Why Revise?

• By starting early and making sure you know everything that you have been taught during your course gives you the biggest advantage ever. Apart from the blatant obvious that the more you know the better you do, there's nothing more satisfying than sitting in an exam room knowing you're better than everybody else around you. It's a kind of "I am God" feeling.
• Confidence is all. False confidence is obviously dangerous and it's important to understand the appropriate amount of confidence. By revising you will be naturally more confident during an exam, meaning you are more likely to relax and concentrate while everyone around you panics and writes a load of bullshit just because they're nervous.
• Not revising causes many many problems. Despite the obvious consequence (that your marks will be fatally compromised), the psychological aspect of it is just as important. Not revising will cause you to be nervous causing you to write all that bullshit you really need to avoid. The more bullshit you write, the more nervous become - and by the time you know there's no way back. Not revising is just a downward spiral causing one problem after another.
• The most awful feeling in the world is knowing you could've done better (in anything you do!). The self-satisfaction of knowing you've done well will mean no worries and, more importantly, never-ending success! No worries means you can concentrate on your other exams and do well in them, whilst also giving you the mental freedom to enjoy your summer. It may even win you a place at Oxford! And let's be frank, a remark is £23, and a resit £12. That's at least 6 pints! Why not just do well then spend that money celebrating afterwards? Makes much more sense!
• If you are currently in the lower sixth studying for your A/S levels, take it from me: Resits are seriously going to muck you up next year. It really is best to avoid them as the work-load seriously does drag you down.

Revision Techniques for English

• Each year exam questions are different, but the underlying themes are usually the same. Draw up a list of the themes that you could be asked about. After that, check them against your notes (notes are personal mark schemes, not simply there to be read over.).
• Once you have your list of themes, draw spider diagrams that make links to a particular theme. Stem from your theme to a sub-theme, then stem to critical opinions, quotations, and parts of the text. It's like doing an essay but without the pressure and the whole cramp in the hand. It also stimulates your brain into thinking how you would plan your essay. The more you do these diagrams, the faster your brain will react to picking out appropriate themes once you open your exam paper. Once again, check it against your notes to see if you have missed anything. Not only do these spider diagrams make good practice, they also give you a second set of simple notes.

• If you are doing a closed book exam, make sure you know every quotation your brain can possible hold. The more quotations you know, the more links you will be able to make in your answer, and the more material you will have to write about - which means you won't feel like a knob sitting there not knowing what to write about!
• If you are good enough to analyse a quotation on the spot without having to learn its significance, learn at least 25 quotations. If you manage to do this you'll be on top of the world (the mark scheme probably won't have half the quotations you use). It will boost your mark considerably if you are able to show that have wide knowledge of the text plus the ability to analyse effectively.
• If you need to learn a quotation's significance and analytical content then try to know at least 15 of them. But be warned! If you learn so little you should have an in-depth understanding for the quotation, knowing all of its content and its significance!
• Unfortunately there's only way of learning quotations: write them out, over and over again (like learning French verbs). It's mentally exhausting and such a pain, but it's the only way you're going to get an A. Just remember what that letter gives you though - a place in a top university and eventually a secure job placement.
• Ask your teachers for old exam papers. Sit with your mates at a lunchtime and get one out. Discuss with each other how you would answer the question. There's always stuff you can learn from them. Talk about which parts of the text you would use to quote from, which themes and issues are involved, and the different interpretations of the text. I guarantee that every single one of you will miss something that somebody else will pick up on.
• Practice practice practice! As I said, exam questions vary but the themes are the same. By sitting past papers you are basically testing yourself for your approaching exam. It also mentally prepares you for an exam as you'll get used to the timing of your answers, the structure and style of your essays, and whether or not you know the correct material.

To be continued...