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Confused/Don't know where to start/Advice needed

I have my GCSEs in June, and I have been starting revising for 1/2 an hour a night for about a week or two. But at Easter I am going to start to do 2 hours per day of revision. I want to know how you start revising, how to revise, and how many subjects you do per day. How did everyone organise their revision notes.
The school isn't really helping, we're going to get more things about GCSEs after Easter, but I don't want to wait until then. There is a list of GCSEs and when they are in my tutor room, but we haven't got an individual one yet. All the teachers seem to let us know that GCSEs are coming but don't help us.
What are the best revision websites? How long do you have to do per night.
How do I arrange a revision timetable? How do I decide when to revise what and for how long?
In some subjects we've started revising, in Sociology and History we have weekly tests, but in things like Biology we haven't done a lot of the course and we are doing coursework which is just so we can boost our mark for the analysing/evaluation bit.
Does anyone know of a good revision guide for 'A View from the Bridge?'
Anyway, any GCSE advice would be appreciated. Sorry for all the questions but nobody is giving me the information I need.
Is anybody else not getting study leave. I don't think we are at our school, because some people won't revise, but isn't this unfair on the people who want to revise and have to sit in disrupted lessons all day trying to revise?
Thanks!

Reply 1

kellywood_5

17

Half an hour a day for now and then 2 hours a day at Easter is fine.

I think I did 2 subjects per day when I was revising for my GCSEs. It's probably not a good idea to do more than that because you might start to get confused, but it just gives you a bit of a break, especially when revising for subjects you hate. For example, I did one of my least favourite and worst subjects first to get it out of the way, then I had one of my favourite and best subjects to look forward to afterwards.

I used revision guides a lot more than my own notes- Letts and CGP are good- and just condensed them as much as could in the form of bullet points and spider diagrams. If I had to remember a definition or something like that, I used flash cards and I also made up some questions after each section to test myself. Explaining what you've just revised out loud, even to yourself, is a great way to checxk you know it. Working with a friend can be great if you actually do the work, and then of course there are past papers to get used to exam technique.

You can get the dates of all your exams on the Internet- Trev has a link in his signature to a sit with all the exam boards on it.

I didn't find timetables very useful because I could never plan for how much homework I'd have, how long it would take me or when I'd have dinner on any given day, so I just wrote a general list of what I wanted to revise and worked through it when I could. Use your mock results to identify your weaker subjects and spend more time on them, but don't totally neglect the others!

It is unfair that you don't get study leave- I did, and I would never have got enough revision done if I'd been stuck at school with my friends distracting me and the people who didn't care messing about. Not that I would ever encourage you to rebel :wink:

but what can they actually do if you don't turn up, since you're leaving soon anyway? In my school at least, the Year 11s are being treated extremely leniently now by almost all of the teachers because they know they'll be gone soon. Unless of course you're staying on for sixth form...in which case, you could try taking it up with your form tutor, head of year or a senior teacher, or get your parents to phone, write or letter or go to the school?

Reply 2

username5154

15

Glad you're studying now. For now you have chosen the right amount of timing to do revising. 2 hours will be an ideal time for studying over Easter as you said. When the exam season is approaching, I would advise 1-2 hours weekdays, and 2-4 weekends.

When revising write down notes and memorise them and right them down again. In addition, practice past papers (said that last time in the other posts).

As kelly said, I have an exam timetable link that you can make. :smile:

You will get your exam timetable with location and seat number after easter.

Reply 3

NickiM

OP

14

Thanks both.

I did attempt to use the link on Trev's signature but, I don't know the full details about which course I am taking, so I wasn't confident about which exams I was taking when and didn't want to confuse myself.

I might revise Physics or Maths, or something hard first, and then do a more enjoable subject like Music.

I have just got some 6 x 4 inch index cards (on special offer in WH Smiths if you need them!), and will write bullet point notes on each one. I also enjoy making spider diagrams, they are useful.

