Get
Revising
How to set up your Study Buddy
in 5 easy steps
Teachers agree; our easy-to-follow framework is one of the key reasons why The Study Buddy is such a successful approach to revising for exams.
Start here
Each week, follow the same steps. The structure is your friend. And the flexibility means it will endure.
There is no ‘one way’ of using your Study Buddy board, but this is how we recommend starting.
Be Ready
Make sure that those things that can be a barrier are done. So, collect up stationery, make sure you have the right passwords or create a study playlist.
The important thing is that when you’re ready to start, you’re not held up.
Review The Backlog
The sets that we create are like a master to-do list for your courses. To start, place the topics you’ve already covered in class onto the blank section of the board. This way you can see exactly what you have to do.
It might feel a little daunting, but knowing what you have to do brings control.
Manage Your Time
Working a week at a time, you need to structure your time. To start, block out commitments, like school. Next mark out time for social or downtime – someone’s party or the all-important lie-in.
Once you’ve done this the blank spaces are fair game for studying, without taking over life.
Plan To Study
The aim is not to fill in all the spaces with topics, but rather find a level that is stretching, without being too much. In the beginning, aim for 45 minutes study in an hour cell.
We colour code our sets so that you can see at a glance if something is being avoided.
WRAP It Up
The Weekly Review And Plan is the critical step. How did last week go? Look for what went well and do more. The challenges will help shape what needs to be changed for next week.
Adapt the planning process when you come to plan the new week.
What’s in your bundle?
The Buddy Board
A large magnetic whiteboard, this is where you will see what needs to be covered, when stuff is getting done, and what’s been completed.
It’s unapologetically physical and old-school! Unlike digital planners, this ensures everyone has sight of the plan. Literally. Also, the tactile nature of moving magnets around brings a tangible feel to success and progress.
Revision Sets
At the heart of The Study Buddy system are our subject sets. We breakdown each course into bitesized units. This helps makes big, daunting revision sessions simple and easy to follow.
The sets that you receive are tailored exactly to the exam board specifications that your teen’s school follows. That attention to detail means that the first – and often insurmountable – hurdle of “What have I got to do?” has been eradicated.
The Study Summaries
Each Study Summary will contain a breakdown of the GCSE courses that your child is taking. The summaries are sent to you as a PDF document for you to keep and print.
The checklist is in the form of RAG status boxes. It’s an intuitive system of Red Amber and Green, that visually identifies how confident your teen feels about a topic. A great resource for prioritising effort.
The Digital Tracker
Our Digital Tracker makes it easy for you to monitor progress against your courses. We have all of the GCSEs and iGCSEs preloaded and ready to go.
Register and create your Profile. Then add your courses by exam code. On the dashboard, you’ll see how well you’re doing with the progress bars and a countdown to the summer exams. You can set your confidence levels against each of the specific units within each course.
Dry-wipe Pen Set
This handy set of whiteboard pens come with four colours, black, red, green and blue. And, of course the all important whiteboard eraser. Essential for planning and replanning the weeks ahead.
Managing Time
Time has a tendency to run away. Follow our approach and you will comfortably plan the things you need to – and want to – do.
Block out your commitments
We all have obligations. Things that we can’t move around. These have to be marked off on the the board first.
For your teen the most obvious will be school. But there might also be things like sports’ matches, music lessons, or a part time job.
Make time to be social or chilled
The second thing to allow for is ‘me time’. The plan shouldn’t feel like it’s just about revision and working. After all, life is for living.
By being deliberate about this, we maintain balance. So, if weekend lie-ins are a must, mark them out. Similarly, make sure that socialising time is blocked out – whether that’s a Saturday in town, Friday on the PS5.
Factor in the studying
Everyone can now agree that the remaining units are fair game for study. But that is not to say that all empty slots are all for revision. Don’t overdo it.
What works for your child is not necessarily what will work for another. Some might want to get a couple of hours done straight from school, others might want a bit of downtime. Have a go and see what works best. Then learn and adapt.
