I'm kind of breaking right now.

4

We have GCSEs in a few days and my effort hasn't been the best. I need a 7 in Maths , English, Science & Computer Science for my A-Levels and I'm still stuck within the high 5 to mid 6 range of my grades. Since Easter I been trying to revise frequently using teachers tips, past papers and a bunch of flashcards but my procrastination has been making much difficult to revise throughout it so I don't even know if I'll even make it. Any tips would be much appreciated! Thanks for reading.

Reply 1

burntspark

13

Don't panic - you can't change clocks. My advice would be to learn what you need to learn at the core core basis so that you have enough to get you as far as possible - 80/20 rule (Pareto Principle), if you learn the equations in Physics, it can earn you massive leverage even if you just write a memorised equation down in an an answer to a question as far as I can remember.

In Geography I remember learning how point, evidence, explanation, then I practised using that structure a few times, learnt loads of evidence and it was enough to get x distance far.

I think - ask yourself a question - what is the most useful thing that I could know in this subject, that could earn me the most marks in a sticky situation. Or I'd recommend leveraging your strengths and studying what you know, I've always done that, it's risky game sometimes because the few topics you dont know might all appear in the exam, but then again could be the other way around.

Try your best, like I said, you can't change clocks, but you can do what you can do now to give it your all!

Good Luck, really wish you the best :smile:

Reply 2

futuredoctor17

14

seneca cram mode
gizmo.ai

Reply 3

kitty15

Study Forum Helper

14

Original post by smthIdk7

We have GCSEs in a few days and my effort hasn't been the best. I need a 7 in Maths , English, Science & Computer Science for my A-Levels and I'm still stuck within the high 5 to mid 6 range of my grades. Since Easter I been trying to revise frequently using teachers tips, past papers and a bunch of flashcards but my procrastination has been making much difficult to revise throughout it so I don't even know if I'll even make it. Any tips would be much appreciated! Thanks for reading.

Hi, burnout is a normal thing to be feeling in the lead up to exams and can lead to procrastination.

The best way to beat it is to just get started. Once you have been studying for 5 minutes you will get into the flow, this is called the 5 minute rule.

Also use a reward system to reward yourself for your study sessions, be that a quick walk or a snack.

Reply 4

xAspect

11

Original post by smthidk7

We have GCSEs in a few days and my effort hasn't been the best. I need a 7 in Maths , English, Science & Computer Science for my A-Levels and I'm still stuck within the high 5 to mid 6 range of my grades. Since Easter I been trying to revise frequently using teachers tips, past papers and a bunch of flashcards but my procrastination has been making much difficult to revise throughout it so I don't even know if I'll even make it. Any tips would be much appreciated! Thanks for reading.

I've been feeling the same. The pressure on me to get all 7-9s is really wearing me down, and making me procrastinate a lot. Just sat my RS exam and it completely contrary to my expectations it went amazingly; hoping to get 80-90% :smile:

. I think I'm going to use this success as momentum to cram biology, which should get me over to next week as biology is a subject as I'm good at and get 9s when I revise :smile:

My advice to you OP is to revise what you're not good at, that will have the most gains in average marks.

For subject specific advice:

Maths: Just grind out as many past paper questions as you can in the areas you're not confident with. I went up from a 6 to an 8 in a matter of days by doing this (admittedly I was never BAD at maths, I just never really revised, but it will still work if you do lots of work). If you don't understand a topic, then look up the BBC Bitesize guide or a CGP book if you have one, or just look it up on youtube; there are SOOOOO many maths GCSE videos.

English: WATCH MR SALLES!!!!! His YouTube! He's literally the sole reason I was able to get 30/30 in my Power and Conflict question when I watched only ONE of his videos!! Mr Salles is the GOAT of English!!

Computing: An area where lots of students drop marks is coding on paper 2. Do lots of practice questions, and you'll pick it up pretty quickly. For content, my computer science teacher actually has a youtube channel, and it's really useful for cramming because you can put it on 1.25x speed or so and make notes from it. Here it is :smile:

. His playlists are great because they break the course down into topics.

Science: Use PhysicsandMathsTutor (They do pretty much all the main subjects, not just physics and maths!) to make summary notes on the topics you're bad at, and then do past paper questions, and learn the mark scheme

Good luck OP, with lots of hard work you'll be able to pull it back! I'm rooting for you! :biggrin:

(edited 1 year ago)

Reply 5

Shalz0602

8

Original post by smthIdk7

We have GCSEs in a few days and my effort hasn't been the best. I need a 7 in Maths , English, Science & Computer Science for my A-Levels and I'm still stuck within the high 5 to mid 6 range of my grades. Since Easter I been trying to revise frequently using teachers tips, past papers and a bunch of flashcards but my procrastination has been making much difficult to revise throughout it so I don't even know if I'll even make it. Any tips would be much appreciated! Thanks for reading.

