How to plan

• Make sure you have all your text books and that you know the work set for each subject.

• On or before the first day of the holiday, draw up a timetable for revision using the chart provided.  Do not postpone doing this.

• Be ambitious.  Some of you will be able to do a total of 60 hours of revision during the holiday without difficulty; certainly do not go for several days without doing any revision at all.

• Be realistic.  Give yourself a reasonable amount of free time. Include some exercise in your routine. Provided you keep to your total number of targeted hours, it does not matter when you do them.

• For most people a two or three-hour stretch with a few minutes break each hour will be the most productive.  Anything less is probably too short to get into a subject thoroughly.

• Decide the length of study period which you think will best suit you and make out a provisional timetable for the whole holiday IN PENCIL because you are bound to make changes.

• When you have completed the provisional timetable show it to your parents and ask them to consider you to be ‘at school’ when you are revising, only to be disturbed in emergencies.

• If you find it difficult to work at home go to the reference section of your local library where you will find places specially set aside for people to study. Separate yourself from any distractions, especially your mobile phone.

• On Monday of the second week check what you have done.  If you are behind or ahead revise your plan accordingly.

• By the Friday of the second week you should have achieved your target; check your work and use the next two days to tidy up any loose ends.

How to study effectively

• Before starting make sure you have every textbook, exercise book, folder, aids and notes for the subject to be studied.

• Make sure that you know how to access any online revision materials or exam papers. Check that you are using the right ones for your GCSE specification in each subject.

• Decide which topics, questions or section of the timetabled subject you are going to work on.

• Read through the relevant parts of the text books and notes, making additional notes if you find you have to.

• If you are working on a topic or examination questions, write outline answers in note form, learn them and test yourself by writing them from memory.

• Write all notes neatly, set them out clearly and keep them for the final revision which you will be making just before the examination.

• In some subjects a useful technique is to divide a sheet of paper in half and then list questions on the points and facts to be known on the left hand side with the answers on the right.  Learn the answers, cover them and test yourself.

• Do not leave your chosen task unfinished.  Complete it in the planned study period.

• At the end of each study period enter in ink, on the timetable, the subject studied and the exact time spent on it.

• Provided you have spent about an hour on a task, you should take a break as soon as you realise your attention is wandering.  Do not persist if your mind is not completely on your work.