10 Tips For Revision Success

Now that I'm in year 11, my GCSEs are imminent and, those in the same situation may feel the same, I'm feeling really unprepared. The best way to deal with this is to start revision, but then questions such as 'where do I begin?' or 'what shall I do?' occur. I'm hoping to shed some light on these questions with my tips for revision.

1. HAVE A SPACE CLEARED FOR THE PURPOSE OF STUDY ONLY By working in a designated, tidy space, revising becomes a much simpler task because focusing is easier. This means you get more done in a shorter amount of time.

2. TIDY ROOM, TIDY MIND I don't know about you, but when I am sitting surrounded by clutter or there is some fluff on the carpet (anything out of it's usual state of order) I Ind focusing difficult and I get more stressed by the knowledge that I have even more chores to do as well as revising. 

3. KEEP ORGANISED 

Ring binders, notebooks, flash cards and a revision timetable all help towards making the task of revising easier. Everything is in a ordered place and things are much easier to find. Colour coding and labelling flash cards also makes them easier to use. 

4. FIND A METHOD BY WHICH YOU STUDY BEST 

Mind map, detailed notes and flashcards are all methods in which we can easily remember facts, formulae and key words. Also, no one will judge if you end up going highlighter crazy on your notes, every little helps, especially if it helps you remember. 

5. PAST PAPERS ARE YOUR FRIENDS 

There is no better way to prepare for the exams ahead by practising the types of questions you will be coming across. And, by looking at the mark scheme, you can see exactly what you need to put in your answer to get the highest number of marks you can.

6. HAVE EVERYTHING WITH YOU YOU COULD POSSIBLY NEED 

Coloured pens, ruler, highlighters, coloured pencils and scissors are all useful when revising. If they are around you at all times, you can grab them whenever you need them. 

7. WORK IN A QUIET, CALM AREA

Noises (siblings, music, YouTube...) are all distractions from your designated study time. Leave them for later if you want to get stuff done. 

8. HAVE BREAKS

You aren't a robot and so can't keep going 24/7 without taking regular breaks. Experts say that a person's concentration span is about their age, plus or minus a few minutes. This means, revise in 15/20 minute chunks and then take a 10 minute break, Pinterest, reading, pampering... It all helps to distress your mind during study sessions and allows what you have learnt to sink in. Hanging out with friends or sport is always good. 

9. GET ENOUGH SLEEP 

Once again, you aren't a robot. Don't revise too late into the night or begin too early in the morning. Tiredness will only hinder the amount you learn and make you more irritable and stressed.

10. RELAX, IT'S GOING TO BE FINE

If you stress about your exams, you are only going to make your revision harder for yourself and putting it off will only increase stress. The best thing to do is to just start and have a timetable so you know what you will be revising and when. I find that this really relaxes me and makes my revision much easier.

I hope you enjoyed this post, I was something different and I had fun writing it. Comment any of your tips below. I would be really interested to find out what you do xXx

'Beauty Edit' ~ Maybelline Colour Elixir

 Maybelline are well known for their Colour Sensation Lipsticks and I rate these just as highly as those. Their colour pay off and pigmentation is really good, they smell amazing and they are really shiny on the lips. Even though they are shiny, I have found that they still stay on for a really long time.

705: Blush Essence

505: Signature Scarlett

They aren't sticky and so are really comfortable to wear and the range of colour is really good. The wand of these is a really good shape for application and one which I have never seen before. Another plus if you aren't already convinced to get some for yourself: they are really cheap, currently £4.89 at ASOS and £6.99 at Boots.

 Next on my wish list are the colours Nude Illusion, Petal Plush and Alluring Coral.

Please comment suggestions on how I could improve my reviews or which products I should review next xXx Follow me on Pinterest and Blogger and please share my reviews if you like them xXx

The Queen's Fool ~ Phillipa Gregory

 Into the treacherous Tudor court walks Hannah Green, a bookseller's daughter with a gift to read more than his banned booksEntangled in the schemes of the handsome traitor Roert Dudley, she is sent as a Holy Fool to spy on Princess Mary and finds a complex woman driven by a fatal desire to turn England back to the true faith- while her half-sister Elizabeth waits to take advantage of any mistakes she makes.

