Joe’s Jotter: The ACE Guide to Exam Preparation from Home (Feature 4 of 6)


Working Against the Clock

In order to give yourself the edge over your fellow students, you should work where possible against the clock. There is no substitute for creating a little exam environment at home. Firstly, read and understand a piece of work (e.g. a chapter in Physics) and without looking at your book, take a sheet of paper and over five minutes, write down all the key headings and important information from what you just revised. Go back then and re-read the chapter and update or re-do your summary page. You will notice that your summary page the second time is of much better quality and detail.

In recording and updating your summary page and unknown to yourself, you are actually learning and understanding the information better. Once you believe you have a decent grasp of a topic, you should seek out and try a past exam question based on it. Set your stopwatch to ensure you get the question attempted within the allocated time. It is important to get used to how timing works on exam papers, remembering that each paper in each subject differs.

Ask Your Teacher

Your subject teacher can offer expert guidance on using past papers, marking schemes and being efficient with time. In all cases, reach out to them if you are struggling to get revision started in any subject. They will be only delighted to try help you overcome barriers; always wanting you to do well. One of the ACE questions I would ask them is: ‘ What are the best ways to prepare and then learn the material in your subject’? This open question allows them to give you a range of options.

Through practice and their guidance, you will then find which strategies suit your learning style. This of course is on a trial and improve basis, where you won’t know a methods suitability until you attempt it first. You should also ring up a friend in your class for advice or encouragement to see what their opinion is or what viewpoint they are adopting with certain topics. The more views and advice you obtain, the better decisions you can make that fit your needs.

Practice by Doing

I am a huge fan of ‘summarising your summaries’ in order to have notes written simply in your own language and manageable to learn and understand later. Scientists have found an intrinsic link between one’s hand and brain, emphasising this point. If you manage to source good notes from a friend or online, reading and understanding their relevance isn’t enough. You will need to transcribe their content onto a new page in your own words. When doing this, use simple language, lists and  graphics to make the content memorable for yourself later.

According to the learning pyramid constructed by the National Training Laboratories at Maine (United States), we retain up to seventy five percent of work ‘practiced by doing’. ‘Practice doing’ involves active learning by writing notes on textbooks, attempting potential questions and being willing to make mistakes and learn from them. The retention figure from the pyramid for ‘reading’ reduces to just ten percent. This indicates that we only remember a small amount of what we read.

If your revision sessions thus far have consisted of reading texts (In a recent survey, fifty five percent of students claim that this is their number one study technique), you are wasting time and need to change tact now. You constantly should be reducing the amount of notes you have by re-writing/summarising them. For example, summarise ten lines of written or typed notes into four written. By consistently doing this you are actively thinking about the content instead of just scanning through it.

 Managing Difficult Subjects (Maths for Example)

Some subjects cause more anxiety in students than others. Unfortunately, my own subject, Maths, is one of those for many of you. This is a subject that everyone completes an exam in, and one that needs to be prepared well. With subjects you find difficult, apply the ‘Practice doing’ principle to it, as discussed above. My main advice around Maths (or indeed any subject you struggle with) would be to practice completing as many past questions from recent previous exams as possible. Start with the more straightforward part (a)’s and check your solution against a detailed solution book each time. Then commence the part (b)’s and so on. This will build your confidence levels step by step.

For Leaving Certificate Maths students, the shorter questions are a good place to start with this strategy. When you feel more confident, start combining questions together and measure your performance against the clock. For example, attempt to do two short questions inside the allocated time per question. This strategy links to the ‘home exam centre’ mentioned earlier. I cannot over emphasise enough the importance of testing yourself at home in difficult subjects. Set a quiz (or ask your friend to set one) or write a test for yourself the night before and complete it the next morning, inside a specified time limit. Use test questions from each chapter’s end. Check also if your teacher can e-mail you some mini-tests to tackle. Lack of class testing time means you must cover this base now yourself.

Homework given at any time of the year should be taken seriously. View homework as a challenge to get your method and answers as close to one hundred percent correct as you can. In my experience, the students who do well are the ones who research methods online or Investigate simple examples from their textbook in order to get started on those difficult past exam question. I still go online to verify Maths concepts that I am not one hundred percent sure of. While doing this, I often go on to discover alternative ways to solve problems and gather new pieces of information. The more pathways you can find to solve a given problem, the more options you will have to reapply these to questions presented on exam day. This applies across all subjects.

