go big or go home: my guide to conquering gcse&#x27;s ☆

OP

Original post by milktee

good luck with your geography exam tmrw 💪🤍

thank you hopefully i'll ace it 🙏🙏

Reply 61

Original post by prettylil.thing

thank you hopefully i'll ace it 🙏🙏

i'm sure you will 🤞

Reply 62

username6778467

0

13

Original post by prettylil.thing

⚝ introduction ⚝

hello, a bit late but i wanted to make my own little blog to help motivate me and stay on track on the exciting journey that is gcse's 😍
i'm currently in y10 and these are the subjects i take:

mathematics (edexcel)
english literature (aqa)
english language (aqa)
biology (aqa)
chemistry (aqa)
physics (aqa)
french (edexcel)
geography (aqa)
computer science (aqa)
drama (aqa)
hpq (aqa)

people have said i have quite a strange combo but i want to keep my options open because i'm not too sure what i want to pursue in the future yet haha
as the title suggests i'm going all in and aiming for all 9s 💪 it's gonna be a lot of hard work but i'm willing to put in the effort and from what i can see on tsr everyone seems very like-minded in the fact we all want to do well and try our best which i really like :smile:

i have my y10 mocks starting next week and tbh i'm really nervous.. i've been making flashcards for just one topic of chemistry alone for the past couple days they take so long so i'm worried about whether i'll have enough time 😥😥

if anyone has any tips on how to revise for the sciences, geography, english and computer science i'd really appreciate it!!

Are you an enhypen fan (noting the reference to go big or go home?)

(edited 11 months ago)

Reply 63

Original post by nul_student1

Are you a stray kids fan (noting the reference to go big or go home?)

OMG I WAS GNA ASK THAT ASW but i thought it might just be a general term 😭😭 isn't go big or go home a song by enhypen thoughh?

Reply 64

username6778467

0

13

Original post by milktee

OMG I WAS GNA ASK THAT ASW but i thought it might just be a general term 😭😭 isn't go big or go home a song by enhypen thoughh?

oh 😭 my bestie is obsessed abt kpop and shes always ravin abt smth like that well ick better edit that thanks @milktee

Reply 65

Original post by nul_student1

oh 😭 my bestie is obsessed abt kpop and shes always ravin abt smth like that well ick better edit that thanks @milktee

lmaoo you're welcomee, i used to be a big kpop fan asw that's how i knew the song was by them 😭

Reply 66

flyingturtle111

8

Original post by prettylil.thing

Original post by flyingturtle111

hey! best of luck to you! i'm currently doing english lit and geography at alevel so i'll focus primarily on these :biggrin:

.

english lit - make mindmaps! i recommend doing more than 1 for each text. one on central themes, one on characters, one on the plot. start by writing all the themes/ characters in a simple mindmap style, then annotate these with your ideas on these. how prevalent are they in certain scenes? what are the inferences you can make? and adding key quotations in different colours. i also recommend doing some timed practice, as sometimes people get so carried away with planning their essay answers that they don't leave enough time to write the full thing. just have fun exploring ideas, making sure they are developed and that you follow a descriptive style of writing, while also considering writer's methods.

geo - definitely exam questions and blurting! there's a lot of specific information you'll have to know, so it's important that you exercise your brain and don't naturally gravitate towards certain topics - everything's important. there's always a specific formula for how you should answer questions with certain marks, so i recommend searching these and watching youtube videos to solidify your approach to the actual questions. learning case study facts and general knowledge of what your case study is sooooooo important i cannot stress this enough! i'd say make flashcards on these but if you only have a week or a bit try memorising this information and doing brain dumps e.g. blurting statistics.

this might just be me, but i'd recommend dumping the creation of the flashcards at this stage - this is because in the past, i'd become so focused on the making of flashcards a week or so before the exam that i never even finished them and didn't get to go through them because it's such a large task to stick yourself with so soon before the exam. it's not that you don't have a lot of time, a week is still good but your time will be best spent banging out the exam q's right now as it involves immediately exercising your brain. definitely make flashcards in general for your GCSE's, but i recommend making these throughout the year so they're ready for things like y11 mocks, class assessments, the real GCSE's - so you won't have to do them then. maybe coming home after a lesson with new content and making flashcards on this - then when it comes to a couple of weeks before the exams, all you have to do is take them out and use them :smile:

