When should I start revising for gcse?
I am going into year 9 in September and I’m wondering when should I start to actually revise for my gcse? I always get top marks in my class but over the holidays I’m starting to forget some stuff like equations and stuff in science, should I thoroughly go through them all or should I just leave it to my school to go over them? Also I want to know how when year 9 started what is the best thing to do when I get home? Do I just chill although this is like a waste of time but isn’t it a bit too early to start revising? And I want to know what is the best thing to do in year 9 that ensures me to get a good mark on GCSEs (e.g. revision, paying attention ik class, homework)
Original post by Maxi2009
I am going into year 9 in September and I’m wondering when should I start to actually revise for my gcse? I always get top marks in my class but over the holidays I’m starting to forget some stuff like equations and stuff in science, should I thoroughly go through them all or should I just leave it to my school to go over them? Also I want to know how when year 9 started what is the best thing to do when I get home? Do I just chill although this is like a waste of time but isn’t it a bit too early to start revising? And I want to know what is the best thing to do in year 9 that ensures me to get a good mark on GCSEs (e.g. revision, paying attention ik class, homework)
Hi @Maxi2009,
In my opinion I would as you say focus in class, do your homework and leave the revising more to year 10 and 11 as I find these are the key years. But if you can make sure a lot of your revision materials have been made and you know the revision techniques that work for you that would definitely be a help for your future self. As I found a lot of time in Year 10 and 11 I spent on making the materials which meant I lost a lot of valuable time.
Obviously revise for any tests/mocks for year 9. But if you try and revise stuff for three years you won't remember it and it most likely will burn you out. So just making sure you understand the basics would be the main thing as you can then build upon this in your next few years.
Hope that helps, let me know if you have any other questions!
Rebecca
2nd Year Geoenvironmental Hazards Student
hey im also going into year 9 and i do well at school (in the more maths/sciences)but im not very good at english so i was wondering if there was any specific advice for english becasue as @Maxi2009 said it feels a bit early to start revising but i dont want to fall really behind for english in year 10
Original post by EdgeHillStudents
Hi @Maxi2009,
In my opinion I would as you say focus in class, do your homework and leave the revising more to year 10 and 11 as I find these are the key years. But if you can make sure a lot of your revision materials have been made and you know the revision techniques that work for you that would definitely be a help for your future self. As I found a lot of time in Year 10 and 11 I spent on making the materials which meant I lost a lot of valuable time.
Obviously revise for any tests/mocks for year 9. But if you try and revise stuff for three years you won't remember it and it most likely will burn you out. So just making sure you understand the basics would be the main thing as you can then build upon this in your next few years.
Hope that helps, let me know if you have any other questions!
Rebecca
2nd Year Geoenvironmental Hazards Student
In my opinion I would as you say focus in class, do your homework and leave the revising more to year 10 and 11 as I find these are the key years. But if you can make sure a lot of your revision materials have been made and you know the revision techniques that work for you that would definitely be a help for your future self. As I found a lot of time in Year 10 and 11 I spent on making the materials which meant I lost a lot of valuable time.
Obviously revise for any tests/mocks for year 9. But if you try and revise stuff for three years you won't remember it and it most likely will burn you out. So just making sure you understand the basics would be the main thing as you can then build upon this in your next few years.
Hope that helps, let me know if you have any other questions!
Rebecca
2nd Year Geoenvironmental Hazards Student
Original post by whoskaavya
hey im also going into year 9 and i do well at school (in the more maths/sciences)but im not very good at english so i was wondering if there was any specific advice for english becasue as @Maxi2009 said it feels a bit early to start revising but i dont want to fall really behind for english in year 10
@whoskaavya I'm basically in the same situation as you, but worse, I'm also not very good at english AND I'm moving to a new school, I'm still one of the top in class in maths/science, but I just don't understand a thing in english, I can understand the extract but I can't analyse it, but I feel like you can't necessarily revise for english, so what we should probably just pay more attention in class and ask questions about vocab and other stuff.
