Lower School Revision Guide 2013
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Transcript of Lower School Revision Guide 2013
Name ___________________
“I know I knew that once…What was it?”
Revision 2013: Some suggestions and ideas for the Lower School
(The information in this booklet is also available on the School website)
Planning your Revision Revision is another word for reviewing. To understand and remember what you have learned over the
year, you need to re-read your course essays, notes and textbooks. Revision requires accurate notes and
careful planning to be most effective.
It is best to begin your programme of revision a month or so before the exams.
Before you start your revision there are a number of things you need to do:
1. Have a good look at your examination timetable and read the notes
about exam conduct carefully. These are all in this booklet. Make sure
that you read the right exam timetable for your year group.
2. Devise a revision timetable - Revise in short manageable chunks and
take regular breaks. Each revision session should last about 60
minutes, with 10-minute breaks between each session. If you find this to
be too much, then do 25 minute slots with 5 minute breaks.
3. Try not to revise more than two subjects a day and don't attempt to do
all of a subject in one go.
4. Decide what time of day you work most effectively: mornings,
afternoons or evenings.
5. Take lots of exercise. Exercise is a good way to relax and it also helps
you to feel better about yourself and life in general. Research has shown
that movement and exercise increase breathing and heart rate so that more blood flows to the
brain, enhancing energy production and waste removal. If you play for a sports team or go to an
afterschool club, keep going during the weeks leading up to the exams.
6. Take advice from your subject teachers on what topics you will be examined on and how best to
revise for a particular exam.
7. Make sure you have time to relax before going to bed and try to get plenty of sleep. But don't go
to bed so early that you can't sleep – read a book or watch TV first.
Conduct of Examinations
All School Rules, including Dress Regulations, are to be
strictly obeyed during the examination period.
Acquaint yourself with the dates, times and places
of your exams as shown on the timetables.
Read and take note of the ‘Notice to Candidates’ &
‘Warning to Candidates’ posters.
Arrive at your examination room ten minutes before your
exam is due to begin.
No revision or private reading will be allowed in the
examination room, and no unauthorised books, or papers may
be taken in.
Mobile phones are NOT allowed in the examination room.
Please leave your ‘phone in your locker.
Seating for all examinations will be in Candidate Number order.
Check beforehand if you are allowed calculators in your exam.
You must use black ink for all your written answers.
You must stay in the examination room until the end of
the time allowed for your paper.
At the end of your exam paper, you will be asked to leave quickly &
quietly. Move well away from the exam room before speaking.
Please Note:
Wait quietly outside the examination room until instructed to enter the room and take your place.
Mobile Phones are NOT allowed in Examination Rooms. Leave your phone in your locker before each exam.
If revision or private reading has been authorised, all books and papers must be moved well away from your desk for the
examination.
Use black ink for all written answers.
When your Examination has finished, please remember that External Examinations will still be taking place around the School.
Please move around the School in silence as other pupils will be working under examination conditions.
Observe the SILENCE signs throughout the School AT ALL TIMES.
All incidents of malpractice or cheating, whether intended or not will be reported to your the Head of Year.
