I want to do well in GCSEs, Please Help
Hi I am in year 9 and I have already started a few gcse. I just want some tips to do after school so I can ace my exams. Also I want to know the best way to revise and how to remain on top form. I am planning to utilise the summer holidays but what do you experienced guys recommend. I have started doing maths papers. does the specification change every year?
-Do light revision throughout the year; making notes, flashcards, making sure you absolutely understand what you've gone through in class. Infinitely less stressful than cramming before exams.
-Everyone has different ways to revise. Some make posters and mindmaps; some make tapes; some write colourful, interesting notes. But there is one component that is key in revision and that is, past papers for your spec. The specification normally changes every few years, so check that the ones you're looking up are for the exam you're actually doing.
-However, you've got a while, so don't worry too much right now.
-Everyone has different ways to revise. Some make posters and mindmaps; some make tapes; some write colourful, interesting notes. But there is one component that is key in revision and that is, past papers for your spec. The specification normally changes every few years, so check that the ones you're looking up are for the exam you're actually doing.
-However, you've got a while, so don't worry too much right now.
Read over notes a couple of evenings a week.
Save past papers for the month before your exam. Otherwise you'll run out.
If you do History, timelines are a lifesaver. Cut a piece of paper into 3 strips, glue them together, and stick post-it notes on for every event. Then blutack it to your wall.
Don't burn yourself out. Do very light revision up until the month before.
Focus more or less equally on each subject, not just the ones you like.
Hope this helps
Save past papers for the month before your exam. Otherwise you'll run out.
If you do History, timelines are a lifesaver. Cut a piece of paper into 3 strips, glue them together, and stick post-it notes on for every event. Then blutack it to your wall.
Don't burn yourself out. Do very light revision up until the month before.
Focus more or less equally on each subject, not just the ones you like.
Hope this helps
Start making materials you can revise from (e.g posters and cards) as soon as possible because it'll make life a lot easier in year 11. I'm in year 11 now and I'm wishing that I'd made resources earlier so I didn't have to waste time doing it now. Then when they're made you can just use them to revise from and test yourself with.
Don't start revising in Year 9. There's enough time in Year 11 and you'll just drain yourself; you'll be exhausted and bored by the time your exams come. Just make sure that your notes are clear and comprehensive, and you'll be fine.
Original post by Chlorophile
Don't start revising in Year 9. There's enough time in Year 11 and you'll just drain yourself; you'll be exhausted and bored by the time your exams come. Just make sure that your notes are clear and comprehensive, and you'll be fine.
Agreed - if I had started going over all these topics two years ago I would have killed myself for the boredom by now. There isn't that much that you need to know and it is only GCSE so it's all quite easy, nothing extremely fascinating, so don't overdo it would be my advice.
Original post by mitchellshazia
Agreed - if I had started going over all these topics two years ago I would have killed myself for the boredom by now. There isn't that much that you need to know and it is only GCSE so it's all quite easy, nothing extremely fascinating, so don't overdo it would be my advice.
I wouldn't say they're easy. Conceptually they're simple - it's not hard to understand the concepts - but you have to memorise a huge amount, which is especially difficult taking into account the number of subjects you take.
Original post by Chlorophile
I wouldn't say they're easy. Conceptually they're simple - it's not hard to understand the concepts - but you have to memorise a huge amount, which is especially difficult taking into account the number of subjects you take.
Yeah, that's what I meant really. Simple concepts, just a few facts.
Original post by Chlorophile
Don't start revising in Year 9. There's enough time in Year 11 and you'll just drain yourself; you'll be exhausted and bored by the time your exams come. Just make sure that your notes are clear and comprehensive, and you'll be fine.
I completely agree.
If you have the time do some background reading.
FOr example - you will probably do the rise of Hitler/fascism in History, so read novels; memoirs; magazine articles; visit museums etc. It puts stuff into perspective and you can then visualise history which makes recall easier - and also give you extra stuff that you can put in your essays to get top marks
Maths spec doesn't change much from year to year. Ask your teachers later on if you can have practice papers but don't overdo them.
Science - again - go to the science museum - magic place. Also you can get science magazine aimed at GCSE - your school library probably has them
Geography - start reading the economist - it will be free in your local library - really good for political geography and more
English - again read plenty
Get the CGP books which are really comprehensive.
