Latest news with #revision
Forbes
4 days ago
- General
- Forbes
The Second Most Important Thing A Writer Must Do
College student, asian man and studying on laptop at campus, research and education test, exam books ... More and course project. Happy Japanese university student, knowledge and learning online technology Let's get the remarkable grasp of the obvious out of the way. The most important thing a writer must do is generate content. Runing a close second, though, is one of the most overlooked or taken-for-granted functions in all of communications: Revision. Other than the Ten Commandments – all 70 simple words – hardly a document has ever been written that either needed revision or already got it. Thomas Jefferson's draft of the Declaration of Independence went through a round of revision, mostly with Benjamin Franklin and John Adams. Abraham Lincoln was busy revising his Gettysburg Address on the train ride from Washington, DC, only an hour or so before delivering his speech. JFK was revising his inaugural address in the limo on the way to the ceremony. Mark Twain was a stickler for revision: 'It usually takes me three weeks to write a good impromptu speech.' And if those four masters of the word needed to revise their works, so do you and I. Full stop. Here, then, are some of the major considerations for good revising that will help your writing become more clear, informative, persuasive, interesting, and lively – whatever your purpose is. There's an old saying among writers: 'Whatever you write is your baby. You have to learn to kill your babies.' No one is certain who first said it, but it most often gets attributed to William Faulkner. Generally, there are five steps in the writing process: prewriting (organization of thought, amassing data or other sources), drafting, revising, editing and proofreading, publishing or presenting. Know where you are and the purpose of each. For instance, editing and revising are two different things. The prefix – re – means again or over, and the root – vision – comes from the Latin – visus – to see. Revision means to see again. The document. What's your purpose and focus? Who's your audience? How will you structure and organize this? The paragraph. Paragraphs must have relevance (support the main idea), unity (among all sentences), and coherence (logical connection between preceding and following paragraphs). The sentence. Vary sentence lengths and beginnings. Run-on sentences are almost always sloppy. Incomplete sentences are usually disjointed, unless style matters and you really know what you're doing. The word(s) Write like you talk. Don't try to be someone else. Natural is best – and it shows. Use strong verbs, vivid adjectives, and specific nouns. Avoid unnecessary words or phrases, such as qualifiers (very, quite, somewhat), or empty phrases (as I said before, needless to say). Your first draft is never your final. But don't go directly from writing to revising. Put it away for a while, read it out loud, have a trusted colleague look it over. It's striking how new and different your document can be.
Irish Times
4 days ago
- Health
- Irish Times
Leaving Cert: last-minute subject-by-subject exam tips
The pressure is on – but it's not too late to make a real impact. These final days are all about smart, focused revision rather than cramming. Whether brushing up on key concepts or calming exam nerves, a few strategic moves now can boost your confidence. Here are some last-minute study tips from the experts to help you stay sharp and steady for exam day: English Tips from Conor Murphy, an English teacher at Skibbereen Community College Paper one: READ MORE Familiarise yourself with the exam paper and be conscious of the fact it was designed to lead you into the essay question. The comprehension question, A, reminds you of the various genres as well as genre techniques. B reminds you of the need for structure and purpose. Remember these elements when you attempt the final essay. Revise techniques rather than specific genres. There are so many different genres that can be assessed in B, and in the essay, trying to study each one will become overwhelming. Think about the techniques as moving from aesthetic to persuasive, stopping off at narrative and informative on the way. So, you are looking at things like using an appropriate hook, the power of the adjective, the use of aesthetic language, the various rhetorical techniques available. Then look at the question and, with the audience and medium in mind, plan with reference to these techniques. [ Classroom to College: essential Leaving Cert newsletter for parents, guardians and students ] Paper two: Ignore poet predictions. The poetry question is worth 50 marks, the main text (usually Shakespeare) is 60 marks and the comparative 70. Keep this in mind when you study. Narrow down the quotes you are learning off. Instead of having hundreds for the main text, look for a quote that will work for numerous elements. Look at a quote like the famous 'give me an egg, and I'll give thee two crowns'. How many elements can this be used for? The Fool, Lear, Goneril, Regan, Kingship, fertility, the concept of nothingness and a few other topics. This is why the quote is so often (over) used. Use this exercise as a way of revising Lear. Similarly for the comparative , narrow down the scenes you