Y Sort-It Education

Basic Study Preparation
Make sure you have all your notes from classes.
Make a Revision Plan, this must include times to rest, relax and eat!
Find somewhere quiet to study away from distractions.
Set targets and check them off as you complete them.
Practise past papers against the clock.

Revision Tips and Techniques
Make your own Revision Notes; you’ll learn more this way.
Make sure you have covered key areas of each subject.
Focus, don’t continue reading if your not taking in the information, instead take a short break and return to the subject later.
Work on your difficult subjects first.
Be confident and positive.
Make time for fun stuff and friends.
Don’t stress.

Try some of these different study techniques, to help;
1. Condense your notes to fit onto one sheet of paper or a note card to revise only the important facts, key words and information points
2. Highlight the key words, use different colours for different sections or subjects.
3. Use mind maps, draw pictures or link works.
4. Make up mnemonics; use the 1st letters of some facts to make a word to remember them by. For example, if you need to remember the 4 parts of Great Britain - Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and England. Use the phrase NEWS.
5. You can also Record facts to listen to later.
6. Talk about problem subjects with study groups, friends or teachers.
7. Test yourself!!! Set tasks using past papers to help test yourself!!

The Examiners Point of View……..

These are the biggest mistakes students make;

• Not reading the question properly, and then giving the wrong answer.
• Not finishing the paper………..Don’t always answer all the easy questions first then go back for the harder ones!! Leave enough time for all the questions.
• Don’t repeat yourself stating the same facts over and over you won’t get any extra points.
• Read the whole paper both sides so you don’t miss any questions.
• Remember to include all rough work, you might get extra credit.

The Night Before……..

Make sure you have the right time and place of your exam.
Prepare your bag the night before, remember extra pens and all other equipment you might need e.g. calculator or Tipex.
Plan your clothes and make sure you have breakfast.
Make sure you are up in plenty of time.

Find out all the exams you will be sitting. Some types of exams will require different approaches.

Essay Exams - If you are sitting an exam that requires answers in essay form, here are some tips…..
• Take Time to read the Exam Paper Thoroughly
• Plan before you Write - Jot down all your ideas and organise them into an essay plan. Doing this will help you think about the answer.
• Make sure you time yourself on each question
• Make sure you structure your essay
• If you run out of time, answer in point form, you may get extra marks for this.
• Try to write as legibly as possible, be careful with spelling & grammar!!

Multiple Choice Exams – These will usually only cover what has been discussed in class. Use flash cards to help you memorise the information. On small cards, write down definitions, main ideas and details. You can carry them around with you and use them to drill yourself.
• Read each question carefully
• Consider all the options before choosing your answer, even if the first option seems correct. This is important when you have to choose the 'best' or 'most correct' answer in some multiple choice exams.
• Read the question and try to answer it yourself. Then read through the choices. Doing this allows you to make a clearer and more accurate choice.
• Accept the question at face value don’t read anything in or out of the question, or assume it contains a 'trick'. Reading too much into a question usually results in a wrong answer.
• Do not change your original answer in most cases your intuition is correct. Only change your answer if you have a very strong hunch that it's wrong, or you find new evidence.

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Exam Stress

Exams are a stressful time. Stress can be a good thing if it pushes you to do your best but it can also be a bad thing if it gets so bad it stops you from doing well.

How do you know if you’re ‘Stressed’?

Common signs of being over stressed include;
• feeling tired
• ache all over
• cry and feel sad
• have panic attacks
• have broken sleep
• suffer from stomach upsets
• have itchy skin rashes
• more likely to get colds and flu
Stress Busting Tips
1. Get plenty of sleep.
2. Take lots of short breaks while studying, this keeps your mind fresher and helps you remember more.
3. Fun time; make sure you make time for fun stuff, seeing friends, sport and even TV.
4. Eat properly; make sure you are having lots of fresh fruit and veggies. Drink lots of juice or water and avoid too much caffeine (coffee or soda’s).
5. Be realistic with targets, don’t give yourself too much work to do in a day, it’ll only stress you out more, especially if you don’t get it done!
6. Get some exercise, this can make a real difference to your mood and make you feel much more relaxed. Which means you’ll study better.
7. Be positive, don’t give yourself a hard time, be nice to yourself.
8. Chill out, if you start losing it and feel like everything is getting on top of you then take a step back and do the following;
* breath deeply
* tell yourself how well your doing
* remind yourself everything is going to be okay
* stand up straight and smile, you’ll be amazed at how much better you feel.

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Helpful Contacts
Local Helpful Contacts & Useful Website Contacts
Y sort it, Youth Information & Support Network
Tel 0141 941 3308
Email info@ysortit.com
• Young Scot – www.youngscot.org/westdunbartonshire
• Childline – 0800 1111, this is a free number you can call anytime about any problem, exam stress or anything eg else that is worrying you.
• BBC – offers lots of advice and tips on exams, preparation and what to do next www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/onelife/education/
• SQA – the Scottish Qualifications Authority Contact on 0845 279 1000 or www.sqa.org.uk