HOW TO PREPARE FOR A LEVEL EXAMS IN MARCH FROM A 3A* STUDENT| making your exam timetable + preparing

Lulu Halim
19 Jan 202311:17
EducationalLearning
32 Likes 10 Comments

TLDRIn this educational video, medical student Ella Afresne offers a comprehensive guide for A-level students preparing for exams. She emphasizes the importance of aligning with school schedules, self-teaching if necessary, and creating a revision timetable. Ella suggests using spreadsheets to organize topics, memorizing content through various methods, and focusing on practice papers. She also highlights the significance of tracking progress, reviewing mistakes, and taking breaks to avoid burnout, ensuring a balanced approach to exam preparation.

Takeaways
  • πŸ“… Start timetabling and preparing for revision early, ideally before exam season begins, to stay ahead of schedule.
  • 🏫 Assess your school's teaching schedule to determine if you're ahead, on track, or behind and adjust your revision plan accordingly.
  • πŸ“ Create a spreadsheet to list all remaining lessons and divide them into weeks to ensure you finish by your desired due date.
  • πŸ“š If you're behind, segment the topics into your weeks with a due date and push yourself to catch up within the next couple of months.
  • πŸ“š.1 For self-teaching, use methods you're comfortable with, such as watching YouTube videos, reading textbooks, or making flashcards.
  • πŸ“.1 Use the time at school to revise or review if you've already taught yourself the lesson, ensuring you're well-prepared for exams.
  • πŸ—“οΈ Once the curriculum is finished, create a study timetable to memorize and review all topics, ideally starting around February or March.
  • πŸ“.2 Group lessons into topics and create a study exam timetable to systematically go through each subject and topic.
  • πŸ“.3 Use techniques like blurting, flashcards, and practice questions to memorize content and identify areas of weakness.
  • πŸ“.4 Keep a list of recurring mistakes and turn them into flashcards for focused revision.
  • πŸ“.5 Track your progress by listing all the question papers you've done and evaluating your performance.
  • πŸ“š.2 In the final weeks leading up to exams, focus on practice papers and whole papers to simulate exam conditions.
  • πŸ“.6 Identify weak points from practice papers and dedicate time to strengthen those areas.
  • πŸ“….1 In the days leading up to exams, focus on reviewing content and flashcards, avoiding new papers to prevent added stress.
  • πŸ§˜β€β™€οΈ Schedule relaxation and break days throughout your revision plan to prevent burnout and maintain mental health.
Q & A
  • What is the main focus of Ella afresne's video?

    -The main focus of Ella afresne's video is to provide tips and strategies for A-level students to prepare effectively for their exams, ensuring they are ahead of schedule and revising efficiently.

  • What is the first step Ella suggests for exam preparation?

    -The first step Ella suggests is to assess whether your school's teaching schedule is ahead, on track, or behind, and to plan accordingly to ensure all subjects and topics are completed by mid-February to early March at the latest.

  • How does Ella recommend students get ahead if their school is behind schedule?

    -Ella recommends writing down all the lessons that haven't been done in a spreadsheet, setting a due date, and dividing the lessons into weeks. She suggests self-teaching through methods like watching YouTube videos or using textbooks, making notes, and doing practice questions.

  • What is the purpose of reviewing lessons taught in school if you've already studied them independently?

    -Reviewing lessons taught in school that you've already studied independently serves as a revision or reviewing period, allowing you to reinforce your understanding and memory of the material.

  • How does Ella propose to tackle memorization of notes and topics after completing the curriculum?

    -Ella suggests creating a specialized Excel spreadsheet or using a tool like Notion to list all topics and lessons, then creating a study exam timetable to review and memorize the content systematically.

  • What is the significance of having break days in the study timetable according to Ella?

    -Having break days in the study timetable is important for preventing burnout and maintaining mental health, allowing students to relax and recharge before continuing with their revision.

  • How does Ella recommend students handle practice questions during the revision stage?

    -Ella recommends focusing on whole papers, setting a similar timetable to the one used for module revision but replacing modules with practice questions. She emphasizes writing down any recurring mistakes and turning them into flashcards for focused revision.

