Having three older teenagers in the house, I’m rapidly becoming a pro at this Parenting Exam-mers thing. Between 15 and 18 it feels like there’s just no let up in the relentless pursuit of grades, and the swing of the pre-, mid- and post-exam mood cycle. Ugh.
So we’re really excited to be working with any exam parents best friends, Collins (if you haven’t yet, you should definitely take a look at their Parents Guide – read and inwardly digest), on a series of hints and tips around helping your teen make the most of their revision, and really get the grades they deserve for their next step, whether that be to the next level of education, out into the ‘real’ world of working or even heading out on a travelling adventure. We all just want to achieve what we know we’re capable of, and maybe surpass our own expectations, right?
So What’s the best way to get your brain on your side?
I think we all remember that feeling (funny how every parent feels that their own exams weren’t that long ago; unlike parenting a toddler, the memories of your own teen years make your teenager’s struggles entirely relatable) – spending hours gazing at your notes, reading chunks of textbooks, making more notes, efficiently using an array of amazing highlighters… and then the next day feeling like you didn’t grasp a thing.
Stressed teenager struggling to revise (image courtesy of Shutterstock)
So how can you help your teen not only revise, but revise well. Get their brain on their side, and ensure, as Collins puts it, it’s Revision That Sticks.
Understanding
Yes of course you can memorise bundles of notes; your brain is an amazing memory stick. But only if you understand what you’re reading can your brain process it correctly – and commit it to long-term memory where it’s most useful (and usable in an exam).
One of the easiest ways we’ve found of testing ‘understanding’, rather than ‘recall’, is to have them explain it to us. Not looking at notes, just using their own words to explain a principle of science/two sides of a battle/the meaning of a poem. It doesn’t have to be word perfect, or the most elegant explanation – simply putting it into simple terms shows whether the basic understanding is there.
It’s a basic principle – your remember what you understand.
Exam revision image courtesy of shutterstock
Repetition is Key
We all know that the more often we do something the easier it becomes, and the better we get at it. It’s the same with memory recall – paths between neurons become ‘well-trodden’ with frequent use, so simple repetition can be the best way to fix knowledge.
And tie it in with the point of understanding. Don’t just repetitively learn chunks of text – do new things with it. Make yourself maps and diagrams and cloud bursts of key points. The more ways you reproduce the same information, the greater your understand, and the more ‘paths’ you tread to those essential memories.
Make it Collective Learning
Very few people study in isolation – you’re always part of a bigger group taking the same exam – so use the hive mind to assist each other. It’s easier than ever before to do this – physical study groups are no longer required, they just need to make use of a Facebook group and ask questions of each other – in answering someone else’s query, they’re re-affirming their own knowledge; it’s actually the same principle as having your child explain it to you. They’ll also read other people’s answers – and therefore their personal perspective – on the subject, widening their own viewpoint and understanding too.
Teen sleeping while revising image courtesy of Shutterstock
Sleep – and Get Up!
I know, this is the least popular of all. I feel the collective parental pain at trying to persuade their teenagers that getting to bed and then making an early start is actually good for them. But in the evening, your brain is already weary from the day, and those neurotransmitters you’re desperately trying to get on your side simply won’t be at their best. Give them a helping hand – try and learn when they’re ready for you, fresh as a daisy in the morning time.
Plus, brain recall is much stronger after sleep; sleep allows memories to consolidate and ‘fix’. So your learning doesn’t stop when you close your eyes, you simply let your brain carry on without you. Those desirable 7-8 hours of good undisturbed sleep actually becomes crucial during revision and exam periods…
So. Going to bed early and getting up early really will help. Getting up on time will then help you stay focussed, and your brain will be firing all over the place – it’ll remember what you did yesterday, and be more responsive to what you’re working on today.
Get up and crack on!
Collins Revision use repeated practice throughout their GCSE guides to make the information ‘stick’ in the student’s brain longer. This ‘revision that sticks’ method is a proven way of doing better in the exams. #RevisionthatSticks