Remember to be cool and keep calm, it's the only way to help you focus on studying and ace your exams. I'm saying this because I'm currently doing my IGCSE Examinations since 2nd May and ends on 13th June only and I still have 7 more exams to go through. I told myself that being cool would help me remember things and freaking out and panicking wouldn't get me any further.

My important advice is that you practice a lot of Past Year Papers on weaker subjects but still focus on others as well to avoid getting lower marks and not remembering them. The way I study and learn is that I would do past year's papers with a marking scheme in front of me so that I could remember the answers and the way it's written. I created this method for myself before I started doing my MOCKS in Jan so I could get good grades. I used to get not-so-good grades in Year 10 but in mocks, I was shocked to see my grades improve - I got C's and 2 D's only.

Specific Subjects guide for subjects I've taken:

English - Eng can be seen as an easy language but can be challenging when doing the exam because you don't know what's going to come. It's based on which English Language you're taking. For me, I took English As A Second Language (ESL) but 0511 paper. Do Article writing and email writing. Earn more marks here as it's worth it. Read more books to absorb the language and creative writing required.

Maths - Maths have 2 papers only for either Extended or Core. For Core papers focus on formulas and working out the answers for the questions and remember not all topics will be in the paper so it will be easy to gain marks. Extended papers can be tricky and confusing so Past Year Papers only. I took the Core papers so this is my advice for you, today was my last day doing Maths papers so I can say the papers were easy mostly Paper 3.

Biology - Biology was easy to gain marks but at the same time, it's confusing so I suggest you do only Past year papers of recent starting from 2020 - 2023/2024(Feb/March paper)
Link: https://www.edutvonline.com/p/cie-igcse-february-march-2024-papers.html
Don't revise the topics and go through it's wasting time. I can tell you one thing: Don't study for Carbon cycle & Nitrogen cycle. They have more on the female reproduction system, where you label and put in the alphabet given that's all. I can't give it all out as I'm a Student of IGCSE as well.

Chemistry - Chemistry can be seen as a hard subject but it wasn't so bad so do PYPs(Past Year Papers) only. Use the marking schemes to guide you and remember the answers and make you adapt to understand them at the same time. If you don't understand some topics such as Electrolysis and Organic Chemistry, then look up the BBC Bitesize guide or Save My Exams, they are the best I used them to help me as well or watch YT videos for the subject. But make sure you understand them and process what they are saying.

Global Perspective(GP) - GP paper can be considered as easy but a lot to write and uses critical thinking and methods used to write them. Like the CRAAP test and 2 strengths and 1 weakness or there can be opposite ways 2 weaknesses and 1 strength and use PEE for almost everything, PEE is Point, Evidence, Explain but can be Point, Explain 1, Explain. 2. Search for methods to use in GP. Do past year's papers for every subject non-stop but have a break or nap in between use a timer or stopwatch to help you.

Physical Education(PE) - PE is as easy as a theory paper and component paper as well I got a B for components by doing the activities or sports and Theory got a C in mocks.
Link: https://www.youtube.com/@igpecomplete
Go through the syllabus for this subject and remember most of them are Biology rather than PE. I haven't taken this paper yet so hard to say. I took PE as I like playing sports and I know only 4 girls who took PE including myself.

Business Studies - Business was my interest but now I lost my motivation so all I can suggest and do is past year's papers and go through the textbook as in the new syllabus for this year in the textbook. Use Save My Exams and Z Notes to help you. I haven't done this paper as well yet. Business has 2 papers (Paper 1: Short answers & Paper 2: Case study).

Try at your maximum best! Remember to be cool and relax. Believe in yourself not because of others. This is your future so only you can do it! Good luck & all the best to you for you to perform well in exams. Hope my reply to you helps! Finger crossed...

Reply 6

username6682389

17

Original post by smthIdk7

We have GCSEs in a few days and my effort hasn't been the best. I need a 7 in Maths , English, Science & Computer Science for my A-Levels and I'm still stuck within the high 5 to mid 6 range of my grades. Since Easter I been trying to revise frequently using teachers tips, past papers and a bunch of flashcards but my procrastination has been making much difficult to revise throughout it so I don't even know if I'll even make it. Any tips would be much appreciated! Thanks for reading.

think about the money when revising

I'm kind of breaking right now.

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