Revision

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This page is designed to support students and parents/carers with advice and guidance around exam revision.

 

 

One stop shop for revision information

This document contains links and ideas from each subject, on how to revise best for that particular exam. Be sure to contact your teacher if you need reminding of a login for any websites.

 

English Key Quotations

The mocks next term include exams on “An Inspector Calls”. The quotes included on this document will be very helpful in making key points in that exam, and are highly recommended for you to learn. You will need to identify where the quotation comes from in the text, and think about which themes (e.g Socialism vs Capitalism, Younger and Older Generations, Class/Social Status etc.) it could be used for.

 

Biology and Chemistry Equations to Learn

This small list of equations are the ones you are expected to know for your Biology and Chemistry exams. You will see that the module they are from is listed, so you know which exam you need it for. Flash cards would be a fantastic way to learn these formulae – ask a teacher or your tutor for some small cards if you need some, or head to Reprographics (next to 121) and ask there.

 

Physics Equations To Use

This larger list of Physics equations you do NOT need to memorise – you will be given them in the exam! If you are answering some Physics questions over half term, make sure you have this formula sheet with you, in case you need one of the formulae.

Maths Annotated Formula Sheet

Similar to Physics, this formula sheet will be given to you in the exam (Foundation or Higher, depending on your tier) We have annotated this one to remind you some key things about the formulae, to help you use them over half term.

So, those are the resources, but what about some help with actual revision? Below are a few key points to remember through next week, when you are revising.

Take Care of Yourself

Year 11 has some Wellbeing workshops with Ms Bryden a few weeks ago, do you remember what she said? 8 to 9 hours of sleep every night, with some time before you settle away from your phone to help your brain switch off. A healthy diet is also really important – her challenge was to try and eat all of the colours of the fruit and veg rainbow to optimise your nutrition. The third point was regular exercise – getting away from the books and screens, outdoors if you can face it, will help keep you healthy, and actually help your brain retain the information better than a sedentary week.

Break Up your Revision

This is two-fold:

  1. Make sure you take regular breaks while you are working. Go and make a cup of tea, or get a glass of water. Walk around the block, or play some football. Try not to do anything on a screen, or that requires your brain to process more information, but do give it a break to store the revision you are doing.
  2. Break up similar subjects to not overload your brain. Maths revision followed by Physics revision is too similar, do some English or History after Maths to activate different areas of your brain. And don’t just revise the subjects you like, or are doing well at! Mix in the ones that you dislike, because these are the ones that probably need more of the work.

Do, don’t just Read

If you sit and read and then reread a revision guide, or a set of notes, your brain can trick you in to thinking that it knows the information, when it actually just recognises it. You have to actually do something with the notes you are trying to learn, to get your brain to think about it, rather than just read it. Answer a set of questions, make a mind map identifying the links, make some flash cards and test yourself on them, but don’t just keep rereading the same page.

And the big one:

Cramming is pointless

Spending hours on your revision will do nothing except give you a headache.

It’s easy to think you’ve committed it all to memory, but you really haven’t. A little and often is the way to go – you need to have a break next week as well, to recover from this term and prepare for next term. Block out entire days in your schedule if you want to, or just revise in the mornings and relax in the afternoons, whatever works best for you. None of your teachers are asking you to work 12 hours a day on revision next week, we know that it won’t help. So don’t leave all your revision to the last minute, do prepare for these mocks and take them seriously, but also have a break through the week – 20 minutes of Maths on 3 or 4 days next week is better than 2 hours the night before the exam, and the same is true for all your other subjects as well.