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What do i do when i have 3 years left for my GCSE's?

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Original post by VirgoStrain
I started properly revising around christmas: I was doing anywhere between 4 and 8 hours straights (on some occasions I did 12+ hours in a row). I managed to summarise 3 CGP science textbooks in that time. I underperformed in some subjects in the final exams which I feel bad about (and which I want to redo). But its fine because I picked up top grades in maths which I didn't expect. I go to a grammar school in south west london (there's quite a few) but obviously can't go into specifics because this account is anon and my friends also use TSR :smile: Luckily my result was in the top 5 of the year in terms of A*'s but the vast majority of pupils got 5+ A*'s anyway.


seriously your smashing it!
Original post by nicole.e
Make really pretty notes now, for each topic that you do!
Stay on top of all your work, and if you revise the topics as you do them, and make nice notes it will be so much easier in the GCSE period. Get organised and keep all your sheets and notes from this year together.
Work hard, but also remember that your exams are not for a while and don't stress too much about them now- but good attitude!!
best of luck x


Thanks for the advice i really appreciate it :smile: Just made a Physics A3 Poster of all the things ive learnt in Year 7 An 8 And the things ive just been introduced to in Year 9 :wink:
Original post by Unknown-99
Lol 3 years? I didn't start worrying until 3 days before each exam lmao.



Oml your kidding me what results did you come out with? :smile: If you don't mind me asking. :redface:
I always used to use it so i decided to make an account :smile: Its good for revision normally used for printing:smile: Also, im bad at music and pe. its never too early or late by the way :wink:
Original post by 13iallen
All the other answers are telling you to relax, but here's a real answer:

Ask your teacher what exam board you're sitting (Edexcel, AQA, OCR, etc). That changes the curriculum you need to learn for each subject.

If AQA Sciences, I have bought:
Collins AQA GCSE Revision Biology
Collins AQA GCSE Revision Chemistry
Collins AQA GCSE Revision Physics
(£5.55 from Wordery.com)

I'm taking Edexcel History:
Revise Edexcel GCSE (9-1) History:
Crime and Punishment
Whitechapel
Elizabeth I
Weimar Germany and Nazi Germany 1918-1939
Superpower Relations and the Cold War 1943-1991
(~£5-10 from ebay)
Or more in depth versions are the Pearson Edexcel GCSE (9-1) books, you might use them in class(~£20 from ebay) Much more expensive, more likely to earn you level 9's

Through my school I bought the CGP GCSE Maths Buster.It's not very in depth, so I will likely buy another guide. In my opinion, practice papers are the best help.

AQA French:
AQA French GCSE Vocabulary help can be found online at memrise.com

Computer Science:
Letts GCSE Success Computer Science Complete Revision and Practice

English Lit:
I have not bought a revision guide for English Literature, and doubt I will. As long as you buy the actual book you're studying, you can annotate it yourself. If you struggle, look online. At the end of the day, the exam are looking for you unique and original analysis. That's how you earn high levels.

English Language:
Practice papers, your teacher will be happy to print some off for you
Memorise the types of discursive writing which may come up in Question 5, Paper 2


Noted. Thanks for the intensive description of everything:smile:
My exam board is AQA so this was easy and straight-forward!
Original post by BrainBottled
I always used to use it so i decided to make an account :smile: Its good for revision normally used for printing:smile: Also, im bad at music and pe. its never too early or late by the way :wink:


1) get fit.
2) it really is too early. You can start revising for gcses in year 11 and still get a*s. seriously.
Jesus! It is way too early to stress; I started revising a week before exams and was fine. There is no point doing anything now!:smile:
Original post by Polinaa
Jesus! It is way too early to stress; I started revising a week before exams and was fine. There is no point doing anything now!:smile:
hi thanks for your reply what did you get in your gcse's? :0 if u don't mind me asking lol :smile:
Original post by BrainBottled
hi thanks for your reply what did you get in your gcse's? :0 if u don't mind me asking lol :smile:


No, it's fine. I got 12 A*s. As long as you cram the night before you will be fine! Enjoy year 9 and 10 :smile:
Original post by BrainBottled
Oml your kidding me what results did you come out with? :smile: If you don't mind me asking. :redface:


