As we approach the end of the college year, a lot of our students will be preparing to face their exams.
Whether you’re an A level student, studying a vocational course, T-Levels or an apprenticeship, it can be a scary time for everyone. We’ve put together some tips to help you prepare for your exams and achieve the best you can.

Plan your revision
Make sure you create a balanced schedule to help you revise on the build-up to your exams, allowing set revision periods, breaks and proper sleep patterns. Create the perfect environment to study in too. Find your perfect space that will allow you to concentrate and focus solely on your work, whether this is at home, in a public library or in many of the study areas across the college campus. Make sure to eat breakfast before a day of revision, research has found that skipping breakfast significantly reduces your attention and ability to recall information, and keep any unnecessary devices out of reach, such as a phone, tablet or games console.

Find the best way to absorb information for you
We all absorb information differently; try a range of different revision techniques – don’t settle for one revision technique, make sure you test out a variety of styles to find out what works best for you. This will allow you to develop an understanding of your own learning. Whether this is condensing notes, using flashcards, simulating an exam, testing yourself or asking a friend to help, or teaching someone what you have learned so far. Remember to spread out your revision, so you’re not focusing on just the one area. this allows time in between revision sessions to re-learn any material you might have forgotten.

Looking after number one
Remember to prioritise your self-care and wellbeing. Constant revision can damage your overall wellbeing, so keep revision effective by getting plenty of sleep, eating healthy, exercising and taking regular breaks to do the things you love the most. Go outside and get some fresh air between revision breaks, as it can help you feel more refreshed and better able to focus afterwards. Don’t be afraid to ask for help from your tutor or classmates. It is important to remember that you’re all in this together and if there is a concept or topic you don’t understand, you can always talk to your tutor or meet with your classmates for group revision.

Focussing before the exam

Arrive at college with plenty of time – exams are stressful enough without the added worry of running late. Being early will mean you are on the right path to starting your exams calmly and confidently. Remind yourself of all your hard work and preparation – take a moment to reflect on all the hours of hard work you have put in. This should help boost your confidence. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day; the gap between dinner and breakfast is the longest your body goes without refuelling. Eating breakfast can help to improve memory and concentration. Don’t forget that you can have your breakfast at college for free!

Performing your best during the exam

Make sure you have an exam strategy. It helps to prepare how you are going to tackle your exam paper before you go in. If you have a game plan, you can focus on this when you go in and increase your feeling of certainty and control. Read each question twice, take a deep breath and think back to your revision. Even if you haven’t faced the exact same question before, the likelihood is that you will have answered something very similar. Remembering how you answered this will help get you started. Never leave questions blank. If you’re struggling with any question, remember that writing nothing at all is guaranteed to get you zero, chances are that you will something towards the answer and writing it down will gain you some marks.

With GCSE exams taking place across campus from May, we wish you the best of luck and hope you achieve the best results possible.