Original post by whoskaavya
hey im also going into year 9 and i do well at school (in the more maths/sciences)but im not very good at english so i was wondering if there was any specific advice for english becasue as @Maxi2009 said it feels a bit early to start revising but i dont want to fall really behind for english in year 10
Hey @whoskaavya,
I'm not sure whether you are meaning English literature or language so I'll try and give some tips on both.
But my first piece of advice for anyone if you are struggling on something is speak to a teacher of that subject whether its your personal one or the head of your school on this and see what guidance they can give you whether that's resources that may be useful or give you some goals to work towards.
English Literature
1. I found learning three quotes for each poem which can correspond with others helped and making sure I knew them in lots of detail and could expand on my thoughts such as … is a metaphor and is meaning this which connects to or opposes this quote.
2. A timeline for the books so what happens at different points e.g. this is where they meet, this is where there is an argument, someone dies here etc.
3. Mind-map for the characters showing any character development and key quotes for them.
4. Also make mind-maps for different themes that can be seen in the book e.g. death, happiness, love etc.
5. Short essay plans for different questions could come in useful I made a lot of these and it was something I then later down the line could revise from and also showed my teacher them and got feedback.
6. Try and complete any practice questions you can back when I was at high school studying this we were every two weeks given practice questions which then allowed you to be familiar with the wording of them for the real thing.
7. I found the CGP books good as they highlighted quotes as I found I didn't understand quotes or where people were getting ideas on what they were representing and they also showed the best ways of answering questions.
English Language
1. For the writing section find photos online and see what you can write from this - you don't have to write a short story but instead just write a little plan of what you think you could say.
2. Use PEEL - point, evidence, explain and link.
3. If you enjoy reading this can be a good way of learning different vocabulary and how to keep someone interested in a story or maybe some ideas.
Overall Tips
1. Go through your past papers and see what you did well on and what areas need improvement so you can focus your time and effort on them.
2. Reach out to your teachers for extra help and resources they are there to help you and want you to succeed - if you are really struggling see if they have any groups you can join at my high school some students would be taken out of class to get extra support on things, see if they have any lunch time help.
3. Try out SENECA I used this for other subjects during my GCSE and found this really useful as for example with food tech we weren't actually taught all of the theory so that helped me a lot - I would say have a look at this maybe try it out for a bit if you want and see if it is useful for you.
4. I never used him but wish I had after hearing people talk about it but Mr Bruff('s) YouTube channel it covers both literature and language.
5. Have a look at the mark schemes and see what they want for the different grades.
6. Practice in timed conditions - you can then figure out how long it takes on specific questions and where you need to allocate more time.
7. Look into BBC Bitesize and Spark Notes.
Hope that helps!
Rebecca
3rd Year Geoenvironmental Hazards Student
Original post by Maxi2009
@whoskaavya I'm basically in the same situation as you, but worse, I'm also not very good at english AND I'm moving to a new school, I'm still one of the top in class in maths/science, but I just don't understand a thing in english, I can understand the extract but I can't analyse it, but I feel like you can't necessarily revise for english, so what we should probably just pay more attention in class and ask questions about vocab and other stuff.
yes i know what you mean - maths/science is fairly easy is you pay attention but english is killing my soul - i think paying attention is probably a good start given that with my dislike of english i tend to daydream and i have no clue as to what words like 'asyndetic listing' means
Original post by EdgeHillStudents
Hey @whoskaavya,
I'm not sure whether you are meaning English literature or language so I'll try and give some tips on both.
But my first piece of advice for anyone if you are struggling on something is speak to a teacher of that subject whether its your personal one or the head of your school on this and see what guidance they can give you whether that's resources that may be useful or give you some goals to work towards.
English Literature
1. I found learning three quotes for each poem which can correspond with others helped and making sure I knew them in lots of detail and could expand on my thoughts such as … is a metaphor and is meaning this which connects to or opposes this quote.
2. A timeline for the books so what happens at different points e.g. this is where they meet, this is where there is an argument, someone dies here etc.
3. Mind-map for the characters showing any character development and key quotes for them.
4. Also make mind-maps for different themes that can be seen in the book e.g. death, happiness, love etc.
5. Short essay plans for different questions could come in useful I made a lot of these and it was something I then later down the line could revise from and also showed my teacher them and got feedback.
