Author Topic: GCSEs  (Read 2735 times)

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Offline The Shrub Dragon

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GCSEs
« on: November 17, 2013, 11:08 »
Yes. 'Tis the time of year whereby we Year Tens have their first controlled assessment, which is 15% of their English Language GCSE. On top of this, we've also got our first 'are you staying in the top set?' Maths Exam soon, which is also a GCSE paper. To add to that, we also have French and Spanish Controlled Assessments coming up and - before you ask - yes, I'm doing both.

So, this is the first influx of GCSE revision I have to do and I know it's not going to slow down from here.

Tips, anyone? How much work should I be doing a night if I want to be securing As and A*s (or, at this point, I'll settle for a B in Maths, but that's it)? Things I'll regret doing? Things I'll regret not doing?





thanks gl <3

Offline Meowstic Royalty

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Re: GCSEs
« Reply #1 on: November 17, 2013, 11:15 »
Well, I'm in year 9 so I dont have to do those yet. But at least I have another year to not care prepare.

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Offline Shaymin

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Re: GCSEs
« Reply #2 on: November 17, 2013, 13:41 »
well my brother got his first actual gcse a week ago -a b in science :B




Offline Liam

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Re: GCSEs
« Reply #3 on: November 17, 2013, 13:43 »
Well, first of all good luck with the controlled assessments and exams you're having soon! Don't be too worried about them, try to stay calm and be confident in your abilities to achieve what you want or need. Set realistic targets and aim for them, but don't forget to give yourself time for fun and relaxation.

As for revision, just make sure you read over your notes frequently and make sure you pretty much know everything in the textbook in time for the exam. The most important thing, and I can't stress this enough because you can know your stuff and still not do as well as you want to, is your exam technique. Do past paper questions, look at mark schemes to see what kind of material they're looking for, talk to your teachers about the way the exams are set out, that sort of thing.

I'm applying to university this year and a lot of top universities want an A or B for Maths and English at GCSE level, so prioritise them. For places like Oxford and Cambridge, they prefer it if you have A*s at GCSE (IIRC), but just aim to do as well as you can, pass everything at least, and it shall fall into place. Good GCSE scores also help you at college/sixth form because you'll get a lot of opportunities for extra lectures, student programmes and courses which are good for job/ucas applications.

I did really well in my GCSEs, but I can't say that I would be in a much worse off place if I didn't do as well as I thought I could. As I said, set realistic targets, get yourself settled into college/sixth form and find something you love doing and do as well as you can. :)

Offline SirBlaziken

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Re: GCSEs
« Reply #4 on: November 17, 2013, 14:01 »
Meanwhile in America, I just took a controlled writing assessment. THink I did pretty well.
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Offline Kdintranet & Scizau

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Re: GCSEs
« Reply #5 on: November 17, 2013, 14:24 »
A good plan is always key and everyone is different. There is no 'Ideal' time to revise because everyone's concentration tolerance and revision method are different. Find something that suits you. Something that I found really helpful is get a group of friend together and revise together. Teach each other. It may sound lame and cringey  but it works. Don't take it as a time to be serious though. Remembering funny things may help you remember the part that you are revising. For example when I was taking my History final in year 11 I still to this day remember the even of Bloody Sunday. When it happened. Who was involved ect ect. Because my friend pointed out the the main historical person there Father Gapon actually sounded like.... yeah I'm not going to put what it sounds like.

So find your own methods of revision. Find your own time scale and find what works for you and as always. Good Luck.

Things I'll Regret Doing?

Not Making Revision Fun

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Making Revision Fun.

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Offline The Shrub Dragon

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Re: GCSEs
« Reply #6 on: November 17, 2013, 14:37 »
So I'm getting I should Plan Well, Revise Frequently, and Make it Fun


Damn, I wish I'd kept up with the work schedule I made for myself. Well, it's not too late to start!


thanks gl <3

Offline Kdintranet & Scizau

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Re: GCSEs
« Reply #7 on: November 17, 2013, 14:41 »
So I'm getting I should Plan Well, Revise Frequently, and Make it Fun

If you don't make it fun you will get bored and boredom isn't fun!

Also don't beat yourself up if you 'miss' a revision session. You'll stress out and panic.

Another thing that I did and it may work for you is don't revise for an exam on the day of your exam. You'll come across something and be like. 'I don't know how to do that ahhhh panic' and realise you actually do you're just stressed. If that makes sense?
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Offline Meowstic Royalty

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Re: GCSEs
« Reply #8 on: November 17, 2013, 14:44 »
Here's the way I study if I'm using books.

Put a sweet on every couple of paragraphs of information. When you have fully read that part and know all about it, you may eat.

Actually motivates me, and I'm a lazy arse.

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Offline Kdintranet & Scizau

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Re: GCSEs
« Reply #9 on: November 17, 2013, 14:49 »
^But if I forget it do I put the sweet back?

Damn thats one was to get fat.
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Offline Spriter

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Re: GCSEs
« Reply #10 on: November 17, 2013, 14:51 »
This may not be as important, but the night before the exams, make sure you get a good night's sleep. Feeling refreshed in the morning is a lot better than being tired, and you may not wake up before the exam so you'll forget stuff.

Also, eating healthily is a good idea too, as is having a decent amount of exercise.

Most importantly, try not to stress. Keeping your nerves in an exam is a good idea too.

Offline That Girl in the 'Roo Suit

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Re: GCSEs
« Reply #11 on: November 17, 2013, 15:15 »
Also, try to vary what you do. Don't revise everything you could possibly want to know about one subject, because it's not going to work. I used to do three subjects a night, an hour of each. If I wasn't sure of a topic, I'd go over it in a lot more detail than the bits I knew (like learning developments in 18th century surgery instead of 16th-17th century medicine and the plague...) and review it every now and again until I understood it.

If you're really not sure about something, don't be afraid to ask your teachers either. They get paid to help you learn and I know plenty of teachers who all say that they genuinely appreciate it when students feel like they can come to them for help.

Job satisfaction, that.

Also I used to set myself a cut off point for revision. You aren't going to take in anything new the morning before an exam, so take that time to just review things. Make notes, make them as big and colourful as you want (I used a massive timeline on wallpaper for history, that took up more than the length of my room, for example) and go back to them often. Some people also find it useful to narrow down topics to keywords, so from one word they can associate everything to do with a whole topic. I couldn't do that though.

At the end of the day everyone learns differently, so as long as you find a way that works for you, no one can really tell you otherwise.
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Re: GCSEs
« Reply #12 on: November 17, 2013, 16:07 »
I remember my best method for revision (using chemistry revision guide)

Day 1: Read page 1 of revision guide
Day 2: Read pages 1 & 2 of revision guide
etc. etc. etc.

After 7 days of this I had fully memorized page 1 and could say everything on the page aloud. By doing a page extra a day up till the final exam (Chemistry Exam 3/3. (I hadn't thought of this method when revising for exam 1 or 2 out of 3)) and came out of that exam with an A*. I got a B for Chemistry overall.

Offline The Shrub Dragon

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Re: GCSEs
« Reply #13 on: November 17, 2013, 17:32 »
I'm suddenly finding myself inordinately glad that I'm not doing History.  Because that would be a lot of essays and a lot of things to remember and woah.


thanks gl <3

Offline That Girl in the 'Roo Suit

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Re: GCSEs
« Reply #14 on: November 17, 2013, 18:28 »
Eh, history isn't that bad. Good, solid, history.

(I have a degree in history of sorts, doing a Masters in it too... I kind of have to be on history's side ;])
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Well did she make you cry? Make you break down?
Shatter your illusions of love?
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