Thursday, December 11th, 2008
The more you revise, the more you know
The more you know, the more you will forget
The more you forget the less you know
So why revise?
Revising for GCSE mocks is a strange experience.
Everyone tells you they are important and that you need to take them seriously but there will always be that creeping temptation to play down whatever grades you end up with (good or bad ) as ‘only mocks anyway’.
But if the grades don’t really matter then why would you want to spend all that time chained to the desk pouring over subject after subject of revision notes? Lets be honest there are plenty of more interesting ways to spend the day
GCSEPod present 5 solid reasons to take those Mock exams seriously:
1- They give you a chance to experiment with revision technique
2- They indicate your current standard 6 months before the real thing
3- You will become used to working in a pressurised exam situation
4- They can expose your strengths and weaknesses between and within subjects
And one that your teachers are less likely to tell you…
5- You can point to good mock grades later on when your parents try to stop you going out with mates!
Now I don’t know about you but that last one always made more sense to me.
Flickr cc Image Credits: The C@ in the H@
Tags: Exams, Revision Tips
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Tuesday, November 25th, 2008
Today’s post comes from one of our history teachers – Sally Thorne. She has worked on topics such as Medicine through Time and The American West. As well as teaching History and writing for us, she also regularly marks GCSE exams, so if anyone knows what to watch out for it’s her!
When it comes to marking GCSE History exams, there are really only three types of student. There are those who have done loads of revision, those who have done some revision and have a few gaps in their knowledge, and finally, those who have done no revision and try to use the information from the sources and get clues from other questions to write their answers. It’s really easy to tell how much revision each student has done. I’m sure you can guess which category gets the highest marks!
However, there is a small exception to this, and that’s when it comes to historical sources. I’ve seen amazing pupils mess up completely because the sources said something different to what they had revised, and they decided they must be wrong. Sometimes, the source says something completely ridiculous – but just because it’s typed out in a box, and it was written a long time ago, somehow pupils just assume it’s the truth.
The thing about this is, in a history paper, you’re likely to come across a source which might contradict what you have learned at school. In fact, the chances are that if the source says something different to what you know, it’s wrong and the whole point is to criticise it! Those tricksy examiners are just trying to catch you out.
It all comes down to confidence. If you’ve done your history revision and you’ve paid attention in school, you should be confident in your own abilities. Don’t be afraid to be critical. It’s what we’re looking for. Learn all the facts, and then have confidence in yourself – you are probably right!
Image Credits: Faeryan @ Flickr cc
Tags: Exams, Revision Tips
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