Organise your revision

Due to national exams being cancelled this year, most people will be having internal exams after the easter holidays. This may be in the form of topic tests or a full series of exams in exam halls with invigilators to be as close to the actual exams as possible. Although teachers are required to use evidence from the entire course when deciding your grade, these exams are still somewhat important, especially as they can be used as evidence of your progress if you are trying to get a higher grade than the one you were predicted or are currently working at. Therefore, revision is important and it is even more important to plan your revision to ensure that you are covering everything you need to whilst also taking a much deserved break. This blog post will explore some of my favourite tips and tricks for efficient revision.

1.       Making a timetable

This is perhaps the most important thing to do – everyone has multiple subjects to revise for and perhaps not as much time as we would have if national exams were still going ahead, so it is important to manage your time well and prioritise. The pandemic has undoubtedly affected everyone’s mental health, and in many of us, this has made us a lot less productive and motivated, and this is completely normal! Having a timetable or even a list of what you need to revise can help with motivation but also helps you prioritise. If you cannot revise everything, make sure to focus on the things you struggle with the most and the subjects that you need to do well in – if your university offer is for three A Levels and you take four, think about which subjects your time would be most effectively spent on.

2.       Using past papers

This is perhaps the most time-efficient way you can revise, as exam technique is a huge part of doing well in any subject. One of the biggest things students struggle with in most exams is the time pressure and thinking on the spot, so doing timed past papers can help you prepare for this. It also becomes more important as you will inevitably have done very few papers in exam conditions – there is a large difference between completing a test in your room, a place you are comfortable in, compared to in school or in an exam hall, somewhere which is a very different environment. Past papers also show you what examiners are looking for e.g. how examiners like you to structure essays or which keywords you need to use in science to get all the marks. Most A levels are the new specification from 2017 onwards meaning there are not many past papers available, so using exam questions become even more valuable now.

3. Take breaks

This may seem counterproductive in a post about studying, but taking breaks is just as important as actually studying. We can sometimes have a tendency to work for hours and hours without a break which is incredibly harmful for our mental health, not to mention it makes us far less productive and able to actually learn and remember things. In times like this, maintaining your mental health is so vital, I cannot stress it enough! The holidays are first and foremost a time for you to relax and recharge, so make sure to do that. Good luck everyone, I’m sure you will all do great!