Recording new formulas and keynotes into a hardback is also a useful exercise, given you can refer to them in one central place from then on. This hardback will become (in time) your ‘go to fix’ if you get stuck on a problem. Ensure to keep all your notes and hardbacks in Maths (no sum copy bonfires), as you may end up studying a module in it at third level. Life can be strange sometimes. Algebra is the language of Maths, so knowing it is certainly a big help in this subject. The examiners place a big emphasis on this topic at all levels of Maths. If you are struggling in the subject, start by revising basic Algebra now. This will give you the foundations for a palatial residence later i.e. success. I would recommend using a small hardback for keynotes in all subjects.

In summary, if there is a subject you find difficult, build up your vocab of words that regularly appear in it, check in with your teacher to find out what core topics you need to focus on, allocate more time to the subject on your Lifestyle (Study) Timetable and ultimately attempt as many past exam questions on it as you can, starting initially with really basic questions from past papers.

To view last week’s feature article on ‘Students should work together to Improve their chance of Success’, click here.

*****

More details about Joe’s ACE Tuition (Maths and English) Classes for Junior and Leaving Certificate Students, ACE Maths Assessments, and his Award winning ACE Maths Solution Books can be found via the links below. Be sure to pick up your copy today!

W: acesolutionbooks.com

FB: facebook.com/JoeMcCormackEducationalExpert/

#:   #JoesJotter

*****

Joe’s Jotter: Students should Work Together to Improve their Chance of Success

 


Revising Together to Shrink the Workload

Some students really struggle to motivate themselves on their own. Are you one of these people? Others work better in a small group or with one other person. Working on questions and tasks with your friends is a very effective study method, as long as you stick to the topic. Zoom sessions can be easily organised in pairs (with a study buddy) or three’s. Use this time to discuss topics or plan who is going to note take or write a certain essay to share with the group later. Working together is almost vital now given the amount of time you have spent at home working alone recently. I revised in groups for a small number of modules in university and found it very useful in fact-based subjects.  We rattled off stats and opinions to each other that many of us recalled at exam time.

Collaboration with one or two friends for some subjects can work. Avoid large groups, as you end up with too much information that you haven’t time to process and condense it then. Too many voices can lead to chaos and too many opinions can lead to a lack of conclusions. Collaboration is particularly good in fact-based subjects like History, Home Economics (S&S), Physics, Ag Science and Biology etc, as you can get a good flow of information going between you. It may not be as useful in Irish, Music and Maths as many topics in these subjects need to be worked on alone. Sometimes it is difficult to measure the success of a study technique or approach prior to testing it out, so make the decision and see will it work for you. I would recommend it.

‘The road of life is paved with flat squirrels who couldn’t make a decision’

Unknown

I’m sure you will agree that studying on your own for the last few months has at times got boring and tedious, so collaboration could be a way to spice up the ‘run in’ and reignite your spark. With a trustworthy ‘study buddy’, you can divide work up, teach each other and share notes. Rotate your study between working alone and with your friend(s) – this will keep you fresh. Work to your strengths is the advice here.

Thinking Outside the Box

If the usual revision methods of reading and note taking are not working for you, you need to think outside the box. Try and come up with new ways to learn and understand content. Use acronyms, create raps or songs to help aid memory. Associate your notes with lyrics from your favourite tunes. Use postits, summary sheets, colourful mind maps etc.

A good technique is to read your notes aloud recording them into your smartphone. Listening back to them will help you absorb the information and keep your memory sharp. I have used this method myself where I converted essays I was lecturing on into audio files. I then played them via my phone (using the AUX connection) in the car on the way to work. The advantage of this method is that you can educate yourself ‘on the go’ and make the best use of your time.

Audio files have become an option, now that all smartphones have the facility to record. Trial it by maybe recording an English poem into your phone, constantly playing it back to yourself, in order to get an insight into its theme. Various content from subjects can be recorded and replayed on your phone. You are only limited by your imagination. Your phone can be your mobile educator over the next few months. Some students actually enjoy listening to lectures, podcasts, or audio notes. Try it and see what you think!