2nd
Summer 2013 INTERNAL EXAMINATIONS TIMETABLE
(A)Thu 13Jun
9.15 – 10.45 Mathematics 124 2A1 24
PESJ H5
2A2 20
KSS H6
2A3 16
SDP H7
2B1 23
EJC H8
2B2 22
IKH H12
2B3 17
CC H14
11.15 – 12.45 Geography 124 2/1 20
L7
2/2 20
H6
2/3 20
H7
2/4 22
H10
2/5 21
H12
2/6 21
H14
2.15 – 3.45
MFL1 Spanish
R&W incl 30 mins prior revision
60 EML 23
H5
GSPL 21
H6
ML 16
H7
2.15 – 3.45 MFL1 French
R&W incl 30 mins prior revision
44 SJBA 22
H8
MCF 22
H12
2.15 – 3.45 MFL1 German
R&W incl 30 mins prior revision
20 MGK 20
H14
(A)Fri 14Jun
9.15 – 10.45 Latin 124 2/1 20
H5
2/2 20
H6
2/3 20
H7
2/4 22
H8
2/5 21
H12
2/6 21
H14
11.15 – 12.45 Supervised Study 124 2/1 20
H5
2/2 20
H6
2/3 20
H7
2/4 22
H8
2/5 21
H12
2/6 21
H14
2.15 – 3.45 Religious Studies Judaism & Christianity
124 2/1 20
H5
2/2 20
H6
2/3 20
H7
2/4 22
H8
2/5 21
H12
2/6 21
H14
(A)Mon 17Jun
9.15 – 10.45 History 124 2/1 20
H5
2/2 20
H6
2/3 20
H7
2/4 22
H8
2/5 21
H12
2/6 21
H14
11.15 – 12.45 MFL2 Spanish
R&W incl 30 mins prior revision
49 ML 24
H5
SRP 25
H6
11.15 – 12.45 MFL2 French R&W incl 30 mins prior revision
52 MCF 18
H7
MGK 18
H8
GSPL 16
H12
11.15 – 12.45
MFL2 German
R&W incl 30 mins prior revision
n
23 SLA 23
H14
2.15 – 3.45 Games
(A)Tue 18Jun
9.15 – 10.45 English
Section A: Comprehension
Section B: Writing
124 2/1 20
H5
2/2 20
H6
2/3 20
H7
2/4 22
H8
2/5 21
H12
2/6 21
H14
11.15 – 12.45 Junior Science
incl 30 mins prior revision
124 2/1 20
H5
2/2 20
H6
2/3 20
H7
2/4 22
H8
2/5 21
H12
2/6 21
H14
2.15 – 3.45
Design &
Technology incl 30 mins prior revision
124 DTA1 15
HS H3
DTA2 15
SHB H5
DTA3 15
HS H6
DTA4 15
DTB H7
DTA1 16
HS H8
DTA2 16
SHB
H10
DTA3 16
HS H12
DTB4 16
SHB
H14
3rd
Summer 2013 INTERNAL EXAMINATIONS TIMETABLE
(A)Thu 13Jun
9.15 – 10.45 Mathematics I 153 3A1 25
JHHS M2
3A2 24
KSS
M3
3A3 16 EJC
M5
3B1 24 ESR
M7
3B2 23
SDP M8
3B2* 23
PJR M9
3B3 18 RGP
M10
11.15 – 12.45 Design &
Technology 72
3ADT1
AMLS M2
3ADT2 HS
M3
3ADT HS
M5
3BDT1 HS
M7
3BDT2
AMLS
M8
11.15 – 12.45 Non- D&T
Supervised Study 81 SUPERVISED STUDY ROOMS L12 L13 M9 M10
2.15 – 3.45 MFL1 Spanish
R&W incl 30 mins prior revision
45 ML 23
M2
GSPL 22
M3
2.15 – 3.45 MFL1 French
R&W incl 30 mins prior revision
89 JVJ 24
M5
RHKP 24
M7
SJBA 21
M9
MCF 20
M10
2.15 – 3.45 MFL1 German
R&W incl 30 mins prior revision
19 SLA 19
M8
(A)Fri 14Jun
9.15 – 10.45 History 153 III/1 21
M2
III/2 22
M3
III/3 22
M5
III/4 21
M7
III/5 21
M8
III/6 23
M9
III/7 23
M10
11.15 – 12.45 Games
(Forms 5 – 7) 67 III/5 21 III/6 23 III/7 23
11.15 – 12.45 Non- Games 86 III/1 21
M9
III/2 22
M10
III/3 22
L12
III/4 21
L13 SUPERVISED STUDY ROOMS
2.15 – 3.45 Physics 153 III/1 21
M2
III/2 22
M3
III/3 22
M5
III/4 21
M7
III/5 21
M8
III/6 23
M9
III/7 23
M10
(A)Mon 17Jun
9.15 – 10.45 English
Section A: Unseen Poetry Section B: Writing
153 III/1 21
M2
III/2 22
M3
III/3 22
M5
III/4 21
M7
III/5 21
M8
III/6 23
M9
III/7 23
M10
11.15 – 12.45 MFL2 Spanish R&W incl 30 mins prior revision
67 SRP 22
M2
GSPL 21
M3
EML 11
M5
GSPL 13
M7
11.15 – 12.45 MFL2 French R&W incl 30 mins prior revision
34 SJBA 21
M9
JVJ 13
M10
11.15 – 12.45 MFL2 German
R&W incl 30 mins prior revision
15 MGK 15
M8
11.15 – 12.45 Classical Greek 8 LJK 8