you'll be fine as it's only y10, but best of luck and i hope they go smoothly. main focus has to be exam q's <3333333

hii!! thank you so so much for the detailed advice, i really appreciate it and you're so kind!! i have my geography exam tomorrow so yeah i'll definitely practice some exam q's particularly the 6 and 9 markers that are always tough 😪

and yeah in terms of the flashcards i don't have enough time anymore - i'll try my best to make them little and often after mocks so that by the time i'm in year 11 i'll have a whole stack of them and won't have to stress out like this again haha

once again tysm <33

no problem at all!!! ur gonna smash it <3

Reply 67

OP

⚝ log 05: thursday 29^th february 2024 ⚝
day 3 (yesterday) and 4 of mocks!! ✎

first of all happy leap year! 29th of feb is such a pretty date it's a shame that it only happens every 4 years 😔
yk maybe that's what makes it more beautiful...

anyway lmao i forgot to upload yesterday cause when i got back from school i fell asleep 💀 but i had maths non-calc yesterday and physics today, details below ofc

•

MATHS NON-CALC
how i thought it was going to go (out of 10): 5/10
how it actually went (out of 10): 5/10
nahh this exam was crazy. in the revision lessons i spent all 4 hours doing practice questions (standard form, functions, quadratics, circle theorems my WORST ENEMY etc) and so i went into the exam pretty confident! opening the paper i was smiling thinking "wow, you know this is actually going well" boy was i wrong 🤣🤣 the first red flag was when i realised 3/4 in to doing some simultaneous equations that i'd done it wrong and had to start ALL OVER AGAIN which was annoying, then i started seeing some questions (most of these were like 4-6 marks btw!) of the most diabolical questions i'd ever seen in my life. i didn't answer one of them, and the last question was actually the same from the y9 end of year maths exam we had last year. tell me why i got a completely different answer to what i did last year. 🤦 time management is also a big issue for me recently w gcse maths, cause i know if i wasn't stressing about the fact i had so little time/if i had an extra 30 mins i probably wouldn't have made as many silly mistakes. so i know for next time i need to drill in way more exam qs WITH TIME LIMITS so i can start getting into the habit of working quickly. anyways it was out of 80 so i'll be overjoyed it i get above 55 atp... everyone in my year came out of that exam crying 😭 we move and i can redeem myself in calc (trying to make myself feel better)

•

PHYSICS
how i thought it was going to go (out of 10): 6/10
how it actually went (out of 10): 7.5/10
you know what i was saying the other day about biology? well the exact opposite happened to me with physics. from y7-9 i hated physics so much, i didn't understand it and i thought it was so difficult for no reason. because of this i stopped caring as much and didn't pay attention, leading to me getting mid scores, meaning i would feel upset all over again and the cycle continued. luckily the cycle broke towards the end of y9, when i decided to get my act together and for my y9 mocks/end of years i revised so much and basically taught myself everything. and what do you know, it paid off! i walked into that exam feeling confident and came out with a 43/45 which i still think is one of my proudest moments to this day haha, especially because at the start of the year i got 29/45. now me and physics are like this 🤞

ANYWAY backstory over let's get into the exam.. it was actually calm. i found the questions quite simple compared to our end of topic tests so i think it's actually possible for me to get a 9! the only bad thing is that i didn't really revise for space and it came up but we were given some data so i kind of made an educated guess with that, hopefully i can get a few marks haha. so yeah, overall not that bad.

two sciences down, one to go and 5/14 exams done! up next we have geography and my french listening mocks so i'll be refreshing for them by watching some videos and some final practice qs. this post is already long enough so i'll sign off here and let you know how the exams go xoxo

(edited 10 months ago)

Reply 68

OP

Original post by nul_student1

Are you an enhypen fan (noting the reference to go big or go home?)

yeah i am!! (i was gonna make a reference in my first post but decided to see if anyone would notice lol). while i was reading other gygs i was listening to that song and thought well it matches with my goals so why not and boom made a gyg 😌

(edited 11 months ago)

