26th April 2019 9:00
By Blue Tutors
Students across the country are now the midst of revising. Hopefully many will have planned their revision a reasonable time ago, some will only just be starting, but with GCSE and A Level exams looming, some kind of plan is essential. Our tutors are experienced at helping students to organise their revision and make the most from it, but if you don’t have a tutor then there are a few simple tips to prepare properly for your exams.
Write your plan down. This might seem obvious, and while a plan in your head is better than none at all, having a concrete plan to refer to will keep you honest because it’s too easy to convince yourself that you had planned to do less when tired or bored. In addition, completing what you planned to do gives a great sense of achievement and progress.
Your revision plan should be realistic and manageable. Far too often we speak to GCSE students or A Level students who have planned to work for 10+ hours a day which is an awful balance. Plan your breaks and down time as extensively as you do your working time and stick to it. Studying is much more effective when you are alert and in the right frame of mind to work.
Practice working in exam conditions. You should know the format of all of your exams, and it’s crucial that you replicate exams exactly to get used to what you will have to do. See exams more like a sport and revision more like training to play that sport. By doing timed past papers in absolute silence you will become familiar with that level of concentration, and a positive side effect is that you will finish your revision more quickly.
Don’t sacrifice sleep and health the night before an exam! It’s amazing how many well prepared students decide that 2-3 extra hours or work, rather than 2-3 extra hours of sleep is worth it. Eat as you would normally, stay hydrated and get a good 8+ hours sleep beforehand. Otherwise, lack of concentration will cost you far more than you gained from the late-night last-minute revision.