There are two vital ingredients to success at GCSE.
The ‘Why’ and the ‘How’.
Here’s why they’re so important to put together.
Imagine you want to lose some (lockdown) weight. (Yes, I’m speaking from experience… ?)
You really want to lose the weight, but you don’t know what to change in terms of your meals / exercise / habits to actually make a difference. It’s not likely that you’re actually going to make any progress that way, right?
What about the other way around? You know exactly what to do to lose the weight but…. you can’t actually be bothered. ??♀️ (What’s the point when joggy bottoms are the new little black dress?!? ?)
That’s why your child needs BOTH.
They need the ‘how’. The actual techniques, the habits to build, the do’s and don’t’s of effective revision… all the nuts and bolts of how to smash their GCSEs.
The also need their ‘why’.
There’s SOOOOOO much to do between schoolwork, homework, revision and (usually) exam prep. To keep going, there needs to be a bigger picture to look forward to. A bigger prize on the horizon. Let’s face it, grades on a piece of paper isn’t particularly exciting…
If they have their ‘why’, then you get to be part of their coaching team on the road to what they really want, rather than the drill sergeant constantly getting on their case about doing the boring revision stuff.
YES, no more nagging!! ?
Obviously, this year has complicated everything. The usual rules aren’t so simple to follow when we’re in & out of school, remote learning, exams are now Teacher Assessed Grades…. ?
The good news? The rules STILL WORK. ?
The process of preparing for mocks / mini-exams / internal assessments is the same as for the ‘usual’ final exams, and so since those will all be part of the teacher assessed grades this year, the methods haven’t changed. Much.
All the usual stuff still counts…
– active revision is better than passive revision (so just re-reading your notes is the least effective way to revise).
– past papers are AWESOME.
– you’ll do much better with a plan for your time and your notes.
The only difference between this year and a ‘normal’ year is that EVIDENCE IS EVERYTHING.
So the recipe for GCSE success goes like this:
- Find 100g of ‘why this will be worth it’, and put it into a large mixing bowl.
- Pour in a very large dollop of time management.
- Fold in 2kg of knowledge input.
- Stir vigorously.
- Add a generous sprinkle of revision – note – make sure you use the correct instrument to stir this in. (Active revision is a particularly bendy spatula or a whisk, while passive revision is as useful as stirring with your elbow… ??♀️)
- Pour a large glass of ‘rest’, take a sip, and then add whatever’s left to the bowl.
- Leave to rise. Prove and repeat as often as required.
- Bake it in the fiery pits of the exam hall (or remote equivalent…)
- Enjoy!
On a more serious note, that’s all easier said than done. If your child hasn’t got their ‘why’ or their ‘how’, then we’ve put our Motivation Masterclass in with all the tools and study skills they’ll need to succeed.
The power of getting someone else to tell them exactly what they need to do (rather than mum/dad thinking they know it all ‘as usual’ ?) is HUGE.
We’ve carefully crafted the Toolkit to be to-the-point, because everyone is busy, and teenager-friendly, because they’re the ones who have to listen to it.
It’s super-practical, and creates the perfect ‘HOW and WHY’ combo!
Supercharge your child’s motivation, and give them the tools and skills they need to succeed at GCSE
