I don’t know how to study

Hi I’m 16 currently in year 11 but I feel so lost. I recently had mocks in January and I’ve been getting some results in class and not all of them are as good as I hoped. This year I tried to improve on things that I didn’t do so well in last year, as well as changing my whole study technique (since September I’ve made and learnt a whole database from my flashcards which I have for about 8 of my subjects) which I didn’t have last year, however I’m still receiving the same grades with and without active recall. I’m really bummed out because the real exams are in three months and I don’t know what to do. I’ve tried every study technique and nothing seems to work for me even though I’ve studied so hard and I always stay at home to catch up on revision. I don’t know what works for me and I’m worried that three months isn’t enough for me to find out and transform my grades. It especially downs me that my best friend (even though I’m happy for her) has been so smart since year 7 and she hasn’t gotten anything below a 9 in all her mocks so far and she only started revising 2 weeks before when I had started 4 weeks and I’m just stunned how it comes so effortlessly to others. Since year 7 I’ve never been smart and I’ve always been uncertain of myself. I understand that you can’t have it all and I’m not naturally smart that way, so I have to work harder than everyone else, but even that work seems in vain now. All I want to do is be proud of myself and please my parents. What can I do??

Reply 1

Tatakae L

18

Original post by hellode

Hi I’m 16 currently in year 11 but I feel so lost. I recently had mocks in January and I’ve been getting some results in class and not all of them are as good as I hoped. This year I tried to improve on things that I didn’t do so well in last year, as well as changing my whole study technique (since September I’ve made and learnt a whole database from my flashcards which I have for about 8 of my subjects) which I didn’t have last year, however I’m still receiving the same grades with and without active recall. I’m really bummed out because the real exams are in three months and I don’t know what to do. I’ve tried every study technique and nothing seems to work for me even though I’ve studied so hard and I always stay at home to catch up on revision. I don’t know what works for me and I’m worried that three months isn’t enough for me to find out and transform my grades. It especially downs me that my best friend (even though I’m happy for her) has been so smart since year 7 and she hasn’t gotten anything below a 9 in all her mocks so far and she only started revising 2 weeks before when I had started 4 weeks and I’m just stunned how it comes so effortlessly to others. Since year 7 I’ve never been smart and I’ve always been uncertain of myself. I understand that you can’t have it all and I’m not naturally smart that way, so I have to work harder than everyone else, but even that work seems in vain now. All I want to do is be proud of myself and please my parents. What can I do??

EXAM QUESTIONS. im sure you have heard it a million bazillion times, but if you dont put your learning into context of exam questions then everything that you learn is basically useless because you wont know how to put it to use when you really need to. Also for my gcse's I cant lie, I didnt revise for them, i revised for my november mocks and then just used that revision all the way through, but I can tell you how I revised for them mocks. Basically for english it was just learn a quote or two per poem and theme for books and then answer essays on them. For creative writing just read, that is the best advice I can give, read and rob quotes. For maths its just past papers,there is no way around it. Printo of past papers, answer them in the time given, then watch a walkthrough of that same paper on yt. For science I would read through my textbook, make notes on it and then watch freesciencelessons and cognito videos on that same topic and the notes of of those videos I would add on post it notes. dont ask why because i dont know, but it made sence for me.

Other than that I am afraid I am pretty useless revisipn wise because your freinds seems more like what i am like but I can tag users who I feel would help more and also add a few threds that you can go through and ask questions on to try and get some more revision tips.

@milktee @agent_duck343 @emm4nuella @study23! @AspiringSurvivor

my gcse adventure ⭐ - The Student Room
predict your gcse grades!! (2023-2024) - The Student Room

Reply 2

hellode

OP

8

Original post by Tatakae L

EXAM QUESTIONS. im sure you have heard it a million bazillion times, but if you dont put your learning into context of exam questions then everything that you learn is basically useless because you wont know how to put it to use when you really need to. Also for my gcse's I cant lie, I didnt revise for them, i revised for my november mocks and then just used that revision all the way through, but I can tell you how I revised for them mocks. Basically for english it was just learn a quote or two per poem and theme for books and then answer essays on them. For creative writing just read, that is the best advice I can give, read and rob quotes. For maths its just past papers,there is no way around it. Printo of past papers, answer them in the time given, then watch a walkthrough of that same paper on yt. For science I would read through my textbook, make notes on it and then watch freesciencelessons and cognito videos on that same topic and the notes of of those videos I would add on post it notes. dont ask why because i dont know, but it made sence for me.

Other than that I am afraid I am pretty useless revisipn wise because your freinds seems more like what i am like but I can tag users who I feel would help more and also add a few threds that you can go through and ask questions on to try and get some more revision tips.

@milktee @agent_duck343 @emm4nuella @study23! @AspiringSurvivor

my gcse adventure ⭐ - The Student Room
predict your gcse grades!! (2023-2024) - The Student Room

Yes I always do exam questions but then HOW do u use them?? I mean like I do a paper and mark it but how do I use that to change my grade. lots of ppl say making flashcards after seems like a waste anyway as exam questions are usually done at the end of revision, and it’s not like you’re going to get the same exam as the past paper you’ve just done

Reply 3

study23!

