ARE YOU READY FOR THIS...? This is how to get an A*

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I don't know about how it works where you live, but I have 24 exams in the space of a few weeks. That may not seem a lot to some, but it is to me

Oh wow. That's quite a lot. I only had about 10(including some AS ones).

I'm currently doing A2 and your point about cutting out bad habits is one I really need to work on Youtube is my biggest distraction, I end up watching random videos I don't care about just to avoid revision

I'm currently doing A2 and your point about cutting out bad habits is one I really need to work on Youtube is my biggest distraction, I end up watching random videos I don't care about just to avoid revision

This is a completely valid question, I guess I was too vague haha. Okay, I'll tell you what I did and you can either do it exactly the same, or make your own based on mine. And I'll try and make it as clear as possible. Also, personally, I don't think it's a waste of time, you just need to ensure that you stick to it and don't overlook it. If you make it for all your subjects in one go, you're done for the rest of the school year. Don't waste time making it look all pretty, trust me, there's no point. Just make sure it's legible and concise.

So what I did was for each subject I had my own sheet of paper. It can be whatever size you prefer. The more topics, the larger the paper. For example, I do Edexcel Maths and there are a lot of topics, therefore I require two A3s, but that's cool, we can do that! Label it "*BLANK* CHECKLIST" for all subjects.Then using whatever materials you have (e.g. exam specification, a revsion guide, your own exercise book, use Bitesize - they have topics listed for each exam board etc), list everything you need to know in order to get that A*. It doesn't have to have subheadings and catergorised into relevant topics, but if it helps, go ahead. This is your checklist, do as you wish.

I'll use my Maths checklist as an example. So I have a list from my Maths teacher which has all the general topics on it and if you ask your Maths teacher for one, they'll definitely give you one or formulate one for you. However, I found that it was too broad and not detailed enough so I bought the CGP Higher Level revision guide off Amazon. Highly recommend it, it was a great purchase for only £5. It is the one from my exam board, Edexcel, which means everything they cover in that book, is my exam guide. So I used the contents page of that revision guide and made my list using it. The contents page is split into 6 sections: numbers, algebra, graphs, geometry and measures, pythagoras and trig and stats and probability. Underneath are all the other topics, which I wrote down and that completed my Maths checklist.

For a subject with more content, like Science, the best way to go about this is use your exam board specification. Honestly, it will be your best friend. Read through the spec and group together points that go into relevant topics. For example, in my Biology spec, there are a few points regarding enzymes and the lock and key model and optimum temp. for enzymes. I would group that into one category: ENZYMES. Then I'd do it for the rest.

Anyways, I hope this was a lot clearer. Please message me again if you're still unclear about anything and I'll try my best to help you. Obviously for some exams, a checklist is not needed... like English Language (you may still want to do one), but do what you think is best.

Happy checklist-ing!

sorry our teachers etc in school don't tell us...what's UMS?

Thanks! That really cleared it up an gave me a few ideas on how to go about making my own I'll be taking all this info and cataloguing it into my brain.....maybe i should start now?...meh i'll get it done when i get my homework lugged off my back

do you work out the UMS mark from the "normal" mark?

get the "self control app". it blocks certain web pages of your choice for a set number of hours. no matter what you do (diffrent browser, restart your computer etc.) you won't be able to acsess those apps until the timer runs out. just turn it on when your studying.

It stands for Uniform Mark Scale and you can use it's basically like the grade boundaries for all exam boards, idk it's kinda hard to explain very well.I'll just Google it and insert it in here:

A Uniform Mark Scale, or UMS, is a way of standardising the marking of papers across different examination boards, allowing someone to compare two marks marked by two different examination boards. Grades are then calculated using grade boundaries set at particular UMS scores.

Ladies and gents,

I will share with you the secret of acheiving the dream set of grades. The best of the best. Are you ready? ...... It's all you. You, essentially, are the limits that you set yourself. If you believe that you deserve that A* in your exam, you have to put in the time and effort and grit and blood, sweat and tears into those grades. I read a book last year called 'The Secret' and it spoke about the Law of Attraction and how whatever you think, you will attract. Think good things and good things will come your way... In this first post, I just want to talk a bit a few of the things I have done/am doing currently to help me with my revision. Notice that I've made the word 'help' bold because these are not my revision tips, but what I do so that I am able to revise effectively. I can't promise that these tips will be original and life affirming because each to their own, I guess.

