Hi there!
I guess it's that time of year where exams are coming up, and people between the ages of 15-18 are completely breaking down. And yes I am one of them. I have laughed, cried, punched my way through things. I don't know if your parents are like mine, but I don't think mine understand how much pressure our generation is under. If you don't get a certain grade, you won't get into the uni/college that you want, the less options there are for you, the more you are called dumb or stupid. Yes, grades are important because they give you more options, but overall, they are not the be all and end all. I'm not saying that getting good grades isn't important (I don't think parents will like me for that haha!!), but I'm saying if you do get a bad grade, maybe it just wasn't meant to be. If you did all the revision you could, there is no way you could do better. 'It's fate you know!' Yeah, I've heard that, and I also know these words have no impact on you because I've read them all before and they meant absolutely nothing to me. But now I'm in the final year of exams at sixth form, I feel like if I don't get the grades to get into university, maybe I wasn't meant to university in the first place.
Now I know you're thinking, "why are you writing about stress and work and revision and not actually doing any now, and instead you're writing a stupid blogpost that not many people are going to read." Well let me tell you why. I'm going to try and help you people. Yes, the people that actually read this blog. I want to give you advice on how to cope and what is the best way to revise. I'm not one of those adults who did exams millions of years ago, mine are coming up in 3 weeks. So I'm in the same position as some of you. So you want some advice? Here it is...
1) Use Colours When Writing Notes
Now I know this sounds stupid, but colours really do help you to revise. It's better for the paper to look interesting than to look boring with just black pen on sheets of paper that you are probably never going to read. Use colours to make headings stand out, use a different colour to make key points, and use a different colour to draw some diagrams. Having a different colour for reach different section should help you revise as you should be able to associate certain colours with certain things. Bright colours always make everything better!!
2) Plan Your Time Effectively
I don't necessarily mean have a revision timetable. Sometimes these timetables can stress you out even more because you miss a study period, or you rush to try and get something completed before your time is up. I mean get homework finished first and then focus on revision. Instead of setting a specific amount of time to revise a particular subject, revise for as long as you can so that the information stays in your mind. Once information has stopped going in, stop your revision. I know you may want to stop after 10 minutes, believe me, I know, but you should keep going! Even if t is just for 20 minutes, power through the boredness!!!
3) Don't Just Revise One Subject
If you are doing A Levels like me, it means that you will be revising for 3 different subjects. For all you GCSE students out there laughing that we have very few subjects, honestly, don't! Having fewer subjects does not mean that it is easier to revise, and you will be likely to get higher grades. A Levels are hard. I mean GOD WHY DID NO-ONE WARN ME?!?!? But the way I have dealt with this, vary the revision. Don't just spend an evening doing just psychology revision or just English. Spice it up and do a bit of both. This means you are less likely to get bored when doing the revision because you will be learning about two different things.
4) Bring Snacks
Now I know this may seem like common sense, but you will be surprised at how interesting the inside of your fridge may be while you are doing revision. Bring snacks and water to the table with you, don't stop in the middle of your revision to get snacks. If you leave that table, it means you have made a huge mistake because getting back to that table is the same as trying to climb to the top of Mount Everest. It just isn't easy. If you bring the snacks to you, you can have the break while sitting at the table. You can go on your phone for a while, sit back, and eat your chocolate bar. This will be a nice break, and it shouldn't be as hard to get back into the revision as you haven't really had to move.
Now this last tip will DEFINITELY not be for everyone, and parents will definitely want to shoot me, but for me, it definitely works.
5) Have the TV on while you Revise
Yes yes, I know this may not be the best idea, but honestly, it works for me. While I'm revising, I will have a TV show on like CSI or Vampire Diaries. But I will have old episodes on. This means that I do not have to properly focus on the TV as I would have already seen the episodes and I will know what has happened. I'll have them on anyway though in the background as background noise. It can be even more boring trying to revise in silence, and revising with music, pur-lease, I will go all Mariah Carey on you all and sign my heart out. Having TV on means I can listen to voices but not really process what it going on. It actually makes revision more interesting because if I need a quick 30 second break I can have a sneak peak at the episode and see what is going on. Just please, don't get too distracted by the TV. It won't help you, and if you know this tips won't help you, DON'T TURN THE TV ON! I don't want people blaming me if your revision doesn't work.
Now those are my 5 tips for revision. I know they may not be for everybody, but for me they work (at least I think they do). Remember though, I'm struggling like the rest of you. I think I've lost count of the amount of times I've cried because of my education. It kills me to say this, but in a way, I will be glad to leave school. Now, share any tips you have in the comments. Help your brothers and sisters out who are also trying to stay afloat in this awful time of year. But that's it from me.
Girl Without A Plan, Making Plans
xoxo