14

Original post by hellode

Hi I’m 16 currently in year 11 but I feel so lost. I recently had mocks in January and I’ve been getting some results in class and not all of them are as good as I hoped. This year I tried to improve on things that I didn’t do so well in last year, as well as changing my whole study technique (since September I’ve made and learnt a whole database from my flashcards which I have for about 8 of my subjects) which I didn’t have last year, however I’m still receiving the same grades with and without active recall. I’m really bummed out because the real exams are in three months and I don’t know what to do. I’ve tried every study technique and nothing seems to work for me even though I’ve studied so hard and I always stay at home to catch up on revision. I don’t know what works for me and I’m worried that three months isn’t enough for me to find out and transform my grades. It especially downs me that my best friend (even though I’m happy for her) has been so smart since year 7 and she hasn’t gotten anything below a 9 in all her mocks so far and she only started revising 2 weeks before when I had started 4 weeks and I’m just stunned how it comes so effortlessly to others. Since year 7 I’ve never been smart and I’ve always been uncertain of myself. I understand that you can’t have it all and I’m not naturally smart that way, so I have to work harder than everyone else, but even that work seems in vain now. All I want to do is be proud of myself and please my parents. What can I do??

First of all it's not a problem of you not being smart, probably more of an issue with your learning style compared to hers.

Firstly we need to figure out what type of learner you are - do you take in the content in lessons when teachers explain? Are you more likely to understand when it's explained to you (then watch YT videos of concepts). Are you more likely to understand it when you read (then concisely rewrite notes from different textbooks and resources). Or are you more visual with diagrams (then colours code specific subjects, make diagrams that you will be able to remember in the back of your mind). I'm honestly a mix of the three tbh, so there isn't one you need to be but people tend to lean more to one of them, for me it's having people verbally explain things.

With your flashcards, do you feel like you know them one practicing but not when in the exam, or do they just not work? With flashcards try the 5,3,1 method. If you get it first day, you move it into the 3 pile, and then you'll review it 3 days later. Then 3 days later if you get it you put it in the 5 days pile, if you don't it goes back to the 1 pile. It uses same logic as Anki does.

Are there any subjects specifically you'd like help with?

I'd suggest blurting onto paper. Make a random name spinner with all topics for something for example homeostasis. Spin the wheel, whatever title comes up write as much as you can about it onto paper. Then check what you didn't get compared to your notes/textbooks, and highlight these on a flashcard - these are the things you'll forget.

And how to use past papers - time them, mark them, highlight key terms, go again. Sit down in 'exam conditions' for an hour and a half and try a phys paper lets say. When you're done mark through it and write in green the parts you missed. Sometimes there is key terminology they want you to use, so copy it from the mark scheme. If there was a mathsy question you struggled with, look at how it's done, why did they use those numbers, and search up ___ questions and practice that skill. Make a list then of topics in that paper you answered well and ones you didn't. Revise the ones you didn't through notes/flashcards/blurting/quizzes. Next past paper you do you should be better in those topics.

And also 100% do past papers, find old ones, find ones from different exam boards. It is the same content you learn every year, there is only so much they can test you on.

Reply 4

Tatakae L

18

Original post by hellode

Yes I always do exam questions but then HOW do u use them?? I mean like I do a paper and mark it but how do I use that to change my grade. lots of ppl say making flashcards after seems like a waste anyway as exam questions are usually done at the end of revision, and it’s not like you’re going to get the same exam as the past paper you’ve just done

they usualyy do use the same questions, they just change a value or two. and then if you look at examiners reports you can see why other people got that question wronge and avoid doing it

Reply 5

milktee

18

Original post by hellode

Hi I’m 16 currently in year 11 but I feel so lost. I recently had mocks in January and I’ve been getting some results in class and not all of them are as good as I hoped. This year I tried to improve on things that I didn’t do so well in last year, as well as changing my whole study technique (since September I’ve made and learnt a whole database from my flashcards which I have for about 8 of my subjects) which I didn’t have last year, however I’m still receiving the same grades with and without active recall. I’m really bummed out because the real exams are in three months and I don’t know what to do. I’ve tried every study technique and nothing seems to work for me even though I’ve studied so hard and I always stay at home to catch up on revision. I don’t know what works for me and I’m worried that three months isn’t enough for me to find out and transform my grades. It especially downs me that my best friend (even though I’m happy for her) has been so smart since year 7 and she hasn’t gotten anything below a 9 in all her mocks so far and she only started revising 2 weeks before when I had started 4 weeks and I’m just stunned how it comes so effortlessly to others. Since year 7 I’ve never been smart and I’ve always been uncertain of myself. I understand that you can’t have it all and I’m not naturally smart that way, so I have to work harder than everyone else, but even that work seems in vain now. All I want to do is be proud of myself and please my parents. What can I do??

first of all, this is probably a generic saying but i just want you to know that mocks are a humbling experience FOR EVERYONE, of course there's those extremely smart people who get straight 9s in their mocks asw, but most people (including me!!) do in fact get grades that they're not expecting and are unhappy with, and that's okay!! if you think about it, you said you started revising 4 weeks before mocks right? well, 3 months from now until gcses is basically your 4 weeks times 3, so don't worry, you have agesss and it's more than enough time to improve your revision techniques and your weaker subjects 🤍 (just another piece of info, i literally failed my y10 mocks and got a 3 and 4 in both my english papers 💀💀 and my y11 mocks weren't the best either, getting a 5 and 6, but i'm slowly improving and it shows that you can too!!)

the fact that you're willing to put in the effort and improve already shows that you have the dedication and the capability of acing your gcses, and remember that giving up is NEVER an option, i'll tell you how i revise for my subjects so that you can get some inspiration if you want 🤍

organisation:

Spoiler

sciences:

Spoiler

maths

Spoiler

well, i would give english advice as well, but english is actually my weakest subject so i'm not the best person to ask 💀💀 if you want other subject-specific advice, just let me know which subjects you do, and i'll be glad to help!!
good luck with everything, don't forget we're all here to help each other in our journeys 🤍🤍

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