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, 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

[Swearwolf]

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