Caught in the deadly rivalry between the daughters of Henry VIII, torn between her infatuation with Dudley and duty to her family, Hannah must find a safe way through tremulous times - when he wrong religion is a death sentence, science and magic are one, and true love is a fatal weakness...

 I was really immersed in the world of Hannah Green whilst reading this book by one of my absolute favourite authors. A Jew driven out of Spain with her father because of there religion, no European country is safe for her, when hatred for their religion is rife. She finds herself serving Princess Mary and Gregory's perspective on one of the most famous monarchs in British history was one of a strong, determined woman who had no one on her side.
    I had never considered that Mary was anything but bloody because this is all I had ever heard, but this book delves into her past, how she was forced to admit to being a bastard, how she had to look after the child of the woman who could be seen as responsible for her own mother's death and how even this was taken away from her as she became more neglected by her father. We are with Mary through the happiness of her marriage to King Philip and the miss-carriage of not just one but two children and I really empathised with her as the tide of English favour turned from supporting her against Jane Grey, to shunning her in favour of the Protestant Princess.
   On the other hand, Gregory also manages to wave in the story of Elizabeth and how close she came to death at the start of Mary's reign. The sad life of Amy Dudley also manages to make and appearance and the terror of the Battle of Calais is brought to life under Gregory's skilled hand.

Hannah is a head strong 14 year old at he start of the novel, betrothed to a Jewish man she had never met. She fell in love with Dudley at her very first sight of him and so gets dragged into the schemes of him and Dr Dee. I had so many different feelings whilst reading this book, anger at Hannah's naivety with Dudley, fear for her as she fears the death penalty for her faith like her mother, sympathy for her as she hears the truth about Tom Carpenter's time in Calais without her, happiness when she is happy. I honestly cried reading about Calais, the orphaned child, Elizabeth's fear of not being allowed to live to see the next day and Mary's heartbreak at the loss of her un-born children and the losses of her county and husband to her cunning half-sister Elizabeth, who is only trying to survive.

I really recommend this book to any Tudor fiction lovers as it is truly one of the best I have read in a while.

Please comment suggestions on how I could improve my reviews or which books I should review next xXx
'Beauty Edit' coming tomorrow xXx

Dusk ~ Eve Edwards

Dusk by Eve Edwards is a beautiful love story set against the brutal back drop of WWI.

A love worth fighting for.

When Helen, a young hard-working nurse, meets aristocratic artist Sebastian, she doesn't expect to even like him, let alone fall in love. But against the troubled backdrop of wartime London, an unlikely but intense romance blossoms. And even the bloody trenches of the Somme, where they are both posted, cannot diminish their feelings for each other.

But Helen is concealing a secret and when a terrible crime is committed there are devastating consequences for them both.

When lives are being lost, can true love survive?

Dusk is a really sweet romance between two people from different worlds during the horrors of World War One. Sebastian is so gallant and (in my mind) incredibly handsome. Helen is a great protagonist. She aspires to help others and so becomes a nurse. She has a feisty spirit and a kind heart. I enjoyed how Flora's story was also told along side Helen's as it was quite common during war times for unmarried girls to find them selves pregnant or to get married quickly in case their partner never returned from the war. 

   The details of the medicine at the time, the dual narrative of Helen and Sebastian and the switching between 'current' events and events from Helen's past were really helpful when it came to world building and also it made you feel more immersed in the lives of the characters.

    Although slightly infuriating, the cliff hanger really gripped me and drove me to read the next book 'Dawn' which I also thoroughly enjoyed.

 I read this whilst doing my GCSE History coursework on life on the home front so I found the historical detail really helpful. I would certainly recommend this book to any historical fiction/ romance fans, or those who would like a light, entertaining read whilst learning something new.  

Please comment suggestions on how I could improve my reviews or which books I should review next xXx

Beauty Edit ~ Rimmel Kate Moss Lipstick No.48

For me and my skin tone, this lipstick was the perfect pinky-nude. It was love at first sight. I had already been planning to buy it, but seeing Zoella wearing it in one of last years videos decided it for me. I would buy the lipstick!

I haven't looked back. Its colour pay off is really good, it does stay on for a long time and it feels really comfortable to wear. It was perfect in summer and great with a smoky eye at Christmas. As with all of Rimmel's lipsticks, it also smelt really nicely of vanilla. It is a must have I recommend you to buy.

Please comment suggestions on how I could improve my posts or what I should review next xXx