How important is preparation?

Taking the time to look at what you need to do and how you need to do it and where you need to do it - is hugely important and allows you to ultimately be successful.

Jane Tomlinson – Terminal cancer sufferer and charity fundraiser

Collapsed day Wednesday March 13th Know what you need to do

Have you got a dream grade?Write down what grades you need?What are you predicted grades?What have you got so far?How much of your course is coursework and

how much exam?Don’t settle for your target / predicted grade.

Exams can be unpredictable get grades / marks in the bank and know what you have to do. Don’t make it rest on the final exam.

Where are you now!Your teacher will have the PROVISIONAL

exam timetable. This does depend on resits and it may change

GET OUT YOUR DIARY!!!!!!!!!!Look at when your exams are likely to be.

How long have you got? How many exams will you need to take?

Write down when your coursework deadlines are.

Write in important events and holidays

Decide exactly what you have to know for each subjectYou need a checklist for each subject, with all

the topics / parts of topics you need to know for each exam

Your teacher may give you a check list for each unit or

Make your own (use the textbook / your notes / exam websites to help) Remember to check with your teacher that you haven’t missed anything out

Prioritise the listQuestions to ask:Which topics get the most marks?How confident do I feel about each topic?

(Traffic light each one – green-great; amber-ok; red-awful)

Use this information to work out which topics you need to spend most time revising.

Example checklist for Media Studies

Topic: Investment Appraisal Techniques Traffic light:

Purpose of Investment Appraisal

Formula for the Annual Rate of Return (ARR)

Advantages and Disadvantages of ARR

How to calculate the Payback Period (PBP)

Advantages and disadvantages of (PBP)

Formula for the Net Present Value (NPV)

Advantages and disadvantages of NPV

An understanding of the Time Value of Money

Using contextual evidence to explain which method is the most suitable

First steps – Getting organisedSort out your folders / notes so everything is in orderBuy pens / papers / index cards...etcDecide where you are going to revise and make sure it’s a

suitable place – enough light, warmth, room...etcFor each subject, make a list of what you have to know for

the examOrder it so that the most difficult topics are first on the listDesign a timetable, where you set out what days and times

you will revise.Practise what you are worst at.

Work out the time availableFind out when your first exam isSort out when all your exams are (check you

exam timetable provided)Work out how many days you have to revise

and decide which day you are going to start your revision

Most people start about 4 – 6 weeks before the first exam, but there is no wrong time (except on the morning of the exam itself!)

Decide on your revision slots!Week days will be different to weekends and study leave

(less slots available)Each slot, for most people, will be about 40 mins longThe only rules:

Don’t plan to revise right up until the minute you go to bed – you won’t sleepDo plan in some breaks and things you can look forward toDon’t plan something you are never going to achieve – if you can’t get out of bed, don’t plan your first session for 7 am!

Be sensible!Do you work best in the morning? Plan one for before

school.Do you have to go to the Gym every week? Don’t plan one

for early evening on Monday

At this point your timetable might look like this:

9:00 – 10:00

10:00-11:00

11:00-12:00

14:00-15:00

15:00- 16:00

16:00- 17:00

19:00- 20:00

20:00-21:00

21:00-22:00

Mon 4th January

Sch Sch Sch Sch Sch Eastenders

Tues 5th January

Sch Sch Sch Sch Sch

Wed 6th January

Sch Sch Sch Sch Sch

Thurs7th

January

Sch Sch Sch Sch Sch Gym

Fri 8th January

Sch Sch Sch Sch Sch

Sat 9th January

Lie in

Sun10t

h January

Fill in time tableWork out how many slots you’ve got in your timetable

Work out how many slots you will give to each subject (prioritise them in order of difficulty / amount)

For each subject, work out which topics need most slots (from your traffic lighted checklists)

Fill out your timetable with subjects and topics so you know exactly what you’re revising

Your timetable should start to look like this...

9:00 – 10:00

10:00-11:00

11:00-12:00

14:00-15:00

15:00- 16:00

16:00- 17:00

19:00- 20:00

20:00-21:00

21:00-22:00

Monday 4th January

Sch Sch Sch Sch Sch Science - circulation

English – Wordsworth

Eastenders

French

Tuesday 5th January

Sch Sch Sch Sch Sch Business – break even

History – cold war

Maths - algebra

Chemistry - ethanol

Wed 6th January

Sch Sch Sch Sch Sch English – World War One Lit

Biology - Genetics

Geography – Urban Growth

PE – the skeletal system

Thurs 7th

January

Sch Sch Sch Sch Sch Gym

Friday 8th January

Sch Sch Sch Sch Sch

Sat 9th January

Lie in

Sun 10th January

How many different ways of revising do you know?Producing mind mapsSummarizing ideas into 10 bullet points…etcWriting plans and answers for questionsPutting key words on post-it notes and sticking them to the relevant

objectSnap cards – matching terms with definitionsTeaching some one elsePlaying ‘Just a Minute’ – giving yourself 1 minute to talk or write

down everything you know about a particular topicWord association – write down one word from a topic – how many

ideas can you write down associated with that wordUsing programs like BBC BitesizeRe-reading the text / chapter…etcGenerating 10 questions about the topic / chapter / character…etc –

you can use them to test your self another dayBookmarking –making a book mark for each chapter that contains

summary of the chapter, key pages, important quotations / theories…etc

The way to get started is to quit talking and to begin doing

Walt Disney

Now you’ve done all of this...START REVISING!

And...

Remember it will soon be over!