Revising your GCSEs can be daunting and overwhelming. It is not a bad idea to plan your revision as early as you can to cover the sheer length of your syllabus. Not only will it save you from panic and confusion when the exam season kicks off, but it will also provide confidence and positively influence your performance.
If your exams season is upon you and you think it is time to sit down and start preparing for your exams, these tips will prove immensely helpful. We have provided a thorough revision guide on starting and carrying out your preparation.
10 Useful Tips to Revise Your GCSE Syllabus
Start Well Before Exams
Giving yourself an early start on revision is always a good idea. The more time you have, the more calmly you can plan and execute your revision. It will also give you enough time to practice and retain what you have learned.
Create a Timetable
A timetable is an essential step to plan and start your revision. It allows you to organise your study plan and distribute the available time to various subjects according to your needs. However, keeping your revision timetable as realistic as possible is suggested to ensure its successful execution.
Set Your Goals
Set your daily or weekly goals that you are aiming to achieve, depending on the time you have for revision before your exams start. You can start by writing down the time needed for every subject, making a list of the topics you have to cover, and distributing these topics over the available time.
These goals will help you keep track of your progress along the way.
Gather Your Notes
Now is the time to gather all the study material you will need to achieve your goals. This can include books, notes and audio-visual aids that can help you prepare for your GCSEs. Organise your study material subject-wise to keep things easily accessible when needed.
Set Up Your Space
You are going to need a calm and silent place to study. Set up your space with good lighting and a relaxing environment to stay focused. Remember that an uncomfortable environment can set you off your momentum and make you lose much of your precious time.
Keep the Distractions at Bay
Another important factor to focus on is to eliminate all the distractions. These may include noise and electronic gadgets such as mobile, laptop, gaming set-ups, TV and any other gadgets that can lure you away from your studies.
Give Yourself Time to Relax
Make sure that you do not burn yourself out while trying to achieve too much at once. It will exhaust you very quickly and put you out of your pace within days. Give yourself proper breaks where you can relax and perform some healthy activities. These breaks will allow you to keep your productivity levels at an optimum level.
Use Versatile Material
It is recommended not to trust only a single source to learn. Make sure that you put every available resource to good use. From books and notes to the internet, spare no resources that can help you prepare for your exams. Here are some of the websites that can prove to be helpful:
BBC Bitesize
Seneca
GoConqr
Quizlet
GetRevising
Keep Calm and Avoid Anxiety
Probably the most important tip for a successful revision is to stay calm and positive, even when you feel stuck. Do not forget to give yourself some positive affirmations to stay motivated.
Practice Papers
Practice papers are an efficient way to prepare yourself practically for your exams. Solve as many past papers as you can and try to simulate exam conditions as much as you can. Keep track of your time and conclude your papers with the time to spare. This will give you an overview of your preparedness and build your confidence at the same time.
Useful Revision Techniques You Can Use
Some techniques you can employ while revising your syllabus based on your learning style:
Make notes of what you have learnt and read through different study materials such as books, revision guides and notes.
Summarise your topics in writing before moving to the next one to ensure you have all the key points retained in your long-term memory.
Draw mind maps to keep things organised in your brain to help you remember the connections between important details.
Discuss your ideas with your friends and classmates, particularly for English literature and other opinion-based subjects.
Keep yourself open to other ideas and stay mentally prepared for improvisation into your schedule.
Use tables and diagrams to help you remember the details. Infographics are easier to remember.
Test your friends and let them test you back to check your preparedness.
How to Keep Yourself Motivated?
Arguably, in the whole process, the hardest thing after revising is to keep revising. You will face times where you will not be able to cope with your timetables and set goals. This is the crucial time that will require some self-motivation.
We recommend you not panic, take deep breaths, close your eyes and think:
Why are you studying?
Think about the goals you want to achieve in your life and the career you want to make for yourself. Prepare yourself for all the hardships and temporary setbacks, and focus on the bigger milestones that you want to achieve.
What benefit will panic give?
Panic can have a drastic influence on your brain; it will gradually make it harder to turn yourself around and keep your focus on your studies. Panic has the ability to dominate your brain and clinch your cerebral capacity. So, try to keep yourself calm, composed and confident to overcome all the setbacks.
What have you achieved during your quest?
Take a few minutes to recall the progress that you have made so far. Think about the goals and mini-goals that you have achieved. It will provide you with confidence and restore your belief in your abilities.
Comments