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

Past Papers and as many questions you can find for maths and Physics...

Geography just learn case studies.

What about revision for English Lang/lit.

I got a D and really need to go up to a B in my January re-takes.

The thing is, model answers are really hard to get but i know you need to have technique when comparing the texts from the Anthology.

Reply 162

becomingbindy

10

sammyvine

What about revision for English Lang/lit.

I got a D and really need to go up to a B in my January re-takes.

The thing is, model answers are really hard to get but i know you need to have technique when comparing the texts from the Anthology.

I got an A* in my English Lang/Lit A Level. I would stress the importance of terminology, seriously just learn tonnes of it and use it in the exam whenever you make a point. Structure is very important for the AS exam, make sure you make points about context, purpose, language, grammar and structure in every essay. Make them your 5 main paragraphs and don't forget to mention ALL of them. So many people write an entire essay about language which will get you a really low grade, regardless of how insightful your points are. For AS don't try to be too clever, and always remember to mention the obvious stuff. You may think that mentioning paragraph structure or the use of adjectives is too basic, but if you don't mention them how will the examiner know that you understand them? For revision make a terminology glossary and learn it, make comparison notes between texts in the anthology (using terminology constantly) and then do loads of practice essays, marking each one with the mark scheme and seeing where you went wrong.

Reply 163

mooniibuggy

14

How is your grade determined? By your EXAM performance! (most of the time)
Soooo....DO PAST PAPERS!
You could know everything there is to know but due to bad exam technique, come out with a bad grade!

Hope this helps! :biggrin:

(edited 13 years ago)

Reply 164

sammyvine

becomingbindy

I got an A* in my English Lang/Lit A Level. I would stress the importance of terminology, seriously just learn tonnes of it and use it in the exam whenever you make a point. Structure is very important for the AS exam, make sure you make points about context, purpose, language, grammar and structure in every essay. Make them your 5 main paragraphs and don't forget to mention ALL of them. So many people write an entire essay about language which will get you a really low grade, regardless of how insightful your points are. For AS don't try to be too clever, and always remember to mention the obvious stuff. You may think that mentioning paragraph structure or the use of adjectives is too basic, but if you don't mention them how will the examiner know that you understand them? For revision make a terminology glossary and learn it, make comparison notes between texts in the anthology (using terminology constantly) and then do loads of practice essays, marking each one with the mark scheme and seeing where you went wrong.

Just thinking about made me realise that I didn't really talk about the '5 main paragraphs you mentioned'.

The thing is, when your writing the main essay using the anthology, is it best to write a chunk about one of the texts, then compare it with the other one once that's finished, or is it better just to compare the two texts back and fourth as soon as you start the essay.... if you know what I mean lol?

Reply 165

becomingbindy

10

sammyvine

Just thinking about made me realise that I didn't really talk about the '5 main paragraphs you mentioned'.

The thing is, when your writing the main essay using the anthology, is it best to write a chunk about one of the texts, then compare it with the other one once that's finished, or is it better just to compare the two texts back and fourth as soon as you start the essay.... if you know what I mean lol?

I would mention both texts in every paragraph. So do your introduction, then a paragraph with your Text 1 point about context and your comparison Text 2 point, and then the same for language, grammar etc. I wouldn't do half an essay just about Text 1 and then switch, I think that's what you meant? Keep mentioning both throughout to maintain tight comparison points between the two texts.

Reply 166

sammyvine

becomingbindy

I would mention both texts in every paragraph. So do your introduction, then a paragraph with your Text 1 point about context and your comparison Text 2 point, and then the same for language, grammar etc. I wouldn't do half an essay just about Text 1 and then switch, I think that's what you meant? Keep mentioning both throughout to maintain tight comparison points between the two texts.

Ahhh thanks, you have been such a big help! I think I wrote about Text 1 and then moved on to Text 2 so it wasn't fluent at all, I'm guessing.

So basically learn the texts from the Anthology and key words/meanings such as Alliteration, Colloquial Language etc....?

Reply 167

becomingbindy

10

sammyvine

Ahhh thanks, you have been such a big help! I think I wrote about Text 1 and then moved on to Text 2 so it wasn't fluent at all, I'm guessing.

So basically learn the texts from the Anthology and key words/meanings such as Alliteration, Colloquial Language etc....?

Yeah, and write down all the possible questions that you can think of that might come up and the texts that you would hypothetically choose for that question. The good thing about the anthology is that most of the texts have a natural one to compare it with, plus if you don't like a few of the texts you don't have to revise them because you can just choose other ones to use. It was a while ago so I can't remember very well, but I think I just revised 5 or 6 texts in depth that would cover all possible questions.

Reply 168

sammyvine

becomingbindy

Yeah, and write down all the possible questions that you can think of that might come up and the texts that you would hypothetically choose for that question. The good thing about the anthology is that most of the texts have a natural one to compare it with, plus if you don't like a few of the texts you don't have to revise them because you can just choose other ones to use. It was a while ago so I can't remember very well, but I think I just revised 5 or 6 texts in depth that would cover all possible questions.

Yeah, that's really true. Thanks! How much did you revise for English? How much your reckon I should do. Bear in mind I'm also doing my A2's?

Reply 169

becomingbindy

10

sammyvine

Yeah, that's really true. Thanks! How much did you revise for English? How much your reckon I should do. Bear in mind I'm also doing my A2's?

