Any revision techniques that actually work for GCSE revision?

[theaterix]

So its coming up to my GCSE mocks and the big ones next April/May and I have never really revised before and have breezed through quite a lot, but maybe not getting as high as I could due to no revision, literally non due to my preference of football and computer games But I am smart, but its never really mattered until now as the whole 'rest of my life' is starting to kick in now.

I am an A* capable student in pretty much anything I try in, but I really struggle revising in anything, and hence my current grades being a mixture of A/B in most with my maths being an A* as that has always been my strong point.
But really, I am currently as I type trying to revise for a science 'progress test' thing tomorrow, and its quite important, and according to my teacher its the hardest topic, it is on Photosynthesis and Respiration and when I am reading things it is going in 1 ear and out the other and it feels like a waste of time...

Does anyone have any magical tips I could try to hopefully help me remember things easier??

 

[theaterix]

I didn't think A Levels were very hard at all, and don't pay much attention got A's throughout with the exception of 1 B on a paper

I'm now doing a HnD in Aerospace Engineering and my god is it hard! I've had a few tests so far and the best thing I've found is repitition, keep doing/reading it over and over. Breaking up your study into shorter 15-20 minutes otherwise you get bored then go back to it. And highlight.. I now highlight anything that is important to me, specific equations, certain words things like that.

Good luck!

Engineering is the area i am looking to go into actually, except going through the apprenticeship route instead, as it seems more appealing, earning while i work!
Highlighting is something i have started doing a lot this year, especially in PE (had nothing else to choose, and im sporty and I heard GCSE IT was boring, and i was right, it is insane amounts of typing). I need small info to take in, in order to remember things lol.

I don't. I was like you, ability wise I had it but I didn't really put in any effort revising, got A/A*s for everything. So you're probably thinking, great I won't revise then.

Well please do revise, get in the habit of it, because I followed the same attitude over to A-Level and it didn't work. I got BCC at A-Level when I was capable of AAA, hence I didn't go to the greatest of Unis, but I worked hard at Uni and ended up getting a decent job out of it.

Point is, if you're smart, which it appears you are, you don't really need to revise for GCSEs. But if I were you I would get into the habit of doing it because just winging it at A-Level doesn't work. And even more so at University (if you plan to go to Uni).

And also don't worry about the "Rest of your life" thing yet, you'll still have choices at A-Level, and then further choices at University and even with a degree you still have lots of choices. Worry about now, not 5 years time.

And as has been said above the absolute best thing for exams is a good nights sleep and a good breakfast.

Best of luck!

I am looking at Engineering apprenticeships as in the North East there is tons of jobs, and good money too! Atleast thats what I am hoping for and i suppose things dont always work out how you plan them but ill deal with that when it happens .
I best get to sleep aswell!

It's too late to do any new revision now for an exam tomorrow. Just get a good night's sleep.

I did my GCSEs last year I'm now in A-level the thing that worked for me is just do past papers non stop they really do help I was able to hit 98% in tier 3 maths (not sure if its the same for you I'm from Northern Ireland) anyway just do past papers constantly you will do very good, I was capable of doing much better in all my results but I didn't apply myself but to be honest I've got where I want to be so you shouldn't worry to much if you get low marks

This is a very good idea, any ideas where i can get them online or is it something i should ask my teacher for?

Small and often will probably work better for you than trying to batter your way through 3 hours solid.

Break things down into topics that you can spend 20 minutes on.

Make yourself revision cards. Even if you don't use them, the act of creating them will help absorb the content, and if you do need a quick reminder, you've made relevant cards to look at, in a style you will absorb better.

The revision cards are a good idea, as just writing 2x A4 pieces of paper on my science has helped a ton, as now i can actually answer a large majority of the questions on the sheet my teacher gave me with a huge list of things to revise on..

 

[theaterix]

I would say the first thing to do is find out which method suits you.

Some people like watching videos others like doing place cards and there are many other methods.

Doing past papers which has already been mentioned is a must as this will give you an idea of what the examiners are looking for and the types of questions that are likely to come up.

GCSE are very straight forward and no in depth knowledge is needed. If you have half a brain you should be ok for just walking in to the exam and getting a good mark. I would not recommend this though.

Yeah I imagined this, as not being harsh, but people I know that are less 'knowledgeable' in the year above me, got A's and B's, its just when my teachers are going through all this masses of information, it just really really scares me and I think the exam is going to be like the bible sized thickness and ill have to remember what EVERYTHING ive ever learnt is...

 

[theaterix]

You should do this free course if you have time it gives you techniques you can use for learning -

https://www.coursera.org/learn/learning-how-to-learn/

Shall take a look at that now!

 

[theaterix]

Spending less time on forums at half eleven on a Sunday night and getting some sleep tends to help.

