We know the lead up to summer is a crucial time for families with teens and children preparing for important and possibly life changing exams. That’s why our May Half-Term Revision Week in partnership with Oppidan Education is designed to allow families a guilt free escape during key revision time. For those who can’t wait, we caught up with Henry and Walter, Oppidan’s founders, to get their top 10 revision tips:
1
GET UP AT A DECENT TIME!
The obvious choice for any 13-year-old can be to doze quietly in the morning. Do your best to get up for 8am, have a proper breakfast, shower and start the working morning at 9am. By lunch time you’ve achieved plenty, which feels great and takes the pressure off the afternoon.
2
WORK OUT WHAT IS BEST FOR YOU
Everybody revises in different ways, and the most effective to you might be laughed at by your friends. Stick with your instincts, work hard with them and you’ll be pleased with the results.
3
TAKE A TRIP WITH YOUR SUBJECTS
Don’t just read your notes over and over again. Find ‘out and about’ activities that are relevant to your subjects. Visit the Science Museum, a beautiful beach, river, castle or building. It might not perfectly fit with your revision notes, but the variety will be memorable and give you something a little extra to add to that 8-mark answer crying out for a good ‘case study’.
4
BUY SOME REVISION CARDS
However you find it easiest to learn information, reading A4 pages doesn’t work for anybody. Downsize to revision cards. They are more engaging, readable and portable. A good way to re-write your notes, summarise at speed and learn on the go.
5
REVISE WITH A FRIEND
Trying to assimilate large amounts of information gets tedious and any student’s attention begins to wander. Organise sessions with a hard-working friend and use the time effectively. Learning in a pair can be a great way to bounce ideas off one another and to give a mutual confidence boost that you know your subjects well.
6
TIMED PRACTICE
Too much CE revision is done without thinking about timing. Long, carefully prepared answers are useful to test your knowledge, but they’re not exam practice. Take a timer, find a quiet space and give yourself a rehearsal. It’s a short, sharp, painless way to get good revision done.
7
AVOID CRAMMING
Try to avoid the temptation to wait until the last moment when the panic kicks in. Instead, outline a long-term schedule to follow day by day that will keep you organised. Quietly tick through the days you have left. Stick to the plan.
8
GET AS MUCH SLEEP AS POSSIBLE
Sleep shouldn’t be a morning thing – the hours that count are before midnight. Get early nights in the run-up to the exams and you’ll feel buckets of pressure tumble off your shoulders. Well-rested students produce clearer thoughts.
9
KEEP IT SIMPLE
Stories, long answers and essays are always clearer when you keep things simple. Pick a sharp line and stick to it, keeping characters, locations and extra plot detail to a minimum.
10
DON’T SUFFER IN SILENCE
When you’re finding a subject tough, the big temptation is to brush it under the carpet or leave it to stew. Don’t waste a second; find help and pinpoint the weakness. Knowing and accepting what you find hard is the key to managing the trouble. With the right help, all will soon be well!
MAY HALF TERM REVISION WEEK
Henry and Walter will be at The Club this May Half Term from Sunday 28th May to Sunday 4th June hosting a revision programme for children and teens with important exams this summer. For more information read here, or contact us at info@peligoni.com to enquire about available places to stay during this week.
