General Revision Tips
bonjour,
As I mentioned in my last post, I wanted to share my revision tips with you all, however, I wasn't sure whether to wait until after results day to see if they were effective or not. I've ultimately decided that unless I get shocking results then this post will stay up and I'll make some edits to this to confirm if these are effective!
before I get into it I just wanted to say these are the revision tips I found that 'worked' for me so they may not work for everyone as revision isn't a one size fits all kinda thing.
tip number one - make a list!
- this might not be obvious to you, I didn't think of it until the last three science papers but make a list of the topics within each module of each course. for example with science, there are around 5 modules/topics in each paper so I wrote out all of the things that could appear in each one and colour coded them based on my strength of knowledge. from this I then spent extra time on the ones I wasn't comfortable with.
this is genuinely so helpful and means you can get a good grip on all topics/modules before going into the depths of revision. there's nothing worse than having to go back and learn something and getting distracted from the main revision.
--- also it would be ideal if you 'knew' all the course before January/February of GCSEs so that you are somewhat prepared for what could come up in the paper ---
tip number two - brainstorm things you do know!
- this corresponds with the first one but it helps to give yourself an understanding of where you are with things. for example, in the middle of a page write 'maths formula' and write around it in colourful pens the formulae you know, and highlight any you forgot or don't know after.
--- if you want it to be neat then you can always write them on scrap paper or in pencil before using colours so it looks neater ---
tip number three - use a variety of revision material!
- vary the way you revise, whether that is through past papers, notes, mind maps, flashcards, Quizlet, Seneca - you name it, try everything! otherwise, you will find yourself getting bored or distracted because it is becoming as boring as normal school work.
tip number 4 - flashcards!
- I'll admit at first I was sceptical of these and only picked some up to write the physics equations down, but they are incredible! I used them for the equations, quote explosions for English, mnemonics, nutrient benefits, pretty much anything that can be condensed or key points highlighted it can go on a flashcard!
the works have bigger flashcards than Sainsbury's and Tescos. I'd recommend buying more than you think you'll need, as I got through around 100+ and went on a goose chase to find more and ended up with different ones.
--- personally, I prefer the smaller size rather than the bigger but it's a personal preference ---
tip number 5 - Seneca!!!
- I wish I'd have known about this in September, it's genuinely the most incredible thing! and it's FREE!! (there are options to pay for it but I chose the free one as I figured I might not like it and it was still really good!)
I wish I was being paid to talk about it but I'm not, I loved it so much. its a new website which allows you to choose your subjects and gives you 100% of the spec for free, and asks you questions and allows you to 'store' your knowledge in different countries. it has ks3, GCSE and some a-level courses, and the option to request courses if yours hasn't been added yet, the more request the quicker it is added!
--- because it is new some courses aren't added but most of the popular GCSEs are on there. going to warn you it can be addicting! also between 6-6:30, there were free premium trials but the free version is perfectly fine, if not better (I spent 70 hours on it during GCSEs on top of other forms of revision) ---
tip number 6 - use your teachers!
- your teachers know the syllabus/spec better than you, so ask them for revision resources and tips and they will be able to direct you in the right places -
tip number 7 - onmaths!
- I didn't know this existed until my maths teacher told me about it, but there are questions on topics and they are all marked online which is so much better than printing off papers and finding mark schemes etc. they also post paper predictions, which are *fairly* accurate but then this year was a bit of a mess so its not their fault. however, when these are released there is quite a lot of page traffic and the website can be laggy/not load so try and not leave it till last minute!
--- found this super helpful especially if you're amid revision with aching wrists and don't want to write another thing ---
tip number 8 - revision timetable!
- said this briefly in my last post but it does help, our head of year gave us all 'how to revise guides' from CGP and they had timetable templates in the back (and also had tips for the humanities and other subjects) which was useful for simply just scheduling a slot for 'revision' and 'socialising' but I wouldn't stress too much about writing each subject in or needing to find time to do 30 minutes per subject per night otherwise you won't get a break (or at least at the beginning)
--- I used a weekly planner for the whole year (from the pound shop nothing expensive) and wrote three subjects I'd focus on per night on the days and left it like that, it is super helpful for also tracking dates and exams and things and is cheaper than having to buy anything else ---
tip number 9 - Duolingo!
- everyone knows of this owl app when learning a language, yes it has weird phrases but its so helpful for just squeezing in ten minutes of revision a night and it helps to practise all aspects of a language GCSE
--- try and test yourself by testing out of a topic by pressing the little key thing, you'll be surprised by how much you know ---
tip number 10 - buy revision guides!!
- I cannot stress this enough especially for things like English, maths and science, if you don't want to pay full price then have a look on sites like gumtree, depop and Facebook market during the summer/after exams have finished - there's guaranteed to be a book for your subjects!
even ask teachers if they can buy revision guides in bulk for the whole class which means you all end up spending less!
--- I like the york notes revision guides for English lit, and the normal CGP for anything else, because they are so easy to understand and are organised, but don't waste money on the workbooks as you can print off past paper questions or find them online ---
last one - past paper questions!!!
the most key one, in my opinion, practice makes perfect and if you can learn the techniques to answer them as well as the content of the course, you're on the way to getting some good grades!
that was a long one and took me over an hour to write so apologies if there are any mistakes! I'll try and link the sites mentioned below and links to some of my favourite revision guides too
Jess x
links:
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