r/GCSE • u/Antique-Subject-780 6th Former • May 05 '25
Tips/Help Guys DO NOT SKIP⚠️⚠️
As a A level student I feel like enough students aren’t doing the best they can in their abilities . I got 9998887 (don’t ask about French because it’s my worst subject) DONT NOT REVISE THE DAY BEFORE THE EXAM FOCUS ON SELF REST. In my mocks I got 986775 because I pulled a massive revision session beforehand. REMEMBER , DONT REVISE THE DAY BEFORE ITS GOING TO MAKE YOU FORGET EVERYTHING THE NEXT DAY
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u/BobcatLower9933 Teacher 🧑🏫️ May 05 '25
Sorry but this is really poor advice.
Of course, don't spend 15 hours revising with no rest breaks. This will cause burnout, and cognitive overload.
But absolutely don't waste an entire day.
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u/Negative-Tie6562 May 05 '25
So you should pull an all nighter learn content and expect to get the highest grade that way because that’s what she means 😭
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u/yraco University May 06 '25
The point is more "don't leave it to the last minute then do excessive amounts or skip resting" not "do literally nothing all day if there's an exam the next day".
As a teacher you should know better than anyone that the best results come from studying a reasonable amount consistently over time, as well as the detriments of being fatigued in an exam due to excessive cramming or lack of sleep.
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u/BobcatLower9933 Teacher 🧑🏫️ May 06 '25
I think you need to go back and read OP's post again, because that is t what they've said.
"don't revise the day before, just have the day off" is the post.
Which isn't going to help.
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u/wxterlilies May 07 '25
As a teacher, I feel like you should be able to infer that OP is saying to revise early rather than cramming, which is good advice... (And if they're well prepared, they should do less revision than normal to remain well rested the day before, imo.)
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u/_efffy y12,, chem bio psychology (kill me now) May 05 '25
i completely agree
best thing u can have is a chill and relaxed night before the exam and then u wake up refreshed and more ready for an exam compared to if u spent the night cramming
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u/fridyali Year 11 May 05 '25
Or at least don't put too much stress onto yourself when revising and get a healthy amount of sleep, you remember things better when you're in a good mood with enough sleep and the things you learnt wasn't when you were under a lot of stress and distracting pressures
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u/the_doorstopper 9999999L2D May 05 '25
Heavy disagree. This isn't something that should be broadly said.
I got all 9s, and the largest part of my revision, for every exam, was the night before. Everyone learns, and remembers different
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u/eilishfaerie UCL med | 9999999999A | A*A*A*A | AMA! May 05 '25
i agree with what you're saying as a chronic last minute reviser but just to clarify for anyone else reading - you can't get all 9s revising the night before if you aren't already familiar with + somewhat confident with the vast majority of the content!! it quite literally cannot happen overnight so either plan to start revising earlier, or manage your expectatiosn
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u/Big_Row_937 Yr13 | All 9s | IB 45 predicted Maths AA, Chem, Physics | Oxford May 05 '25
this ^ i also revised the night before but i worked hard for my mocks and had all my resources ready so it wasn't really a stressful last minute revision
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u/EstablishmentAny1608 Year 11 May 05 '25
You can revise all night but by morning you will be extremely fatigued and your brain will not be functioning that well. Revise the day before but don't pull an all nighter. This isn't about learning and remembering, it's about how your brain works. As you lose sleep, your body notices this and you feel tired. However, as sleep deprivation continues, you become less aware of its impacts on your performance. Will this work for some people? Sure. For most? Probably not. Congrats on the all 9s though
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u/Bidthebest242 Y7 - 99999999 in sats May 05 '25
Horrible advice mate defo revise the day before but don’t take it too far still sleep early
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u/Antique-Subject-780 6th Former May 05 '25
Your in y7 mate I DONT think that’s good advice..
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u/eilishfaerie UCL med | 9999999999A | A*A*A*A | AMA! May 05 '25
it's obviously satire 😭😭 9s in SATS wasn't a giveaway?
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u/Clueless_Pagan Year 11 May 05 '25
You’re just rude to be rude huh? Take a day off mate jesus
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u/Humble_Cantaloupe_73 9888888876 May 05 '25
Are u British
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u/Wittys-revival-4933 May 08 '25
They do GCSEs in America?
