October Half Term is the critical time for GCSE revision. With the November exams fast approaching, ensuring you are revising in the most effective way possible, is key to success. London’s leading private tutoring agency, Tutor House has organised a Half Term revision course, which aims to improve students confident ahead of their GCSE exams.

It is important to make the most of your time and revise efficiently, try implementing the following 10 tips and we’re sure you’ll see a noticeable improvement with your GCSE revision this Half Term.

1. Organise Study Groups

It’s sometimes a bad idea to tackle revision all by your lonesome. Try and organise a study group that meets during week and you’ll soon start seeing the benefits. Different people have varying strengths, so when you put everyone together in the same room you’ll be able to bounce ideas off each other and learn something new every time. If you are struggling to make up numbers for a study group or you wish participate in a study group run by an expert then come along to Tutor House’s Half Term revision course!

2. Talk to a Private Tutor

Tutors can be tremendously helpful in filling in any potential cracks. The fact is that teachers can’t always cater to your full individual needs, meaning that sometimes you’ll miss something crucial. Tutors, however, can give you short bursts of individual attention that can help take your revision to another level. All it takes is an hour or two of one on one private tuition over the Half Term. Contact Tutor House for more information and a free consultation. Contact Tutor House:  [info@tutorhouse.co.uk](mailto:info@tutorhouse.co.uk)

3.. Stay Organised

When doing your revision, you want to be performing like a well-oiled machine. You don’t want to waste time by doing idle revision. Instead, make sure you get yourself a plan and stick to it_._ Keep it somewhat flexible so that it’s realistic, otherwise you’ll spend a lot of time readjusting your schedule! Set yourself timed deadlines throughout the day. Giving yourself something to try and work towards is often a great motivator to take your mind off the hours of work you are putting in.

4. Let People Know You’re Revising

There’s nothing worse than phone calls or knocks on your door when you’re trying to revise. It can seriously hamper your efforts, as your concentration is constantly being broken by random distractions. To remedy this, let your friends and family know that you’re revising. Tell them you’ll be busy and kindly ask them to leave you to it! It is also sensible to stay away from social media while you’re revising. There is nothing worse than having Facebook open on your computer while you’re trying to revise, you will always end up getting distracted by something!

5. Take Breaks

It may seem counter-intuitive, but taking breaks will actually help you in your revision efforts. Your brain needs a breather every once in a while from all that knowledge you’re cramming in or it’s going to suffer some serious overload. Combat this by taking 5 or 10 minute breaks every hour or so. Walk around the room, get some fresh air, or make yourself a nice cup of tea.

6. Get Plenty of Sleep

Sleep is essential, that’s all there is to it. It can be tempting to shave off a couple of hours out of your nightly rest, but doing so is a big  mistake. The fact is that your body needs time and rest to replenish itself. While you’re asleep, your brain [‘connects the dots’](http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130226081155.htm), so to speak. Withholding this crucial period won’t help you at all and is counterproductive.

7. Don’t Panic!

The worst thing you can do is pile on extra stress. It’s good to have a small amount of nerves to help you be at your best, but if you let it go overboard you may find yourself freezing up during exams. If you have done enough revision then there is no need to panic, you’re prepared! If you haven’t, then you have the whole of Half Term to revise!

8. Mock Examinations

Getting ready for an exam isn’t just about knowledge. You also need to know how to implement it in an exam situation. Get yourself a collection of past papers and simulate exam conditions. That will help you get used to what you can expect and you’ll figure out how much time you need to allocate to certain types of questions. After you have finished, go back through your answers and critically mark them according to the mark scheme – there is always room for improvement! Mark schemes are key to success.

9. Healthy Diet = Healthy Mind

Red Bulls, loads of coffee and sweets are all sure-fire ways of sabotaging your revision efforts – fans of the Inbetweeners will know this! Ditch the junk food and eat well. You’ll be amazed at how much better you’ll feel. Fish and blueberries, for example, are the best ‘brain foods’. Check out our ‘[Five Super Brain Foods for Students](https://tutorhouse.co.uk/five-super-brain-foods-students/)’ blog for more healthy eating ideas.

10. Creatively Revise!

Studying and learning is more than just reading from a book. Our minds learn in different ways, so try fitting in audio and video into your revision as well. Record yourself going over your notes or try and watch a relevant show or documentary during your down time. Try utilising spider diagrams and mind maps, they’re a fun and creative way of revising. They’re also a good way to use short-hand and bullet-points. These tips will undoubtedly help you take your GCSE revision during this Half Term to new heights. Start early and implement them at the start of the break and hopefully you’ll see your results skyrocket. If you want additional revision support, then contact [Tutor House](https://tutorhouse.co.uk/). Tutor House are running Half Term revision courses and also have expert private Tutors covering all GCSE subjects and exam boards.

To talk to us directly, contact us on [enquiries@tutorhouse.co.uk](mailto:enquiries@tutorhouse.co.uk) or [0203 9500 320](tel:0203 9500 320) — we're here to help.

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