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We want your student voice!!!

Former MemberFormer Member Deactivated Posts: 14 Settling in
edited May 2022 in The Class of The Past
Hello all!

We have an upcoming campaign (next week) in partnership with Student Space – the aim is to provide you with motivation, support and all the information you need to help you get through the exam period!

As always, I’d love to incorporate our very own student voices (whether you’re doing your GCSE’S, A-levels or at Uni) on our social accounts and was wondering if any of you had any short quotes, tips/hacks or words of advice you would like to share?

There’s also many other ways you can get involved – i.e. you can do social takeovers (this can range from a study with me, to you going through some easy, cheap nutritional recipes that have helped you through this time) or even create reels. There are no limits!

If you’re up for getting involved in any way, please do comment below (with your quote/tip or what you’d like to create) and I will get in touch 😊

Post edited by TheMix on
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Comments

  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 3 Newbie
    Hello! My biggest exam tip for both GCSE and A Level (especially!) would definitely be to do exam questions, and use the mark schemes to revise because this will highlight particular keywords and approaches to a variety of questions that could be asked. Using subject specifications (specs) will highlight exactly what content needs to be covered as well - anything that isn't on the specs legally cannot be tested. Exam questions, mark schemes and specifications can all be accessed through the exam board's website. :)
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 130 The Mix Convert
    Hi there. Something that helped me during GCSE times was joining discord servers where people study with their camera on (or off!) as it creates a very motivational atmosphere. Although it can be quite intimidating, I also enjoy heading to the library to focus on my university work - this is so I am surrounded by people who are also studying so again it creates a motivational environment. As @hali8982 mentioned above, using mark schemes particularly helped me at GCSEs for subjects such as maths.
  • lovemimoonlovemimoon Posts: 2,318 Boards Champion
    A couple of things that helped me during A Levels, specifically:
    Flash Cards: - Not just during revision but during lessons. When you can, note down key words & theories into flash cards and keep it in your folders/books.

    Adding what @hali8982 mark schemes, exam questions and specs definitely helps! My A Levels were mostly essay based so what helped was essay planning, specifically with the exam questions. It helped to structure the essay based on what it was about:
    Example:
    Introduction
    Define...
    What is...

    Para. 1
    Main point


    I also have techniques specifically for anyone who's doing GCSE languages. I'll post them tomorrow. <3
  • Former MemberFormer Member Deactivated Posts: 14 Settling in
    edited September 18
    @hali8982 @Past User @lovemimoon You're all amazing thankyou so much !
    Post edited by TheMix on
  • lovemimoonlovemimoon Posts: 2,318 Boards Champion
    Hello!

    I studied GCSE French and studied Spanish before GCSEs so I'm familiar with both languages. However, I will use the French language in this example!

    However, if you're studying another language, the rules may differ but it'll still apply!

    To start things off, when you're studying a language, keep in mind of the following:
    1. Alphabet
    2. Grammar
    3. Pronunciation
    4. Vocabulary
    5. Verbs

    I'll break this down into 5 posts so it'll be an easier read. ^^
  • lovemimoonlovemimoon Posts: 2,318 Boards Champion
    edited May 2021
    Alphabet
    Alphabets in languages like French may have special characters and/or accented letters. It's important to note it down and highlight examples.

    However, if the language has a different alphabet, take time to learn the letters and the rules surrounding them. ^^

    Resources: There's a lot more to it but feel free to add resources of your own!

    I'll post the next one on pronunciation later on.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Ex-Teenage Dirtbag Posts: 804 Part of The Mix Family
    edited September 18
    Past User wrote: »
    Hi there. Something that helped me during GCSE times was joining discord servers where people study with their camera on (or off!) as it creates a very motivational atmosphere.
    Where do you find these Discord servers? Are they made for this purpose or do you just do it with your friends?
    Post edited by TheMix on
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 130 The Mix Convert
    @Apollo Hi! I often find these lurking around on TikTok. One really popular one that I tend to use quite frequently is Blair's Brainiacs: https://discord.com/invite/skbetwFZkZ
    There are different channels you can join so if you're doing your N5s/Highers/Uni you can join those specific channels so you can be with people doing the same as you. There are also 'common rooms' too so you can just chat with people as if you were in school which I think is quite nice when we're in lockdown and we can't physically be there. When I use the channels, usually everyone has their mics turned off, sharing their screen (doing their work) or have their camera on and just studying. I must say the environment is very motivational.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,054 Wise Owl
    this sounds fab! uni student here :blush:

    when it comes to essay writing, one of the best tips I've ever heard is to write the conclusion first. sounds backwards, but it means that you have a strong, clear direction for your essay, because everything that you write should lead you to that conclusion. saves you going off tangents, helps me so much!

    road map your introduction too. so, tell the reader what you're gonna tell them (intro), tell them (body), tell them what you told them (conclusion)!
  • lovemimoonlovemimoon Posts: 2,318 Boards Champion
    Pronunciation
    Tip:
    Ask your language teacher to pronounce certain words/letters/phrases into a voice recording device. It would also help to record yourself and compare it to that recording so you can see where you can improve.

    I believe there are also tools: that can help you:
    - https://rhinospike.com/
    - https://forvo.com/
    - https://www.fluentu.com/blog/french/french-pronunciation-app/
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 130 The Mix Convert
    Another thing that helped me a ton during GCSE English Literature was writing down all of the quotes I had to learn and then recording them on my phone and kind of acting the quotes out in the mirror. I'd listen to them on repeat for a good few hours (listening to my own voice was like hell!) I felt a little silly but it resulted in me learning 50 quotes from Macbeth! =)
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 5 Confirmed not a robot
    A major tip for those applying for, or are currently studying at University, is to make use of every piece of support available. Making those steps may help you more than you initially think, especially in the wellbeing services! Those working in these jobs are so important as they identify anyone in need of help or extra support and will move mountains to ensure this happens. If you are unable to find this, or have not had a positive experience with those in the wellbeing services, I would also suggest speaking to your student union representatives. They will be able to push for extra support for you and are a great way to make contacts and friends with people on different courses, and could even lead to you discovering opportunities that would benefit you :smiley:
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 4 Newbie
    I highly recommend going to student support at college and university - they are there to support you! :) Most of the time they do extra workshops like library skills, essay writing, productivity, research skills etc.
  • AislingDMAislingDM Moderator Posts: 1,666 Extreme Poster
    These tips are all so fab, lord knows I would have benefited from them when I was at school haha !

    One thing that I found a big change to be at uni was the transition from practice papers and mark schemes to 'unique and individual thinking' being valued. Throughout GCSEs and A-levels I found sticking to mark scheme to be the best way to do well, but at university this structure disappears a bit, so i'd suggest trying to practice viewing X thing from a different angle. E.g., if you're reading a poem for English Lit, you could try putting yourself in someone else's shoes like 'how might a little girl interpret this phrase?' as this helps you to develop independent thinking =)
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  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 3 Newbie
    During my time at uni I always found that contacting the student support services and the services in the library were always helpful especially during my first year of uni. Even contacting lecturers for further clarification was always helpful
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 2 Newbie
    Hi, although this has already been highlighted by @hali8982 I just wanted to bring up again the usefulness of using past exam papers for revision. Some questions can be worded very weirdly, so becoming familiar with these questions is very beneficial so that when the exam comes, you aren't caught off guard by the strange wording. Furthermore, for some subjects there is a specific structure you can use for your answers and becoming familiar with this structure by using past paper questions will make them much easier to answer and gain marks. They also help with time management which can be a big stress when it comes to exams :)

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