Reply 69

OP

Original post by milktee

omg you guys are already learning ecology in y10?? we only started the topic a couple weeks ago 😭
glad bio was gooddd, and ahaha i always tell my friends i love algebra asw and get judged for that lmaooo
good luck with all your revision 🤍

we actually did ecology in y9 but honestly it haunts me wherever i go 💀 it came up again here i think because it's topic 7 (?) our school decided to sprinkle bits and pieces here and there, maybe your school is more organised and actually has enough time to do it in one go (cough cough us having to teach ourselves ALL of resource management for geo bc our school doesn't have enough time cough cough)

Reply 70

Original post by prettylil.thing

yeah i am!! (i was gonna make a reference in my first post but decided to see if anyone would notice lol). while i was reading other gygs i was listening to that song and thought well it matches with my goals so why not and boom made a gyg 😌

OMG YOU AREEE, i was literally going to ask you straight away when i saw your gyg at first, but i also had a feeling it would just be a general saying or something 😭 and omds making it your gyg title is literally so smart and it acc matches 🤞

Reply 71

Original post by prettylil.thing

⚝ log 05: thursday 29^th february 2024 ⚝
day 3 (yesterday) and 4 of mocks!! ✎

first of all happy leap year! 29th of feb is such a pretty date it's a shame that it only happens every 4 years 😔
yk maybe that's what makes it more beautiful...

anyway lmao i forgot to upload yesterday cause when i got back from school i fell asleep 💀 but i had maths non-calc yesterday and physics today, details below ofc

•

MATHS NON-CALC
how i thought it was going to go (out of 10): 5/10
how it actually went (out of 10): 5/10
nahh this exam was crazy. in the revision lessons i spent all 4 hours doling practice questions (standard form, functions, quadratics, circle theorems my WORST ENEMY etc) and so i went into the exam pretty confident! opening the paper i was smiling thinking "wow, you know this is actually going well" boy was i wrong 🤣🤣 the first red flag was when i realised 3/4 in to doing some simultaneous equations that i'd done it wrong and had to start ALL OVER AGAIN which was annoying, then i started seeing some questions (most of these were like 4-6 marks btw!) of the most diabolical questions i'd ever seen in my life. i didn't answer one of them, and the last question was actually the same from the y9 end of year maths exam we had last year. tell me why i got a completely different answer to what i did last year. 🤦 time management is also a big issue for me recently w gcse maths, cause i know if i wasn't stressing about the fact i had so little time/if i had an extra 30 mins i probably wouldn't have made as many silly mistakes. so i know for next time i need to drill in way more exam qs WITH TIME LIMITS so i can start getting into the habit of working quickly. anyways it was out of 80 so i'll be overjoyed it i get above 55 atp... everyone in my year came out of that exam crying 😭 we move and i can redeem myself in calc (trying to make myself feel better)

•

PHYSICS
how i thought it was going to go (out of 10): 6/10
how it actually went (out of 10): 7.5/10
you know what i was saying the other day about biology? well the exact opposite happened to me with physics. from y7-9 i hated physics so much, i didn't understand it and i thought it was so difficult for no reason. because of this i stopped caring as much and didn't pay attention, leading to me getting mid scores, meaning i would feel upset all over again and the cycle continued. luckily the cycle broke towards the end of y9, when i decided to get my act together and for my y9 mocks/end of years i revised so much and basically taught myself everything. and what do you know, it paid off! i walked into that exam feeling confident and came out with a 43/45 which i still think is one of my proudest moments to this day haha, especially because at the start of the year i got 29/45. now me and physics are like this 🤞

ANYWAY backstory over let's get into the exam.. it was actually calm. i found the questions quite simple compared to our end of topic tests so i think it's actually possible for me to get a 9! the only bad thing is that i didn't really revise for space and it came up but we were given some data so i kind of made an educated guess with that, hopefully i can get a few marks haha. so yeah, overall not that bad.

two sciences down, one to go and 5/14 exams done! up next we have geography and my french listening mocks so i'll be refreshing for them by watching some videos and some final practice qs. this post is already long enough so i'll sign off here and let you know how the exams go xoxo

MY MATHS NON CALC WAS HORRENDOUS like omds i didn't actually revise for it but i didn't know the questions would be so absolutely confusing that i didn't even know where to start 😭😭😭 and the thing about time management is so real bcs i'm pretty sure i was stressing sm about the final questions in the exam and i was rushing until the last minute
that y9 physics grade is amazing omggg, and should defo stay one of your proudest moments 🤞 glad the exam went okay and manifesting you get that 9 you're hoping for 💪
good luck for tomorrows exams <333