Good luck - it will be to your advantage to do well - but don't overdo the revision and become bored.
FOr example - you will probably do the rise of Hitler/fascism in History, so read novels; memoirs; magazine articles; visit museums etc. It puts stuff into perspective and you can then visualise history which makes recall easier - and also give you extra stuff that you can put in your essays to get top marks
Maths spec doesn't change much from year to year. Ask your teachers later on if you can have practice papers but don't overdo them.
Science - again - go to the science museum - magic place. Also you can get science magazine aimed at GCSE - your school library probably has them
Geography - start reading the economist - it will be free in your local library - really good for political geography and more
English - again read plenty
Get the CGP books which are really comprehensive.
Good luck - it will be to your advantage to do well - but don't overdo the revision and become bored.
Original post by yo mama
Hi I am in year 9 and I have already started a few gcse. I just want some tips to do after school so I can ace my exams. Also I want to know the best way to revise and how to remain on top form. I am planning to utilise the summer holidays but what do you experienced guys recommend. I have started doing maths papers. does the specification change every year?
Just make sure that as you go along the specification in class you understand what you do each lesson.
This means when it comes to revising heavily before the exams your just reinstating what you know as opposed to learning new things.
Start light revision a few months before the exams and don't go to heavy on it until a few weeks before.
get to know the specification. exam boards tell you what they want you to know throught this (albeit very briefly). English based subjects can be aced (imo) through practice so essays, in English literature looking at ideas based on your studies. in science it's more of understanding and memorisation depending on your proficiency and interest. maths is a matter of loads of practice 
I only started revising in mocks but I felt well prepared for most of my exams. I wouldn't suggest you to do too much because gcse's don't have that much content and it gets boring revising the same thing over and over. I'd have a look over the course, do like revision cards all year for each topic you cover. And as your going along, do like questions in the text books or buy revision guides (this may be better as answers are here) and do little end of topic questions as you go along. I'd do questions before like topic assessments. Or if you don't have one, as soon as you end the topic, do some questions.
Also, READ THE SPECIFICATION. I only realised the beauty of the specification after my mock exams. It will help you word answers well.
The most important thing is just to understand everything you've done.
If I had done this, I would've like fallen in love myself. But since I'm an idiot, I had to cram and revise like 11 hours a day before some of my exams. Not highly recommended. Also, because I hadn't had a good look at the spec, I realised that especially in the sciences there were quite a few topics we hadn't even been taught. So I had to teach them to myself the day before the exam. Try and avoid this :P
As someone else said, for history timelines are the best. For maths, I wouldn't recommend doing revision products. It's just practise. You might want to draw out circle theorems but that's about it. You get given the formulas anyway (except additional maths). Good luck!
Also, READ THE SPECIFICATION. I only realised the beauty of the specification after my mock exams. It will help you word answers well.
The most important thing is just to understand everything you've done.
If I had done this, I would've like fallen in love myself. But since I'm an idiot, I had to cram and revise like 11 hours a day before some of my exams. Not highly recommended. Also, because I hadn't had a good look at the spec, I realised that especially in the sciences there were quite a few topics we hadn't even been taught. So I had to teach them to myself the day before the exam. Try and avoid this :P
As someone else said, for history timelines are the best. For maths, I wouldn't recommend doing revision products. It's just practise. You might want to draw out circle theorems but that's about it. You get given the formulas anyway (except additional maths). Good luck!
I would say that it is key that you understand what you do in class. When you get home after school you can read around the subject to fully grasp the concepts. Read a topic in your text book before you start in class too. Someone in my school used to go home everyday after their History lesson and summarise what they learnt on a PowerPoint presentation, to be used for revision later on. You could do that for some subjects. Wish I did that :/
Past papers are essential to get a good exam technique so you answer what the exam board wants. And I found post it notes around the house useful to remember key info and dates for history.
Revision guides are also really good at simplifying the key info, however also make detailed notes in class.
Good luck, but don't do too much too early otherwise you will forget it all again and wear yourself out
Posted from TSR Mobile
Revision guides are also really good at simplifying the key info, however also make detailed notes in class.
Good luck, but don't do too much too early otherwise you will forget it all again and wear yourself out
Posted from TSR Mobile
(edited 10 years ago)
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