It’s finally here! The Christmas holidays have arrived! You’ve got the food shop booked, presents wrapped… But it’s day 5 of the Christmas holidays with no sign of any revision being done at all and the eldest has mock exams in January! Don’t panic! Here are our 12 days of Christmas revision tips, share this with someone who needs a bit of revision inspiration...
1. First of all we need the details… find out how many exams there are and when they are, put them in your phone calendar and set an alarm so you don’t forget! We’ve lost count of the number of people who forget they have an exam or turn up late… don’t let that be you!
2. Now we’ve got all the important details we need to make a revision timetable… Wait, I know what you’re thinking… (eyeroll) a revision timetable? They never work… but trust us, a plan will get you half the way there…
3. For each subject find out the list of topics that will be in the exam, your teachers should have given you a heads up.. if not here’s a pro tip… look on the exam board website for the specification. Work out how many topics there are and divide it in to small chunks to cover each day… you might not need to study all the topics, choose the hardest ones!
"But I don’t know how to revise"… Sadly this is a very true statement… very often schools don’t really teach kids how to revise, so here are some of our best revision strategies…
4. Take a piece of A4 paper and without looking at your notes, write down everything you already know about ‘photosynthesis’ or ‘the causes of World War 2’ or, maybe write down all the formulas you need for Business Studies.… then find those books and add to your notes or correct them with another colour pen… repeat again tomorrow!
5. Flash cards are your friend! French word on one side, English word on the other. Maths formula on one side of the card and worked examples on another. Get a friend or family member to test you! If you're feeling adventurous you could play Articulate with those flash cards.
6. Get online! There are a hundreds of websites out there that can help… Kahoot, Bitesize, Quizlet, MyMaths…
7. YouTube… If after swallowing a textbook, Pythagoras' theorem or Fiscal Policy still aren't making sense we guarantee there is someone out there who has made a video on it…
8. Exam papers are probably THE BEST way to revise. For subjects like Maths and Science the mark schemes should tell you whether you’re right or wrong… For English, History or Economics you don’t need to write thousands of essays, planning them is more than enough as long as you do a detailed plan for each essay.
9. Find a study buddy… teach each other topics or test each other on Facetime or Zoom…
10. Exercise! Get outside, go for a walk! It will get those brain juices flowing, endorphins will make revision 100% easier.
11. Rest! You really shouldn't be studying for 8 hours a day… if you are studying for A-Levels or GCSE’s around 3-4 hours a day should be enough. But space it out… (don’t forget pro tip no 10). Also, it is a holiday, you ARE allowed to have a few days off. Don't forget to schedule in some rewards for all that hard work.
12. Call in the professionals and find a tutor! If things feel a little bit overwhelming, or you need a bit of one to one help with your revision contact us! Sara@educatedlondon.com. We have tutors for all ages and subjects… Sometimes a couple of sessions is all you need to get you on track.
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