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It's the end of my exams and I am more than ready to kick start this summer!
Have you got any plans for the summer?
Ciara x
Take breaks!
I know that as the exams are drawing to an end everyone is really stressed and that usually results in packing in hours of revision all in one go but this really isn't healthy. You need to take regular breaks to stop yourself getting frustrated and your brain overheating. Working in 30 minute slots with a little break in between is really effective and hopefully it will prevent that feeling of "nothing is going in!" Also when you are having your break, get up from wherever you are working and move about. Even if it's only taking a walk to the kitchen to get a drink. You need a change of environment.
Flash! Ahhh!
Flash cards are a great revision tool. They force you to cut down your knowledge into a couple of short and sweet key points that you will remember. They are also handy to fit in your bag for a quick test. I also find that because they cut the information down into short points, you don't get overwhelmed by looking at a huge page of text.
Make your work colourful!
Making your work colourful will make it more pleasing to the eye so you will be more likely to remember it. Also if you are like me, the fact that your notes are pretty may even encourage you to revise more. I find that using colour not only improves the appeareance of my notes but the clarity of them too. Just by doing something simple like having all your headings in a different colour to your text underneath will separate out the work and make it easier to read.
Study Buddy.
Go and revise with a friend. Some people need to revise alone because that is how they work best and that is fine. But others work better in the company of others. I enjoy a mixture of both. Somedays I want to be on my own and other days I will go and sit with my friends or my boyfriend and we will go through our notes together. This way you have somebody to test and to test you and you can also discuss points and go over anything you perhaps don't understand. Even if you don't do any of this and carry on with your work in silence. I find that I always work better when there is somebody else sat there with me.
Give yourself rewards, you deserve them!
After every so many hours or something, give yourself a little break and a reward. This could be absolutely anything you enjoy. It could be time watching your favourite programme or a cupcake or going out with your friends, anything! What I do is for every hour of revision that I do I put a coin into a jar. Then, when I have finished all of my exams I can crack open the jar and treat myself to something nice. I think this is a nice little incentive because I enjoy going to the jar and putting the coin in and thinking of nice things that I am going to treat myself to in the summer. Just find something that works for you.
I am by no means a revision expert or anything of that kind. I am just simply sharing with you what I feel works for me. Hopefully some of this may be helpful to you.
Good luck!
Ciara x
I think we put so much pressure on ourselves to achieve perfection when really it isn't needed. I got amazing grades, and grades that I am extremely proud of and that I would be happy with if this was the real thing and yet I still felt a little bad? That's not right at all.
Not everybody is going to achieve a perfect score of all A's and A*'s and I think we need to stop comparing ourselves to the people that do. It is okay to strive for perfection but it is not okay to beat yourself up for it when it doesn't happen. One persons idea of perfection may be completely different to the person standing next to them.
All that matters is that you work hard in order to feel good about what you have done, and achieve the best that you can. It's about setting yourself a goal and working towards it. Worrying wont solve anything, it will just make you feel bad about yourself when actually you are doing pretty well. Don't compare your winnings with somebody else's. They don't know the journey that you had to take to get there.
Be a warrior not a worrier.
Ciara x
I read this article last night and it really stood out to me. I can't believe that we still live in an age where our mental capacity is determined by the way that we look. It seems ridiculous to think that because I wear makeup people will think that I am not capable of being top of my class.
Young girls should not be faced with a choice between looking good and expanding their minds. It's no longer 1959, women can do whatever they want and achieve great things, all while looking their best. That is of course if they want to. We shouldn't be pitting brains against beauty. Long gone are the days when blonde hair and red lips meant an empty mind.
Knowledge is Power and intelligence is beautiful. Come on ladies, let's show the world how it's done.
Ciara x
I start back at school today. My first day of year 11 and it is killing me. I dread going back to school after summer and this year its even worse. I don't struggle at school but I'm often referred to as "the thick one" in my group of friends and it always surprises them whenever I get a good grade or know how to do something that they don't. My maths teacher even called me "a dumb blonde" once at parents evening. My mum just pointed out to him that he was wrong. Not only am I much smarter than I first come across; my hair is brown. I may do things in a way that is different to everybody else and to them it may seem like madness but it makes perfect sense to me and I always get there in the end. I pick things up quickly and I learn by doing things. That means I start doing the task the teacher has set before they have time to explain how to do it. This isn't always the best thing and I am probably just making the task harder for myself, but it means that if I make mistakes I learn from them and discover things for myself. When I have learnt something new or completed the task I really do feel good and proud of myself. However it also means that when I am stuck I will sit there getting frustrated for ages until I finally give in and ask for help. All I'm trying to say is that if you too are like me and are given labels like "thick" and constantly find yourself surprising people, don't let it bother you. Make it your mission to surprise them. Some of the most successful people aren't the ones who were top of the class at school. Grades aren't a true measure of intelligence at all.
How do you find school?
Ciara x