M6
11.15 – 12.45 Non MFL2 & Greek
Supervised Study 29 SUPERVISED STUDY ROOMS L12 L13
2.15 – 3.45 Mathematics II 153 3A1 25
JHHS M2
3A2 24
KSS
M3
3A3 16 EJC
M5
3B1 24
ESR
M7
3B2 23
SDP M8
3B2* 23
PJR M9
3B3 18 RGP
M10
(A)Tue 18Jun
9.15 – 10.45 Geography 153 III/1 21
M2
III/2 22
M3
III/3 22
M5
III/4 21
M7
III/5 21
M8
III/6 23
M9
III/7 23
M10
11.15 – 12.45 Games
(Forms 1 - 4) 86 III/1 21 III/2 22 III/3 22 III/4 21
11.15 – 12.45 Non- Games 67 III/5 21
L12
III/6 23
L13
III/7 23
CL7
11.15 – 12.45 Italian R & W
incl 30 mins prior revision 8
SRP
H10
2.15 – 3.45 Chemistry 153 III/1 21
M2
III/2 22
M3
III/3 22
M5
III/4 21
M7
III/5 21
M8
III/6 23
M9
III/7 23
M10
(A)Wed 19Jun
9.15 – 10.45 Religious Studies Religion & Citizenship
153 III/1 21
Hall
III/2 22
Hall
III/3 22
Hall
III/4 21
Hall
III/5 21
Hall
III/6 23
Hall
III/7 23
Hall
11.15 – 12.45 Latin 69 LJK 20
M2
JMM 22
M3
CEG 20
M5
JCH 7
M7
11.15 – 12.45 Non Latin 84 SUPERVISED STUDY ROOMS L12 L13 CL7 M8
2.15 – 3.45 Biology 153 III/1 21
M2
III/2 22
M3
III/3 22
M5
III/4 21
M7
III/5 21
M8
III/6 23
M9
III/7 23
M10
Task 1: Examination checklist For each subject you ought to be able to put a tick in each of the boxes by Wednesday 15th May. If you can’t, then you should see your teacher and ask them for help. It is something you may need to take responsibility for.
Str
uctu
re
of
the
ex
am
To
pic
s
to b
e
rev
ise
d
Wh
at
top
ics
wil
l b
e
rev
ise
d
in c
las
s
Maths
English
Physics
Chemistry
Biology
Junior Science
Geography
History
RS
Latin
French
Spanish
German
Italian
Classical Greek
Art
D&T
Music
Task 2: Completing your Revision Timetable Once you have worked out when your exams are it is important to plan your revision.
At school your exams start soon after half term. It is important that you start thinking about your revision now. During half term you should aim to do around 12 hours of revision. In addition to this you will have time during the normal school homework time and group base time. Spend some time planning your revision programme for the week before half term, half term and then the two weeks afterwards.
Key points to read before filling in a revision schedule: It is important that you have regular breaks in your revision.
REWARD YOURSELF. Make sure you
have lots of things to look forward to during your revision programme.
Be Realistic – it is unlikely that you will be able to revise for 8
hours in a day. Set your self realistic targets.
Revision should take priority over other less urgent activities which can
be put on hold until after the exams
You will concentrate better and learn more effectively if you are in a quiet comfortable environment. Think about where you are going to revise.
Rotate your sessions between your ‘best’ subjects and your least favourite subjects.
Cross out the sessions on the half-term timetable when you are taking a break from revision.
During Half term you do not need to work every session,
probably one session a day will be enough provided you use the
time wisely.
Regardless of what others are doing you should probably start your revision
earlier than you think you need to.
