How do you all cope?!

[chantellehugs]

Okay basically, I'm in Year 10 and I've just started my GCSE Coursework for History, H&S, English and Science. I've also already done 2 maths modules. I'm just wondering if anyone has any techniques for keeping on top of all of the work, because I'm finding it really hard. All of my teachers expect me to be working in extra hard in their subjects but it's hard to devote all my hard work and time to each subject! I mean, take maths for example, I'm in the fast-track group, and I find the work alrightish, when I understand it, which is hardly ever, yet I never do badly in tests and exams. The class feels so daunting because we have about 3 super brainy kids in it, and whenever our teacher gives us a question on the board to solve, I just don't see the point in me even trying to work it out, because I'll get it wrong, and obv the super brainy kids get it right. Like today, she gave us a question to solve, which was A* and she goes the pair who works it out first gets a prize, which obviously was the 2 brainy kids sat together, it's like she focuses all of her attention on them and moans at the rest of us. And now she's moaning about revising for our next exam which is in JUNE!! We only had about a month and a half to revise for the exam we just did, and shes actually panicking about an exam in JUNE!
And then there's English, i'm also in the fast-track group, but I feel like I'm under achieving in this badly, I know the group is fast-track, but it goes too fast, we only had 3 lessons to get our draft completed for a piece of coursework and I still haven't done it. Whenever I go to her to ask her to read it she tells me to sit down because the bell's about to go. Yet she stands there for ages helping the kids who always get the A's & A*'s. I'm not aiming for an A in every single subject, but the teachers act like anything below it is really bad. I don't mind getting B's or C's. I'm so far finding History alright, because I know what I'm meant to be doing and I'm getting on with it, but Triple Science's is like another language! I got a B for a practice test in Physics, which is the worst of the three sciences because our teacher cannot control the class. In Chemistry our teacher moves very quickly through the work, which is alright for me, as long as I write down the info I need. Right now I'm concentrating on remembering the stuff she's told us, instead of understanding it. I love Biology because it's easy to understand and the teacher is very nice. I won't go into H&S because I'll start another ramble..
But back to my question, :P anyone have any useful tips for staying on top of everything?

[Jamesy]

What I used to do is just sacrafice lunchtimes to chip away at it in bits. Don't lump it all together, little and often I suppose is a good way of putting it.

[chantellehugs]

That sounds like a good idea, but our lunch lasts 25 mins so we don't usually get much time, but I could try that instead of messing about with my friends like I usually do with the remaining 10/15 mins ;)

[Sunnily]

Im in that problem right now and all i can think of is going to my teachers and asking them when they are available for me to catchup. My lunchtime is short too so not much work can be done. Im trying at the moment to maybe even stay after school.

[Smits]

If you think you have it bad now, wait until colelge, that is presuming you go.

Anyway, i never really got on top of my work, but i give you this simple advice. DO the work when you get it. That being, don't leave it until the last week or day, because you'll end up with less free time by leaving it, not more. Just get it out of the way.

[Cyndia]

Yeah, Smits is right. Do your work as early as possible, and if you can get on top of everything, try to even work ahead. Something I learned in Uni is that your textbook is invaluable.. I try to read ahead when I have time (over breaks and stuff) and do extra problems for math and chem especially so that I stay on top of things when I get a lot of stuff loaded onto me at once. Winter holidays are coming up, so make good use of them. It sucks to have to work while on vacation, but you'll need to if you want to be able to catch up and stay on top of things. Also - have you considered maybe getting a tutor for some of your harder classes, like math? It may help you understand the material better which will help you stay on top of things and become one of the brainier kids that your teacher favors. If you really find you can't handle the work though, you may just need to switch back to some easier classes next year..

[Firehorse]

Firstly put your longer posts into paragraphs, it makes it easier to read for lazy people like me ;)

I'm in yr11 now and can give a few tips for yr10.

Subjects which you are brilliant in and can get away with doing the work at home (in my case itc) I used my CIDA classes for doing other bits of work since the school computers are useless for my level of work and then I just do the CIDA at home while watching tv or something, using your brain for extra h/w while you're in school is always better since you find it more stressfull at home.

Do your coursework! *** I made this mistake and its bugging me big time now, deadlines past for geography and i've got it in but if I had used my time such as my summer holidays which were wasted anyway I could have had it done without the stress and probably to a better standard too.

For an english cw draft 3 lessons is plenty. I find although the nerd kids always write like 6 or more pages you can get just as high marks with 2 pages (try to aim for that but none less). Quality not quantity is the answer.

As for your sciences you're very lucky. For us we need to do core science and all the individual subjects are mixed, can't pick to do just physics etc but you'd need to do every single subject and last year I had the worst teachers.