are studying to scenes that can be used when talking about at least two of the comparative modes. Obviously these will include the opening and closing of the text. When you have these narrowed down, zoom in on specific elements (dialogue, images, stage directions). These are your specific pieces of evidence needed to illustrate your essays. In general, test yourself on the various aspects of the course. Pick a topic and write down what you know, under headings, on a blank sheet of paper with all your notes out of sight. For instance: pick a poet, write down the name of all their poems, then the themes, then the recurring language techniques, then quotes. This will tell you what you know and what you need to go over. Students from St Michael's College, Listowel, Co Kerry with their Leaving Cert exam results last year. Photograph: Domnick Walsh Maths Tips from Eoghan O'Leary, maths teacher at Hamilton High School, Co Cork and head of maths at The Tuition Centre General guidance At this stage, I recommend focusing your revision on individual topics rather than attempting full papers. Concentrate on the topics you're most likely to choose in the exam. Avoid learning new topics you haven't already covered in class – it's time now to revise and refine, not to start from scratch. Revisit the formulae and tables book , and practice using your calculator, especially for operations that involve multiple steps. Also, write out a list of the formulae not included in the tables book and display them somewhere visible so they stay fresh in your mind. When the exam starts, my advice is to find a section A question you like and do it. It will settle your nerves. It could be counterproductive to read the entire paper at the start of the exam, because there is some much information. – Paper one: Functions, differentiation, and integration are unavoidable. They appear across both Section A and Section B, so they should be a big focus during your final days of preparation. Algebra often appears as a full Section A question and is also embedded in many other questions. Ensure you're confident with all the key elements. Sequences & series hasn't appeared in a majobig in recent years—it – ould be due this time. Also, be prepared for a long question involving logarithms and indices , which is quite common. Complex numbers reliably show up in Section A, but not in Section B. Students often ask if they should revise topics like induction, formal proofs, algebraic inequalities, and financial maths that don't appear every year. The answer depends on your target grade: If you're aiming for a H1 , it's worth covering everything to maximise choice. If your goal is a H6 , your time is better spent mastering the more likely and manageable topics, rather than struggling with abstract material. One commonly overlooked topic is area and volume , which can appear with algebra, differentiation, or integration. Even if it doesn't feature prominently in paper one , it's highly likely to come up in paper two. -Paper two Paper two is typically more predictable than paper one. Section A usually includes one question each on: statistics, probability, the line, the circle, trigonometry, and geometry . Section B often features: Two questions combining statistics and probability Two questions involving trigonometry, geometry, and area & volume Students often struggle to revise for Paper 2 because they find several topics difficult – especially probability and geometry . My advice: focus on the core skills in each topic, as these often appear in combination with others. Should you learn the geometry theorems, constructions, and trigonometric identity proofs ? If you're aiming for a H1, yes. But if you haven't already learned them in school, it could be counterproductive to do so now. Focus instead on the questions you're more likely to attempt in the exam. In the exam: Make sure your calculator is in the correct mode (degrees or radians as appropriate). Double-check your answers for correct units and appropriate rounding (decimal places or significant figures). Remember: A score of 539/600 = 89.83%, which equates to a H2. You need to score 540/600 to earn a H1. You don't want to lose a grade over a rounding error. Fle photograph: Eric Luke / The Irish Times Irish Tips from Séadhan de Poire, Irish teacher with Dublin Academy of Education Top tips for the run-in to exams? 'For higher level Irish, start to simplify material to make sure it actually makes sense. I've corrected the State exams, and I've seen a lot of students try to learn material that's too difficult for them. They then try to reproduce this material in exam settings and because they don't understand what they're writing, there's loads of mistakes in it and it ends up making no sense. 'What I tell a lot of my students is to focus on having simpler Irish that they understand and that they can use instead of trying to learn things off by heart. Especially for Irish paper one, for the essay.' Hot predictions? 'For Irish paper one, it's all based off current affairs so there's no magical list of topics. You kind of have to be following what's in the news in and around November, December and January time. That's typically when the paper's set. 