I’m starting to panic about Year 11 and GCSEs

It’s not uncommon for some students to feel anxious about the start of their final GCSE year. In fact, most will start to feel the pressure of the exams in one form or another.

Here’s what we advise.

First things first, you’ve got this. And there’s no end of people who are more than willing to lend a hand and support you (whether that’s teachers, family, or us here at The Study Buddy!).

Keep a regular self-check-in. If things start to feel like they’re getting out of control, talk to someone about it. That’s really important.

In practical terms; don’t overdo it. If you take on too much early on, you’re likely to burn out (or run out of enthusiasm). That’s not useful to you.

BUT: little and often beats last minute every time!

There’s a lot of knowledge to remember in GCSEs. To give your memory the best chance you want to be challenging yourself to recall. Things like flashcards are great here. So are techniques like blurting. Rereading and highlighting aren’t as effective as you might think. Use your time wisely and you’ll be in a great position come the summer.

You’ve got plenty of time, but the trick is to use it well. It’s best to start by knowing exactly what you’ve got to do. Breaking your subjects down into bite-sized chunks helps. This way you know exactly what you’ve got to do and your timetabling can be really specific so you can be sure you’re covering everything.

A little stress is actually a good thing; it shows that doing well is important to you. How you respond to stress is key. Above all, don’t let that stress build unchecked. As said before, you’ve got time on your side (depending on when into year 11 you’re reading this 😉 ). With a good plan and sensible approach, you should feel in control and confident when the time comes.

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If you, or your teen, is feeling a little shaky about the new school year we hope these pointers will help. And please, do get in touch if we can help with more practical tips.