Year 11 Study Skills Information

Will you be ready?

“Determination and perseverance move the world; thinking that others will do it for you is a sure way to fail.”

Marva Collins

What do you really want to do in the future and what do you need to achieve this?
Are you working well towards your goals?
Will you be happy or disappointed on results day?
What feelings do you really want on this day?
Do you intend to join the Sixth Form. If so, will you achieve this goal?
Fulfil your potential, not other people’s expectations
Ask for help if and when you need it
It’s not all work, it’s not all play – have a balance and it will pay off
Focus on yourself, work for yourself and try not be distracted by what anyone else thinks or does

Believe in yourself – you’ll be glad that you did

The Purpose of Revision

"We are or become those things which we repeatedly do. Therefore, excellence can become not just an event, but a habit." Albert Einstein

Have you ever asked yourself why we need to revise?
Is it to annoy you?
Is it just to put you under enormous pressure?
Does it have any purpose?
Why do we have to sit exams at all?

When sitting an examination the examiner knows that the work being assessed is entirely the student’s own work and that how well a student does in an exam is entirely up to them! In order to do yourself justice in an exam you have to undertake revision, understanding revision techniques and examination strategies that you can use will help you.

Therefore revision means going over work in order to:

1.Check your understanding.
2. Make links between different topics to see how the whole subject fits together.
3. Remind yourself of material you have forgotten.
4. Reinforce your learning.
5. Identify and fill gaps in your knowledge.

The following information on this page will help you prepare for your future examinations.

Revision Planning

“Before everything else, getting ready is the secret of success.”

Henry Ford

The top tip for successful revision is to make a plan; otherwise it is easy to waste your precious revision time. We recommend that you start your revision at least six weeks before your exams begin. It is helpful to look at your exam dates and work backwards to the first date you intend to start revising. You will need to plan a revision timetable which will account for every subject you take and topics within every subject you take. Your plan should take into account your school work, relaxation time, part time jobs you may do and any other regular activities. This way you will keep upto date with your revision and not get stressed out. Remeber;

“Some people want it to happen, some wish it would happen, others make it happen.”

Michael Jordan

Here are 7 simple tips that you need to employ;

1. Start early.
2. Make a revision timetable. Avoid wasting time re-writing this over and over again.
3. Answer questions from past papers.
4. Identify the key points, examples and evidence for each topic- you will not be able to write very much on each in the exam.
5. Prepare for questions that combine two different topics.
6. Prepare for unusual questions or angles for your ‘best’ topics.
7. Go over the same material quite quickly several times rather than spending a long time on one occasion

Revision Techniques

“Pain is temporary, failure lasts forever.”

Lance Armstrong

There is no ‘right way’ to revise, as long as the method you choose enables you to gain a solid grasp of key facts and consolidate your knowledge. Some students are happy to read their classroom notes from start to finish, others prefer to simplify the information as much as possible, turning everything into skeleton notes, diagrams or mnemonics. In practice, most students find that mixing techniques suits the varied nature of the subjects being revised, and provides essential variety when studying.

Six simple revision techniques

Condense – fitting notes on one side of paper makes it easier to learn
Highlight – target key areas using colour and symbols. Visuals stimulate the brain
Record – put important points onto tape, listen to them and they will sink in
Talk – read your notes out aloud
Test – what can you remember without notes. Use spider diagrams to map out what you know
Time – in a quiet place go through past papers

Think positive! Remember Preparation + Practice = Pass!!!

In the Exam

Be prepared; find out what is involved in each of the examinations that you are going to sit and organise yourself the night before and get plenty of sleep.

When in the exam it is natural to feel nervous, however the more prepared you are the easier it will be to conquer your fears.

Help within School

Each of your subject teachers will be helping you to revise and prepare yourself for the examination, however if you would like to know where to obtain further help then

You can also visit the school Moodle site which will also have subject specific revision material.