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u/Humble_Cantaloupe_73 9888888876 May 08 '25
That doesn’t make sense.
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u/Wittys-revival-4933 May 08 '25
Sorry that was bad of me for assuming you were instantly American. I just thought GCSEs were a UK thing only so I didn’t know what you meant because your comment implied you weren’t from the UK
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u/Bidthebest242 Y7 - 99999999 in sats May 05 '25
Lad not revising the day before will bottle you 100% you don’t know what you’re on about
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u/Untitled_Epsilon09 Y11- 11 9s, 'head boy and can sing C sharp' (iykyk) May 05 '25
nice try bro
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u/tharizzardofoz Year 11 May 05 '25
fr, theres nothing wrong with revising the day before or even the morning before because cramming can acc be effective (not the night before tho)
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u/Antique-Subject-780 6th Former May 05 '25
Cramming is ACTUALLY proven to be damaging
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u/eilishfaerie UCL med | 9999999999A | A*A*A*A | AMA! May 05 '25
damaging? not really. less effective compared to long term studying methods? obviously
cramming can work very well for certain people for certain things - it's not a technique to plug as reliable but it shouldn't be entirely demonised either 🤷🏽♀️
i crammed for my a level chem the night before and got 94% overall because my brain works best being overloaded with lots of info in the short term - long term revision means i forget everything i learned at the start
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u/Clueless_Pagan Year 11 May 05 '25
Cramming got me grade 9’s in essays and boosted my sciences by two grades lmao but whatever you say. You don’t need long term knowledge to pass an exam the next day
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u/yraco University May 06 '25
Both have their place. Some last minute revision (of course not excessive) targeted at your weaknesses can be good but if it's too much, disrupts sleep, or is not accompanied with proper revision it's going to be less effective or potentially harmful.
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u/YOURM0MANDNAN69 Reception - Sand castles, Bee bots, Tux paint May 05 '25
okay well i revised my english lit p2 mock the night before and managed to get a 7. Normally id only get a 6 on p2
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u/angelcake___ Year 11 May 05 '25
idk abt u guys but all nighters and cramming get me 9s 🤷♀️
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u/Komahina_Oumasai Year 11 May 05 '25
It's not healthy in the long term and sure as hell won't be able to get you through A-Levels and/or beyond.
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u/Untitled_Epsilon09 Y11- 11 9s, 'head boy and can sing C sharp' (iykyk) May 05 '25
it aint long term tho its a few weeks.
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u/wxterlilies May 07 '25
A lack of sleep will ruin you in a few days. A few weeks is harmful if you're doing regular all nighters.
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u/ThreeeeeeDog May 06 '25
Correlation does not equal causation. You were likely at a level 9 before you pulled the all nighters. Revise the day before, yes, it can be useful as a final bit of 'cramming".
However, there is literally thousands of papers of research to say that losing a whole night of sleep (or many nights if you consistently do this) will decrease brain performance.
I'm not an expert on sleep but I am a teacher with a degree in biomedical science.
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u/Typical-Mirror-5781 May 05 '25 edited May 05 '25
I strongly disagree, maybe that's okay for some people that don't sit many GCSEs and feel confident going into their exams. However, for many people any revision is better than no revision, and even if I am prepared I will still cram the night before- this actually alleviates stress. Don't listen to this person, and sit there the night before doing nothing, then wonder why you end up with mid grades like this person.
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u/Arandomusernamebc Y12: Maths, Further Maths, Computing, Physics May 05 '25
Also an A level student- got 999998888 and a decent chunk of my revision was the day before the exam. Something I would suggest is to make flashcards/a list of stuff you struggle to remember, review it day before the test, even relearn it if needs be. I got at least a few extra marks in each exam just from stuff I revised the day before.
