How to revise for mocks(a stress free formula)

Mocks are a really scary time for us students- there is SO LITTLE TIME, SO MUCH TO REMEMBER! This can leave a lot of us feeling disorientated, and all of us stressed(even if it’s subconscious and only a little bit). I used to freak out so much even at the mention of a test, or a pop quiz. I’d have a near panic attack if the teachers told us to get our planners out. Now, my friends joke about me being so zen it’s scary. Apparently it’s like I’m on drugs haha. “What’s your secret?”they ask.”How are you not stressed?”. It’s taken me a while to get to this point; a lot of ups, downs; trial and error and learning experiences to figure it out. Here are my tips so that you can be as zen as me without all the failed revision techniques. Hope it helps xxx

Take control of your stress

I hear a lot of people complaining that the government is putting too much pressure on us and that’s why we’re so stressed. However the simple truth that is one of the biggest lies you have ever been fed. We would have just found another reason to be stressed. Humans have always had stress; it’s the fight or flight reaction built into us to save us from wild animals or attackers. Do you really think that the medieval people were all stress-free, and stress only came into existence alongside GCSEs? If you do, seek help and education. The reality is that we will always have stress to some extent, the only thing that will MAKE us stressed is ourselves. We are in control of our body and our brains, so if we are stressed, WE need to look for the causes and deal with that stress. Stress makes the sugar in your body flow to your bloodstream, which can lead to weight gain and type 2 diabetes, only to name two negative outcomes directly linked to stress. Yeah, not good. So, how can you actually manage stress?

Learn strategies, create a routine and limit phone use

Learn strategies that work for you. When under stress, remember what calms you down and think of that. Personally, I like to think about how unimportant mocks really are in the grand scheme of things and how stupid it is to stress over them. I tell myself that stressing is only going to make things worse, which clicks me back into reality. However, everyone is different. My best friend prefers to find one thing in the room for each sense, which makes her feel grounded. Others prefer 4-6 breathing(inhale for 4, exhale for 6). Find out what works for you and remember that when you’re in that exam room. Creating a routine sounds cringey, however it is so beneficial. Wake up, meditate in some way- this could be writing a gratitude list, listening to calm music or practising deep breathing. Then, move your body. Stretch, do yoga, go for a run. It doesn’t have to be a full workout, even 2 minutes is better than nothing. Then, make sure you have a positive mindset. Repeat a mantra, or a self affirmation, read a positive book or listen to an uplifting podcast. It sounds stupid, but it will genuinely make your day so much better. Finally- the scariest part. Limit phone use. Is that even physically possible?! Believe it or not, there was a time when phones didn’t exist. And experts say that excessive phone use could have a direct link to stress and anxiety. Turn on the downtime feature, which blocks you after you’ve spent a certain amount of time on your phone. Try to spend an hour in the morning after waking up before you go on your phone. Aim to leave your phone outside your bedroom an hour before you go to sleep(buy an alarm clock). Believe me, you will see improvements!

3 months before:

Revise a tiny bit every day. When you get back, spend 5-10 minutes looking back at what you have learnt in each lesson that day, and then do a practise paper at the end of each topic. The sooner you start revising, the less intense and stressful it will be sooner to the date. Create a positive mindset. If you are religious, you could include prayer or meditations into your day, or if you are not you could use positive affirmations. I personally love using my bible app to filter bible verses which help in different situations, and I find Seeds Family Worship: Seeds of courage very encouraging (https://www.youtube.com/user/seedsfamilyworship). Make sure you are hydrating enough through your revision period especially, at 2 litres a day. Have a bottle of water with you whilst you are studying- I find that a fun and colourful one with infused water motivates me to drink more.

1 month before

Make a revision timetable. Revise a little every day, give yourself breaks but stick to your routine. Use resources like Hegarty maths, Educake and Seneca- if your school don’t have these then there are many free online resources such as freesciencelessons.com . Make posters and mindmaps- make them colourful and pretty and stick them up in your room. Go through them every morning and evening, this way the information will start to stick in your brain. Try to include enough protein, fibre, ion, vitamin C and as many vitamins as you can in your diet.

1 week before

Practise papers! Go on your exam boards website and print off past papers which you can practise under timed conditions. Admittedly, it’s not that fun, but it is the best practise you can get. Make sure you are getting 8+ hours of sleep, exercising daily and eating a healthy, balanced diet.

The day before

Make sure you get an early night and have all your resources ready for the next day. Do some meditation or something stress relieving.

The day

Start the day off early with a positive mindset. Tell yourself you can do this and you are clever and brilliant! Have a filling, energising breakfast and set off- don’t compare yourself to your schoolmates; this is about YOU. Sometimes when everyone around me is stressed I feel almost guilty not to be-but really that is ridiculous! It does feel daunting to be confident that you will do well, but you’ve got this, stand firm. Do your best, that’s all anyone can do.

Hope you enjoyed this and it was helpful! Good luck to anyone sitting exams soon xxx