Mon 20 May Tues 21 May Wed 22 May Thurs 23 May Fri 24 May Group Base Group Base Group Base
Task 3 How to revise
Group Base Group Base
Evening Evening Evening Evening Evening
Sat 25 May Sun 26 May Morning Morning
Afternoon Afternoon
Evening Evening
HALF TERM
Mon 27 May Tues 28 May Wed 29 May Thurs 30 May Fri 31 May Morning Morning Morning Morning Morning
Afternoon Afternoon Afternoon Afternoon Afternoon
Evening Evening Evening Evening Evening
Sat 01 June Sun 02 June Morning Morning
Afternoon Afternoon
Evening Evening
RETURN TO SCHOOL
Mon 03 June Tues 04 June Wed 05 June Thurs 06 June Fri 07 June Group Base Group Base Group Base
Task 4 How do I write better explanations
Group Base Group Base
Evening Evening Evening Evening Evening
Sat 08 June Sun 09 June Morning Morning
Afternoon Afternoon
Evening Evening
Mon 10 June Tues 11 June Wed 12 June Thurs 13 June Fri 14 June Group Base Group Base Group Base Group Base Group Base
Evening Evening Evening Evening Evening
Sat 15 June Sun 16 June Mon 17 June Tues 18 June Wed 19 June Morning Morning Group Base Group Base Group Base
Afternoon Afternoon Evening Evening
Evening Evening
Are you an effective learner? This quiz will help you find out.
1. Do you research, plan and draft an essay before writing it?
2. Do you revise a topic even if exams are
not due for some time?
3. If you are having problems with a topic, do you discuss them with your teacher?
4. Do you leave homework until the last
possible moment?
5. Do you study at home with the television or stereo turned on?
6. Do you read all the comments and
corrections a teacher puts on your work?
7. Do you keep a glossary of important terms for each subject?
8. Do you use a library or learning-
resources room to help you with your studies?
9. Can you easily identify the key points of
a text to make your notes from?
10. Do you always finish answering every question that you are set in an exam?
Think about your answers and what they tell you about how effective you are as a learner.
Yes No
Yes No
Yes No
Yes No
Yes No
Yes No
Yes No
Yes No
Yes No
Yes No
How to Revise You don't have to revise on your own and it doesn't have to be painful or boring. Believe it or not, it can even be enjoyable. There are lots of different strategies that you can use to gain confidence in your revision. Here are some of them.
1 Make notes
Notes help you concentrate and understand a topic. They also save you from having to read your whole course file or exercise book, because you can memorise your own notes
more easily. You may have used a sheet called SQ3R as part of your study skills in
your tutor group.
Read through your essays, notes and textbook chapters and list key points and words under each separate heading as you do so.
Write in different colours or use highlighters to make important points or to make headings stand out (wax crayons are better than highlighters as they are more relaxing to look at and there is a greater variety of colours that you can use).
In subjects where learning quotes (English and History), using appropriate terminology (Geography, RS, Science) is important put these in different colours so that they stand out.
List any of your own ideas under each of these headings in another colour.
Make sure your notes are concise (short and clear) and relevant (keeping to the subject). Try to show what is important information and what is not.
Make sure your notes are legible. Once you have completed your notes, you may find it useful to rewrite them and
keep a final copy stored on index cards or in a small notebook for easy reference, especially for when you have a spare moment.
2 Use mnemonics to help you remember
A mnemonic is a way of helping you remember information using abbreviations, words or phrases. The funnier these are, the better. To remember the colours of the visible spectrum in order, you might use the mnemonic: Richard of York Gave Battle In Vain, using the initial letters of each word to remember (in the right order) the colours red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet.
3 Use diagrams
Diagrams can also help you remember and understand things. Each leg of a spidergram, for example, has a heading that is linked to the main body or topic. You can
display these diagrams where you are studying. Over the page is an example of one on population.
4 Revise with your friends
Forming self-help pairs or groups to assist your revision and to test each other can be a great advantage, perhaps even write tests for each other. You don’t have to be with someone to do this, why not use e-mail as a way of sending a test to a friend. Working with others can help you to fill in gaps in your understanding or knowledge and is bound
to be more fun than working alone. But be careful not to make your sessions all fun and
no work!
