Revision Tips

For the last five years, the next couple of months in each 365 (ish) days have always been somehow related to exams. Sometimes I can be very calm, sometimes I cannot. I want to make myself a consistent calm exam-taker whilst being very ambitious and hard-working. So, in this post, in order to prepare myself for exams - mostly in the way of revision -, I will be writing some tips to myself!

- A list

One thing I need is a list. I cannot face revision or be prepared for exams without a list. It makes me feel fresh and organised- and I'm not a particularly organised person. It's a little obsessive, but it clears my mind. It's obsessive because I add to it throughout as I suddenly think I must not forget that. When I was studying four subjects for my AS exams, I had four separate lists for each subject. Within this I then wrote the different subjects and important facts and things like this. I wrote "remember quotes" for Literature and little reminders to keep my mind focused and fresh.

- A routine including BREAKS!

I have never been completely strict about timings but I learned that a routine is good. A routine involving breaks. They are so important! I start with ten minutes worth of revision and then have a five minute break. I then up the revision minutes and keep adding minutes to my break while my breaks eventually go up and stop at twenty minutes. It means that I can feel good if I get to a break and am on a roll, but chill out if I'm not feeling good about revision.

- Food and water

It's so important to remain healthy and not become so tired and drained from revision because I've done something so silly like forgotten to drink water and have snacks. I always have a big glass of water near me. It really makes me feel prepared for revision. Food and water are good revision friends.

- Queue cards

After the last five years, I have found my personal favourite way of revising: queue cards. Naturally, it's different for everyone, but for me, being able to test myself eases my mind- even if I'm not getting it right! Whilst writing out the queue cards (a question or a prompt on one side and then the answer or the rest of the fact or something on the other side), the information I need is being reminded to me, and then when I repeatedly revise from the resources, everything is cemented that bit more!

- Past papers

Naturally, the usefulness of past papers can vary from course to course and exam board to exam board, but for me, past papers are so helpful. I don't rely on them completely and utterly, but knowing papers and possible questions makes everything that little more relaxing.

Finally, one general point I have learned is this... On that day, one must just relax! For me, I finally, in the last two years, realised: The day has come and little can be done. I just let myself be calm. Some don't like to even look at revision, but most of the time I do. Sometimes it's not best just in case it causes panic, but, for me, personally, it calms me. But, at the end of the day, the exam is here: Just try your best.

These are just a few things that popped into my head when I thought of this post. What helps you when you revise?

Papers & Pens,

The Girl in the Moonlight.

Expectations

When I talk about expectations I'm meaning the pressure upon oneself when faced with a task/series of exams or whatnot. Thus, expectations suck, right? I don't think that many people sit at home, revision spread before them smiling, thinking "this weight on my shoulders makes me feel free". Well, if anyone does, then kudos to you. Kudos...and can I be you?

I know not many people are but I am not an Exam Person. It makes me very nervous and when sat in the hall, crisp booklet of paper with nonsense spilled out over each page, whatever I had revised is very jumbled.

Now, becoming rather nauseous at the thought of the exams that wait for me, I know this will never get easier.

You must remember:

- quotes
- examples
- to link back to the question
- exciting new information that the examiner won't have heard of before
- to be brilliant
- write neatly in the stupidly short amount of time for a whole essay and two questions
- to have a cohesive structure
- not to burst into tears.
- etc etc.

Okay. Breathe. You can do this.

Strawberries & Cream,

The Girl in the Moonlight.

The Summer Promise

Due to it being February and therefore the weather is rainy and grim or crisp and unbearable, it is safe to say I think of The Summer Promise more often than I probably should and I do not doubt that I am not the only one. When I was younger The Summer Promise was the six weeks that concluded the school year and was a time to eat ice-cream all day with my friends or just be bored all day. It would be perfect. As I became older I, like a lot of teenagers got caught up in the fantasy of the perfect summer. I am a huge book, music and film fan and they often create the picture of sandy beaches and strawberry-picking and, obviously, a beautiful romance.

Reality, however, is often incredibly different: boring English weather with the occasional glimpse of sun; a lack of motivation; the complete contradiction to how it should be.

I want to make daisy-chains, sit on the beach and listen to music and, more importantly I want to have no worries. Instead, the ominous mist of exams and pressure is spread out before me. A shadow of gloom and doom. It will pass though and between now and summer we will have English early, promising bursts of outrageously warm summer days and I, for one, cannot wait.

The Summer Promise will still be pumping through my veins throughout the months of February, March and early April: the expectation of Ryan Gosling sweeping me off my bare feet with an anklet; staying up with friends with ginger beer and pizza (I am definitely picturing a Mallory-Towers-esque scene); endless pretty clothes. Oh well.

And I'll keep holding on to The Summer Promise with my winter-coloured hands,

Lemonade & Sequins,

The Girl in the Moonlight.

P.s. We're all in this together (you sang it, don't deny it: GO WILDCATS).