Homework: don't let it hold you down, its as useless as it always is. Ofcourse you need to do it to not get detentions but unless its coursework or specific revision for an exam then it will only be for your teacher to know your level of work (or to just stress you out more which many many teachers do without even realising that they aren't helping like that). I don't recommend this if it doesn't suit your school but what I tend to do is find what teachers don't care if you give in homework or not or some that don't even notice.

Ignore teachers when they stress you over exams, it happened in SATs, they started going on at us from year 8 about it and it really didn't help at all. If you ignore the sheer amount of work totals and just do what you gotta do and turn up for exams casually minded then your mind won't wander.

Eat fish when you do your exams, good for your brain.
Staying up late revising will have the opposite effect of what you want - causing you to forget what you just revised and also make your mind wander the next day.

Just a few tips...

[samantha421]

I'm in year 11 also to the person above, leave in May.

History, your probably doing a different topic to what I did in year 10 because they changed the standards things. Anyway, at the moment i'm doing the Irish famine module, well I found it pretty easy to keep up because well to be honset I'm the only one that has finished everything and everyone else messes about going on games, listening to music hitting people, anyway, as long as you get stuck into the work it's fine because you don't want distractions all the time. I just let them get along with what their doing because after all they'll be the one's who fail. However, I also failed my history exam I got a G, but that's because I answered the wrong question on a topic we never discussed so I was lucky to get a G to be honest. Anyway, I found out that revising more and concentrating will help you a lot. Also, teachers expecting people to get A's and A*'s IT'S NOT GOING TO HAPPEN. They tell you that for you to aim high and do they best of your abilities. Get a B or C etc IT'S STILL A GOOD PASS AND CAN GET YOU INTO COLLEGE.

English, the teacher should support every child in their class, they shouldn't focus their attention just on the top students. Talk to your head teacher if this problem persists, because she/he ismaking them get a better grade which is kind of impossible so she / he should be helping more with the lower children.

Maths, the super brainy kids will get them right, but getting them wrong doesn't mean your not smart, you are and if you get it wrong who cares, your 14 / 15 years old not a mathmetician so what if they get it right geting it wrong helps plenty

[chantellehugs]

Thanks for the help everyone, I recently had my mock triple science test, we got told a week before, and I revised during break and lunch, and a little at home, and we got the results for Chemistry today, and I got A/B! I've been doing my homework as soon as I get it, sometimes in class if there's still time, and I get more free time at home. But I think the revision books we were given helped loads, which is even better, because I can go home and go over something if I don't understand it in class. I handed in my draft for english and I got some helpful feedback so I know what I need to do, so all I need to do for english is write the final draft, and redo some other pieces of coursework. I'm gonna try that eating fish tip for monday, I have a maths test in class :)
Once again, thanks everyone :D

[Swearwolf]

pro plus

[Problemo]

Hey,
What I used to do was;

- Do any homework/coursework as soon as it was set so the teacher wasn't rushing when marking it and could give me quality feedback that would get me the best grades.

- Revison in breaktimes & lunch if you have times.
(Try and get access to Past papers on the exam boards websites or from teachers)

- Constant spiral learning (Keep going over it whenever you have free time)

- Plan you're time carefully and get into a routine of doing it.

- Occasionaly do school work with friends; It helps motivate you to do it, because you can have a laugh while doing you're work and you can help each other eg. Check their work, Explain stuff to them that they don't understand and they do the same for you.

Good luck with you're Gcse's :)
x

[BeanEgg]

Yea, I was in a similar position, it was a great burden!
All I could say is, try and sacrifice some after school time, stay in school and do it.

My school is quite helpful, if they tell us to get an A, we will get an A. It's been like that for years. - But then again it's not a state school.
At my school, if you need anything they'll give it to you. They'll even buy you a license key for Office 2007. LOL
They provide laptops and free internet, and we all take advantage of it by asking for it considering we don't need them. :P
My school actually give out about 10 iPod Nanos every month, and other stuff likes bikes and iTouches. - Tell your school to do something similar, everyone will get good grades. :P
But there's loads more to our success. - Our school has literally changed everything a standard school would do. For example form groups, its not a form group of 22 people who are all in Year 11 etc. Now there's a Vertical Tutor Group system. Each form as about 12 students, from every year, including sixth form. Which is quite awkward. We even started doing UCAS preparation in Year 10.. :S

So yea, success is usually based on your individual attitudes, when they say aim high, it really means you do the revision and learn the techniques to excel.

Just try and do everything on time, so you don't drag homework onto another day. That will just make everything worse. Don't do parts of a homework, then continue it next time. - It really doesn't work. Stay in after school to do loads of work as you're bound to concentrate more.
That's it really; hope it helped.

[PaulMacC]

I'm in Year 12.
AS/A2 Levels are a lot harder, even though your doing less subjects there is more work for each subject. I used to all the homework when I got it, sometimes I didnt understand stuff so I asked the teacher. You may think your teacher will be angry at you but she wont, thats what she is there for.