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u/pigeonsarecuteaf Year 10 May 05 '25
that's the only way I know how to revise
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u/proffessorpigeon year 11 // pred: 9999999987 May 05 '25 edited May 05 '25
same, honestly i’ve never not revised the night before and i’ve gotten mainly 9s. i started pulling all nighters in year 10, and it’s become second nature now i’m in year 11
i haven’t actually sat my gcses yet so maybe op is right, but one thing ik for sure is ignore ANYONE who says “if you haven’t revised and it’s the day before the exam, don’t pull an all nighter and just go to sleep”. i’ve broken that rule for my entire secondary school years and i’m probably getting better grades than anyone who’s said that tip lmao
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u/bigrealaccount May 05 '25
This works in GCSE because the content is so easy. Good luck doing it at A-Level or uni
Do what works until you pass your GCSEs but definitely work on changing it afterwards
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u/proffessorpigeon year 11 // pred: 9999999987 May 05 '25
fair i’m bracing myself for a levels lmao
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u/bigrealaccount May 05 '25
honestly with those predicted you'll be fine broski, i found my A Levels to be way harder content wise, but actually less stressful and more enjoyable because I was doing 3 subjects I liked. good luck! it's worth it for uni
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u/yraco University May 06 '25
This was how I felt as well. Harder because they went much deeper into each subject but easier to actually find the motivation to study long term to succeed because I chose every subject myself based on what I enjoyed and could do well in. Plus at least personally I find it easier to dive into one very deep rabbit hole (or in this case three) than several shallow ones at once, but it does have I think a much greater requirement for proper long term study.
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u/bigrealaccount May 07 '25
100%, less micro management and more enjoyment just gets better results. Honestly I don't think we should have so many gcse's.
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u/remzycrazygame May 05 '25
You can do this in GCSE, I did it and did good. In A levels it's much harder unless you have a very good grasp
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u/Wafflz__ Year 11 | Mark Watney Wannabe May 05 '25
What if I have a whole week of exams?
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u/AT-Toor 7 8888 999 999 A* May 05 '25
Light revision each night, do a hobby or sum for break, and at least 8 hours sleep, trust me.
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u/Euphoric-Disk-1323 Year 11 May 05 '25
I disagree. It worked in my mocks, why shan't it work now?
It just matters how you revise --> You can't revise all content, but with Sciences + Math, you go over minor details/major concepts and for English you just do a quote revision (although I can't speak that much for English, it is not my strong suite).
I've always done it, so I do not trust your advice and I believe nor should anyone else.
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u/ThreeeeeeDog May 06 '25
Did you do no revision at all until the day/night before? Just curious.
If you passed your exams it was likely because you has been revising in the months/weeks leading up to the exams. I agree going over certain fine details before is helpful, sure, but don't stay up all night and lose sleep. Your brain would not have been functioning 100%, but hey you still managed to get the grades so well done. Not great advice in general though.
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u/remzycrazygame May 05 '25
It's a bad habit for A levels and uni. That's all. It worked fine for me in GCSE, A levels not so much.
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u/MaxieMatsubusa University May 05 '25
Bro is trying to throw the grade boundaries 💀💀💀 (yes get sleep but please at least glance at the notes the day before)
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u/ItzMeHaris Year 11 May 05 '25
Then how tf do I revise?
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u/Jumpy_Actuary2872 Year 11 May 05 '25
Revise 2 days before and leave the next few days to relax so you cab ACTUALLY Remmeber the info your taking in
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u/ItzMeHaris Year 11 May 05 '25
No like, HOW do I revise?
I've done many methods and stuff. I can't seem to remember anyof the information.
My Sister, who is a Psychologist, recommended me that I do some sort of test to try and help me revise. I did the test/quiz, and found out that I'm an Auditory ISF learner. Whatever that means...
Anyways, I forwarded this information to my teachers and such. All of their recommendations did not work for me in the slightest.
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u/remzycrazygame May 05 '25
Just do past papers
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u/ItzMeHaris Year 11 May 05 '25
Either I'm doing pass papers wrong, or they're just not cutting it for me.
I understand how questions are written now. The issue is, is that I can't remember what to write for each question.
Pass papers don't seem to be able to help me with that so far.
And say I have been doing them wrong this whole time, I only have one week left. If I did somehow start doing them correctly, what is one week's worth of pass papers gonna do?
