Great Marlow School Welcome to our Year 11 Exam and Information Evening 19 th March 2019 CREATING OPPORTUNITIES RELEASING POTENTIAL ACHIEVING EXCELLENCE
Great Marlow School What do we aim to cover this evening? • Advice from 6 th Formers • Suggested revision strategies • Final Exam preparation • School Prom CREATING OPPORTUNITIES RELEASING POTENTIAL ACHIEVING EXCELLENCE
First hand experience from last year… (students) • Attend all 6 th period and early morning revision sessions possible as they will make a hug impact especially on exam technique. • Set yourself a plan, by having a plan you will be able to keep track of your progress and feel as if you are achieving things along the way. It is a long journey so don’t start sprinting it. • Reward yourself as you go along- I would always go for a run afterwards to clear my head • Don’t listen to your friends as they most likely are revising just as much as you and everyone is different how they revise. Everyone sits the same exams after all. • Flashcards, quizlet, posters, notes, scribble pads- find what works for you. Mine was a mix of them all. • Use form time effectively- 25 minutes to go over topics or make some revision notes (don’t just chat). • Go everything more than once- your long term memory won’t remember it otherwise! I went over everything at least 6/7 times. Practise does really make perfect! • Don’t be afraid to ask for help - teachers, older students, siblings and friends can all help. Extra exams questions, quick tips or just checking over some class notes.
• Get someone to test you- its all good making pretty flashcards but you need to make sure it going in so small tests is a good check up. If you can teach someone what you have learnt you definitely understand the information. This I found was the best way for me to learn information. • Late night revision will not work and you might as well go to bed as it is very unlikely you will benefit from it. Use class tests to practise revision techniques and to see if they work. • Lastly, you get what you put in. I worked 7 till 5:30 (with breaks) Saturday and Sunday from about now till exams were over and during the week would attend al subject revision sessions and then do 2 hours of work at home. Proving it is never to late to start revising properly. It was horrible, but looking back on it all the hard work, long hours have paid off and I got beyond what I expected. • Believe in yourselves as what you set your mind to, you can achieve if you really want to (cheesy as it sounds)! Please don’t be the student crying on results day crying saying they wished they had done more. Put the work in now and then you won’t have anything to look back on and feel bad about.
Parents Advice • Have the right working environment- good light, no distractions and they have eaten/drunk. • Allow your child to take breaks - go for a walk, do some quick baking, go on the computer whatever it is they like to do. This will help them understand work is work and then they can rest. • Test them- allow them to revise a section and then test them afterwards to see if they have understood it. It is amazing how much my Dad now knows about history from this! • Don’t nag - it is just annoying and doesn’t really work. Instead make them have a plan, work through it and see if they are on track. Ask them about 6 th periods and early morning sessions and encourage them to go. • Reminding them what they want at the end as communication helps- good results, the ability to go to prom, next steps 6 th form or college. • Discourage late night revision sessions. Don’t have the phone in the bedroom at night (if they say they need it for an alarm clock get them a cheap clock or get them up). I always will remember this from last year and Mr Maguire wasn’t too popular the day after he said this- we all forgave him and came to realise he was right in saying that!
• Practise past papers by timing them and working through them together. This helped me so much with nailing exam technique. • If your child is getting frustrated take the books away from them and allow them to have a break. Then try and work through it with them or suggest they speak to their teacher. • Stay positive and keep your thoughts to yourself if you think they aren’t doing so well, this will enforce a negative mindset which is the opposite to what you want. This will also allow your child to understand getting things wrong is okay (I found this very hard to grasp but constant positive reinforcement helped me to see things in a different way and kept my motivation high throughout). • Know the exam timetable- have it on the fridge door. In the build up this is important because you will have to start focusing up on the exams which are closest. • Get somebody with exam experience to talk to them- I only really clicked about revising well when my cousin spoke to me. It wasn’t teachers or parents that this worked with (I guess that is just sometimes how it is!). • The night before only do some light revision as if your child has done preparation well that is all it should take to refresh and bring it all forward for that exam. Cramming doesn’t work and can lead to a build up of stress - you need a fairly clear and stable mind going into exams so pack exam bag the night before!
Great Marlow School Weekly Top Tips • Top Tip #1 Have a goal / target • Top Tip #2 Revision Plan • Top Tip #3 Avoid Distractions • Top Tip #4 Mind Maps CREATING OPPORTUNITIES RELEASING POTENTIAL ACHIEVING EXCELLENCE
Great Marlow School Weekly Top Tips #4 CREATING OPPORTUNITIES RELEASING POTENTIAL ACHIEVING EXCELLENCE
Revision cards The website quizlet is really useful in helping with revision cards.
Aft fter a one hour memorising session: • 10 minutes later revise the topic for 10 minutes • 1 day later revise the topic for 5 minutes • 1 week later revise the topic for 2-5 minutes • 1 month later revise the topic for 2-5 minutes • Before exams revise the topic as required. • Each time knowledge is reinforced; it enters deeper into the long-term memory and becomes more stable.
9 Grid Challenge Write as much as Or write a key you know on a term and topic in each box. definition. Try to reduce a topic to 9 squares Could you write a Focus on topics whole subject in you are less sure 9 squares? of.
And there’s more …… • Using the parts of your body Parts of your body are especially helpful as triggers to memory, as your body will be there in the exam room! For example, each hand could represent an essay plan – each finger one major topic; each segment of each finger a principal reference you would use. The fingernails could represent counterarguments; the knuckles could be associated with relevant quotations. • Use motor memory Study on the move. If you exercise, associate each movement with something you wish to remember. To refresh the memory, go through the exercise in your mind. Writing, drawing and speaking also use motor memory: the fine-muscle sequence is recorded by the brain. • Condense Fitting notes onto one side of paper makes them easier to stomach, so rewrite and cut down as you go.
Just a minute Quizzing PiXL apps Prepare to teach Past papers Show my Homework
Great Marlow School Relaxation It’s vital to relax and not get overworked as this leads to stress. Have a good balance between socialising, relaxing and working. Plan revision sessions and down time. CREATING OPPORTUNITIES RELEASING POTENTIAL ACHIEVING EXCELLENCE
Great Marlow School Healthy body = Healthy mind • Eat healthy food • Drink plenty (water!!) • Get lots of rest CREATING OPPORTUNITIES RELEASING POTENTIAL ACHIEVING EXCELLENCE
Great Marlow School • Adolescent consumption of caffeine has been linked to dependence, poor sleep and poor concentration • Sugar rush and exams don’t mix CREATING OPPORTUNITIES RELEASING POTENTIAL ACHIEVING EXCELLENCE
Event Date Information 8 th April – 22 nd April History, Drama, Maths, English Lit, Easter Holiday Art, Graphics / RM / Textiles 23 rd May after English Lit Leavers Assembly Students dismissed around exam 12.30 27 th May – 31 st May History Half Term Geography, French, Spanish, Media Saturday Revision Friday 21 st June School Prom Wycombe Wanderers Football Club Thursday 22 nd August Results Day
Great Marlow School What not to take to the exam • Mobile phone • Ipod/MP3 player etc • Food You can have your exam paper cancelled and all your others if you are found with a mobile phone in the exam, even if it is switched off CREATING OPPORTUNITIES RELEASING POTENTIAL ACHIEVING EXCELLENCE
Top Trumps
Great Marlow School Thank you for attending this evening, please let me know if you have any concerns about your son / daughter. kcraig@gms.bucks.sch.uk CREATING OPPORTUNITIES RELEASING POTENTIAL ACHIEVING EXCELLENCE
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