EXAM PREPARATION Surviving revision season


Exam season is almost upon us and that means one thing – revision! Anu Jagota offers some simple tips that teachers can pass on to students in a bid to calm nerves and help them prepare


Ready, set, go…


Encourage your students to split their revision time up. revision is most effective when done in 45-minute bursts, which are broken up by 10-minute breaks or intervals. it is important that you encourage students to


maximise these breaks. advise them to use this time to get some fresh air – maybe sit in the garden, walk around the block, make a drink or get a snack, ideally a healthy one such as fruit or nuts. it is crucial that students who are revising stick to


their revision plan, so suggest that they publicise their timetable where friends and family can see it – on Facebook pages, the fridge, their bedroom door – this can also limit the distraction from outside sources.


I’m not a morning person, but…


research proves that the mind is more alert first thing in the morning. You could encourage your students to set their alarm and make the most of the day. a good, healthy and nutritious breakfast is great way to kick- start the day.


It’s all in the planning…


We all put off things that we do not want to do, so encourage your students to start with the subject they


Independent thinking University in Europe?


EarliEr this term, i was fortunate enough to be one of a party of UK headteachers to visit the University of Maastricht in holland. it was certainly an eye-opening experience. Maastricht is one of some 40 universities in Europe which teaches many of its courses in the English language and it is very keen to recruit native English-speaking students to help raise the level of discourse in seminars. however, there is much more to Maastricht


than the fact that it teaches in English. it also operates on the fundamental principle of problem-based learning, which means that student classes average 15 in size and study is conducted through the medium of student-led seminars. the students are given advance reading lists and have to come to sessions prepared to contribute to a discussion, taking it in turns to act as chairman or note-taker, all under the watchful eye of their tutor. this is a far cry from the packed lecture halls of a typical British university. the Maastricht programme is intense:


there are two semesters totalling 42 weeks and coursework assignments or exams six times a year which count towards passing or failing the year. Native English speakers will, of course, be at an advantage as all exams are in English. it is an attractive proposition as the fees are much lower than in the UK and grants and scholarships are available. Employment rates are high too and all students undertake internships as part of their degree. this visit made me much more aware


of how different European universities are from our own in many ways. it is not legal in much of Europe for selection criteria to be applied for university entrants. large numbers of students, often those living nearest, enrol for the first year and a third may then fail and have to leave. For British universities, the greatest hurdle is gaining entry in the first place. this partly explains the attractiveness of our universities to EU entrants. this year, just under 14,000 EU students have applied to UK universities through UCas. they


see our universities as being more academically rigorous and challenging and UK degrees as more prestigious, but after my visit to Maastricht i am not so sure that this is true. EU students have to pay fees and take out


student loans to study here, but the reality is that it is pretty difficult to recoup the money from those not domiciled in the UK and not paying UK taxes. Conversely, few UK students choose to study in Europe. Certainly, much publicity has lately been given to applying to university in america, but Europe is only a couple of hours away. in the midst of our


economic crisis, there is much media debate about the value of a university education, particularly in the light of £9,000 annual fees. the issue of the limited numbers of undergraduates from less advantaged backgrounds


is also being hotly debated. interestingly, whenever statistics are quoted, pupils from independent schools like mine, where we have 109 pupils on bursaries, more than half of whom are on free places, the rest paying an average of 11 per cent


fees, are ignored. Over the years, we have sent many pupils from differing socio-economic and ethnic backgrounds, including refugees and those in care, to universities


including Oxford and Cambridge. But they do not count in any statistics that are quoted


by government. i was the first person in my family even to get an O level – i went to university because my


teachers encouraged me and in spite of my family. i did not go to an independent school. if i were at school today, i wonder whether i would even think of going to university? i am sure it would never occur to me to try a university in Europe, but it would be a truly life-changing experience.


• Marion Gibbs is headmistress of the independent James Allen’s Girls’ School in London.


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their entire revision programme, parents could offer a more substantial reward.


Request reinforcement


Meeting up and revising with friends is actually a good way to revise and is a great way to learn from peers and generate some interesting debates (as long as they are linked to the exams). We would not recommend students do this every day, but holding group revision sessions once a week is beneficial and provides something for the students to look forward to.


Healthy bodies = healthy minds


Exercising will not only keep your body healthy, it can also boost your brain power too. Most of us know that exercise makes us feel full of beans and that it can completely change our mood and mindset, thanks to the release of endorphins. Neuroscientists have discovered that even an easy running workout can boost the growth of thousands of new brain cells, which in turn improves memory recall – a crucial element for learning new skills and retaining the information learned. this is because exercise boosts circulation, increasing the supply of oxygen to muscles and to the brain. Why not encourage your students to start the day with a run or end it with a swim, which will also help them relax.


Stock-up on supplies…


like the least – this way they can attack a subject they struggle with while their brain power is at its strongest.


Switch it off…


the use of Facebook and other social networking sites continues to soar. Government statistics suggest that more than 75 per cent of 16 to 24-year-olds in the UK use social networking sites. and with more than five million of those users falling into the exam- aged category, it is no wonder that parents and kids have identified the threat to grades. it seems teenagers cannot go an hour without texting or speaking to their friends, but this distraction can be very damaging to their revision. Encourage teens to turn off their phone or give it to


their parents for the day and ideally their computer too. Computers and online research are part and parcel of modern revision, so it is not possible to eliminate the distraction altogether. instead it is all about teaching students how to handle it.


A little treat now and again…


in order to keep students motivated you can encourage their parents to line up some treats for them along revision and exam trail. Daily treats are a great motivator – for example, if the student completes their French revision they can watch their favourite television programme. if they have made it through the day without


updating their Facebook status they can enjoy their favourite home-made meal. and if they get through


Don’t be scared to tell your students to make lots of notes, drawings and use lots pieces of paper to create revision timetables, charts, reminders etc. a good selection of highlighter pens will be useful as students can highlight key facts and points to remember. it is also said that different coloured pens help brain cells with the memorising process.


Don’t keep things bottled up…


it is important that students do not become overly worried and stressed. Encourage them to talk about what is worrying them with their friends, parents, siblings and teachers. sometimes just talking about issues can make them seem less worrying.


SecEd


• Anu Jagota is head of business development with Justin Craig Education, which provides day and residential revision courses. Visit www.justincraig.ac.uk


SecEd • March 3 2011


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Students


could win up to £700


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