6. Try and complete any practice questions you can back when I was at high school studying this we were every two weeks given practice questions which then allowed you to be familiar with the wording of them for the real thing.
7. I found the CGP books good as they highlighted quotes as I found I didn't understand quotes or where people were getting ideas on what they were representing and they also showed the best ways of answering questions.
English Language
1. For the writing section find photos online and see what you can write from this - you don't have to write a short story but instead just write a little plan of what you think you could say.
2. Use PEEL - point, evidence, explain and link.
3. If you enjoy reading this can be a good way of learning different vocabulary and how to keep someone interested in a story or maybe some ideas.
Overall Tips
1. Go through your past papers and see what you did well on and what areas need improvement so you can focus your time and effort on them.
2. Reach out to your teachers for extra help and resources they are there to help you and want you to succeed - if you are really struggling see if they have any groups you can join at my high school some students would be taken out of class to get extra support on things, see if they have any lunch time help.
3. Try out SENECA I used this for other subjects during my GCSE and found this really useful as for example with food tech we weren't actually taught all of the theory so that helped me a lot - I would say have a look at this maybe try it out for a bit if you want and see if it is useful for you.
4. I never used him but wish I had after hearing people talk about it but Mr Bruff('s) YouTube channel it covers both literature and language.
5. Have a look at the mark schemes and see what they want for the different grades.
6. Practice in timed conditions - you can then figure out how long it takes on specific questions and where you need to allocate more time.
7. Look into BBC Bitesize and Spark Notes.
Hope that helps!
Rebecca
3rd Year Geoenvironmental Hazards Student
I'm not sure whether you are meaning English literature or language so I'll try and give some tips on both.
But my first piece of advice for anyone if you are struggling on something is speak to a teacher of that subject whether its your personal one or the head of your school on this and see what guidance they can give you whether that's resources that may be useful or give you some goals to work towards.
English Literature
1. I found learning three quotes for each poem which can correspond with others helped and making sure I knew them in lots of detail and could expand on my thoughts such as … is a metaphor and is meaning this which connects to or opposes this quote.
2. A timeline for the books so what happens at different points e.g. this is where they meet, this is where there is an argument, someone dies here etc.
3. Mind-map for the characters showing any character development and key quotes for them.
4. Also make mind-maps for different themes that can be seen in the book e.g. death, happiness, love etc.
5. Short essay plans for different questions could come in useful I made a lot of these and it was something I then later down the line could revise from and also showed my teacher them and got feedback.
6. Try and complete any practice questions you can back when I was at high school studying this we were every two weeks given practice questions which then allowed you to be familiar with the wording of them for the real thing.
7. I found the CGP books good as they highlighted quotes as I found I didn't understand quotes or where people were getting ideas on what they were representing and they also showed the best ways of answering questions.
English Language
1. For the writing section find photos online and see what you can write from this - you don't have to write a short story but instead just write a little plan of what you think you could say.
2. Use PEEL - point, evidence, explain and link.
3. If you enjoy reading this can be a good way of learning different vocabulary and how to keep someone interested in a story or maybe some ideas.
Overall Tips
1. Go through your past papers and see what you did well on and what areas need improvement so you can focus your time and effort on them.
2. Reach out to your teachers for extra help and resources they are there to help you and want you to succeed - if you are really struggling see if they have any groups you can join at my high school some students would be taken out of class to get extra support on things, see if they have any lunch time help.
3. Try out SENECA I used this for other subjects during my GCSE and found this really useful as for example with food tech we weren't actually taught all of the theory so that helped me a lot - I would say have a look at this maybe try it out for a bit if you want and see if it is useful for you.
4. I never used him but wish I had after hearing people talk about it but Mr Bruff('s) YouTube channel it covers both literature and language.
5. Have a look at the mark schemes and see what they want for the different grades.
6. Practice in timed conditions - you can then figure out how long it takes on specific questions and where you need to allocate more time.
7. Look into BBC Bitesize and Spark Notes.
Hope that helps!
