GCSE Tips From A 'Straight-A' Student
I want to start by saying that I am not someone who is a naturally talented academic. School has never been easy for me, and I am someone who has had to put in a lot of work to get the grades that I get.
So... These are a few of the things that I did to get my GCSE grades, because if I can do it, then so can you!!
Let's begin with my actual results
I was absolutely terrified before I picked up my results, despite everyone telling me "You've got it in the bag" and "You'll breeze through", because for me, that was not how I felt.
People didn't know that I came home on the days of my English exams and cried and cried and cried. They didn't know that I doubted myself everyday before and after the exams. And the more people kept telling me things to 'comfort me', I just ended up feeling as though more pressure was being put on my shoulders.
So, I just stuck to my guns and was honest with people and said that no one other than the examiners knew how I had done, and nothing was for sure. Somehow that made me feel a little better.
Despite feeling a little better, I was still piling so much pressure on myself. All I wanted was my mock results which were a mixture of A's, A*'s and a B. But, I really did not think that I had gotten those, so I thought that I had let myself down. Not to help the situation, I started watching '2016 Result's Day' videos on YouTube and then everyone's A-Level results.
It's fair to say that I was freaking out!!
Anyway, I got...
9 - English Language
9 - English Literature
8 - Maths
A* - Biology
A - Chemistry
A - Physics
A* - Business Studies
A - French
A* - IT&Computing
A* - Religious studies
Not going to lie, I was in complete shock when I opened my results. I knew that I had done everything I possibly could do, but I still didn't think it was enough to get me my dream grades. So, I certainly proved to myself that you can never truly judge how well you did in an exam!
What did I actually do?
Here are a few tips on what helped me revise and keep myself sane throughout (and through the lead up to) exams...
MIND MAPS
I was introduced to a free internet program called 'GoConqr' by my ICT teacher about halfway through the school year. At first, I dismissed it as another unhelpful revision tool that I would try once then not want to use again. However, I couldn't have been more wrong.
I began with only making mind maps for ICT, but then I quickly started using the online site to assist with my revision for other subjects. Particularly Business Studies and Science.
I had already copied out all of the notes from my AQA Science revision guides, but a few weeks before the science exams, I needed a quicker way to go back over all of the notes and try and remember them again. So, I decided to make a mind map for each and every science topic... and I think it worked!
The program helped me so much aaaaannnndddd.... IT'S FREE!! I couldn't recommend it more!
SCIENCE NOTE SETS
Near the start of the academic year, one of my friends had an AQA revision guide which I had not seen before, so I asked here where it was from. I then found out she had purchased it from Amazon, and it was a detailed - yet condensed - version of the books we used in Science lessons.
I was so excited, and ordered them for Biology, Chemistry and Physics (they weren't too expensive either!!).
It took me a while to figure out the revision method which suited me, but I finally decided on writing notes. I had to be awkward and choose one of the most pain-staking, time-consuming methods of revision... but it worked for me which is all that mattered!
My key features that helped my notes to be successful were:
- I made sure when I was copying out each sentence, that I actually understood what I was writing about, and that the information was actually going in
- I used colour (but not too much)... pastel highlighters, friction pens and fine-liners were my best friend
- I organised my notes afterwards by stapling them together and labelling them, because writing them once and never looking at them again wouldn't do any good
- the night before the exam (and a few days before) I read through every sentence to jog my memory
- I didn't rush them, and left enough time (I started in the Christmas holidays)
PRACTICE PAPERS As boring and pointless as it may seem at the time, past papers are some of the best things that you can do in order to feel and be prepared for the real exams.
I printed off LOADS of past papers at school (and probably killed about 100 trees and broke 50 rules and broke the Business Studies printer in the process) but I did, and it was so worth!! I could...
- get used to the question format
- see the style of answers the mark-scheme liked
- learn where my gaps in knowledge were
- gain confidence paper after paper after paper as my marks went up
For me, past paper are a MUST when revising, because you learn so much more from them than you may think!!
ORGANISATION
I am so lucky to have my mom as a role model of how to be organised. She has always instilled within me the importance of organisation, and for that I cannot thank her enough.
Now, I am not a revision timetable person at all, even though all my teachers used to tell me I had to have one! The truth is that you don't, and it is just extremely important to do what works for you.
I just think that revision timetables make you feel really guilty and bad about yourself for not sticking to them completely, and during exam season, you do not need anything making you feel any worse about yourself!!
So, instead I used a tool that worked for me, which was to-do-lists. I loved them, because I could easily add things and take things away, and I was not limited to time slots to do things within which was lovely.
One of the other most important things that I did was allow myself to see visually what exams I had when. I stuck up three pieces of paper on my wall which showed me the four weeks of exams. Instead of scheduling revision, I scheduled the only thing I knew for sure... When my exams were.
As silly as it sounds, this allowed me not to forget about exams. I heard so many freaking out because they focused solely on the first exam (Biology) and totally forgot to revise for Chemistry. This is something I tried my hardest to avoid, especially because I had about 11 exams in the first week.
If I had Biology Tuesday and Chemistry Thursday, they would both get revised for on Monday. If I had English language the next week, I would revise for it on Thursday. That was my secret weapon!!
REVISION SESSIONS
From the start of the academic year I asked when revision sessions would be on. At the beginning in the first few sessions I was sometimes the only person who was there. But I didn't let that stop me, because I knew that I had to prioritise my studies.
Other people thought it was too early to go to revision, but I was terrified of leaving it too late, so the more revision I could go to, the better.
I think that revision sessions for me were so crucial in my GCSE success. Because of the fact that I was sometimes the only person there, I was able to ask questions I wouldn't normally have been able to, and I was able to have my learning individualised with a specialist, which was rare with the large classes I was in.
As well as before exams started, I think that one of the most important things I did was prioritise going to revision sessions even during the exam period. Yes I was tired. Yes I had come out of two exams in one day. And yes a revision session was the last place I wanted to be. But, I knew that if I could get an hour's worth of revision in it would be beneficial, because I would have only gone home and moped for a couple of hours instead!!
ASKING QUESTIONS
Lastly, one of the most important things that I did throughout my whole GCSE experience was asking questions.
I was often the last one at the end of each lesson pestering the teachers again and again, but it paid off, and they were happy to talk to me, even if I felt bad about asking them.
For example, I began Maths with my Year 11 teacher in Year 9 and I hated it. I was clinging on to being in Set 1 by the bare teeth, but I was in there. She told me that I was within the bottom half of the set, and I may be at risk of moving down. We discussed grades, and at the time she was predicting me a B at best.
When we had a seating plan change around I was moved near the front, and it seemed to be really working for me. Primarily, because I could ask more questions and be listened to. At the end of that year (Year 10) I asked if I could sit at the front in our new classroom next year. She remembered and there I sat at the front.
From that point in Year 11 my grades started to get higher. My marks increased. And most of all, my confidence grew. At every Parent's Evening there was a more positive response, and by the last one, she told me I couldn't rule out an A*.
I still thought the prospect of an A* in Maths was out of reach, but obviously I was wrong, because I did get an A* in Maths... All from asking a question to be moved to the front one day, which allowed me to answer so many more questions which have now gotten me my dream grade in Maths!!
Thank you for reading, I hope this helps...
Francesca <3