This is how I stopped being lazy with my studies.

1. Checklist

I'm sitting a horrific number of exams in the summer and to be honest, I've never been more scared. But what I've done is established EVERYTHING that I need to know for my exams and stuck it up in my room, right besides my desk. I've literally written it out and yes, it took me 2 hours of my Saturday morning but it honestly makes the work you have to do SO much clearer and concise. And it may seem a bit daunting, looking at this long list of topics that you have to know inside out, but harness that fear and use it to boost your motivation! I don't care what anyone says, but having fear for your exams is a good thing. It shows that you care and with 4 months left until the final exams, there's no time at all to lose focus and start slacking. Once you have that list, you can begin to work your way through it, slowly but surely. If you've reached a dead end and you just don't get it, phone a friend, ask a teacher, post it on TSR and ask others for help. There are a lot of sources to help us, we just don't see it.

2. Cutting out bad habits

Now this is one to make note of, people. Everyone has habits that they can't let go of. If you don't, well done, you're one step closer to those dream grades, because let me tell you... You have to cut out distractions if you want to revise. My habit was constantly watching YouTube videos. I love a good Tyler Oakley video, but it wasn't working out with my revision timetable. My cousin absolutely loves watching Korean dramas but each episode is about an hour long, and then she asks me why isn't she motivated like I am. It's simple. Her priorities do not lie with her studies and she's constantly procrastinating by wasting her time. Not bashing Korean dramas, I'm sure they're great but is it really worth letting time go by now, rather than in the summer holidays where you can watch to your heart's content? And it's different for everyone; whether it's texting your friends after school, watching YouTube videos, scrolling through Instagram and Tumblr, you can do it all in the summer. So the solution is get rid of the source. Tell your mum or dad to keep your phone after school and only give it back once the revision is completed, or turn the beloved wifi off, or even delete the apps off your phone! Seems a bit drastic, I know, but these things will only help you get that A*. Go to those measures people, you will thank yourself on results day.

3. Results' day

Speaking of results' day, my final point is actually about it! This is what genuinely motivates me to revise and I'm surprised to hear from my friends that they don't do this. Okay, so every time I reach a slump or a low point, I imagine myself on results' day opening my results to the best possible grades. Just that feeling of utter pride for yourself and glee. Imagine how happy your parents will be and how satisfied you will feel inside. There will be so many opportunites opened for you, so many choices that you can pick from. I know for a fact that if I don't receive the grades that I want, I will be absolutely devestated and I will keep thinking about all those times I could've revised but I didn't. I've felt that feeling before and it's the worst thing ever. It's kind of like you're sinking whilst everyone else is so happy and ugh... Never want to feel that again. Use the time you have now wisely and trust me, think about results' day and how wonderful it will feel to have those grades.

All in all, it's a few more months guys. That's honestly the best way of looking at it. A few more months of working so hard for your future and you are on your way to being a cardiologist, or a successful lawyer! Become organised, prioritise and look ahead; my three main tips on helping with revision!

I hope it helped anyone who's having difficulties with staying motivated. I think my next post will be about my actual revision tips and what is most effective for me! So watch this space haha

get the "self control app". it blocks certain web pages of your choice for a set number of hours. no matter what you do (diffrent browser, restart your computer etc.) you won't be able to acsess those apps until the timer runs out. just turn it on when your studying.

Yes girl! I totally feel you, it was one of the things that was definitely dragging me down on my revsion. If you have a YouTube account and you watch videos from your subscription box, try unsubscribing from certain channels that upload all the time. That way, you won't see when videos are being posted and you're less likely to get distracted.

Very good list and advice, I actually feel really motivated now which is a first

Thank you! I will definitely do this from now on



That's a good idea! The people I'm subscribed to now upload pretty much everyday and that doesn't help me at all
Starting on Monday I'm going to try to stay at school late to get work done so I can't access any distractions haha

Yes! That's awesome, I'd advise staying by yourself or with one friend so you don't get distracted.

My friend and I usually stay back together till late and she's busy doing her own work as well so we don't really distract each other (well not much )

Thanks for making this post! I've made a list of all I plan to get done this week and I feel motivated (I hope it lasts)