Help..

[Skan]

Hello, I'm in need of some help.. please take time and appreciate your advice/help.


I'm at the stage where I have to do my GCSE's (Exams). In lessons, I'm a great student. I always complete my homework with at times some minor mistakes. I also hand my homework in time. My classwork is very good. Most of the time, my work is even demonstrated to the class. I'm always equipped in class, with pens pencils everything. I've been nominated twice Student of the month and been chosen it twice for reasons above. The only problem here.. is I really struggle in exams. The second I enter that hall, I fail. I dont know how, I dont know why. When the time comes from Exams, I really struggle and Im really stressed. Is there a way I can get rid of that feeling? I hope people here can help me with this.. I really cannot carry on doing this.. or I end up failing. I've just had my Mocks (Practise exam) and I've got a pretty bad grade. Please guys, I'm really in need of your help/advice.

I really appreciate your help..

Kind Regards,
Skan

[Aksel]

No idea how the school system is in the UK, but I guess it is somehow like the Norwegian one.

You just got to have that feeling that you are well prepared. If you are well prepared, you get a moral boost which will eventually make the whole thing go around. Just read a lot, and pick out the most relevant information. Read, read and read all the time before the test, and just do it. Simple as that.

[Skan]

No idea how the school system is in the UK, but I guess it is somehow like the Norwegian one.

You just got to have that feeling that you are well prepared. If you are well prepared, you get a moral boost which will eventually make the whole thing go around. Just read a lot, and pick out the most relevant information. Read, read and read all the time before the test, and just do it. Simple as that.

I've started taking notes now..

I think I've actually narrowed down the problems I been having with. I'm struggling with 'everyday maths'. For example

'Mirza has a phone contract. He pays $9.94 a month and gets 100 minutes and unlimited texts. Mirza spends 112 minutes last month. Work out how much in total Mirza spent last month.'

These everyday questions is somethign I struggle with. Whereas, ingame I'm very good calculating the fucking buyout and value. 

[Romeo]

Hello, I'm in need of some help.. please take time and appreciate your advice/help.


I'm at the stage where I have to do my GCSE's (Exams). In lessons, I'm a great student. I always complete my homework with at times some minor mistakes. I also hand my homework in time. My classwork is very good. Most of the time, my work is even demonstrated to the class. I'm always equipped in class, with pens pencils everything. I've been nominated twice Student of the month and been chosen it twice for reasons above. The only problem here.. is I really struggle in exams. The second I enter that hall, I fail. I dont know how, I dont know why. When the time comes from Exams, I really struggle and Im really stressed. Is there a way I can get rid of that feeling? I hope people here can help me with this.. I really cannot carry on doing this.. or I end up failing. I've just had my Mocks (Practise exam) and I've got a pretty bad grade. Please guys, I'm really in need of your help/advice.

I really appreciate your help..

Kind Regards,
Skan

Just take it easy. If you're doing your SG's(GSCE's) the exams generally aren't that hard. If you know the parts of the course you've been taught then you'll be absolutely fine. Just make sure you study all of the important points and it'll come straight back to you. I've sat mine and they were actually considerably easier than I thought they would be.

[Ben.]

I don't even know the minutes...they'd charge shitloads more! 

Anyway, just remember there isn't any more you can do. on't feel nervous, as you know you've worked hard to get to that moment...why fret about something you can't change? Stay cool.
I got mostly A's and A*'s btw...though I didn't work hard during lesson! I've always been good at exams 

[Skan]

Well, I just got a D in the mocks yesterday.. considering I'm doing Foundation (lower tier) Maths. I need a way.. to kepe me calm.

[Gandalf]

There are three possibilities why you can do bad at exams.

1. You did not study the material. It seems that this is not the case from what you tell. If it is, then you know what to do.

2. Bad concentration. Normally you are studying on your own, probably with some music in your ears so there is no other distraction. Suddenly you are sitting in a hall with lots of sounds and movements, causong you to be distracted by what goes on around you.
In this case, try to practice concentration. Take some book to a busy place or try to make your homework inside a school area. IF you learn to close your surroundings from you, the problem will disappear.

3. Fear of exams. This is a psychological thing, and needs professional attention. It is very well possible that you are able to concentrate, know your material but whenever there is an exam paper in front of you you get a nervous problen causing you to black out. If this is something that you can show clearly by very different results, talk to the school and teachers, and work out a method that removes the stress from your brains. Work at it now, as the higher you study the more important it is to be able to make exams in a hall of people.

[Alsatian]

You just got to have that feeling that you are well prepared. If you are well prepared, you get a moral boost which will eventually make the whole thing go around. Just read a lot, and pick out the most relevant information. Read, read and read all the time before the test, and just do it. Simple as that.

This, really. Confidence is vital; if you go into the examination hall with the attitude that you're well-prepared and capable of doing well on the exam, you'll find that you will do considerably better as opposed to constantly panicking and unnecessarily stressing yourself out.

Make sure that you're aware of the key areas that will present themselves in the exam, and thoroughly revise them and continue to do so up until you actually do the exam so that you are prepared for any question.

If you get stuck on a question that you feel you can eventually answer but can't quite get it at the given moment, skip it and return to it later so you don't waste time on potentially easier questions.

[Ben.]

Alternatively, see if the school can get you doing some mock exams in exam conditions, where you will be doing your GCSE's. This means that when you finally have your exams, it'll feel more like your mock ones. Familiarity is kind of important as well during exams.
I did most of my exams in a big, bleak-looking sports hall...cold...boring and grey. I felt much better when we sat a couple of our exams in the school gym, which has a nice wooden floor, and looks more homely. These exams were Biology and Chemistry, I got A and A* respectively for them. Mind you, you can't do much about this one!

Oh, take a bottle of water in with you. If you're struggling, take a small sip of water (not too much, or you'll want to pee!)...always made me feel refreshed.

Don't panic. Feeling nervous is fine...you need to acknowledge that before you go into the exam room. Everyone else is nervous, even if they don't show it...I know I was, though everyone else expected me to do well! Just trust in what you have learnt, and apply it to the exam. With exam practice, you will recognize what the questions ask more easily, and so will panic less trying to work it out, thinking "OMG, we didn't do this...".
On that note...:
- OCR normally do questions which come basically straight out the book
- AQA don't...they mix things up a bit, but you do know the stuff! It's just harder to realise.
- Edexcel, which is the exam board I used, apparently like long-winded questions...you'll answer it, and they will make another question linked to it.

And are you in year 10?
This time two years ago, I was sitting there looking at my mock result of a C in Maths, feeling absolutely gutted with it. I sat my exam a month later...and in February, I got my result. It was an A. Trust yourself, and trust your teachers...and think outside the box! Especially for Maths...there isn't a set way of doing things for the sake of it. If you can go a different direction and get the same answer, there's nothing wrong with it. In my exam, there was a simple rule I needed to know to work out a question...I forgot it. I worked out every single fucking angle, and finally got the right answer. It all goes to show that even if you don't think you know something, you might find the answer out by giving it a go.

Write down the important parts of the question again. Long-winded questions are there to confuse you...go through them, and write down the important info..."x=4, y=7, p=C, work out P". Most questions are like that...
My A Level Maths gives us the attitude that we're doing Year 7 Maths..."the hardest part of this question is 3 multiplied by 4!". Normally, he is right...if you can do well in class, then you can do well in an exam. If you get a mental block, then be patient, and move on to a question you still feel you can do. Memories come back to you often when you try the least...panicking just makes it worse. So, if you panic, move on to another question, and come back to it when you feel happier.

Oh, and good luck with your GCSE's