Should you revise in half term?
Half term is usually enjoyed as a bit of newly found freedom for students. However, with exams lurking, some students might be wondering if they should be revising at this time or not. If you’re one of these students, read on for more information!
Why you should revise in half term
Exams can be incredibly demanding. This is especially said for A level exams, notorious for their difficulty and heavy workload. With this in mind, students should certainly consider revising for their subjects in half term, especially as this might put them in a much better position for the exams.
With the extra revision, the specification of your subjects will be more likely to stick inside your head. This is vital since there is so much to learn and memorise for A level exams. It also might be worth practising as many exam questions as possible. Doing past papers will also really help you get a feel for what the real exam is going to be like, and half term provides a good amount of time to complete these papers in exam conditions.
It’s often said that practice makes perfect, and this can definitely be applied to exams and the techniques that go with them. Even doing a little revision in Christmas half term can put you in a better position than you would’ve been in otherwise. It’s good to keep your brain working academically even when you’re not in school or college so that it doesn’t get too much of a shock when you arrive back after the half term ends.
If you keep on top of your revision, returning to college shouldn’t be too much effort. You can certainly have downtime and relaxation breaks in half term, but if you need to get particular grades in your exams, you should revise to give yourself the best chance possible of hitting those higher grades.
Some students might be able to get away with not revising in half term, although this entirely depends on the individual. If they are incredibly intelligent, have a great memory, or have already worked very hard during term time, these types of students might not have to do as much revision in half term as other students.
Furthermore, the different half terms need to be considered. Whilst it could be argued to be absolutely vital to revise over the Easter and May half terms, the Autumn, Christmas, and February half terms may not be considered to be as important since these are further away from the exams. Despite this, some schools and colleges do carry out mock exams throughout the academic year, so even if they’re not real exams, it might be worth revising in these earlier half terms just to keep on top of things.
Overall, students could put themselves in a dangerous position by not revising in half term. Revision helps prepare you as much as possible to help you hit those higher grades, so it’s important to put the hours in even when your institution is closed.
If you, or your parents would like to find out more, please just get in touch via email at info@exam.tips or call us on 0800 689 1272.