5 Red Pen Black Pen
The idea of using two coloured pens as a revision technique was described by an Occupational Health Therapist who had to learn the 300 parts of the human eye. The idea is that the two colours work on the two halves of the brain. The black pen signifies the information that you already hold in your conscious memory. The red pen signifies those things in your unconscious memory that you wish to transfer into your conscious memory. The red pen strongly signifies danger and is held by your unconscious memory without realising it. Having used this technique, it can have a very positive effect but its success depends to some extent on the preferred learning style of the pupil. The concept map (mind map) has a strong visual impact and obviously allows visual learners to learn information quickly. If you find that the easiest way to learn things is to keep doing it over and over again this technique might work for you. The revision technique has several stages:
6 Practise answering Examination Questions
Practise answering examination questions obtained from your teacher either using notes and books or without them. It may be a good idea to time yourself and see if you can write an answer in about the time which the examination will give you. Why not also try and anticipate a possible exam question when doing your revision, you never know you might get lucky!
Stage 1 – Produce a concept map or page of notes to cover a topic you wish to revise e.g. try using the population summary sheet that is included in this booklet. Stage 2 – Produce a blank skeleton of your concept map or a page with just the headings on Stage 3 – as part of your revision, spend 10 minutes revising from your page of notes/concept map– no longer ! Stage 4 – Turnover the concept map with the answers on it. With your black pen write down everything that you can remember. Stage 5 – When you cannot remember anymore turn over the answer sheet and then fill in the blanks in red. This is the end of the first attempt. Stage 6 – Spend 10 minutes revising from the sheet you have been working on. Repeat from stage 4 !
How many people are there ineach country?
How many people are there in the
world?
Are some areas uninhabited?
population distribution
population density
Factors that influence wherepeople live
Are people distributed evenly in
the world?
What is the average Lifeexpectancy?
Natural Increase
Doubling Times
How much is the world's
population growing by?
How many people live in poverty
in the world?
Is the world's population growing?
Are all populations increasing?
Which country is increasing thefastest?
Birth Rates
Death rates
Infant mortality rate
How many people are born or die
each day?
How much space do peoplehave?
What is the population density inthe world?
What has the chinesegovernment done to control its
population?
Are some countries
overpopulated?
Will we run out of space on theplanet?
What happens when there is ashortage of food?
Are there enough resources to go
round?
What about migration?
What does it show?
How can you identify an agingpopulation?
What is an ageing population?
What is a youthful population?
What is a population pyramid?
Population Issues
Reading and writing Notes:
SQ3R is a useful technique for remembering written information. It helps you to create
a good mental framework of a subject, into which you can fit facts correctly. It also prompts you to use the review techniques that will help to fix information in your mind.
By using SQ3R to actively read a document, you can get the maximum benefit from
your reading time.
The acronym SQ3R stands for the five sequential techniques you should use to read
a book/article/internet article:
Survey:
Survey the document: scan the contents, introduction, chapter introductions and chapter summaries to pick up a shallow overview of the text. Form an opinion of whether it will be of any help. If it does not give you the information you want, discard it.
Question:
Make a note of any questions on the subject that come to mind, or particularly interest you following your survey. Perhaps scan the document again to see if any stand out. These questions can be considered almost as study goals - understanding the answers can help you to structure the information in your own mind.
Read:
Now read the document. Read through useful sections in detail, taking care to understand all the points that are relevant. In the case of some texts this reading may be very slow. This will particularly be the case if there is a lot of dense and complicated information. While you are reading, it can help to take notes in a
concept map format.
Recall:
Once you have read appropriate sections of the document, run through it in your mind several times. Isolate the core facts or the essential processes behind the subject, and then see how other information fits around them.
Review:
Once you have run through the exercise of recalling the information, you can move on to the stage of reviewing it. This review can be by rereading the document, by expanding your notes, or by discussing the material with friends. A particularly effective method of reviewing information is to have to teach it to someone else!
Task 3:
Look at your Geography exercise book and use this SQ3R method to summarise a
particular topic.
Task 4:
Look at this unordered jumble of note making activities and those likely to assist learning and put an X against those likely to slow up
learning.
