The sun is just beginning to come out which means one thing...exam season. Yes, just as it is perfect weather for spending time outside, you're stuck in the house revising. This time of year is incredibly stressful and sometimes it seems as though you'll never be rid of the textbooks and revision notes. So, I've created this guide to try and help you through it.
Before the exams start...
1. Make a timetable and jot down when all your exams are. This way you know exactly how long you have to prepare for each exam and don't get caught off guard by any of them.
2. Find out how you revise best and stick with it. This could be anything from making rainbow coloured mindmaps to putting post-it notes all over the house. Does music help or are you better off in silence?
3. Start with the hard stuff. It's really tempting to just read over the topics you already know but focus on the parts you find harder. This means you'll be able to spend longer on them and go over them a few times before actually sitting the exam. Also, if you have lots of exams then this is a good method for starting to revise those subjects which may be one of the last exams and you might not have as much time to prepare for them.
4. Be realistic. Don't expect to be able to revise for twelve hours a day and take everything in. Similarly, don't start revising the night before your History exam if you haven't understood a single topic since the start of term... Try to revise for a few hours each day and split up your revision into manageable chunks. It's really important to take regular breaks too so that you stay both motivated and sane! Throughout the day, you can have mini treats and breaks (chocolate works particularly well for this). On top of this, try to plan a couple of days to look forward to such as meeting up with your friends through the revision period so you can get out of the house.
5. Use your friends and family. Get a second opinion on your English essay to check your argument is clear or ask someone to test your understanding of mitosis. Either way, it can be much more fun to revise with someone else and also spend time not all alone in your room.
The night before the exam...
1. Pack your pencil case. There's nothing worse than realising there's not a single pen in your house the morning of your exam so check you have everything the night before. Also, ensure that everything complies with your school's exam regulations and you have the necessary equipment for each exam as it may differ e.g. a calculator, maths set...
2. Get plenty of sleep. Try and go to bed early before your exam as it might take a bit longer for you to fall asleep than normal.
3. Review your notes. Read through your notes and maybe get a family member to test you. This way the knowledge can consolidate whilst you sleep and you can go to bed confident that you're ready for the exam (if that's ever possible!).
4. Check what time your exam. Just in case you think it's an afternoon exam and it's actually in the morning...
5. Relax. Yeah, I know this is kind of difficult but have a bath or watch your favourite tv show before bed so that your brain can switch off for a bit and you'll be able to fall asleep peacefully rather than reciting Pythagoras' Theorem.
During the exam...
1. Read the instructions. You'll probably already have done lots of practise papers but just in case, ensure that you're doing what you're supposed to e.g. if there's a choice of questions and you're only required to answer one don't be an idiot and waste your time trying to answer them all.
2. Don't panic. If you can't answer a question, simply skip it and come back to it later. There's no point stressing over it and even if it's difficult, you'll probably be able to at least give it a go later on.
3. Read the question (RTFQ). Like above, don't start the question until you understand what you're being asked to do. Also, don't try and bend the question to suit something you've answered when revising - examiners will recognise this and mark you down!
4. Look at the marks available. This should give you some indication of how much time to spend on each question. Don't both writing an essay for a four mark question. Similarly, a sentence probably won't suffice for a forty mark question.
5. There's no trick questions. It's hard to believe sometimes, but the examiners are looking to award marks and aren't completely sadistic. Try not to answer anything in a wildly different manner to how you've been taught as the exam papers are designed to test what you've been doing in class. You should be able to apply your knowledge to any question. If you're really stuck, look back at the previous questions in the paper as they may jog your memory or have clues for how to tackle the question you're on.
After the exam...
1. Celebrate! You survived - congrats! If you've completed all your exams then you have a nice long summer to enjoy and if not, then at least it's another one down.
2. Refuel. If you have another exam that day, make sure you drink some water and eat something (again, chocolate works well!).
3. Avoid post-exam analysis. Your friends will probably ask what you got for question four, part b or whether you chose the question on eco-tourism or rebranding but try to avoid getting caught up in it all. There's nothing you can do to change your answer now and someone will always be upset if they didn't get the exact same answer as others.
4. Take a break. Allow yourself a bit of time off before revising for your next exam. Try and clear your mind of all the facts crammed in there for the exam you've just sat before revising for the next one.
5. Put things in perspective. These exams probably seem like the most important thing in the world and they are certainly something to take seriously. However, it's not the end of the world if they don't all go to plan and there are plenty of options to remedy it. It might not seem like it now but in years to come, you'll wonder why you ever stressed about them at all.
Useful Links...
Videos...
Make Revision Easy (10 Top Tips): http://bit.ly/1jUAkP1
How to Get an A for Your Essay: http://bit.ly/1gJXSCo
Get Better Grades at School: http://bit.ly/1nhLDnW
Motivate Yourself: http://bit.ly/1gWx0Ti
How to Survive A-Levels: http://bit.ly/1f9BZfg
Top Revision Tips for Exam Success: http://bit.ly/1hZsKUS (Fleur DeForce)
How NOT to Revise: http://bit.ly/1mngKMb
Music...
Chilled, relaxing tunes (think Bon Iver, Bastille and Gabrielle Aplin): http://bit.ly/1iAeIYx
Upbeat, indie study jam (think Passenger, Kodaline and Mumford & Sons): http://bit.ly/1mnhctQ
A long day of revision (think Bombay Bicycle Club, The Fray and Coldplay): http://bit.ly/1dQOPCV
You are always welcome to contact me with any worries about exams or anything else:
Tweet me @JennyWelsh28
Email me at deargeekchic@hotmail.co.uk
Message me on tumblr at http://deargeekchic.tumblr.com/
Best of luck! :)
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