GCSE help

i HAVE MOCKS IN 2 WEEKS IM IN Y10 and i struggle with evrysingle subject somone give me tips. especially for maths science english lit and lang

Reply 1

CBP123

Original post

by booklover9

I'm not an expert and there might be better tips given by other people on similar posts but what has helped me is:

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past papers. I know, they're super boring but they are effective

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PMT for maths and science, blurting with a whiteboard for science

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if you don't understand the concepts, thirdspacelearning is good for maths and freesciencelessons for science

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english lit - you could try videos like mr bruff, mr salles or mreverythingenglish but what's helped me especially is making a google doc with the main themes in each of your set texts, then adding quotes and points under each theme heading. When planning in the exam/practice questions, make a quick mindmap of all the points you can think about the question then hopefully from there you can group your best points under a general theme. you can introduce this general theme in your introduction. make sure you include context and writers methods, try to come up with original ideas rather than analysis from textbooks/online as they've probably seen that multiple times before. good thing for english lit is that you can use this structure for all the essays, so improving on writing essays for one text will probably improve your writing of essays overall (provided you have a good overview of the texts). learn some quotes for each topic (you can take this from your google doc bank of points and quotes) and put the first few words on one flashcard in quizlet with the rest of the quote on the other side).

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english lang - make sure you know the mark scheme and you could watch some videos to ensure you know what they're asking for. go over techniques.

What other subjects are you doing?
Good luck and even though it's hard to NOT stress out, try to take time for yourself. You've got this :smile:

i agree with all of this! i hated the freesciencelessons guy but he saved my physics grade.

with maths, you don't need to do traditional revision (flashcards etc) just do as many past papers as you can, mark them straight away and make notes of your weak areas. then go to mathsdiy and do the topic booklets for those areas, and repeat!

with english lit specifically start learning quotes as soon as you can, try and find the ones that apply to the most questions. if you can write at least one timed essay before the mock then you should be okay with technique, after that write essay plans instead to prep for other questions. note out each of your paragraphs, the themes/characters, the quotes you'd use and any decent points you'd be able to make. i know its miserable but the more quotes you know the better it will be.

with science, it's a bit similar to maths with the need to rinse and repeat past paper questions, but there's also an aspect of learning. if you haven't been keeping up with making flashcards or knowledge organisers as you've done the topics over the year that's okay, just attempt that next year. in the meantime, pmt (physics and maths tutor) has premade flashcards that you can use. instead of thinking the answers, make an effort to write them down on a whiteboard or say them out loud. after prepping with the flashcards, do a practice paper, then use the topic booklets to work on exam technique for your weaker areas. with biology specifically, it can be really specific, so read the markschemes in detail and make a note of weird specifics you find.

if you can find some people willing to revise with you that can be really helpful, for example you could all attempt the same science QER or 15-20 mark maths question. It can also be helpful to test each other on specific areas you think are likely to come up in the mock. try going out on the weekend to a local library or coffee shop if that's the environment you like, and helping each other stay focused etc.

don't forget to ask your teachers for past paper questions they've probably got some or are happy to find/print you some. if you do the WJEC exam board (i did) i would recommend the 'question bank' feature as it let's you compile personalised past papers by filtering for specific topics.

if its your vibe, you can look up recordings on spotify from Seneca learning of different topics, this could help if you have a long commute to school.

try the pomodoro method! it's where you work for 25 mins then take a 5 min break. after 4 rotations you can have 15-30 minutes long break then repeat. use the break to get up and stretch your legs, maybe change locations (desk to kitchen table etc)

overall, the mocks won't be the end of the world. if it goes badly it's a learning experience, a trial run. make sure you get lots of sleep and try to spend some time exercising (walking is fine) and doing something relaxing like baking, reading or just petting a dog/cat if you have one. if you find yourself stuck, i promise going out in the fresh air will help so much, even if you think it's a waste of time. at that point the air will help you think better and get back on track.

if you struggle with screen time try apps such as flora, forest or detox lock, which will shut down your phone apps and stop you from using your phone. also try deleting apps like instagram in the run up to mocks/exams.

good luck! add if there's any other subjects you'd like tips on 👍