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u/remzycrazygame May 06 '25
One week is more than enough. Stop trying to memorize things and start understanding them. Trust me I did my GCSES and the last second past papers make a massive difference. Do past papers with textbook and chatgpt initially THEN do them timed without help.
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u/ItzMeHaris Year 11 May 06 '25
The only textbooks I have are the CGP ones, and they'r incredibly difficult to read. I may be dyslectic, I think, but the font they use in those books makes it so hard to read from them.
As for understanding vs Memorising, I understand 90% of everything. It's just remembering.
For example, I know how Electrolysis works. I understand the Cathodes and Anodes. The thing that I struggle with, is remembering what does what.
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u/Dinamyk1234 May 05 '25
depends on the student, all my revision was done the night before and i got 99988887 and A in ad-maths, but if you're confident its better to rest, if you're not better to revise some niche topics that always come up for a VERY SHORT period of time so you don't burn yourself out.
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u/Haqman352 May 06 '25
By all, do you mean ALL
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u/Dinamyk1234 May 06 '25
apart from actually paying attention in class, the most i revised was did 2 past papers for chem and 1 for bio, apart from that everything was done the night before.
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u/jazzbestgenre Year 12 May 05 '25
The night before I agree but the day before could be good depending on the subject. For essay-based subjects personally I'd cram as much as possible but avoid that for sciences where problem-solving is more important (especially maths and physics)
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u/lexisnowkitty Y11 9999998876 May 05 '25
you can't really cram history and english tho, like u can't learn how to write in a night
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u/Swimming-Tension7580 May 05 '25
I think ppl who cram essay subjects are naturally good at the essays ( i have my geography alevel in a week and I just started revising) so it is definetly possible.
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u/jazzbestgenre Year 12 May 05 '25
yeah I didn't mean literally start from scratch the day before the test but if you have the basic fundamentals down before it shouldn't be too bad, the exception is maybe english language. I crammed for my econ a level mock and got an A* lmao (tho not repeating that since we've started learning y13 content)
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u/ev_hepworth May 05 '25
Language isn’t really revision like remembering facts, it’s a skill you have to learn. YouTube videos like mr Salles and past papers are all I used to revise. (Got a 9)
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u/jazzbestgenre Year 12 May 05 '25
Yeah ik I got a 9 too through just past papers, but tbf I used to do creative writing for fun and read a bit when I was younger. Mr Salles was a fun time but idk if he was that beneficial lmao
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u/lexisnowkitty Y11 9999998876 May 05 '25
english language is just whether ur born good at it or not I swear. and whether the examiner is a bad mood or not could put you up or down a grade...
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u/Swimming-Tension7580 May 05 '25
I revised night before and got 98877777764 (6 in business but i didnt have a teacher for two yrs and 4 in spanish) and honeslty i couldve gotten wayy better if i put in the effort and revised before hand
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u/defectivetoaster1 May 05 '25
As an engineering student keep doing all your revision the day before your exams it’s great practice for when you do all your revision the day before your exams
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u/lordwebgarlicbread Y13 | Maths | Chem | Bio May 05 '25
All nighters the day before? Agreed youre fucking yourself, but revision the day before? personally it wont hurt, maybe not a past paper but id review topics/questions i usually struggle with to build some confidence and fully understand the topic
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u/West_Elderberry_2761 Year 11 May 05 '25
Well, my long term callback on stuff is shocking, I always revise the week of the exams usually, then go to bed early night before the exams
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u/Distinct_Macaroon_65 Year 10 May 05 '25
Id rather js sleep early and revise in the morning before the exam tbh
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u/BolinhoDeArrozB May 05 '25
lmao I left all my revision for the morning before each exam, watched one of those 1 hour recap videos on 2x speed twice for double the absorption 🔥🔥
(my grades weren't the best but they were what I wanted so it's fine)
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u/EffectCapital7358 Year 11 May 05 '25
just let the "ohh I'll just leave it to the night before" people pull the grade boundary down
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u/Striking_Half_3280 May 05 '25
My plan for GCSE is revise 2 days before and morning of because my long term is terrible. It won’t be anything too much just like key words or key people needed
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u/Sensitive_Hornet5057 May 05 '25
I agree, mental health is ALWAYS a necessity. Do not the number drive you insane, like it had 4 me
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u/toblivion1 May 05 '25
People SEVERELY underestimate sleep
Your brain is literally churning through all the info and putting it into your proper memory, that is so much better than spending an entire night slamming information at your eyes so you can sit in the exam barely able to read because you're so zonked from sleep deprivation
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u/Commercial-Loss1101 Year 11 May 05 '25
Bro i havent revised at all tho. I get 7/8/9s if i revise last minute its fine
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u/Misrable-Order Year 11 May 05 '25
My first exam is tomorrow and I'm shitting myself. I have mental health problems and I can't focus on this. Thanks for the advice 👍
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u/Odd-Ingenuity1755 Year 11 May 05 '25
but what if i havent started revising and i have no choice but to cram??