  • What is the strategy Ella uses for essay preparation in subjects like Biology?

    -For essay preparation, Ella suggests creating mind maps instead of writing full essays. This helps her to have a clear idea of what to include for a specific essay title.

  • How does Ella track her progress during the revision and practice phase?

    -Ella tracks her progress by maintaining a list of all the question papers she has done and noting how well she performed in them, which helps her identify areas of improvement and monitor her progress.

  • What does Ella advise for the few days leading up to the exams?

    -Ella advises focusing on reviewing content and equations, going through flashcards of mistakes, and avoiding doing papers during this time to prevent additional stress. She also emphasizes the importance of relaxation and having break days even during the exam weeks.

  • What resources does Ella recommend for practice questions in Biology, Chemistry, and Math?

    -For Biology, Ella recommends aphysicsandmathteacher, mme-revise, and studymind. For Chemistry, she suggests a-level-chemistry, can-revise, and physicsandmaths. For Math, she uses physicsandmathstutorial, revisely, savemyexams, alevelmathsrevision, and studymind.

Outlines
00:00
πŸ“… Preparing for Exams: Staying Ahead of Schedule

Ella Afresne, a medical student, introduces her video aimed at helping A-level students prepare for their upcoming exams, which are a few months away. She emphasizes the importance of starting to time-table and prepare for revision now, especially since the first A-level exam is around May 26th. Ella suggests that viewers assess whether their school's teaching schedule is ahead, on track, or behind and recommends creating a spreadsheet to organize remaining lessons and a due date to finish them by. She advises self-teaching through various methods like watching educational videos or reading textbooks if the school is behind schedule. Ella also mentions the benefit of doing lessons ahead of what is taught in school for better revision and security.

05:01
πŸ“ Revision and Memorization Strategy

In this paragraph, Ella discusses the next steps in exam preparation after completing the curriculum, which involves reviewing and memorizing the material. She shares her method of creating a specialized Excel spreadsheet or using Notion to organize topics and lessons into a study timetable. Ella suggests dividing the topics among the weeks leading up to the exams, ensuring all content is memorized by the end of this period. She also talks about using techniques like blurting out information, flashcards, and doing practice questions to reinforce learning. Ella highlights the importance of noting down mistakes and turning them into flashcards for focused revision. Additionally, she provides a strategy for arranging study sessions for different subjects and incorporating break days into the schedule.

10:03
πŸ“š Final Stages of Exam Preparation

Ella moves on to the final stages of exam preparation, focusing on the last few weeks before the exams. She advises dedicating this time to practice papers and whole papers to simulate exam conditions. Ella recommends creating a timetable for this purpose and tracking progress by noting down mistakes and weak points. She also discusses her approach to essay questions, which involves creating mind maps instead of writing full essays. Ella emphasizes the importance of tracking performance through checklists and adjusting study habits based on identified weaknesses. Towards the end of the paragraph, she shares resources for practice questions in Biology, Chemistry, and Math and encourages viewers to write down recurring mistakes and turn them into flashcards for better retention.

πŸ§˜β€β™€οΈ Last-Minute Exam Tips and Relaxation

In the final paragraph, Ella offers advice for the days leading up to the exams. She suggests focusing on reviewing content and equations, as well as going through flashcards of past mistakes to avoid them in the actual exams. Ella warns against doing practice papers during this time due to the potential stress it may cause. She also stresses the importance of relaxation and taking break days even during the exam period to prevent burnout. Ella concludes by wishing viewers good luck in their exams, inviting them to share their own tips and video ideas in the comments, and reminding them to like and subscribe for more content.