Rebecca
3rd Year Geoenvironmental Hazards Student
thank you so much this is so helpful - it was both english lang and englsih lit tbh i still dont really understand how each is different
Original post by Maxi2009
I am going into year 9 in September and I’m wondering when should I start to actually revise for my gcse? I always get top marks in my class but over the holidays I’m starting to forget some stuff like equations and stuff in science, should I thoroughly go through them all or should I just leave it to my school to go over them? Also I want to know how when year 9 started what is the best thing to do when I get home? Do I just chill although this is like a waste of time but isn’t it a bit too early to start revising? And I want to know what is the best thing to do in year 9 that ensures me to get a good mark on GCSEs (e.g. revision, paying attention ik class, homework)
Advice from an adult here who failed their GCSE'S and had to re-sit them all in later life - it's not a question of "revising" (that's basically code for leave it until closer to the exams). You need to adopt an attitude where what you learn in the moment is important and to bear in mind that it is also contributing to a build up of knowledge you will use at a crucial point in your life. I know I sound like i'm being over the top but taking a complacent attitude led me to fail my GCSE's and it nearly ruined my life. People who say things like "GCSE's don't matter" probably have gone on to further education like access courses etc or never intended to do anything academic anyway but for those that did, that means they probably had to re-train effectively which wasted a considerable amount of their time. GCSE's absolutely do matter and what you're learning now is absolutely relevant. Many of my friends are in the teaching profession and what they teach you IS important. It might not seem it in your teenage years but everything is important IF it is essential requirements that you will need later on. Do not be like me !
(edited 7 months ago)
Original post by EdgeHillStudents
Hi @Maxi2009,
In my opinion I would as you say focus in class, do your homework and leave the revising more to year 10 and 11 as I find these are the key years. But if you can make sure a lot of your revision materials have been made and you know the revision techniques that work for you that would definitely be a help for your future self. As I found a lot of time in Year 10 and 11 I spent on making the materials which meant I lost a lot of valuable time.
Obviously revise for any tests/mocks for year 9. But if you try and revise stuff for three years you won't remember it and it most likely will burn you out. So just making sure you understand the basics would be the main thing as you can then build upon this in your next few years.
Hope that helps, let me know if you have any other questions!
Rebecca
2nd Year Geoenvironmental Hazards Student
In my opinion I would as you say focus in class, do your homework and leave the revising more to year 10 and 11 as I find these are the key years. But if you can make sure a lot of your revision materials have been made and you know the revision techniques that work for you that would definitely be a help for your future self. As I found a lot of time in Year 10 and 11 I spent on making the materials which meant I lost a lot of valuable time.
Obviously revise for any tests/mocks for year 9. But if you try and revise stuff for three years you won't remember it and it most likely will burn you out. So just making sure you understand the basics would be the main thing as you can then build upon this in your next few years.
Hope that helps, let me know if you have any other questions!
Rebecca
2nd Year Geoenvironmental Hazards Student
Hi Rebecca,
Thank you for you reply, I find it really helpful, a few more question, every time I get home from school, I do my homework the first thing which takes around 35mins - 1hour, however, after that I just chill for the rest of the evening, however, I feel a bit guilty just chilling all the time after school, I feel like I should study although I have no exams coming up, is that a normal thing for everyone or am I just too lazy?
nah dw i try to do my hw on the day its set but i rarely end up doing - thats one of my goals for the new school year. i think that if you feel behind in a subject maybe study that and review your notes from the day if you really want to but honestly by doing your hw first thing your probably wayyy ahead of most people
Original post by Maxi2009
Hi Rebecca,
Thank you for you reply, I find it really helpful, a few more question, every time I get home from school, I do my homework the first thing which takes around 35mins - 1hour, however, after that I just chill for the rest of the evening, however, I feel a bit guilty just chilling all the time after school, I feel like I should study although I have no exams coming up, is that a normal thing for everyone or am I just too lazy?