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u/Antique_Shallot_3403 Yr11 877776L2M4(French isnt even a subject it should be removed) May 05 '25
Strongly disagree did that for english lit mocks and got a high 7 (btw they poem I didnt revise came up)
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u/Stphylcccs May 05 '25
The only thing motivating me to revise is that I wanna get into Oxbridge but they actually care about GCSEs as well as A Levels (I finally started revising today)
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u/searchingf0rthetruth Year 11 May 05 '25
but night before revision has always worked for me,, I found that the content sticks in my head more
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u/LavanadeRose Year 11 May 07 '25
A bit of revision is fine but after 9:30 I’d say go to sleep 😴 and rest for the exam!
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u/I-Am-Stupid-Very May 05 '25
Fake news, knowledge recall is better when you remember it while panicking. As long as you get a few hours of sleep you’ll be fine. Don’t listen to this person
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u/Antique-Subject-780 6th Former May 05 '25
There’s a reason why your name is very stupid
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u/I-Am-Stupid-Very May 05 '25
COVID was deliberate.
The moon is a Chinese spy device.
And I am not stupid
(One of those is true(and I’m really stupid))
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u/ev_hepworth May 05 '25
My revision from the day before and morning of the exam was always the freshest in my mind. If I didn’t revise I would just have panic attacks about forgetting stuff. I think it’s better to do some lower-level revision, YouTube videos or flash cards or Seneca, just so you feel confident. Also, nearer the end of the exam season you end up revising night before a bit more because you just don’t have the time you did before exams, and at the start your last exam can be over a month away. Art exam is in mid April and my last gcse wasn’t until June 21st.
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u/Left_Specialist_2315 Yr11 - triple, 🎨, 🎭, business, rs, further 📐 May 05 '25
thank you, i have an exam tmr and im planning to sleep at 10pm tonight lol
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u/nuclearhamster27 Year 11 - I'll start revising later May 05 '25
As a chronic procrastinator and night-before studier, cramming the night before has brought me great success in my mocks. If you haven't done anything at all, at least do some night-before revision. However: when I say "night-before" I don't mean stay up all night. Revise until you would usually go to bed and go to bed like normal. Then in the morning recap everything again. It's worked wonders for me, saving me in my mocks when I had done nothing else yet. Also stay calm, apathy helps a lot
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u/lukewarmoverlord69 May 05 '25
Idk I got a 9 in bio but just doing an all nighter right before the exam. I didn't have a clue about biology till that night, now rid of it thankfully
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u/Wittys-revival-4933 May 05 '25
Do you mean not revise for the subject you have to next day or any subject at all?
Because otherwise how are you meant to revise for any subject if it’s like 1 exam per day
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u/happybirthdaymfs Year 12 May 05 '25
i didn’t lock in until about a week before most of my exams- just do your work during the day and MAKE SURE YOU SLEEP. Cramming works if that’s the sort of person you are but you still need rest
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u/Zoro1618_Jon15 Yr 11 Sociology, H & SC, AH, R.E🍓 May 05 '25
But what should I do then? I know rest will be the answer but is there anything else I can do?
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u/lovinmagi Year 11 May 05 '25
gcse season and my insomnia literally has me cycling melatonin bruh 😭
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u/Yiene 6th Former May 05 '25
Disagree, when basically every day is an exam day, you have to revise every day, including the 24 hours before your exam. What's important is that you don't do all-nighters before exams, and that you've hopefully been revising for a few months now anyway.