Leave wide Margins Ignore handouts
Identify what is not said Code references to follow up
Compare and revise notes with friends Store notes under washing
Do loads of photocopying Copy big chunks from books
Underline main points Always note references in full
Use the library for socialising Make notes from current affairs programmes
Doodle lots Make short notes of main points and headings
Turn complex ideas into flow charts Use cards for notes
Ask teachers about points that make no sense Order and file notes weekly
Ask questions Jot down personal ideas
Highlight main points Share notes with friends
Natter in lessons Write illegibly
Copy all OHT’s Use coloured pens for different points
Scribble extra questions in margins Write shopping lists in lessons
Write down everything said in lessons Annotate handouts
Take notes from TV documentaries Revise notes within three days of lessons
In your exams you will encounter lots of different types of questions. These two sheets will help you with
questions that ask you to describe and to explain.
HOW DO I WRITE BETTER DESCRIPTIONS?
How do I do it? What do I write?
Extremes
Use place names to identify where
something is.
Using extremes or opposites to tell us
about something.
Newcastle Under Lyme…..Staffordshire…….
Large/Small…..Wet/Dry….Busy/Quiet…….Full/Empty……
Different types
Recognise there are variations or
categories or different types in what
you are studying.
High growth/steady growth/no growth……The Tundra/the
Tropical Rainforest/ the Desert.
The elderly people/ the young people with families/the
teenagers/ the disabled.
Comparisons
Use numbers to compare features. Twice as many people…..half the number of visitors….. a third less
money……
Calculate the average, the range, percentages from data.
Ratios and Patterns
Spot different types, use numbers
and group these together to tell us
about the whole place. Try to find a
pattern or relationship.
As the temperature increases the rainfall decreases…………the
further away from the town
centre you go the fewer big shops there are……..
HOW DO I WRITE BETTER EXPLANATIONS?
How do I do it? What do I write?
Cause
Effect
Explain that one feature is caused by another
A one sentence answer.
….due to……because……
Cause
How
Effect
Cause
Effect
Effect
Explain how one feature is caused by another.
Or explain how one feature causes another
which then has a knock on effect and causes
something else.
A group of sentences.
….this is caused by…and so this means that…..this effects
this by…..the consequence is…..
Cause How
Effect
How
Effect
Explain how one feature causes another and
then how the knock on effect caused the
something else.
A paragraph.
…this is the result of….the consequence on this is…..this
means that….
Causes
Effect
Effect
Explain how two separate causes work together
to create one feature which then causes
something else.
Two paragraphs, one about each cause.
…the combined effect is…this leads to….these two things
then create…this happens when…
Do you know what your preferred LEARNING STYLE is?
Do you prefer to listen and talk while you learn (AUDITORY)?
Or would you rather see things practically demonstrated or like diagrams and colours? (VISUAL)
Or are you a PRACTICAL learner? Do you memorise things best by doing rather than seeing or listening, using
your body in some way?
Most people are a mixture of all three – and we can confidently use all three styles in revision. But it is also true
to say that we have a PREFERRED Learning Style.
Here are a few suggestions for each one. Try a few for yourself and see which works best for you:
Revision strategies for the auditory learner
• Reading aloud
• Underlining interesting points and quotations
• Make up word games and mnemonics to help you.
• Persuading someone to test and re-test you on what you have learned
• Work with others to revise, but you have to be very disciplined about this (Don’t just chat! Do revision!).
This works best with other auditory learners. Talk your way through a learned topic or ask each other to
explain difficult areas
• Read texts aloud, paying close attention to the way it sounds. Now try reading it under your breath
• Make up questions to ask about the text and then question someone about it
• Talk aloud to recall what you have just learned
• Go somewhere where you won’t bother anyone and read your notes and text book out loud
• Impersonate someone while learning different subjects, for example Peter Kay does Science or Victor
Meldrew does History.
