Can I get all 9s in just two weeks? Is two weeks enough to grind past papers?

3

I didn’t revise for either set of mocks and came out with 7s-9s but I desperately want mostly 9s and some 8s so I’m working really hard now but I just don’t feel like it’s enough

I genuinely think I am cooked because I still haven’t finished paper 1 content yet, however I plan to get all my content done by the end of this week
-> I understand physics quite thoroughly since I’ve been listening in lessons so I feel as if I just need to memorise stuff
-> I use Oxford revise books for sciences

But as of right now, I’ve nearly finished all the maths papers that exist and have finished all the chem ones too and I do Spanish weekly - so I’m on 9s and 8s with these

Also, any advice for these subjects because I am hopelessly bad at them:
Biology
English lit + lang (how do I make essay plans?? And how do I choose what quotes are good - I don’t have lightuphub)

And for English lit I want to memorise 5 quotes per character but I’m not sure if this is too little because idk if I can link them to the theme that comes up

I do :
English lit+lang and Maths (ocr)
Spanish (aqa)
Geography (Edexcel b)
DT (aqa)
Triple science (all aqa)

Reply 1

test.,

3

As you said yourself, you are working really hard now, which is all that matters. I know it's cliche, but whether you think that's enough or not, if you are really trying to improve your grades and you are doing the work in order to do so, then you have to take what comes. This is the mentality that got me through my GCSEs last year.

Definitely continue to do past papers in all of your subjects, especially science and maths, once you have learnt the content and you are happy with it. In these two weeks, try not to have any 'revision regrets' as I did (I regretted not doing any Physics past papers in the run up to the exams). If you are getting consistent 8s and 9s in these past papers, then that should give you some confidence as they are the most accurate indicators of how you will perform in the actual exam. However, I would say not to get caught up in your actual marks in the past papers if you don't do well - look at what went wrong and why, then refine your exam technique or revise a specific part of the course so to ensure that you don't make the same mistakes going forward.

•

For Biology (as it's mostly content) I used the Keycards app (free) which comfortably got me a 9. They are pre-made flashcards which cover the whole course.

•

For English lit, exam technique is by far the most important aspect. If a particular essay structure is working for you, carry on using it. But if not, experiment with different structures, and don't be afraid to stray from the traditional PETAL-based paragraphs, as long as you feel comfortable. To pick quotes, I collected all of my quotes that I learnt in class, and from the YouTube English teachers (particularly Mr Salles), and I pulled out as much analysis as possible from each of them, linking to as many topics and characters as possible, and finding links between quotes which would work well when writing an actual essay. Then, choose the best ones, which cover the most topics and characters! This is much better than going down the route of 5 per character, as the process naturally lends itself to writing better answers. I only had 20-25 quotes per text, and got full marks in paper 1.

The most important thing now is to continue working hard, but don't overwork yourself. Don't forget the time you have in between exams to brush up on content and do a few past papers here and there. Good luck!

Reply 2

artful_lounger

Universities Forum Helper

21

Whether it's enough time or not is immaterial - it's the time you have. Just be consistent and spend the next two weeks diligently working through revision and past papers. Set an alarm and get up every day at 9 and work through in a focused manner. If you just spend a couple hours each morning and afternoon productively revising you will make more progress than the alternatives (i.e. saying "I'm going to spend 12 hours revising" and spend 80% of the time panicking over not having done enough revision and/or procrastinating; or just giving up and not doing anything).

Reply 3

o2p

OP

3

Original post

by test.,

As you said yourself, you are working really hard now, which is all that matters. I know it's cliche, but whether you think that's enough or not, if you are really trying to improve your grades and you are doing the work in order to do so, then you have to take what comes. This is the mentality that got me through my GCSEs last year.
Definitely continue to do past papers in all of your subjects, especially science and maths, once you have learnt the content and you are happy with it. In these two weeks, try not to have any 'revision regrets' as I did (I regretted not doing any Physics past papers in the run up to the exams). If you are getting consistent 8s and 9s in these past papers, then that should give you some confidence as they are the most accurate indicators of how you will perform in the actual exam. However, I would say not to get caught up in your actual marks in the past papers if you don't do well - look at what went wrong and why, then refine your exam technique or revise a specific part of the course so to ensure that you don't make the same mistakes going forward.

•

For Biology (as it's mostly content) I used the Keycards app (free) which comfortably got me a 9. They are pre-made flashcards which cover the whole course.

•

For English lit, exam technique is by far the most important aspect. If a particular essay structure is working for you, carry on using it. But if not, experiment with different structures, and don't be afraid to stray from the traditional PETAL-based paragraphs, as long as you feel comfortable. To pick quotes, I collected all of my quotes that I learnt in class, and from the YouTube English teachers (particularly Mr Salles), and I pulled out as much analysis as possible from each of them, linking to as many topics and characters as possible, and finding links between quotes which would work well when writing an actual essay. Then, choose the best ones, which cover the most topics and characters! This is much better than going down the route of 5 per character, as the process naturally lends itself to writing better answers. I only had 20-25 quotes per text, and got full marks in paper 1.

The most important thing now is to continue working hard, but don't overwork yourself. Don't forget the time you have in between exams to brush up on content and do a few past papers here and there. Good luck!

Thank you so much!! That makes me feel a lot better 😭😭 I will definitely check out keycards too!

Reply 4

o2p

OP

3

Original post

by artful_lounger

Whether it's enough time or not is immaterial - it's the time you have. Just be consistent and spend the next two weeks diligently working through revision and past papers. Set an alarm and get up every day at 9 and work through in a focused manner. If you just spend a couple hours each morning and afternoon productively revising you will make more progress than the alternatives (i.e. saying "I'm going to spend 12 hours revising" and spend 80% of the time panicking over not having done enough revision and/or procrastinating; or just giving up and not doing anything).

Thank you 🥹 I’ve made a timetable and so far it’s been good!!

(edited 10 months ago)

Can I get all 9s in just two weeks? Is two weeks enough to grind past papers?

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