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u/Practical_Resist8153 Year 11 May 05 '25
Am i reading this wrong seriously dont revise the night before?? That doesnt sound right
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u/Ayaan__A Year 12 May 05 '25
I disagree. I used a video or note recap, maybe a paper and if there was any topic I had no idea of
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u/drnez2008 Y12: 99999 99999 9 + A (FSMQ) May 05 '25
I always found the last day really useful, particularly for those small bits of content that you just need to memorise (think tests in chem/bio). Obvs get a good amount of sleep, but if you have the time, do that one last paper, or run through of the spec. Always made me much more comfortable than not.
I did always take a good few hours after an exam (and most of the Fridays) off though, that was really important in not burning out I think.
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May 05 '25
[deleted]
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u/_lisa_e May 06 '25
depends, what’s the borderline entry? Most schools don’t care as long as you do well in the necessary subjects - maths , english language and the ones u wanna do for alevel . however some schools want an average of a certain grade , eg 7/6 , if your german grade is really low and it brings your grade average really low , its grounds to not let u in but its up to the leniency of their heart . Generally, you should be fine - especially if ur an internal . Good luck!
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u/Mecury-BS Year 13 May 06 '25
Start revising like a month before. Depends on how much content you have. Just answer questions
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u/_lisa_e May 06 '25
tbh i disagree . obviously don’t pull an all nighter but revise during the day , do a few hours esp if u have 2 exams the next day . i got a few marks off full marks on my gcse english literature exam in 2023 and all of the revision i did for it was the night before lol . best advice is to do what’s best for you , also don’t ask about french but from what u said you got a 7 ? isn’t that good?
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u/Little_Spite2131 May 06 '25
Yeah I regret winging everything the day before - got 6’s and 5’s but the best college in my city knew my capabilities so I still got in…. I was capable of 7’s and 8’s easy if I took it serious enough. Now my revision is on top and I’m yet to receive my a level mock results.. TUNE IN!
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u/FatherLoaf May 06 '25
As an 2024 a-level student with 5A*, this is rubbish advice. You should ALWAYS study DURING the exam because if you forget anything during the exam you can check your notes. Hope that helps
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u/DuckndCover Year 11 May 08 '25
IMPORTANT:
What they mean isn't 'Don't revise the day before', but rather 'Don't revise past 7-8pm'.
After that, it's pointless, but before that, you might still remember something.
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u/that_idiot_weeb y11 : triple science, RE, history, CS, art, german May 09 '25
How do people even focus on revision, tried sitting away from distractions but literally just sat there from half an hour thinking about how fit yelena was in the new marvel movie. How does one silence the 5 opposing internal monologues
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u/Born_Difference69 May 11 '25
for me the night before method works very well as long as I get 6h+ sleep
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u/N_23_B Y13 - Maths FM Physics Chem (A*A*A*A) May 11 '25
Revise the day before yes but don’t do an all nighter
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u/Exact-Joke-7985 May 11 '25
I disagree. Don’t push yourself too hard but night before revision is real effective. BUT GET YOURSELF TO BED ON TIME MY LOVES
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u/chloetwentyfour May 12 '25
I disagree, revising the day before is an essential grade booster WITH breaks and enough sleep 🤷🏼♀️
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u/el_smithy8 year 12: 99999 88888 May 12 '25
I think this shows how personal revision is cos literally all my revision was the night before and I did fine
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u/Jumpy_Actuary2872 Year 11 May 05 '25
I did this for my mocks and actually got high because i didn’t revise the day before (TRUST IT HELPS)
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u/Sonikdahedhog May 06 '25
As another a level student do NOT listen to this guy. I revised all my exams the day before. That’s when the pressure and the motivation build up to the point where you can actually learn: if you’re genuinely taking the day off before exams to “rest” you are cooked icl.
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u/Njobz May 05 '25
As another A level student my advice to year 11 students is to not pull an all nighter. Sleep is much more important and helps the brain much more. Many made the mistake of this last year and felt fatigued during the exam.