• Decide on keywords/concepts you will need to learn. Experiment with different ways of saying the
keywords out loud (emphasise different parts of the word, use different voices)
• Tape-record your revision, pause the tape recorder and re-tape when you have made a mistake
• Listen to your notes on a tape player when exercising, doing the washing up, on the way to school, and so on
• When learning technical or mathematical information, talk your way through it. State what you have
learned to yourself or a study partner
• Reason through solutions/thoughts by talking out loud or to a study partner
• When learning sequences, write out in sentence form and then read them aloud
• Make up a funny rhyme to remember important facts/concepts.
Revision strategies for the visual learner
• Make use of colour coding when studying new information in your notes
• Use highlighter pens and highlight different kinds of information in contrasting colours
• Trace each word in the air
• Draw a mind map, big enough to cover a wall in your place of study or bedroom
• Make flash cards (3 by 5 inches) of words and ideas that need to be learned
• Use highlighter pens to emphasise the key points
• Limit the information per card so that your mind can take a mental ‘picture’ of the information
• Write out explanations for diagrams or illustrations of draw diagrams from facts
• When learning technical or mathematical information, write out in sentences and key phrases your
understanding of the material. When learning sequences, write out in detail how to do each step
• Experiment with diagrams
• A funny or a rude mental picture will certainly help you to remember facts and patterns
• Use chronological lists of events
• Flow charts use the consequences of each action to jog your memory about the next stage
• Use split lists to compare and contrast the similarities and differences between things
• Copy key information from your notes and textbooks on to a computer
• Use the print outs to re-read your notes
• Make visual reminders of information that must be learned. Use post-it notes in highly visible places – on
your mirror, notebook, bedroom door etc.
Revision strategies for the practical learner
• Walk backwards and forwards with your textbook, notes or flash cards and read the information out loud
• Learn different subjects by walking and reading in different places
• Jot down keywords, draw pictures or make charts to help you remember your notes
• Make flash cards (3 by 5 inches) for every step of a sequence you have to learn
• Put words, symbols or pictures on your flash cards – anything that helps you remember
• Use highlighter pens in contrasting colours to emphasise the important points but limit the amount of
detail so you do not have too much to remember
• Practise putting out the cards in the right order until it becomes automatic
• Copy key points on to a chalkboard, whiteboard or large piece of paper. Make up actions to go with the
keywords
• Write down the main points on post-it notes. Assemble the post-its on the wall to see how the different
areas relate to one another
• Use the computer to reinforce learning by touch. Copy out information that must be learned into a word
processing package on the computer
• Use graphics, clip art, tables and databases to organise material that must be learned
• Listen to your notes of topics when exercising, doing the washing up, walking to school, and so on.
On the morning of the exam
Staying up all night to study at the last minute is not one of the best ideas in life.
Be sure you know exactly where and when each paper of each exam is being held.
Bring the necessary equipment: this might include….. black pens (only black ink can be used in the examinations at KES), two plain pencils and colouring pencils, sharpener, rubber, compasses, protractor, calculator and batteries, a ruler, set squares, a reliable watch, tissues, a bottle of water and (if you need them) glasses. Make sure that all of your pens, pencils etc. are in a clear pencil case or a clear plastic bag.
Make sure you eat breakfast. It's important to be alert in exams, and not feel hunger pangs. Foods that have lots of carbohydrates, such as cereals and bread, will give your brain enough energy for the day. Carbohydrates will help your revision, too.
Drink lots of water – being hydrated aids concentration and it will help you to think clearly.
Don’t be put off by someone claiming to know everything. No one will know absolutely everything. If the information is so good, ask for an explanation and decide whether it is information that you might need for the examination.
Whatever the case, it’s probably not a good idea mixing with a lot of your fellow students before an exam starts. If you’re feeling nervous (who doesn’t?) getting to School in good time and sitting quietly by yourself or with another student is probably better preparation.
It’s also a good idea not to mix very much after an exam. If you get the impression that people have done better than you, for whatever reason, this might make you feel less confident about the exams you’re about to take next.
Practise taking a few deep breaths before an exam starts, and even during the exam if you feel yourself tensing up. This should help to calm the nerves and make you more alert. If you try to concentrate for a few seconds on simply breathing in and out rather than all the information you know, the relaxation effect will be enhanced.
When the exam starts, read all of the instructions carefully, especially if there is a choice of questions to answer.