'Based off that, the topics that I'm looking at with my own classes this year would be politics, because of the elections that took place here and abroad, the education system, the Irish language, the housing crisis and a little bit on technology. A tip I'd give students is you can overlap a lot of material between those different topics. 'For example, if you're talking about politics and problems – well, housing is a political issue. You don't have to learn five brand new essays. You learn a couple of paragraphs that suit different titles and then you try to fill in the gaps afterwards.' File photograph: Eric Luke French Tips from Elizabeth Lyne, director of The French Leaving Cert paper is 2.5 hours, encompassing the reading and writing tasks. There is then a short 10 minute break, after which students complete the aural or listening section of the exam. For the reading comprehension , students have to read two texts and answer questions based on those texts. The first text is usually journalistic in style and tends to address current issues. The second text is usually an extract from literature, and is more challenging. My top tip is to start with question six as this is asked in English and may give an indication as to the subject matter. Read each section carefully, underlining key parts of the questions, so that you know exactly what you are being asked. For the written section, my top tip is to keep your French clear and simple . Make sure that your opinion questions have an opening, main point/counter or supporting point/personal point and conclusion. Finally, while it is impossible to predict what will appear on the paper, I suggest focusing on climate, refugees, artificial lintelligence, school uniform, study of foreign languages, science as a 'male' subject, circular economy, screen dependency, disposable vapes, over-tourism and emigration Students at Rathdown checking their Leaving Cert results. Photograph: Jason Clarke Photography. Spanish Advice from Katie Lenehan, French and Spanish teacher with Dublin Academy of Education Top tips for the run-in to the exams? 'The biggest piece of advice I would give is to recognise the importance of your reading comprehensions . They're worth 30 per cent of the final grade. They're worth even more than the oral exam is and potentially it's something that students forget about because they have so many other things on. 'For the listening papers, I'd also try to sit a full listening paper each week ... They're quite practical elements that you can do. For the written paper, I'd recommend making sure you have a solid introduction and conclusion learned off for your opinion piece. And have 15 to 20 pieces of vocab for each topic that you're planning on covering for the exam, so it nearly becomes a game of jigsaw.' Hot predictions? Though she prefers to steer clear of the term predictions, Lenehan encourages her Spanish students to focus on papers from 2008-2014, which may crop up again this June. She lists a range of topics to cover – emigration, social media, AI, money, changes in Ireland and the environment. Common mistakes to avoid? She says she had 'crippling' OCD during sixth year and learned the hard way how important it is to look after yourself. 'Absolutely, study has to be a priority, but it doesn't have to be the only priority. [Students] need things like friendship , fresh air, good food. They need to sleep. Try to surround yourself with people that have a similar work ethic, or that have the same target grade as you, and try to encourage each other.' Students discussing their exams at Trinity Comprehensive School, Ballymun, Dublin. Photograph: Dara Mac Dónaill Biology and chemistry Advice by Caoimhe Ní Mhuirceartaigh, biology and chemistry teacher Top tips for the run-in to the exams? 'The marking scheme for both biology and chemistry papers can be quite word-specific. You need to ensure when you're answering a question that it's not waffle and you're hitting the short, concise points. 'For biology especially, you need to know unit one and unit two really well. You can maximise your marks by focusing on the areas that are very repetitive. Knowing the non-negotiable topics that come up every year and are worth a large portion. In biology, the two most important topics would be genetics and ecology.' Hot predictions? Both subjects, Ní Mhuirceartaigh says, have quite obvious trends. Topics she thinks may appear in the short questions section of the biology paper include food, ecology, genetics and enzymes. For questions on systems, it is worth preparing human reproduction – particularly the menstrual cycle – and the human defence system. For experiments, the food test has a high chance of appearing along with the ecology experiment. On long questions, ecology, genetics, enzymes, microorganisms, photosynthesis and respiration could all be worth some focus. Ní Mhuirceartaigh describes organic chemistry as the most important area to conquer in advance of sitting the chemistry exam. Given you can feature it in three of your eight answers on the paper, it can account for 38 per cent of a student's final grade. Common mistakes to avoid? 'Make sure the study that you do is effective. You're not just reading over notes at this stage – you're assessing yourself. That can mean exam questions. It can mean doing quizzes online, mind maps, flashcards. There are loads of different ways to assess yourself but don't just be sitting reading through notes.'