Lol I was exaggerating a bit but I did leave my revision for all my exams really late. I did Scottish qualifications so in my National 5's (equivalent to GCSE) I got 5 A's and a B. In my Highers (like AS Levels) I got 1 A, 3 B's and a C and in my Advanced Highers (like A2) I got a B and 2 C's. I'm at Uni now so it all worked out :smile:. I would always start revising about a month before my first exam. I would never really intend to leave it that late I just procrastinate a lot and it's only when things start getting serious I'm able to tell myself "Oh sh*t I should REALLY get revising." I learn by doing questions that's the only way I can learn listening to teachers talk and reading notes doesn't help me at all so what I would do is I would just blast through loads and loads of past papers during exam period until it was drilled into my brain. I wouldn't recommend leaving it that late though as I was often awake until 3am revising because I would set myself a target of how many past papers to get through for the day and I wouldn't let myself sleep until I reached that target. It's better to just start revising 2-3 months before your first exam and slowly increase your study time as you get closer to exam period rather than overworking yourself and stressing yourself out like I did. If you do that you'll be absolutely fine. For my Advanced Highers my intention was to actually start revising early but I got so bogged down with coursework that I was forced to leave my revision really late again haha. I probably could have gotten better grades if I revised more throughout the year instead of cramming the whole course into a few weeks before exams but oh well.
I’m currently in Year 10, but here’s a lot of stuff they’ve been telling us at my school (and stuff my older friends say work):- Flashcards! Bullet point all the key-words, equations and vocab you can, write the answers on the back and flick through them when revising.- Revising what you’ve learnt during school at the end of the day/week. Taking things a bit at a time and memorising them when you first learn them helps big-time. - If you’re creative, use that to your advantage! Make songs with the facts, do illustrations to remember things, or little rhymes. Puns helped me loads in Year 7.- Past papers! As your teachers what exam board you’re using for each of your subjects, go onto their websites and find example papers. Do those more towards the end of Year 9, throughout Year 10 and regularly in Year 11. You’ll probably have mocks autumn term Y11. We were told to start off doing our papers open-book and open-time. This makes you get used to the question styles and all. Then, gradually wean yourself onto fixed time and closed book. You probably don’t know lots of the stuff in the exams yet - we’re still learning new stuff now. - Copying out your notes is good, apparently. Fixes them in your mind. - They suggested to us to use folders onstead of exercise books - apparently exercise books jump about between topics too much. Personally, I don’t agree. - The official revision textbooks and question books. Again, ask which exam boards you’re sitting. Hope this helped
DO NOT start revising. By the time you get so year 11 you will be bored of the content and not be motivated to revise, trust me. If you want to be less stressed by year 11 start making notes on maths, physics, chemistry and biology (if you do igcse). If you don't do igcse then just make sure you know everything that you're studying in maths very very well. Apart from that, don't do anything, enjoy year 9! Some advice that I would give is make notes as you go along in year 10 and 11. By the time you get to your mocks and actual gcses you will have so much longer to learn the content as you will already have notes. I wish I had taken this advice myself as I'm now coming up to mocks and feel like I have very little time.
I wish I had another 3 years to mess around playing video games and watching anime.

You're in year 9, relax a little.
Reply 53
play moshi monsters
Original post by mansneverhot
Gaining grades 8 and 9 in Year 8, I'm only guessing, is much easier. You will notice when you get into year 10 and you sit exams that you will come out with 4 and 5 because you will start all your GCSE topics and there is so much more information to learn. I make revision cards then I sit and read them a few times then try and say everything back that is on each one, or you can get someone to test you. You need to find something that suits you and you like. NEVER just sit and read your books, buy yourself revision books. I recommend Holder my revision notes as they are much more spread out than CGP books that your school will offer. They do cost more but at the end of the day it is worth it. But for now just enjoy your school life and enjoy the freedom because oncee you get into year 10 it will hit you. I am currently in year 11 and I am starting my mock exams tomorrow, I am smart but that has came for about 6 week preparation as these are the results that will go on applications and references for after year 11. Hope this has helped if you have any questions feel free to ask.


Perspiration ting
Lynx effect
Original post by xylas
You should definitely try to succeed in life, not only for significant others but for yourself. Being successful is not only about doing well in one event but is a continuous journey of self-improvement.

Therefore I'd argue don't think about doing well in GCSEs as a be all and end all. View every challenge in your life as important and work hard to achieve; once GCSEs are over there will be many many more things to work towards. Do well in GCSEs then do well in further education then continue to do well in whatever path your life takes you!


Failing GCSEs is the biggest mistake you can ever make, I'm 18, unemployed, doing level 1 functional skills English and maths because I got U grades.
Damn I wish I was like you 3 years ago :frown:
I was in year 9 last year and i felt the same way, I revised after school as if my GCSE's were tomorrow. I am in my final months of year 10 and i ultimately have no motivation anymore. You can say I've been worn out from the previous year of extreme revision purely because I was stressed out on something in 3 years time. I'm not saying you should mess about, obviously have fun but there is only one thing that is essential for you now. That is you should focus in lesson. If you focus in lesson it makes revision seem useless no joke. Hold the motivation you have and save it for year 11.
3 years is a long time, I would relax, probably during the summer read ahead if possible and make notes. If you want extra help you can PM me for English Lit or Geography. But you will be fine, trust me. ☺️

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