Dealing with Distractions aka ‘Your Phone’

In my opinion, you are either studying or on social media: Which? There is no problem with ventures onto the Internet any time during the year, but I believe if you are inside a thirty-minute study block now you need to stay off Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat et. al. Nothing harms productivity as much as constant notifications from social media. As I have previously said, set your phone to silent or turn it off completely and only check social media during your set breaks. Being a ‘screenager’ around exam time will distract you from your key short-term goals. For those of you who really struggle to stay offline, try a blocking app that will temporarily keep you away from social media sites – there are plenty in your app store. I would request my Parents help on this one also.

We are all been guilty of spending too much time on our devices, but there is a time and a place for everything. I feel that the best way to prevent this distraction is to leave the phone in a separate part of your house. If you are in an exam year, work out the amount of time you spend surfing on your phone/laptop every week. Can you afford to spend this amount of time on it from now on…? Think about it. Now is the time to sacrifice and do without, so that you can enjoy and celebrate your success later. Joe.

To view last weeks feature article on ‘How to Maximise Your SEC Accredited Grade’, click here.

*****

More details about Joe’s ACE Tuition (Maths and English) Classes for Junior and Leaving Certificate Students, ACE Maths Assessments, and his Award winning ACE Maths Solution Books can be found via the links below. Be sure to pick up your copy today!

W: acesolutionbooks.com

FB: facebook.com/JoeMcCormackEducationalExpert/

#:   #JoesJotter

*****

© Joe McCormack 2021

Joe’s Jotter: Students should Work Together to Improve their Chance of Success

Joe’s Jotter: Students should Work Together to Improve their Chance of Success
Joe’s Jotter: Students should Work Together to Improve their Chance of Success

Joe’s Jotter: How to Maximise Your SEC ‘Accredited Grade’

With ‘Accredited Grades’ being a pathway for all 6th year students in 2021, what is the best way they can maximise their chances of achievement in this process over the next few months? How do they go about getting the highest possible result and take some pressure off sitting the exams? As a student, you obviously cannot change any of the work you have done over the last eighteen months, but you still have two months to influence what grade you receive from your school. The purpose of this feature article is to give you some practical tips on how to ensure this grade is as high as it can be across all subjects.

How Your SEC ‘Accredited Grades’ will be Calculated

In May, Teachers will be asked to estimate their pupils grades based on evidence that their work is to the standard of that grade. This estimation will include any previous exams and work completed including Class, Christmas, and Summer tests. Teachers will also consider their experience of teaching the student and how the student engaged during their classes.

Teachers are fully aware that pupils have missed many months of in-school learning, might not have had proper access to wi-fi or technology, and are unlikely to have completed all aspects of the curriculum. I am sure they will keep this in mind in their deliberations. Final grades will also depend on a limited number of class tests that teachers will set for students over the next few weeks. At this stage, students still have ample time to convince teachers to allocate the grade they think you deserve.  

 Four Ways to Maximise Your ‘Accredited Grade’

 

  1. Maintain Your High Standards.

The best thing for students to do now is to listen to their teachers and complete all homework and classwork to a high standard. Each piece of work a student completes will help their teacher build a picture of the grade they should be awarded. This includes daily homework, class tasks and overall contribution to class. Students should actively listen in class and show a genuine interest in topics they are studying.  Similarly and as I always say in ‘normal times’, complete each piece of homework as if it were an exam paper question.

If you are struggling with new topics, but work hard to try and get a better understanding of them, the teacher will a) be impressed that you have worked through the challenge and b) have shown evidence of Improvement and extended effort. Remember, work done, and efforts made to Improve your SEC Accredited Grade will essentially be ‘money in the bank’ when it comes to sitting the exams in June. All notes and revision done contribute to preparation for June’s sit down exam as your knowledge of the course deepens.

  1. Stay Engaged in Class

As always, teachers look for genuine engagement from all students during class. Students should endeavour to participate and learn as much as they can in each class. They shouldn’t be afraid to ask questions as they normally would,  as this shows initiative and a desire to learn. If I were in your position now, I would bring a little hardback into each class and note down any points the teacher emphasises as important. This ensures you stay engaged during each period. Treat all topics from now on seriously and consider that they could appear on your Leaving Cert Paper.