Thank you for you reply, I find it really helpful, a few more question, every time I get home from school, I do my homework the first thing which takes around 35mins - 1hour, however, after that I just chill for the rest of the evening, however, I feel a bit guilty just chilling all the time after school, I feel like I should study although I have no exams coming up, is that a normal thing for everyone or am I just too lazy?
im also going into year 9 and for me, I'm thinking to revise whatever i did that day like the second i get home just so it stays in my mind but i don't think I'm gonna yet start revision for gcses however I'm going to start studying for exams earlier because I'm a huge procrastinater
Original post by Maxi2009
I am going into year 9 in September and I’m wondering when should I start to actually revise for my gcse? I always get top marks in my class but over the holidays I’m starting to forget some stuff like equations and stuff in science, should I thoroughly go through them all or should I just leave it to my school to go over them? Also I want to know how when year 9 started what is the best thing to do when I get home? Do I just chill although this is like a waste of time but isn’t it a bit too early to start revising? And I want to know what is the best thing to do in year 9 that ensures me to get a good mark on GCSEs (e.g. revision, paying attention ik class, homework)
Original post by Maxi2009
Hi Rebecca,
Thank you for you reply, I find it really helpful, a few more question, every time I get home from school, I do my homework the first thing which takes around 35mins - 1hour, however, after that I just chill for the rest of the evening, however, I feel a bit guilty just chilling all the time after school, I feel like I should study although I have no exams coming up, is that a normal thing for everyone or am I just too lazy?
Thank you for you reply, I find it really helpful, a few more question, every time I get home from school, I do my homework the first thing which takes around 35mins - 1hour, however, after that I just chill for the rest of the evening, however, I feel a bit guilty just chilling all the time after school, I feel like I should study although I have no exams coming up, is that a normal thing for everyone or am I just too lazy?
Hi @Maxi2009,
That is completely normal I promise, I feel like I have the constant feeling of I must do more then I already am. I would say just focus on your homework at the moment as that is most important. I don't feel like you need to study as you have no exams. You could maybe make revision materials if you don't have large amount of homework. However, make sure to rest as that is really important to prevent burning out.
I would maybe recommend making the revision materials a month or two ahead of exams if you are given enough notice on this as this preparation will save time and allow you to just focus on revising - I would say fit this around your homework such as if you have quite a bit then don't do this as well but say you only have one piece and it will take 30 mins then you could spend 30mins making some revision materials.
Hope that helps! Let me know if there is anything else you would like to know/help on
Rebecca
3rd Year Geoenvironmental Hazards Student
Hello i am a year 10 student aiming for all 8/9s who revises around 3hrs a week for end of topic tests and this i do not understand in class + homework. It is the start of the summer term so you think i should start making revision materials and such or wait until year 11. i have heard that making flashcards and other materials is how you actually learn the content. I am currently top set everything in a good school and am getting 75-95% on tests. what would be the advise? (i have begun making science flash cards on anki as i have heard spaced repetition is the way to go!)
Original post by stuffstuff09
Hello i am a year 10 student aiming for all 8/9s who revises around 3hrs a week for end of topic tests and this i do not understand in class + homework. It is the start of the summer term so you think i should start making revision materials and such or wait until year 11. i have heard that making flashcards and other materials is how you actually learn the content. I am currently top set everything in a good school and am getting 75-95% on tests. what would be the advise? (i have begun making science flash cards on anki as i have heard spaced repetition is the way to go!)
(btw im in yr 9 so dont have much experience) but if i were you i wld prolly make sure you knwi the content and then just revise the old stuff every so often so you understand and remember most things for the tests
Original post by Maxi2009
I am going into year 9 in September and I’m wondering when should I start to actually revise for my gcse? I always get top marks in my class but over the holidays I’m starting to forget some stuff like equations and stuff in science, should I thoroughly go through them all or should I just leave it to my school to go over them? Also I want to know how when year 9 started what is the best thing to do when I get home? Do I just chill although this is like a waste of time but isn’t it a bit too early to start revising? And I want to know what is the best thing to do in year 9 that ensures me to get a good mark on GCSEs (e.g. revision, paying attention ik class, homework)
Revise in the beginning of yr 11, don’t revise before that is completely useless enjoy your yr 10
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