The Sun
4 days ago
- Health
- The Sun
Seven in 10 Brit parents have taken time off work to revise for their kids' GCSEs, survey reveals
Seven in 10 parents have taken time off work - to revise for their kid's GCSEs. A study of 500 parents with children taking exams this year found they actively started getting their own heads GCSE-ready three months ago. 3 To prepare, 45 per cent of parents drafted a revision plan, 16 per cent have read study notes on An Inspector Calls, and 12 per cent have attempted to memorised MacBeth. While 33 per cent have sat with their kids during revision sessions, 16 per cent have listened to audiobooks, and 12 per cent have stayed up 'all night' reading. The research was commissioned by online learning platform, MyEdSpace, which is running a series of free GCSE 'Exam Cram Courses featuring live interactive three-hour lessons, which would normally be £300, ahead of this year's core subject exams – maths, English, and all three sciences Co-founder of MyEdSpace, Sean Hirons, said: 'Understandably, parents just want to help their kids when it comes to exam season – especially those intense few days just before a big test. 'But that doesn't have to mean pulling all-nighters themselves or learning Macbeth off by heart.' 'Right now, the best thing parents can do for their kids is keep calm, give them some space and make sure they're not forgetting to do the basic things like eating regularly or getting a good night's sleep while they prep.' 'We don't want any students, or parents, to be feeling overwhelmed or unsupported during this extremely stressful time of year.' Despite their efforts to familiarise themselves with the current GCSE syllabus, half of all parents polled have struggled to get their heads round what their children are learning. While 69 per cent admitted their kids are stressed about the weeks ahead. 'Math-fluencer' Neil Trivedi, who is part of the MyEdSpace team and has streamed revision classes reaching more than 43,000 students, said: 'Bedding in knowledge evenly across the year is obviously the best way to learn. 'There are ways to optimise the revision process. "One way to try and solidify your knowledge is to try and explain your work to a peer, those who study together, succeed together. "And finally, take breaks, eat healthily, take your omega 3s and drink lots of water!' Parents' efforts to help manage their kids through this daunting period are welcome for the most part as 65 per cent 'actively' want their mums and dads to help them with revision. Although the research, carried out through OnePoll, found 19 per cent would prefer it if they didn't. Reasons why include wanting to be independent (46 per cent), thinking they can revise better on their own (36 per cent), and 28 per cent wanting to prove themselves (28 per cent). Kharis Yanakidis, co-founder for MyEdSpace, which aims to make exams less stressful and improve exam performance said: 'GCSE season can be overwhelming for students and families, so making revision fun and enjoyable can make all the difference. 'That's why our team is made up of expert teachers - many of them previous examiners - who last year helped MyEdSpace students achieve grades 7-9 at more than double the national average.' 3 NEIL TRIVEDI'S TOP FIVE HACKS FOR ACING EXAMS WITH MINIMAL STRESS "Understanding that 'practice makes perfect' on its own is not enough to get results - practicing with shaky foundations leads to terrible outcomes "Use these top five tips and start by focusing on the topics you are weakest at, going back and covering those topics from their foundations in your textbooks and gradually build up to very difficult, problem-solving style questions from past papers." Don't spend hours remembering formulas - I've never used a formula booklet in my life, I was able to learn all the relevant formulas from practicing questions, you too will naturally remember them with practice. Even better, you learn to recognise which problem they should be used for. Teach to remember - Teach a friend, sibling, or even a stuffed animal a concept you're struggling with - it forces you to consolidate your knowledge. Reverse engineer exam papers - Start with the answer, then work backward to understand how to solve the problem. Focus on past exam paper questions - Textbooks are fine to practice specific mathematics skills - however, during exam season it is most important to gain exam specific exposure. For written subjects, study mark schemes to see exactly what your exam board is looking for. Address every misconception - Do not accept incorrect answers without explanation - if you get a question wrong, make sure you fully understand where you made mistakes and what to address. Do the question again to prove to yourself you have understood your mistake.
