I don't understand whatsoever how anyone can achieve an A* in Chemistry...YOU ARE GOD.
Reply 947
People on here have some hugely distorted views on how to get As and A*s.... This ''i'm going to do 8 hours of revision a day on top of school'' thing is going to impact negatively, not positively. You do need to work relatively hard, but if you haven't got natural flair for exams or that subject no amount of work will make you good, it's harsh but true and I think that everyone sees this first hand in school. Do past papers, do revise but seriously like for me an hour per day would be pushing it because I am just too lazy, but worthwhile and focussed revision is how I get good grades, not mundane copying from a book
When my daughter was revising for her exam she would divide the study guide into many smaller chunks and then she would give herself a break every time she finished one...

it is a question of planning and not letting your brain overload with information! She always told me how breaks always helped her concentrate better!!
Original post by Wesssty
Don't expect the teachers to teach you, anything.


Exactly. Whenever I've asked for something to be explained, I've never understood their explanation. Usually I just go home and open up a text book and teach myself.
There are a few "secrets" to getting good grades that work for me atleast.
1 - Engage in your subject. This means you're more likely to remember what was said.
2 - Aim to be wrong early on so you aren't wrong in the exam. If you're wrong, you've a tendancy to want to correct it. Being wrong can make your mistake stick out - also providing you with the answer. You're unlikely to go wrong again
3 - Familiarise yourself. Even if your notes refuse to go into your head, teach and reteach yourself the subject. This allows you to pick it up quicker and quicker each time, whilst allowing your brain to work out that this information is a priority to you
4 - Look, cover, write and check! Read up on a topic, and then without your notes, try to rewritethem or capture key elements on a piece of paper. Leave spaces, and when you're done see what you remembered. Then in a different colour write in what you forgot - this will help you to remember all of the topics, not just certain parts
5 - Condense! At most times in our lives we've got lots of things on the go - when making notes be as efficient as possible. Create a thorough version of the notes, elaborating, and then condense them down to small chunks.
6 - Revise in small segments. Give yourself short breaks, you should not be revising for any longer than an hour straight - as most brains will flick off by this point. Give yourself short breaks to keep yourself motivated and to keep your brain active

:smile: That's what I did, and i've only ever gotten one C at As level, the rest for GCSE AND AS LEVEL I've had mainly A* and A's, with a few unfortunate B's inbetween.
Original post by aysha.19
Any tips for Law?
:biggrin:


I did AS law.

Make lots of notes of all the info. Put all the cases etc in a big neat table which will makes them much easier to learn. Also add colour to the table as it'll help you build a picture of it in your mind. There's only a list of essay questions they can ask you, so write out essays for ALL of them.. This is boring but it helps loads. Basically, just read and re-read it all to memorise it. In the exam when you read the question, write down the first things that come to mind next to the question, eg key words, specific cases, precedents, laws, etc, and this will be like a mini plan and will make you feel less panic.

Good luck :smile:
Original post by ScienceConfusion
I don't understand whatsoever how anyone can achieve an A* in Chemistry...YOU ARE GOD.


Me too... It's so hard :/
I personally find biology harder though because of the 'how science works' questions :'(
For religious studies it really helps to do wider reading. If you find it interesting you won't mind anyway. Find out what the philosophers were doing at the time, the social climate, the economic state, everything that will have affected why and how they thought what they thought. The essay titles tend to be very samey so learn key points from each philosopher and how they differ from that of others. Learn who criticised who and why. Also, no matter what your teachers will tell you, reading the primary text will ALWAYS be better than the watered down version the textbook gives you. Take it from someone with 100% in AS.
dont leave it all last minute.. go slowly but surely.. it will stick! build it up gradually over the time you have instead of trying to mush it all in in one go!
Original post by Bright.Inspiration.
I did AS law.

Make lots of notes of all the info. Put all the cases etc in a big neat table which will makes them much easier to learn. Also add colour to the table as it'll help you build a picture of it in your mind. There's only a list of essay questions they can ask you, so write out essays for ALL of them.. This is boring but it helps loads. Basically, just read and re-read it all to memorise it. In the exam when you read the question, write down the first things that come to mind next to the question, eg key words, specific cases, precedents, laws, etc, and this will be like a mini plan and will make you feel less panic.

Good luck :smile:


Thank you!
The reading and re-reading method helps a lot, I do that already. What I don't get is how how to make the tables with cases? Do you have any that you could show me? Also, about 2 weeks are left before the exam, don't you think making tables on cases is not a good idea for me...
I've been using a website (thefaculties.org). It has some really useful revision material on it for Maths,English,Psychology,Biology,Chemistry and History- aimed at A*-B students. It's university lecturers discussing topics from the curriculum x
Original post by aysha.19
Thank you!
The reading and re-reading method helps a lot, I do that already. What I don't get is how how to make the tables with cases? Do you have any that you could show me? Also, about 2 weeks are left before the exam, don't you think making tables on cases is not a good idea for me...



I personally think it's a good thing because a big clear table would have all the info about all the cases you need, and will help you organise and condense case notes, which'll make it more memorable for the exam.
Eg:

Topic | Case Title | Details | Relevant laws
-------l-------------l---------l----------------
-------l-------------l---------l----------------
-------l-------------l---------l----------------
-------l-------------l---------l----------------
-------l-------------l---------l----------------
-------l-------------l---------l----------------
Hello everyone,

Although I am not an 'A and A*' student, my daughter is. I know she has been trying to find tips on revision and how to concentrate better on internet since she went back to school after the holidays. Yesterday she came to me and told me she found a very useful website. She said there was some material for free which could also be useful for my own work (I am a teacher, and sometimes struggle to concentrate too, as everyone does). So I will share it here because I thought it was very useful:

http://stressintofocus.com

You need to type your email address, but that's all! Good luck!
Reply 959
Original post by infairverona
For religious studies it really helps to do wider reading. If you find it interesting you won't mind anyway. Find out what the philosophers were doing at the time, the social climate, the economic state, everything that will have affected why and how they thought what they thought. The essay titles tend to be very samey so learn key points from each philosopher and how they differ from that of others. Learn who criticised who and why. Also, no matter what your teachers will tell you, reading the primary text will ALWAYS be better than the watered down version the textbook gives you. Take it from someone with 100% in AS.


Thank You. That was really Useful.

Have you continues r.s into A2?? Is it the OCR examboard??

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