Found out just after i last wrote that it is now tuesday (tomorrow) so ill get a good one tonight!

as your teachers... tis pretty silly if they don't supply them - it is the most obvious way to improve exams scores, repeatedly practice doing the exams

you go through your books from the various subjects... make a few notes etc.. get that out of the way early on so you've 'revised' - it is then past papers you want to focus on... do a past paper then go back and re-revise any areas you struggled on.. do the same for each subject... then do another past paper and again re-revise anything you struggled with... (do some additional similar exercises from your text book etc.. covering that area) repeat... after you've done a couple of papers then it becomes much easier - do as many as you can... Aside from one or two hard questions they seem to chuck in for the A* you'll tend find exams are more or less the same year on year... if anything they get progressively easier as time goes on - IIRC in my GCSEs the past papers from a decade before were harder than the more recent ones... questions broken down into more parts and hints given etc.. but the basic structure of the exams wasn't too different

Yeah I have noticed that, and i guess its why they are changing the way they are scored and making them harder...

Good to see a young person interested in studying.

Your brain is like a PC, it is more powerful than anything you can buy on Overclockers and it has an operating system!

It is helpful if you know how to program it and how your memory works.

The poster who said 20 minutes study, 5 minutes break was spot on.

This helps you learn to program your head http://www.amazon.co.uk/Buzans-Study-Skills-Techniques-Reading/dp/1406664898/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8


Get past papers and ask your teachers to set you some extra questions, get familiar with the curriculum for each of your subjects. For example pages 46 & 47 - but check it is the right exam board:

Photosynthesis and respiration pg 46 & 47
http://filestore.aqa.org.uk/subjects/AQA-BIOL-W-SP-14.PDF

So make sure you know about or at least have heard of everything on the curriculum - don't leave that to your teacher - they miss stuff out.

Biggest tip
No one on a plane is going to shout out is there an expert computer gamer or football fanatic onboard. They are hobbies, there is plenty of time for those.

Pack up your PC/console during exams, get it out if you really do not feel like doing any work and play as much as you want but for the most part hang up the mouse and study.

Please try this, it worked for me at university and I wish I had known it earlier when I was at Secondary school

Start your revision 10 weeks before the exams start. Seriously!

Buy a big ream of A3 paper off Amazon
Some coloured pencils and learn to mind map
Do past papers
Don't write out revision notes - utter waste of time - everyone does it

Set up a nice quiet location in your house - I have a standing desk in my garage! No internet, no distractions, nothing else to do

You can leave you stuff in there and pop in for an hour or two - walk away.

Do the hard thing, take past papers, qs, turn the books over, have a timed exam - I use my cooker timer! If your exam is an hour for 4 questions try 10 minutes for 4 questions but just reproduce your mind maps and after 40-minutes or when you can't recall anything more - see how you did. You will find you master some maps, but struggle on others, so practice those over and over until you have it done.

If there are frequent topics that come up, write them down and master them.

Practice turning over the books, revision mind maps and reproducing 10 or 20 things you know about that subject until you have memorized them.

After 8 weeks you have learned everything, you will have all your mind maps for each subject. Now you are going to have a week off!

Now 2 weeks before the exam have a week off! Sat, Sunday, Mon - Fri, Sat Sun = do everything do like doing - PC, footie, cinema, out with mates.

Notice how all your mates will just be starting their revision, you will have done yours - and you are having a holiday!

Now on the Sunday evening you will be refreshed and exam nerves will kick in, you have not done any revision for a week!

Now 1 week before
Start to revise by going over your revision notes. But you are fresh (fresh legs). You will have normal exam anxiety which will carry you through. It is going to feel great, you have done all your revision, you are just refreshing your knowledge and after a break you really can work hard up to and during the exam period.

Do this and I promise you they will be the easiest exams you ever did. Repeat this for your A-levels and Uni.

Work hard OP, several weeks out of society will not do you any harm and these GCSE tickets are a game, here is a good strategy to beat the game, they will open opportunities for you in the future. This determines your earning potential in the future and this bit of hard work means you will be watching plenty of footie and building gaming rigs in the future - it pays for your lifestyle and life and you have a brain, use it. Only you can do this.

Good luck

Saved all of that in a word document for future reference as i think that is the best bit of advice
I am taking a BTEC in Engineering, obviously Maths, English and Science as core subjects, and then History and PE.
Engineering is what i want to do as my career path and at the moment, im slowly starting my searches for apprenticeships, and if somehow, i dont manage to get one of them, ill end up going down the A-Level and Uni route, although id prefer to get away from school ASAP!
I dunno what is better money wise though, albeit i get a nice wage of about £1k per money at 16 for 4 years and a certain job after it, (wage differs fro place to place) and then its pretty straight forward from there.

Spend more time revising less time on the forums !

I had no way to revise for mine many years ago i relied on good teachers getting there point across.

But i like forums, they are fun! Its how i relax, computers chill me out