Reply 72

OP

Original post by milktee

OMG YOU AREEE, i was literally going to ask you straight away when i saw your gyg at first, but i also had a feeling it would just be a general saying or something 😭 and omds making it your gyg title is literally so smart and it acc matches 🤞

haha yeah and tysm!! really hoping i don't have to go home after maths though 💀

Reply 73

Original post by prettylil.thing

haha yeah and tysm!! really hoping i don't have to go home after maths though 💀

LMAO i'm sure your grade will be fine bcs omg my maths non calc was awful but my overall maths grade was a 7, which isn't the best but the grade boundaries were quite low so hopefully it may be for you asw (since you said most people found it difficult 😭)

Reply 74

OP

Original post by milktee

MY MATHS NON CALC WAS HORRENDOUS like omds i didn't actually revise for it but i didn't know the questions would be so absolutely confusing that i didn't even know where to start 😭😭😭 and the thing about time management is so real bcs i'm pretty sure i was stressing sm about the final questions in the exam and i was rushing until the last minute
that y9 physics grade is amazing omggg, and should defo stay one of your proudest moments 🤞 glad the exam went okay and manifesting you get that 9 you're hoping for 💪
good luck for tomorrows exams <333

OKAY PHEW IT'S NOT JUST ME LMAOO and you're so real for not revising beforehand i literally starting revision the day of 😥
when the invigilator gives a time warning my mind goes blank and i can't think straight, seeing the big exam clock ticking away and some treacherous 6 marker on my paper doesn't help either. then i get stressed cause of time AND the question and i want to scream. the only way i can get better is more practice so alas more practice is what i must do

and yeah honestly praying for the low grade boundaries 🙏🙏 if i can even get an 8 i'll be elated but i think this + the imc that our year did earlier will be major contributing factors to who the teachers choose to do the fsmq (further maths gcse) which i really want at least the honour of getting invited to even if i drop out later lmao so i can't do too badly but we'll see

tysm again for the well wishes!! and gl to you too for your studies we can do this 💪💪

Reply 75

MysteryyyGirl86

Original post by milktee

lmaoo you're welcomee, i used to be a big kpop fan asw that's how i knew the song was by them 😭

ahhh another k-pop fan
i actually didn't catch the enhyphen reference, i'm mostly into girl groups tho :smile:

(edited 11 months ago)

Reply 76

Original post by prettylil.thing

OKAY PHEW IT'S NOT JUST ME LMAOO and you're so real for not revising beforehand i literally starting revision the day of 😥
when the invigilator gives a time warning my mind goes blank and i can't think straight, seeing the big exam clock ticking away and some treacherous 6 marker on my paper doesn't help either. then i get stressed cause of time AND the question and i want to scream. the only way i can get better is more practice so alas more practice is what i must do

and yeah honestly praying for the low grade boundaries 🙏🙏 if i can even get an 8 i'll be elated but i think this + the imc that our year did earlier will be major contributing factors to who the teachers choose to do the fsmq (further maths gcse) which i really want at least the honour of getting invited to even if i drop out later lmao so i can't do too badly but we'll see

tysm again for the well wishes!! and gl to you too for your studies we can do this 💪💪

NO LITERALLY the whole environment just gets so much more terrifying when the examiner gives you a time check omds. and yes more practice is indeed the way to go, you're still in y10 so knowing your weak areas and how to improve on them now itself is a big plus for y11, esp when doing your mocks 💪
what's an imc? ooo okay, hoping you get the opportunity of getting invited to it 🙏🙏
of courseee, and thank you asw, yess we both got this 💪💪🤍

Reply 77

OP

Original post by MysteryyyGirl86

ahhh another k-pop fan
i actually didn't catch the enhyphen reference, i'm mostly into girl groups tho :smile:

ooh you like kpop too? nicee
i'm actually the opposite, more into the boy groups but i do love twice, nmixx ive and newjeans a lott

Reply 78

Original post by MysteryyyGirl86

ahhh another k-pop fan
i actually didn't catch the enhyphen reference, i'm mostly into girl groups tho :smile:

haha i'm the opposite i used to listen to boy groups all the time, occasionally a couple of girl group songs but i never stanned anyy

Reply 79