Do you remember the day?
The day I am referring to is the day when you first came to ‘The Billericay School’ as small (well mostly small) and innocent year seven students. The school seemed like an endless maze of uncertainty, rules and added work. Even the mere sight of Mr Macbeth was enough to send horrible shivers down your spine.
But with each little step you have all been able to flourish as students and eventually be confident in your abilities. Furthermore you have set your standards during your time at ‘The Billericay School’ and the next challenge has already started for you. The four single letters make Mr Macbeth’s towering figure seem welcoming (sorry Mr Macbeth, I am definitely pushing my luck now).
G.C.S.E s
Now this, understandably, may seem like a major worry to you, because in basic terms your G.C.S.E grades will make the difference and give you the platform that will lead you into future life. So there is no pressure at all.
Luckily we, the students of Year 12, can empathise with your situation. We have been through the exact same ordeal as you. But we are all here to say that all the G.C.S.E s need is a little hard work and that these G.C.S.E s will not just be about exams and revision, they will be a journey for your friends, for your families and most importantly for you.
So with this in mind here are the Year 12 Speak Up Students’ Top Ten Tips to G.C.S.E success (hopefully these will make the process easier and less worrying for you).
1. Stick to your revision and stick to your revision plan
Tom Marsh told us that the one important part of revision is actually ‘sticking to the revision’.
It may at times seem hard and demoralising, but it will all pay off in the end. Also if you have a revision plan prepared (an example could be a weekly revision timetable, showing which subjects you will study every half hour or hour of every day) you will find the revision much easier.
But ultimately you will get out of the revision what you put into it. ‘So get on with it will you’ (as Bekkah May would rightly say).
2. Have some social time and ‘you’ time
The very intellectual Tom Marsh strikes again. He told us that revision should not take over our day to day lives. And he is definitely right about that one.
Social time with friends, whether it be going to the cinema, shopping or just hanging out is very important. It will not only keep you motivated and make you more relaxed but also allow your mind time to process all the information from your revision sessions. However if you prefer to keep to yourself then why not relax after some revision with the television, some physical exercise such as a jog, some music, a dog walk or just reading a book? Enjoying yourself is just as important as being successful during revision and exams.
3. Get a study buddy for help and support
G.C.S.E time will be one of the most emotional times of your young lives. So it is crucial that you have a friend or a group of friends to experience this pressing time with you. Ben Garwood realised this and felt that one of the best ways your friends can help you is by being your study buddy.
Having a study buddy will not only allow your friend to give you feedback and encouragement, but if they are in the same or a similar subject you can help each other and work on each others strengths and weaknesses.
4. Do not get too stressed
We all know too well that stress can always pose a challenge, and this could be with anything in life, not just exams. But as Alexander Brown told us, stress should not overpower your revision, because, in blunt terms, how well you control and manage stress could make or break your G.C.S.Es.
It may seem demanding and sometimes difficult to keep on top of your revision. But all you need to do is think that all of this revision will be for your benefit and your future. Stress and worrying about exams is not going to change the situation in any way, or at least not in anyway you would want it to change.
5. Do revision every day and not just on the night before the exam
All of the revision and information you do and learn will only stay in your mind with consistency. Beth Deacon and Ben Garwood said that keeping your mind active and giving yourself a small challenge every day will motivate you and help you know more about the subject as you progress.
However if you choose to just revise the night before an exam, do not expect any favours from anyone. We can all guarantee that if you revise the night before you will not remember what you revised, feel tired and stressed and be unprepared for the exam.
6. Test yourself and find a revision method that works for you e.g. notes and posters
Everyone is different and everyone has their own way of revising effectively. So make sure you remember what James Brooks and Lian Wilkinson said and tailor your revision to your interests, not other peoples’ methods.
Also make sure you practice lots of different revision methods such as drawing posters, making verbal tapes on recorders, relating words or terms to colours or movements or something completely new. No matter what the method, just remember that as long as it helps you remember what you revised (instead of simply reading through a book all day) then you will already be on your way to exam success. Liam Gosnell managed to change his blue wall in his house to a yellow wall simply because of the amount of posters and notes he was using. A change in design yes, but an effective revision plan definitely.
7. Get to the exam early and make sure you know exactly when the exams is and where
So by this time you have hopefully revised all that you can possibly revise and are anxiously waiting for the exam. Wait a second. What exam? That is the penultimate question. Another important point highlighted by Daniel Gill is that you must, without fail, know where the exam is and when it is.
We all know too well that Mr Wilson (our hard working exam co-ordinator) is just as anxious and concerned for the exam period as you are. He needs to make sure that everything runs effectively and that everyone is in the right exam at the right time. Make sure that you go to bed early and wake up early and arrive at the venue of your exam with enough time to spare so you do not have to worry about being late but can also go over some last minute points before the exam begins. But if you turn up late you will be stressed, not focused on your exam and worst of all enter Mr Wilson bad book. Exams are serious everyone. Treat them seriously and get serious results.
8. Take advantage of teachers and the extra revision sessions on offer
On some occasions you will come across topics within a subject which you are struggling with or have no clue of solving whatsoever. But it is in all fairness not difficult to ask a teacher for help. Chloe Hardwicke suggested to us that teachers are not just here to educate us, they are equally also here to help and support us so that we can enjoy our time at school and prosper in life.
Many teachers will be offering extra revision sessions before, during and after a school day. So if you are struggling with a particular topic and need some inspiration on how to tackle the problem, go to the revision sessions. Simple. You will benefit from these sessions as other people will be there to help and support you, lots of revision methods can be shown and practiced and you might even get some new ideas from other students. Above all, you must listen to your teacher and acknowledge what they have taught you. By simply listening to your teachers you are already making a massive impact on your exams.
9. Take something from a lesson
Apart from the revision you should do at home or outside of school, just remind yourself why you come to school. To do lessons. Lessons are just as fundamental as revision periods as Beth Deacon expressed.
Not all lessons, especially during the G.C.S.E period, will ever be the same. Your teacher may come up with something completely unreal but helpful that you would never have thought of beforehand. Also the school classrooms will have more resources to exploit and due to more people being around, some people will be able to thrive on social interact and work better within a classroom atmosphere.
10. And most important of all, do not fart in the exam
In most or any scenario farting is not something looked upon with much appreciation. But of all the places to do so Michael Beeson recalls a well known face who sees himself as an expert in general and an expert when it comes to, well, farting in exams. Will McKenzie from The Inbetweeners.
But from this moment of comedy there is a clear message. Revise hard and earn good grades and do not drink energy drink after energy drink. They will not help you in your exams and are not particularly good for your digestive regions either.
So good luck from all of us and before you leave have a ponder on this quote by Benjamin Franklin (one of the four founding fathers of the USA)
‘Fail to prepare, prepare to fail’
By Alexander Tyldesley