  1. Keep ‘Showing Up’

During the various restrictions and lockdowns, we have all had to find ways to stay focused and motivated. Key elements that help motivation include having a daily structure, having a sense of achievement, and having something productive to show at the end of each day. Be sure to attend school every day and go into each class with a positive can do attitude.

Students, remember that the accredited grade could be the result that you end up receiving in a given subject. Enter your target grade for each subject in your Journal asking yourself ‘am I on target for this?’ With only a limit number of weeks left, stay motivated as best you can. In October, you may be attending third level and have to learn alone in a whole different way. Any knowledge or skills you can pick up now will be useful for then. Creating study notes, analysing texts, and doing summaries are all useful skills to enhance, prior to commencing any third level course. Listening will also a key skill at that level.

  1. Keep Your Head

Teachers know what your abilities are. They also know that you may have had dips in your results over the last two years. If you have had a result in 5th year (a Christmas test for example), that was a lot lower than you could have got, your teacher will know it may have just been a blip or a bad day for you. Teachers will provide a rounded and fair judgment during the Accredited grades process, so try not to worry. Worrying about what grade you will get or previous class results will not get you one extra percent. In fact, it may affect and possibly lower your performance in class in the run up to the exams.

In general, hold it together, revise consistently each day and reach out and chat to your friends if you have any worries. Take time out, get enough sleep, do video calls/zoom sessions with your nearest, exercise, take loads of breaks, eat well, and try to enjoy life. During moments of stress, we all need to breathe deeply and calmly. Keeping in touch with friends and having a regular exercise routine will help you maintain a positive mindset when it really matters in your life now. Keeping your head will help you remain productive.

Ultimately, you need to keep June’s exam in focus. Try not to let these upcoming class tests overshadow your overall goal of the final exam. Keep doing your revision sessions and preparing notes each day. Keep in mind that your ‘Accredited Grade’ will be calculated on work you have done since the beginning of 5th year. Since so much of this is in the past, try and let the past go and focus on the present. Stay hungry, stay consistent and just keep doing your best. You have done so well to make it this far in a difficult year. Do get in touch with me if I can advise you in any way and I wish you luck in your endeavours. Joe

To view last weeks feature article on ‘The Importance of Practising Past Exam Questions in Maths’, click here.

*****

More details about Joe’s ACE Tuition (Maths and English) Classes for Junior and Leaving Certificate Students, ACE Maths Assessments, and his Award winning ACE Maths Solution Books can be found via the links below. Be sure to pick up your copy today!

W: acesolutionbooks.com

FB: facebook.com/JoeMcCormackEducationalExpert/

#:   #JoesJotter

*****

 

© Joe McCormack 2021

Joe’s Jotter: How to Maximise Your SEC ‘Accredited Grade’

Joe’s Jotter: How to Maximise Your SEC ‘Accredited Grade’
Joe’s Jotter: How to Maximise Your SEC ‘Accredited Grade’

Joe’s Jotter: The Importance of Practising Past Exam Questions in Maths

Practising past exam questions is essential if you’re looking to score highly in Maths. Similar question types come up regularly; but you still need to revise all the topics on your course, as the Maths exam isn’t predictable anymore. Both sections (A and B) at Leaving Cert higher and ordinary levels are equally important and the correct amount of time must be left for the longer questions in Section B, as they tend to require more thought.

The new Maths syllabus at both Junior and Leaving Certificate level is quite crowded with a lot of material to get through, not to mention trying to link up topics in true Project Maths style. Incidentally ‘Project Maths’ was the name given to the subject ‘Mathematics’ when it was changed and rebranded in 2008. It has now reverted to ‘Maths’ after this bedding in period.

Why Past Exam Questions are Key

With so much to cover during class time, it is difficult for teachers to expose their students to any substantial level of exam questions during term time. The reality is that many teachers will only fully complete the course after Easter, through no fault of their own. It is up to each individual student to dust off the exam papers (usually purchased in September) and start by initially attempting part (a)’s and (b)’s of past exam question. You should initially focus on topics you have covered yourself in class in order to build up your competence.

