GCSE Revision tips

Although exam season may be over (cheers enthusiastically) I still think this post is needed for everyone preparing for a career in medicine. We're all so used to hearing that we need good grades, however during the lead up to my IGCSE exams I noticed that so many people have never specifically been taught how to revise. Having survived year 11, I thought that I'd share my favourite revision tips with you.

Whiteboards













If I've learnt anything from my exam experience, it's that paper can become really expensive, especially if like me, you use about 5 packs each week. However, whiteboards are a great alternative. In almost any supermarket you can pick up a whiteboard and pens for a couple of pounds, not only is it better for the environment, but it also makes revision more varied, so you don't get bored as quickly. It's particularly useful for subjects like history or geography where you need to draw mind maps or write out case studies.

Apps

Although the majority of teachers and revision guides would tell you that you should put your phone away during revision, I actually think that they're incredibly useful if used properly. The best way to check if you have revised thoroughly is to test yourself, but it's always quite time consuming to write out all of the questions for a topic, making apps a better alternative
My Favourite Apps
1. Busuu- The best way to learn a language is through practice of speaking and writing rather than mindlessly learning vocab for hours on end. Busuu is a social network style language learning site/app, which allows you to learn grammar and send written answers to native speakers to be marked. I used this quite a lot in the lead up to my French writing exam, the site provides 12 languages to learn, including Spanish, German and Italian.
2. Gojimo- The self testing exam preparation app is great practice for short answer exam questions for subjects such as biology, chemistry and physics. However, because it is a relatively new app, the range of exam boards isn't that great, for example I sat AQA IGCSE sciences, for which there were no questions.
3.Quizet- A teacher first introduced me to this app 3 years ago and I have been using it ever since. It provides digital flashcards that you can fill in and then be tested on. Originally I only used this for French, but this year I found it quite useful for learning history dates and other definitions.

Stairs
For subjects like Biology, you need to know quite a lot of information for a particular topic, which you can quote from the syllabus in order to gain full marks on long answer questions. Instead of writing it out again and again, I like to write out a sequence of events, such as the malarial cycle or sexual reproduction in plants, onto separate flashcards. After shuffling them up, try to place them back in the correct order, with the stages progressing going up each stair. After you can do that, turn the cards face down, and at each level, try to state what is written on the card without looking. Although it may seem slightly odd, and may annoy other people in your family, if you are a kinaesthetic learner this will be really useful.

Timelines
For subjects like History, it's really important to have a good idea of how events progressed over a period of time. By writing out timelines and taping them onto a wall to read, it is so much easier to answer exam essays because you can go through chronologically, showing the examiner a greater extend of understanding. In addition, during the exam you remember the events which followed each other, aiding the revision process. 

Running

I'm sure you are probably sick of hearing it, but running or any other form of exercise is one of the best things you could do before revising. Although on the night before a big test it may be the last thing you want to do, exercise stimulates the hormone epinephrine, which increases awareness and therefore increases your ability to focus. In addition, the refreshed and energized feeling you get motivates you to study. So before your next exam, leave behind the books and go and explore your local running tracks.






Start Early!!!
Procrastination is the kryptonite of all students. Even if you feel like your exams are far away, they quickly approach leaving you stressed and panicked as you cram in 2 to 3 years of work. In order to avoid the last minute struggle, begin your revision early. For your GCSE exams, your revision should really begin by the Christmas holidays, even if you only revise for 2-3 hours a day, it soon adds up and makes life so much easier during exam time.



Good Luck!