Are you taking the AS paper in January and the A2 paper in June? Personally I revised about 5 times as much for the A2 paper as I did the AS, I found it significantly harder, which I guess is true of any subject. I can't really give you an amount of time you should be revising for, but do remember that you should be revising English for as long as you revise any other subject. Although it's hard to revise for English in the same way as others, fill up the same amount of time with practice essays etc, and for the A2 you definitely won't have a problem filling up the study time.

Reply 170

Crissy501

Be organised, do past papers (very important) do each paper more than once if possible, sometimes questions get repeated and you'll get the feel of doing the actual exam. Start early and dont wait till the last couple of month before exam time in order to start making notes, so keep on track with the teacher's lessons. Always test yourself and write things down, draw graphs or write important points whenever possible, it helps to write and test yourself rather than just reading page after page of notes. And keep at it everyday. All the best :biggrin:

Reply 171

Vanny17

OP

19

Original post by Crissy501

Be organised, do past papers (very important) do each paper more than once if possible, sometimes questions get repeated and you'll get the feel of doing the actual exam. Start early and dont wait till the last couple of month before exam time in order to start making notes, so keep on track with the teacher's lessons. Always test yourself and write things down, draw graphs or write important points whenever possible, it helps to write and test yourself rather than just reading page after page of notes. And keep at it everyday. All the best :biggrin:

Thanks. I have covered all my A2 topics in Biology and Chemistry and did the past papers in the textbook. Since i am doing AS resits as well as my A2, i have made notes for them. Shuld i start doing past exam papers now for both my AS and A2 exams? Or just concentrate for my A2 exams as it carries more weighting. I have my AS exams first in january.

Reply 172

vixen23

2

Don't do 4 hours straigt! You'll die!!
Do some of these:
Make key words lists (and learn them), key studies, concepts, equations, etc
Do summaries of sections you found difficult, make them big and stick them on your wall
Lots of practice questions - summary questions from textbooks, revision quides and all the past papers
Go over your past papers, mark them and work through the questions you didn't get right to make sure you can learn to do them
Write everything you want to do on sticky notes and put them on your wall or in a planner, then take them off when you've done them, so you really feel like you've achieved something :smile:

Obviously different subjects require different sorts of revision, but I'm sure you can sort out which apply to subjects.

Reply 173

-aimz

17

Get a copy of the syllabus and do your notes by that. Divide it up into sections to do during each revision session. Listen to adrenaline filled music before exams - worked for me last year :wink:

Reply 174

ilovepolska

8

make revision fun, it really does work.
instead of reading something for 4 hours straight (you stop concentrating after about 25 minutes, so that was REALLY a waste of time) try revising with your friends, ask each other exam questions and then everyone has a turn and answers one. no writing involved, just talking!
try to visualise things, espesh with subjects like psychology. last year i struggled to remember how short term stress works, so i just made out a story, about where does each thing go etc. it's useful with history too - instead of trying to remember plain facts, make a story.
remember - regular breaks and plenty of water! apparently eating peanuts helps too.
ohh and get your parents/brothers/sisters to test you! just get them to ask you random questions from the textbook, it really helps.

Reply 175

xoxAngel_Kxox

21

Original post by CityOfMyHeart

I find that if you really understand something, you won't need to revise it as much. I make sure that, throughout the year, I understand what we're doing and what's going on.

I think this is key. Revision should be something you do as you go along, rather than something that you leave until the last minute and then panic about as a result of leaving it.

Work for say 45 minutes, then have the last 15 minutes of the hour as a break to do whatever you want to do; but be strict with yourself, don't be stretching your breaks.

Reading won't really solve much; you have to make notes, diagrams, draw pictures, answer questions.. I find that the more different ways you find to revise something, the better it will stick in your head.

Reply 176

Lyam

14

Original post by CityOfMyHeart

I find that if you really understand something, you won't need to revise it as much. I make sure that, throughout the year, I understand what we're doing and what's going on. I think I'm lucky in the sense that I seem to get stuff quite quickly, so I don't have to work too hard to get stuff stuck in my head. I make links between things, even if we don't have to, just in my head. When it comes to revising, I'm just refreshing my brain because most of the connections and links between things have already been made, if you get me.

I don't know if that helps. I think revision is quite a personal thing as everyone is going to learn in different ways.

This is exactly my method of learning too and it's very relaxed I think. Being a philosopher it especially helps but with maths and physics I can see the principle being the same. Make sure you understand the work first time, second/third time you go over it, make sure you know what you're doing.

However, you may just have subjects not suited to your abilities or something, I don't know.

Reply 177

freakingout

1) dont do any reading book stuffs before your teacher teaches you anything
2) concentrate when your teacher explains (if you know about the chapter before,you wouldnt actuaaly pay much attention)
3) make notes of what youve learnt- one immediately after your tutor has finished teaching;second- at night to make a fresh copy of it)
4)after youve completed the entire syllabus,review by seeing your own written notes and make corrections if necessary
5) do past papers (very important)
6)mark scheme :smile:

7) note down the mistakes youve repeatedly made
8) before exams, review your notes,mistakes and calm yourself :smile:

thats all i think :smile:

Reply 178

freakingout

Original post by Crissy501

Be organised, do past papers (very important) do each paper more than once if possible, sometimes questions get repeated and you'll get the feel of doing the actual exam. Start early and dont wait till the last couple of month before exam time in order to start making notes, so keep on track with the teacher's lessons. Always test yourself and write things down, draw graphs or write important points whenever possible, it helps to write and test yourself rather than just reading page after page of notes. And keep at it everyday. All the best :biggrin: