Revision!

dp1

Hi I have a 15 year old daughter at exactly the same stage. I must admit I've surprised myself by not interfering and letting her get on with it. She's worked really hard the last couple of years, has her exam timetable and knows what she needs to revise - she's been doing a couple of hours every night this week and spent most of the bank holiday doing chemistry and physics. She too has made revision cards and has pink and yellow post-it notes stuck prettily all over her wardrobes!
She's at work, as usual, this afternoon and will be tomorrow afternoon - I don't have a problem with this as I know she'll do her revision as well. She has a place at sixth form college starting September, doing exactly the course she wants and I think that takes the pressure off a bit.
Oh, and I buy her Randoms to help her revise!

Mrs_Arcanum

dp1 wrote: »

Hi I have a 15 year old daughter at exactly the same stage. I must admit I've surprised myself by not interfering and letting her get on with it. She's worked really hard the last couple of years, has her exam timetable and knows what she needs to revise - she's been doing a couple of hours every night this week and spent most of the bank holiday doing chemistry and physics. She too has made revision cards and has pink and yellow post-it notes stuck prettily all over her wardrobes!
She's at work, as usual, this afternoon and will be tomorrow afternoon - I don't have a problem with this as I know she'll do her revision as well. She has a place at sixth form college starting September, doing exactly the course she wants and I think that takes the pressure off a bit.
Oh, and I buy her Randoms to help her revise!

We have random Maths rules dotted all over the house on blue post its. :rotfl: Like yours my DD is very diligent in getting her revision done. Doesn't help when Google Chrome automatically translates the French revision on BBC bitesize. :think:

busiscoming2

You can't make them revise.

I find the best method has been to encourage them to make 'special' time allowances for revision and have made it very clear I am available to help if they would like.

I try not to nag but point out if they can achieve a B grade (for example) without revision, then what could they attain with a little bit of revision.

Dunroamin

busiscoming2 wrote: »

You can't make them revise.

I find the best method has been to encourage them to make 'special' time allowances for revision and have made it very clear I am available to help if they would like.

I try not to nag but point out if they can achieve a B grade (for example) without revision, then what could they attain with a little bit of revision.

Unfortunately, now that we have only 3 "pass" grades (4 if you include A*) it can make it seem as if a B grade is quite good. Those of us who remember 6 pass grades will realise that a current B is very much middle of the road.

gibson123

VJsmum wrote: »

I guess I am coming across as a bit of a pushy mum / helicopter parenting. Actually I'm not really like that - I know, "That's what
they all say". I did let her go, after all

Working in a University, I know, perhaps better than most, that the British education system gives you lots of opportunities. I also know that I have to teach my students how to revise - as even at degree level - many haven't ever been shown. DD, of course, doesn't think I know anything and that she knows best

I'll suggest she comes on a bike ride tomorrow - then she'll suddenly have revision to do :rotfl:

Genius! imagine how hard they would work if they had a list of chores and a bedroom to clean, may use this myself.

Molly41

Dunroamin wrote: »

Unfortunately, now that we have only 3 "pass" grades (4 if you include A*) it can make it seem as if a B grade is quite good. Those of us who remember 6 pass grades will realise that a current B is very much middle of the road.

A B is fine by me!

thegirlintheattic

I think you have to let her do it her own way. I did nothing more than read through the CGP revision guide the night before my exams and came out with As. IMHO (as a teacher) GCSEs are not difficult as long as you can interpret the question.

For some teens being pressured into doing revision means that the revision doesn't go into their brains anyway. Let your DD decide when to do it - I know I work better late at night, whereas others do better early in the morning. If she does want advice, short 20 min sessions are good, as is writing stuff down or reading aloud, just reading it in your head isn't a very efficient way of revising for most people.

Dunroamin there are not just 3 pass grades. Anything from G up is a pass. For league tables and most A Levels you need a C or above but for many students a lower grade is the best they can do and they should be proud of that. Obviously the OPs DD is not one of those students but it bugs me when people dismiss lower grades completely.

ViolaLass

Bennifred wrote: »

This is so true! It's bad enough for sixth formers - not helpful at all for year 11s. And as for some of the teachers roaming around doing very little once their students are on study leave, and can't be asked to do anything else.....:mad:

At my school, those teachers can be and are asked to do other things. My department tend to refuse because they are constantly being visited by students with questions.

lostinrates

Person_one wrote: »

I didn't really revise and I got 9 As.

I'm still not really revising for my university exams next week and I expect to do fine. I'm old enough to know better now at nearly 30 but some of us are just not revisers!

If she's going to get high grades without revising what's the point of pushing her?

Because learning how to revise and self motivate and self discipline will take her a long way!


I too am not a natural reviser, and had to find techniques at university to take me on towards post grad work. I found the work right rhough easy, getting As without earning them, but having learned revision techniques it opened doors that were way beyond that.

My husband is the opposite, an extremely dedicated reviser, starting from day one of a course he reviews his notes, and is able to focus and schedule effectively to revise and work. There is no doubt in my mind that this has got him further than his innate ability alone would have done.

All that said, its a little late in the day to panic now. I like mind maps, putting a subject in to a single page diagram per topic in different colours helps ne visualise things nerves mit otherwise drive from my mind.

thegirlintheattic

Bennifred wrote: »

Judi wrote: »

I really dont think letting the kids leave school a few weeks early for study leave helps either. At least if the kids are made to stay at school and revise for their exams you know something is going in in the few short weeks before they take their exams.
QUOTE]

This is so true! It's bad enough for sixth formers - not helpful at all for year 11s. And as for some of the teachers roaming around doing very little once their students are on study leave, and can't be asked to do anything else.....:mad:

A lot of schools now are getting rid of study leave. In my LEA students stay in school until the end of May when the exams start in bulk, they then keep going to lessons until they have had the last exam for the subject. Time gained from that is then used for private study in class with the class teacher supervising. So teachers get very little 'gained time' those who do are expected to cover or be planning for September. We are expecting to have our year 11s until the end of June.