I got really good results for my mocks, I got a B in Maths (I knew I had done the worst on this exam) and everything else was As and A*s so I don't have 'weaker' subjects. I will concentrate on the exams I find harder though, like Maths and Physics.

The school has been umming and arring for ages about study leave, I don't think it is official yet, but I think the word on the grapevine is that we won't have any, which is very unfair!

Reply 4

KuinKra

1

Heh. Just don't do what I did.... 3 hours the night before each exam (with the sole exception of german, where I did an hour a night for a week before the exam).

Reply 5

username5154

15

NickiM

Thanks both.

I did attempt to use the link on Trev's signature but, I don't know the full details about which course I am taking, so I wasn't confident about which exams I was taking when and didn't want to confuse myself.

I might revise Physics or Maths, or something hard first, and then do a more enjoable subject like Music.

I have just got some 6 x 4 inch index cards (on special offer in WH Smiths if you need them!), and will write bullet point notes on each one. I also enjoy making spider diagrams, they are useful.

I got really good results for my mocks, I got a B in Maths (I knew I had done the worst on this exam) and everything else was As and A*s so I don't have 'weaker' subjects. I will concentrate on the exams I find harder though, like Maths and Physics.

The school has been umming and arring for ages about study leave, I don't think it is official yet, but I think the word on the grapevine is that we won't have any, which is very unfair!

I could make the timetable for you if you want. Tell me the subjects and exam board. GCSE course should contain at least 2 or 3 modules. Assumingly you will be entered for all of them.

It's a good idea to study something hard first to get it out the way for a time being. Good job for doing that.

I agree making spider diagrams are good too. In addition, you could try having an A3 sheet with big boxes to summarise stuff though. That could be another way too.

As for studying leave, it should be the last time to offer it. That is what the government said though. Therefore, starting from next year, there won't be any study leave.

Reply 6

Lottie

9

NickiM

I have just got some 6 x 4 inch index cards (on special offer in WH Smiths if you need them!), and will write bullet point notes on each one. I also enjoy making spider diagrams, they are useful.

Thanks for mentioning this! I've been wondering where I can get some little cards from to aid my revision.

My geography teachers reckons writing on yellow paper makes you remember things better so I think I might just try that.

Reply 7

kellywood_5

17

trev

As for studying leave, it should be the last time to offer it. That is what the government said though. Therefore, starting from next year, there won't be any study leave.

Is that just for GCSEs or do we not get any study leave for A-levels either? *Panics* To be honest, I think my teachers would cancel the lessons anyway if we dind't get study leave.

Reply 8

username5154

15

kellywood_5

Is that just for GCSEs or do we not get any study leave for A-levels either? *Panics* To be honest, I think my teachers would cancel the lessons anyway if we dind't get study leave.

I think it's for GCSEs and A-levels.

Despite the fact that the government will not let us have study leave, some schools might still have it though. You never know.

Reply 9

NickiM

OP

14

I think no study leave is very unfair, obviously, it is because they want the people who don't want to revise to revise, but there is only so much work you can get done in a noisy, classroom environment.

Lottie - The ones I got were buy 1 get 1 half price, £1.99 for 100, you can get them from Woolworths too :smile:

Reply 10

username5154

15

NickiM

I think no study leave is very unfair, obviously, it is because they want the people who don't want to revise to revise, but there is only so much work you can get done in a noisy, classroom environment.

Lottie - The ones I got were buy 1 get 1 half price, £1.99 for 100, you can get them from Woolworths too :smile:

If there is no study leave, students would be spending the weekends studying instead, as weekdays won't be enough time for some people. If you're in year 13, you might have study leave as you don't have anymore stuff to learn anymore. In year 12, you might not have one as you need continue on to the A2 stuff. Year 11's should have study leave as it's quite important to get good grdaes to go on to A-levels. In addition, there is nothing else to learn anyway, so study leave could be implemented.