[BeanEgg]

I'm in Year 12.
AS/A2 Levels are a lot harder, even though your doing less subjects there is more work for each subject. I used to all the homework when I got it, sometimes I didnt understand stuff so I asked the teacher. You may think your teacher will be angry at you but she wont, thats what she is there for.

Exactly, (s)he will be happy, as they if you fail (along with loads of others), they could lose their jobs.

[Misawa]

School for me was a walk in the park. If you're struggling in Year 10, wait until you're in higher education.

[Meree.]

I was kinda in the same postition a while ago and sometimes am now. I just found that intead of going home after school and doing my own thing, like going on the computer, playing video games, and watching television. The best thing to do is to do your homework/coursework. Instead of leaving it until the last minute, rushing to do it, and ending up not doing it properlly. Another thing I do, is i list my homework/coursework on the computer, and highlight it red (meaning I havn't done it) I check it everyday, to see the date due, and when I have done it, I highlight it green (meaning I have done it) Aswell as that, there is sometimes classes you can go to after school if you havn't understood something in class that day, and they can just explain it to you. Thats pretty much what I do. As for being in class, why don't you just talk to your teacher and ask her if she could give you more of a chance to answer the questions just to make sure you know what your doing and how to do it. I also found, I used to sit at the back of the class in Maths, where everyone always messes around and distracts you. I asked to move to the front, and now I work alot better! Hope this helps in some way.

[Kate]

Well do your homework when you get home from school and if you have loads of coursework perhaps give up lunch to do some?
Also, if your bored, instead of going on the computer consider doing a bit of work..
works for me.

[ecstasy]

Also, teachers expecting people to get A's and A*'s IT'S NOT GOING TO HAPPEN. They tell you that for you to aim high and do they best of your abilities.

Yes it is :S
Teachers set expected grades because thats what they expect them to get funnily enough.
Teachers dont tell you that they expect you to get an A/A* just so you work harder. A teacher wont tell a C student that (s)he is expected to get an A* just so they aim high. It won't help 'cause when they get their results and get a C they're gonna be pretty downhearted

Anyway, do your work when it's set - it's fresher in your mind then. And ask your teacher for help, thats what they're there for (Pretty sure people have already said this but y'know)

[iAdam]

Do work as soon as you're given it, revise for tests in any time you don't have coursework, give up lunch times and breaks to do things, and just generally don't leave things to the last minute.

[crazed]

Okay basically, I'm in Year 10 and I've just started my GCSE Coursework for History, H&S, English and Science. I've also already done 2 maths modules. I'm just wondering if anyone has any techniques for keeping on top of all of the work, because I'm finding it really hard. All of my teachers expect me to be working in extra hard in their subjects but it's hard to devote all my hard work and time to each subject! I mean, take maths for example, I'm in the fast-track group, and I find the work alrightish, when I understand it, which is hardly ever, yet I never do badly in tests and exams. The class feels so daunting because we have about 3 super brainy kids in it, and whenever our teacher gives us a question on the board to solve, I just don't see the point in me even trying to work it out, because I'll get it wrong, and obv the super brainy kids get it right. Like today, she gave us a question to solve, which was A* and she goes the pair who works it out first gets a prize, which obviously was the 2 brainy kids sat together, it's like she focuses all of her attention on them and moans at the rest of us. And now she's moaning about revising for our next exam which is in JUNE!! We only had about a month and a half to revise for the exam we just did, and shes actually panicking about an exam in JUNE!
And then there's English, i'm also in the fast-track group, but I feel like I'm under achieving in this badly, I know the group is fast-track, but it goes too fast, we only had 3 lessons to get our draft completed for a piece of coursework and I still haven't done it. Whenever I go to her to ask her to read it she tells me to sit down because the bell's about to go. Yet she stands there for ages helping the kids who always get the A's & A*'s. I'm not aiming for an A in every single subject, but the teachers act like anything below it is really bad. I don't mind getting B's or C's. I'm so far finding History alright, because I know what I'm meant to be doing and I'm getting on with it, but Triple Science's is like another language! I got a B for a practice test in Physics, which is the worst of the three sciences because our teacher cannot control the class. In Chemistry our teacher moves very quickly through the work, which is alright for me, as long as I write down the info I need. Right now I'm concentrating on remembering the stuff she's told us, instead of understanding it. I love Biology because it's easy to understand and the teacher is very nice. I won't go into H&S because I'll start another ramble..
But back to my question, :P anyone have any useful tips for staying on top of everything?

What?!? I left all my coursework till year 11 and got C's :X But I was happy with that. You should probably sacrifice a few lunch/ break times to get abit of work done, or stopping back after school :)