Mindmap
Keywords
πŸ’‘Exam Season
Exam season refers to the period during which students take their major exams, typically covering a range of subjects. In the context of the video, it is a critical time for A-level students preparing for their exams, which are scheduled around the 26th of May. The video focuses on strategies for managing this period effectively, ensuring students are well-prepared and ahead of their revision schedules.
πŸ’‘A-level Exams
A-level exams are a set of standardized tests taken by students in the United Kingdom at the end of their secondary education. They are crucial for university admissions and are a central theme in the video. The script discusses preparation strategies specifically for these exams, including time management and revision techniques.
πŸ’‘Timetabling
Timetabling is the process of organizing and scheduling activities or tasks over time. In the video, it is used to describe the importance of planning and managing study time effectively in preparation for exams. The script emphasizes starting this process early to ensure that all subjects are covered and revised adequately before the exam season.
πŸ’‘Revision
Revision is the act of reviewing and consolidating material previously learned, typically in preparation for an exam. The video provides a detailed guide on how to revise effectively, including creating study timetables, memorizing notes, and practicing past exam questions.
πŸ’‘Schedule
A schedule is a plan for carrying out a sequence of activities or tasks. The script discusses the importance of being ahead of schedule, meaning completing lessons and revision before the exam season starts. It also advises on how to create a personalized study schedule to ensure all topics are covered.
πŸ’‘Memorizing
Memorizing is the process of committing information to memory. In the context of the video, it is a key part of the revision process, where students are advised to memorize their notes and ensure all information is readily available for the exams. The script suggests using techniques like flashcards and practice questions to aid memorization.
πŸ’‘Practice Papers
Practice papers are mock exam questions or tests that help students prepare for real exams by simulating the exam conditions and content. The video emphasizes the importance of doing whole practice papers in the weeks leading up to the exams to identify weak points and improve performance.
πŸ’‘Flashcards
Flashcards are a study aid consisting of a set of cards, each containing a question or a piece of information on one side and the answer or further information on the other. In the video, flashcards are recommended as a tool for memorizing key concepts and facts, as well as for reviewing mistakes made during practice.
πŸ’‘Break Days
Break days refer to periods of rest or relaxation scheduled within a study plan. The video script highlights the importance of including break days to prevent burnout and maintain mental health during the intense period of exam preparation.
πŸ’‘Progress Tracking
Progress tracking involves monitoring one's own improvement over time. The video suggests keeping a record of performance on practice papers to identify areas of improvement and to ensure that the revision strategies are effective.
πŸ’‘Blurting
Blurting, in the context of studying, refers to the technique of quickly reciting or repeating information out loud to oneself as a way of reinforcing memory. The script mentions 'blurting' as a method to go through notes and memorize content during the revision stage.
πŸ’‘Mind Maps
Mind maps are visual tools used to organize information, typically used for brainstorming, note-taking, and summarizing complex topics. In the video, mind maps are mentioned as a strategy for essay preparation, helping the student to have a clear structure and idea of what to write about for a given topic.
Highlights

Ella afresne, a medical student, discusses exam preparation strategies for A-level students.

It's best to start timetabling and preparing for revision several months before exams.

Students should assess if their school's schedule is ahead, on track, or behind to plan their revision accordingly.

Creating a spreadsheet to track remaining lessons and setting a due date can help manage study time effectively.

Self-teaching methods such as watching YouTube videos or using textbooks can be beneficial if the school's schedule is behind.

Completing lessons ahead of school can provide extra security and allow for revision during class time.

If behind in studies, it's crucial to segment remaining topics into weeks and set a due date to catch up.

March is suggested as the ideal time to start reviewing and memorizing after finishing the curriculum.

Using an Excel spreadsheet or Notion to organize topics and create a study timetable is recommended.

Memorizing notes, doing practice questions, and reviewing mistakes are key components of the revision process.

Writing down recurring mistakes and turning them into flashcards can help avoid repeating errors.

A few weeks before exams, focus on practicing full papers to simulate exam conditions.

Keeping a checklist of completed practice papers and performance can track progress and identify weak areas.

During the final days before exams, concentrate on reviewing content and flashcards rather than doing new papers.

Incorporating relaxation and break days into the study schedule is essential to prevent burnout.

Ella shares resources and websites she used for practice questions in biology, chemistry, and math.

Encourages viewers to share their own tips and exam experiences in the comments section.

A reminder to like, subscribe, and engage with the content for more study tips and exam preparation advice.

Transcripts
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