Irish Times
4 days ago
- Health
- Irish Times
Brian Mooney's Leaving Cert survival guide: Get seated 30 minutes before the exam – and don't wear a smartwatch
Take a deep breath: it's just hours before Leaving Certificate English paper one lands on exam desks at 9.30am on Wednesday. If you are feeling anxious, you are not alone. It is normal for Leaving Cert students (and their parents) to feel stressed. As a guidance counsellor for many years, I have seen how some simple tips can help calm nerves and help candidates feel they are ready to step up to the challenge. [ Classroom to College: our essential newsletter to navigating the Leaving Cert for parents, guardians and students Opens in new window ] Trust Anxiety comes from fear of the unknown. Any situations where you are assessed under pressure – such as a job interview or an exam – can amplify this uncertainty. It is easy to feel consumed by the unknowns and immobilised by a lack of control over the outcome. This can result in panic – especially if you feel flustered by a question. The key is to trust your process. Nurture your own self-belief and remind yourself of all the hard work you've done. Organise READ MORE If you haven't done so already, arrange your revision notes for all the exam papers in each subject. Try organising them backwards, starting from your last exam, identifying the periods of time available before each paper to review your notes. When you have completed this process, you will have an idea of how you are going to use the remaining time available. Doing this will give you back a sense of control over the exam and reduce excess stress. Check Make make sure to bring blue or black ink pens, only, and pencils (for diagrams only). Make sure it's dark pencil; the light ones may not scan well when the exams are digitised for marking. If required, bring your calculator. A clock will be on display in the centre so you do not need a watch. There is a prohibition on smart watches and other devices so do not bring them. Check your other daily requirements such as water, food and transport costs, where appropriate. Timing Students will be required to be in their assigned seat in the exam centre 30 minutes before the start time of exams on day one, and at least 15 minutes in advance of their exams on subsequent days. Remember: candidates are not allowed to enter exam centres if they arrive more than half an hour late – and you are not allowed to leave the exam centre within the final 10 minutes. Plan When the invigilator arrives at your desk, you will be offered a choice of subject level in that exam subject. Opt for the paper you have prepared for. Never attempt to change levels at the last minute; this is typically a negative side effect of exam nerves. Once you receive your paper, read it carefully before you do anything else. Start to sketch out the outline for your answers to every question you plan to answer at the back of your answer book. Your brain will continue to reflect on all the questions as you begin to write. Start working on the first question, selecting the one you feel most comfortable with. Review If you still have a few minutes left at the end, try boosting your chances of getting a few extra marks by rereading your script. As any writer knows, a first attempt is always improved by rereading. Leave at least half a page free at the end of each question so you can add extra material – if you want to – at the end of the exam. New ideas may occur to you as you read back your answer. Options If the exams go badly, remember, the CAO race is not like Becher's Brook anymore. There are more pathways than ever to pursue your chosen career, whether through university, a tertiary degree programme or Post-Leaving Cert course. Many end up with the same qualification. So, remember, you have lots of options. Support Parents can play a crucial role by familiarising themselves with the exam schedule. Pin the timetable up prominently at home and highlight each exam that is due to be taken. In the stress of the exam period you need to be aware when your child must be in the exam centre. After each day's exams, allow your son or daughter to recount their daily story. If they feel they have made mistakes or omissions, do not be tempted to review them in detail. Simply allow them time and space to tell their story and move on to the next challenge. It can be helpful to your son or daughter to focus on the next paper immediately ahead. Simple questions around the nature of the exams can be useful in switching the focus. Love As a parent, there is no need to overhype the importance of any exam. Just remember that some young people taking the Leaving Cert can mistakenly believe their standing in their parents' eyes is dependent on their success in the exam. Ensure your son or daughter is clear that your love for them is in no way dependent on how they perform. This affirmation is one of the greatest gifts you can give them at the start of the exams.
