Preparing for an exam requires careful planning and organisation, and a key part of this process is setting clear and realistic targets.
Follow the guide below to ensure that you are on the right track:
Completing Your Goals and Grades Table
- Step 1: Create a table and list down all your KS3 or KS4 subjects.
- Step 2: Fill in the columns with your teacher’s predicted grades for each subject.
- Step 3: Set your personal target grades for all subjects, aiming a bit higher than your teacher’s predictions.
Hierarchy of Motivation
- Visual Motivation: Place an inspirational image on your wall that constantly reminds you of your goals and keeps you motivated.
- Diverse Study Techniques: Don’t forget to incorporate consolidation and retrieval practices in your study routine. Techniques like think-pair-share, quizzes, games, brain dumps, and flashcards can significantly enhance your memory retention.
- Planning and Organisation:
- Study Down Time Planner: Create a planner to manage your downtime effectively, ensuring you have a balanced schedule.
- Revision Timetable: Use the information from your Study Down Time Planner to craft a detailed Revision Timetable.
- Time Blocking: Shade the time slots you are unavailable in red on your timetable to have a clear visual of your free time.
- Breaking Down Tasks: Write down all your assignments and break them into small, manageable tasks to tackle throughout the week.
Regular Review and Adjustment
- At the end of each week, take time to review your Revision Timetable.
- Assess whether you are behind or ahead with your assignments.
- Evaluate the quality of your work, ensuring it meets an excellent standard.
- Reflect on whether you need additional time for deep learning or to redraft any of your work.
- Make necessary adjustments to your Revision Timetable to minimise stress and improve the quality of your work.
Top Tip
- Balance is Key: Ensure to make plenty of ‘you’ time. When you take care of yourself and balance your study with relaxation, your work time becomes more effective and productive.