‘Do an exam question a day, and start today’

I would recommend attempting exam questions, to the best of your ability, with guidance from your textbook and class notes. Subsequently, refer to a good solutions book to see how accurately you are progressing. With an unprecedented level of detail, my exam paper solutions (ACE Solution Books) at both Junior and Leaving Certificate levels are an ideal companion to complete this process efficiently. This puts you in a much more commanding position when your teacher does commence past exam questions in class. You should start by practising and familiarising yourself with the language used on past papers. Waiting until they appear on the board in class isn’t good practice in my opinion. This also applies to 5th year students.

Your exam paper focus should always be on practising previous official state exam questions under time pressure. Replicating exam hall pressure is a brilliant way to hone your skills and really check if you can complete the question asked within the time limit allocated. I would start by taking on a short question or two against the clock, and then a longer question, until eventually you feel confident enough to take on a full paper. Constantly doing questions out from your textbook will never fully prepare you for a full sit down test paper in Maths.

How to use Past Exam Questions to your Advantage

Leaving Certificate Maths examines your analytical and critical skills. Most of the questions asked tend to be calculation-based. Hence, it becomes essential to solve as many questions as possible in your revision preparation. Some key preparation tips to keep in mind while tackling past papers are:

  • Solve as many past exam questions as possible from every topic that you study. This will help you understand the type of questions asked. It will also indicate how near or far you stand from your target score in the subject. Also, estimate how an examiner would have graded you on your efforts by comparing your solution against a detailed solution book.
  • Maintain an error-log on mistakes you keep making. This will help you get to know your weak points and what traps you regularly are falling into.
  • Everyone has deficiencies in Maths. To overcome these, attempt extra questions from topics you struggle with. Start with questions you can do. This will build confidence and reduce anxiety on topics you are concerned about.
  • When solving questions, make a habit of always timing yourself. Buy a stopwatch. This will help you improve your speed and manage timing better during the actual exam.

Doing an exam question trial at home every week will improve your speed and accuracy for the final exam, and after some time you will cut out silly errors and feel calmer about tackling a full paper. This process will give you the belief that you can get the awkward question started or tackle the unseen graph/diagram on the day.

 Commence a Strict Diet of Past ‘Exam Questions’ Today

If I was in 6th year, i would move quickly now onto the strict but ultimately rewarding ‘Past Exam Question’ diet. Here are some directions to consider as you trawl through good quality past exam questions and their solutions over the next few months:

  • You need to get practicing multiple real life application questions
  • You need to get familiar with marking schemes and how marks are allocated
  • You need to practice exam questions under time pressure
  • Constantly strive to get used to the wording, layout, and style of past questions
  • Get accustomed to how the examiners are phrasing exam questions now
  • Be conscious of the fact that there is extra text and less numbers on the papers now
  • You need to be aware that you now could be asked to explain your answer
  • Be able to justify your answer using Maths calculations
  • You need to practice question types that ask if you agree with an opinion and why
  • Practice different strategies for starting unseen/unexpected questions
  • Be familiar with the exact meaning of each word that appears on past papers. Joe.

To read last weeks feature article on ‘How to Construct your Revision more Efficiently’, click here.

*****

More details about Joe’s ACE Tuition (Maths and English) Classes for Junior and Leaving Certificate Students, ACE Maths Assessments, and his Award winning ACE Maths Solution Books can be found via the links below. Be sure to pick up your copy today!

W: acesolutionbooks.com

FB: facebook.com/JoeMcCormackEducationalExpert/

#:   #JoesJotter

*****

© Joe McCormack 2021

Joe’s Jotter: The Importance of Practising Past Exam Questions in Maths

Joe’s Jotter: The Importance of Practising Past Exam Questions in Maths
Joe’s Jotter: The Importance of Practising Past Exam Questions in Maths

Joe’s Jotter: How to Construct your Revision more Efficiently

[7 Minute Listen!]

Spending a short amount of quality time with someone is better than spending hours paying very little attention to them at all. Revising for an exam is similar. You must hit revision in small intense bursts where you give it your 100% attention. The following are three useful efficiencies that will help you construct good study sessions.