Daily Mail
18-05-2025
- General
- Daily Mail
Could YOU pass this GCSE maths exam? As teenagers across the UK brave gruelling tests, try your hand at these problems
This year's GCSE exams are well under way and the first maths paper - one of three - has come and gone. And parents who have children going through the turbulent period in their academic careers will surely be grappling with very anxious teenagers cramming their studies well into the night. As pupils wade through last-minute revision before the next test on June 4, mothers and fathers being consulted on mock papers are undoubtedly faced with the task of brushing up on their long-forgotten skills. A series of concepts are explored in Year 10 and 11 - from algebra, geometry , ratio and statistics. Yet, few will remember even the most basic of elements. But how would you fare in a quiz intended for 16-year-olds? Whether you'll sit around twiddling your thumbs or ace some speedy sums - here's a chance to try your hand at it. Below are some real questions taken from a non-calculator paper. Try your best then check the answers at the bottom... We'll start off easy but you might need a pen and paper. Here are 13 questions from a GCSE mathematics exam: 1. Work out 6.3 x 2.4 2. (a) Write 156 as a product of its prime factors (b) Find the highest common factor of 156 and 130 3. Work out the value of: 4. The mean length of 5 sticks is 4.2cm. Nawal measured the length of one of the sticks as 7cm Nawal made a mistake. The stick was not 7cm long. It was 17cm long (b) How does this affect your answer to part (a)? 5. Mano has three shelves of books There are x books on shelf A There are (3x + 1) books on shelf B There are (2x – 5) books on shelf C There is a total of 44 books on the three shelves All the books have the same mass The books on shelf B have a total mass of 7500g Work out the total mass of the books on shelf A 6. (a) Factorise: 7. The normal price of a mattress is reduced by 40% in a sale The price of the mattress in the sale is £660 Work out the normal price of the mattress 8. The circumference of a circle is 10m Work out the area of the circle Give your answer in terms of π 9. The straight line L has equation 2y = 3x – 7 Find an equation of the straight line perpendicular to L that passes through (6, –5) 10. Here is triangle ABC Find the size of angle ABC 11. Solid A and solid B are similar The ratio of the height of solid A to the height of solid B is 2 : 5 The volume of solid A is 12cm3 (cubed) Work out the volume of solid B 12. The 2nd term of a geometric sequence is: The 3rd term of the sequence is: Find the value of the common ratio of the sequence Give your answer in the below form, where a and b are integers 13. Spinner A and spinner B are each spun once The probability that spinner A lands on red is 1/4 The probability that both spinner A and spinner B land on red is 1/24 Work out the probability that one spinner lands on red and the other spinner does not land on red ANSWERS 1. 15.12 2. (a) (b) 26 3. 17 4. (a) 3.5 (b) it reduced the mean/my answer will be less/the answer will be 1/it will be 2.5 less 5. 2400 6. (a) (b) 7. 1100 8. 9. 10. 120 11. 187.5 12. 13. 1/3
