Back to school: How are you feeling about the year ahead?

Lots of you will be in the midst of starting your new academic year as we speak - how are you feeling about the year in front of you?

What are you excited about? Is there anything that's got you a bit apprehensive? If there's questions or support you need, tell us what it is and we'll do our best to help!

Wishing everyone a really positive 22/23 year!

Kind of expecting to feel a bit overwhelmed, keeping on top of homework and assessments will probably be hard, I feel like Year 11 will be at lest 3 times the pressure as Year 10.
But I'm excited that GCSEs will be over with after this 😁 (feels like they just started and its been a year)!
Do you have any advice on how to plan general revision (not mock revision)?

Kind of expecting to feel a bit overwhelmed, keeping on top of homework and assessments will probably be hard, I feel like Year 11 will be at lest 3 times the pressure as Year 10.
But I'm excited that GCSEs will be over with after this 😁 (feels like they just started and its been a year)!
Do you have any advice on how to plan general revision (not mock revision)?

I think thinking about this stuff now shows you're putting yourself in the best possible position for yr 11, so well done you!

Give this a read - it's for people like you who are just starting yr 11. Plus there's heaps of revision from GCSE students here. Personally, I'd say remember that works for others may not work for you, so early on in the year is a good time to figure out the ways you like to work. Plus create resources for yourself that you can return to as you get closer to your exams. I like to think of it like - how can I help my future self?

I hope that's helpful and you have a great time settling into Year 11!

I think thinking about this stuff now shows you're putting yourself in the best possible position for yr 11, so well done you!

Give this a read - it's for people like you who are just starting yr 11. Plus there's heaps of revision from GCSE students here. Personally, I'd say remember that works for others may not work for you, so early on in the year is a good time to figure out the ways you like to work. Plus create resources for yourself that you can return to as you get closer to your exams. I like to think of it like - how can I help my future self?

I hope that's helpful and you have a great time settling into Year 11!

I’ve just had my results and am going into year 12 now, honestly, year 11 is a bit of a rollercoaster ride, but it’s better to revise a little earlier in the year. I’m not saying now (though if you want to, go for it). If I could do year 11 again, I would have started to more seriously revise around the Jan-Feb mark, as I was still messing around, so to say, around that time, thinking the GCSEs are still miles away. They’re not. Trust me. I ended up trying to cram information in towards the end with me revising for each individual GCSE the night before. Granted, I did still achieve 8/9s but I would say defo try to revise a little earlier. It may seem out of style with what others are doing, but it pays off in the long run.

Also, don’t be too obsessed with what others do, if you have plans to revise and people spring a last minute night out on you, try to say ‘no’ if it’s really important. On results day, it’s your name that going to be at the top of the results, not theirs. Even better idea, try to effectively revise together and share techniques, especially if someone is better at a subject you share. Try not to get too distracted.

My revision techniques usually consist of me getting familiar with the layout of a practice paper and seeing what examiners like, then learning the content thoroughly, then attempting a real paper. Don’t get too bogged down with doing full papers, they WASTE your time. Try and identify specific areas you struggle on and work through those instead. If there’s one thing I also needed to work on in my GCSEs, it’s time management. Some exams that are essay based, like Geography and English, go so fast, it’s actually incredible. One thing you have to work on in exams is writing quickly and cohesively. This will be such a big help in the exams.

The last thing is, make sure you have a good balance of study/relax time. Don’t let yourself get too absorbed with revision that you overwork yourself, like I did one time where I spent 8 consecutive hours revising. *whimper* Let yourself have regular breaks, and enjoy! This is your last year until you face your A-Levels which is, haha, it’s not pretty.

Hope that helps ya luv.

A petty little year 12, who regrets taking 4 A-Levels.

Thanks for the advice! Congrats on your grades!
Trust me, I don't care about what everyone thinks😂, I started revising at the start of the summer hols.
I'll definitely need to take a few breaks, especially when it comes to November mocks, they can get overwhelming!

Lots of you will be in the midst of starting your new academic year as we speak - how are you feeling about the year in front of you?

What are you excited about? Is there anything that's got you a bit apprehensive? If there's questions or support you need, tell us what it is and we'll do our best to help!

Wishing everyone a really positive 22/23 year!