Big Manny Top Tips
Exam preparation can be challenging with multiple GCSE subjects to revise for. Watch the videos below with Big Manny giving his top tips for how to make your revision count, and his top tips for what to do in the week leading up to your exam.
Video 1 Transcript
It’s Big Manny, and these are my top tips to help you with your revision.
So when you begin revising, start with the keywords and their definitions for each topic. So let’s say the topic is about neutralization. Write down the keywords acid, alkali, pH and write down what they mean as well.
Now the Look/ Cover/ Write/ Check method is also very effective for revision. So all you do is cover up the word that you want to learn, and then write it down from memory and then check it again to make sure that you got it right.
Use the revision guide to write out key points from the knowledge organisers in your own words. Now make sure you don’t copy it word for word, because when you write in your own words, it encourages you to comprehend the information.
So you can ask somebody to test you on your notes. Or you can use the retrieval questions from Oxford revise. Now you have to make sure that you’re doing as much practice as possible. You’re focusing on the weak areas and you’re using those past papers to aid you in your revision.
Now my number one top tip is to make sure that you revise as you go along. Never leave your revision till the last minute. Now the reason why is because it’s gonna help you to stay on top of the revision.
Now when you’re revising you wanna avoid staying on one topic for too long. Make sure that you’re switching between topics because this helps you to form your long-term memory.
Video 2 – Help! My exam is this week!
Video 2 Transcript
It’s Big Manny, and right now I’m going to give you a few tips to help with your exams this week.
So the number one thing that you need to do, is make sure that you do bare pass papers, because these are going to help a lot with your exams.
Now you can also ask a friend or a family member to test you using retrieval questions from Oxford Revise. Now these are gonna be very helpful.
When you’re actually revising, revise for a maximum of one hour and have 20 minute breaks in between.
Just stay calm. Don’t panic. You’ve got this. Trust me. Make sure the night before your exams. You’re in bed early so you can get a nice rest by 9:00 PM. Also, it’s very important to stay hydrated, so make sure you drink plenty of water and also diet is very important.
On the actual day of the exam it is vital that you have breakfast because you need energy. So me, I just like to have some fruits and some oats so that I can have some fuel for the exam.
Just remember, yeah, you’ve got this. Trust me. You can do it, man. Just make sure you stay calm and you’ll be all good. Good luck.
Useful links
Revision books
AQA GCSE Biology
Get complete coverage of AQA GCSE Biology in one book. You will revise everything you need to know to do well in your exams, from cell biology to evolution.
AQA GCSE English Language
Master the areas that you need to do well in your AQA GCSE English Language exam. You will work through Paper 1 and 2 Reading and Writing questions with clear step-by-step strategies.
AQA GCSE Higher Mathematics
Revise the full specification for AQA GCSE Higher Mathematics. You’ll get all the extra support you need to do well in the Higher paper, including lots of practice for Higher topics like algebraic fractions.