Rotate your Place of Study

It is good practice to rotate where you study. The main reason for this is that if you start to get bored or listless there, you’ll associate boredom with learning. Try other places such as the kitchen table, the park, the back garden, the library or just a different room; anywhere you want to really. Try revising certain topics in unusual locations. An example of this could be to learn English drama quotes on your lawn in the sun. When you need to remember these quotes in the exam hall, you can visualise yourself being back there, recalling the day you learned them and hopefully triggering your mind to recall that information. Experiment to see if music or TV helps you concentrate. Some subjects will be more suited to this than others. I believe some Maths topics do not require one hundred percent attention, an example being adding words or formula’s to your hardback notebook. This however may be associated with my aptitude for the subject. You may be able to listen to some low level music in subjects you are more tuned into. This varies from person to person obviously and won’t work for every subject.

Leaving Material Out

Come the next few weeks, as regular as a clock ticks, the rumour mill kicks into action. Comments like “Oh, this is coming up this year”, “I heard this is expected to come up”, “There’s no way that will be on the paper” or even ‘I’m leaving that out’ are common both online and offline. Please be aware that if a topic is listed on the syllabus for your subject, it can appear on the paper, even if it came up last year. Your teacher will source you a copy of the syllabus document if you wish to view it, or alternatively you can download it online. The syllabus document will tell you exactly what can be examined in the subject and is useful when you are collating the full sub-topic list for each subject.

In relation to exam preparation, I know you all will try cutting corners; you will predict, throw topics away and ignore information. I would not recommend leaving out big chunks of the course. The State Exams Commission, who set the exam papers each year, state that they do not want any element of predictability in them. In general my advice is to cover your bases well.

Continue to whittle down and reduce the volume of your keynotes. I am convinced that summarising information helps assimilate it better and leaves one with a more concise set of notes. Keep re-writing summaries into something manageable that you can read and understand. As exams approach, be careful who you listen to. Teachers with many years’ experience (whether that’s your subject teacher or someone you know well) won’t put you far wrong. Having seen many exam papers, I think you can certainly place a good level of trust in them. The newspaper revision supplements, written by experienced professionals, can be a useful revision aid also.

Implement a Solid Study Plan Now

Now that you are aware and have listed out all the topics on a sheet (per subject), it is time to make a robust yet practical study plan that you can follow. Here are twenty practical study tips you can start using today:

  • Divide your study time into small sessions
  • Take a break of five or ten minutes after every session
  • Revise during hours when you feel productive
  • Each student has their own method of studying. So figure yours out and use it
  • Divide study times as per topics and effort needed. Difficult topics = More time
  • Underlining the key points for each topic is a great habit to start now
  • Make a practical study plan you can follow. A plan that is not doable is a big NO
  • Short notes should be just that – short and concise. This makes revision easier later
  • Use abbreviations and note down the key points only. No waffle or padding
  • Do not skip a topic because it seems difficult. Revise it a few times to let it sink in
  • Use revision breaks for something productive such as music, art, or sports activities
  • Always set a target score you are aiming towards in each subject
  • Take tests regularly. Your test scores are a regular reminder of your target score
  • Maintain test records so that you know which subtopics you need to work on
  • Sleep 7-8 hours. Losing sleep will affect your ability to concentrate and retain
  • Stay as healthy as you possibly can. Exercise
  • You cannot change the amount of revision you did yesterday. Start today
  • Be kind to yourself. Use positive self-talk each day
  • Reflect on the amount of revision you did today, instead of what you didn’t do
  • If today’s study plan didn’t go well, revisit it and tweak tomorrows one

and remember..

“It is never too late to step into your own greatness”

Joe McCormack

To view last weeks feature article on ‘How Writing Summaries and Self Testing is Worthwhile’, click here.

*****

More details about Joe’s ACE Tuition Classes for Junior and Leaving Certificate Students (Maths and English), ACE Maths Assessments, and his Award winning ACE Maths Solution Books can be found via the links below. Be sure to pick up your copy today!

W: acesolutionbooks.com
FB: facebook.com/JoeMcCormackEducationalExpert/
#:   #JoesJotter

*****

© Joe McCormack 2021

Joe’s Jotter: How to Construct your Revision more Efficiently

Joe’s Jotter: How to Construct your Revision more Efficiently
Joe’s Jotter: How to Construct your Revision more Efficiently