How to revise.

Okay, I understand that I'm only in year 10, and so far in my school life I haven't had any real exams to revise for that will account for anything. Yet it's been half a year since I started my GCSE's, and I've been tested quite often on various subjects, therefore needing to revise quite a few times. Here is Maya's perfect guide to revision!

1. Find out when your test is.
This is the first step as you should from then on be able to plan out your revision. If you find out you have a test in 2 weeks time, it's already time to start preparing!
2. Take your books home
Some of my teachers don't agree with me taking my books home, but I just nag and nag until they let me! If you have your books on you, you should be able to flick through them every once in a while to remind yourself of things.
3. Prepare your study area.
So here's to the time when you need to start revising. You need an area thats comfortable and relaxing, somewhere where you enjoy being.
On my desk, I have a bright light so I can see everything, and a comfy chair! I have a neat pile of all my books, and I usually get a nice cup of tea and some biscuits while I study.
4. Get your resources.
For most my subjects, I have a revision guide that I use religiously!
I reccomend that if you don't have revision guides, you get them! Ask your teacher for your exam board and look up books on the internet.
5. Start revising!
I often read over the pages of my revision guides, or copy the main points out onto lined paper in colours or spider diagrams to make it look pretty!
Sometimes, if I struggle with a particular topic I will make a poster on it, or draw pictures to help me memorise parts.  I also find revision cards helpful.
I've heard people talk about how they record their own voice to listen back on, which helps them memorise things, or teach others about the subject in order to get to grips with it themselves. Also, some people prefer to make question and answer cards, with a question on one side and an answer on the other to test themselves.
I reccomend that you try each method to find which one helps you the most!
6. Look on the internet!
Okay, I'll admit that not everywhere is going to be useful, and there are plenty of distractions along the way that will totally put you off course- Trust me, it's happened before.
BBC bitesize is usually my place to start- it's got the perfect amount of revision, tasks and questions to teach you everything you need!
Also, take a look on youtube! MyGcseScience is a great channel that will help you through C1, B1 and P1, and I can't thank this channel enough for helping me get A's, and an A*!
HEGARTYMATHS is another good channel that will help you through your GCSE maths exams, and I regually use this channel to recap things in class that I haven't quite understood.
Finally, I cannot thank MrBruff enough for the things he has taught me about English!
These are a few of my personal preferances, however I'm sure there are plenty of other channels or websites that can help you, why don't you share them in the comments?
7. PAST PAPERS, PAST PAPERS, PAST PAPERS!
For this, you will need to know your exam board, so do ask your teacher beforehand. If you go onto your exam board's website and find the subject you are taking, there should be a tab telling you that you are able to download the past papers and mark schemes. I really reccomend printing them out, and doing them once you have finished revising. Don't just do one either, take a few, so topics from all over the subject will appear, and you can find your weakness's and target them!
8. Take a break!
I know how desperate you are to spend the whole day revising, but it won't be as efficient. It's proven (somewhere, I think!) that by taking a break every hour or so to relax, have a drink and recap over the things you've learnt you will take much more information in!
Good luck on your exams, and remember, while they do seem important now, there is nothing more important than your own well-being, so always put yourself first. If you don't feel like revising, try not to force yourself into it. It is reccomended that you revise at some point, but don't push yourself over the limit.

So, What Happened Today? #1

Sunday 11th January. It sounds like one of those days where I'll be writing about how I'm doing so well with my New Years Resolution,  or more likely how I've only just broken it. Not this year- I didn't set any really.
It's a sunday, so obviously I didn't do anything much. I never do. I think I woke up slightly later than usual though- probably my body recovering from all that shopping yesterday! As soon as I woke I felt doomed with the thought of my English Controlled Assesment tomorrow, and how much I need to prepare for it after getting a B in my practise. So, I jumped out of bed straight away and sat at my desk and worked for the next 4 hours.
HA! Nope, I stayed in bed for the next 3 hours, until 1PM. Admittidly, I did scroll up the 'Of Mice And Men' tag a few times on tumblr, and watched a few video's claiming they could make me A* material in minutes.
Then, I got out of bed and started to practise writing, didn't go too well though. I then became drawn into the world of Tumblr for the second time, making a few stops with Youtube along the way. Before I knew it it was 4PM- what?!?!
I'd decided I needed to re-do my hair a few weeks ago, but stupidly lost the dye after buying it, but strangely, after moving a few things around I found it, lying in exactly the same place as I'd placed it. I placed the dye on my hair, crossing my fingers it wouldn't go too badly- luckily it was fine, just a darker, richer brown than it was before. All traces of that red monstrocity finally gone!
After eating Mum's Finest Lasagna, I became too stuffed to even move, consequently I'm now sat in exactly the same place as I was. With nothing to do.
Told you my life was Mundane.

MundaneM.

So, yeah. Hi.
I'm Maya and I'm 14 years old. Thats how I'm meant to start this, right?
I don't know, it seems so stereotypical for a teenager to feel lonely and sad because they have no friends,  then creates a blog to vent her feelings. I mean I've read about 2 books that fit in that catorgory already this year- and it's the 11th January!
But whatever. I'm guessing you're hear already because you've seen something compelling you like, and perhaps I can entice you further with a short description of who I am. And please don't laugh, or thing "This girl is too cheesy" , because trust me, as I get more confident to talking to a blank blogger page, my skills will get better!

Anyway, like I said, I'm 14. 15 soon. Not soon enough.
I must admit i'm a bit of a nerd. There is nothing more I love than reading a good book, or doing science (especially chemistry!), and I like English quite alot as well.
So that means I must like school, right? Wrong. It's not the worst thing, but I just dislike the human interaction it brings. I can deal with it fine, it just makes me uncomfortable- I'd prefer to be alone.
Funnily enough, I wish to have a social job when I'm older- how ironic? I wish to be a Doctor. But hopefully the people I work with won't be judgemental asshats, or I'll just have a big turnaround and become a sociable queen.
I play the keyboard and I quite enjoy teaching myself new songs, just like I enjoy teaching myself languages- I'm getting on quite well with German right now.
I'm also into youtube and tumblr, and being at war with my family. More on that in another post, I think!

Thats all I can think of now, so if there is anyone reading, and if you do have a burning quesiton, please comment it below.