I'm not going to say I loved school, because I didn't and for the most part I actually hated it, but I do miss the good old memories and friends and winding up the teachers! Although, I think that this must be the only part adults are remembering when they constantly say "they are the best years of your life" or "wait until you start work, then you will have something to complain about". They must be forgetting that apart from the moments of laughter, school is so so stressful for a young person who is growing up surrounded by others AND who wants to succeed AND also have fun AND balance everything else out!!
I was thinking the other day about how many school life hack videos I would watch on YouTube just before going back from half term, so I decided to make a list of my Top 10 School Life Hacks which got me through the stressful times and allowed for a bit of mischievous fun thrown in too!
I was thinking the other day about how many school life hack videos I would watch on YouTube just before going back from half term, so I decided to make a list of my Top 10 School Life Hacks which got me through the stressful times and allowed for a bit of mischievous fun thrown in too!
1. When your books are the same colour, write the subject on the binder
By writing the subject on each individual excercise book binder you will avoid all that rummaging around and flicking through the pages to identify which one is which. This means that if they are stacked on a shelf or even page down in your bag, you will be able to reach the right book easily.
Revision:
2. Copy and paste essays into google Translate to listen to them back and find mistakes
I came across this hack after my exams, so I've never actually tried it out, but doesn't this just sound genius! Teachers at my school were always banging on about using all 5 senses when revising, i.e. chew a different flavour gum when studying each subject (even though they didn't except this as a valid excuse when I was caught chewing). Surely, this is a much less cringy way of using audio without having to record yourself.
(I guess you could also use it as an a free audio-book, where you copy and paste the novel into translate and play it while you listen- however, the monotonous digital voice would probably become quite annoying...)
(I guess you could also use it as an a free audio-book, where you copy and paste the novel into translate and play it while you listen- however, the monotonous digital voice would probably become quite annoying...)
3. whenever a point springs to mind, write it in your notes
I don't know about all you lot who probably don't give studying a second thought when you are doing something fun, however if you, like me, are chilling watching a film and then will suddenly remember all the things you still can't do or the dates you can't remember for your exams, jot it down in your phone notes. This way you will then be able to revisit these as priority when you next begin your revision, and therefore allowing you to properly chill when you need to.
Another little pointer which helped me out was actually making revision notes in my phone notes, meaning that I could absolutely maximise all of my spare time, particularly when it was getting close to exam time. For example, I could go over key points whilst on the bus, or in the car.
Another little pointer which helped me out was actually making revision notes in my phone notes, meaning that I could absolutely maximise all of my spare time, particularly when it was getting close to exam time. For example, I could go over key points whilst on the bus, or in the car.
4. does anyone actually stick to their revision timetables?
I never made myself a revision timetable!
Warning- this can only work for some people, but they do say that you have to find the best method for you, and this was definitely mine:
I only made a chart of how many hours I wanted to spend on each subject (based on the amount of exam content, the percentage the exam was and how I was doing in each subject, for example: 40 hours biology from January Mocks to May). This meant that I was able to be in the right frame of mind when I revised rather than having to force myself to a strict schedule which I would have got stressed about if I didn't abide to it.
The main catch with this method is that you have to have faith in yourself that you will sit down and complete the hours, not leaving it to the last minute, but the freedom it gave me felt quite liberating when I knew that I could do things I wanted to do as well as getting in enough revision hours.
TIP: Look, we all know revision is not fun.. except for if you're watching a film! If you're finding it really difficult to sit down and begin revising, stick on a crappy film or TV series on low volume which you have already seen just for background noise. Whilst this does mean that the revision may be less effective, it means that you are sitting there and actually doing some at least, and then when it starts to get serious and you have highlighted things you don't understand, switch it off and focus 100%.
Warning- this can only work for some people, but they do say that you have to find the best method for you, and this was definitely mine:
I only made a chart of how many hours I wanted to spend on each subject (based on the amount of exam content, the percentage the exam was and how I was doing in each subject, for example: 40 hours biology from January Mocks to May). This meant that I was able to be in the right frame of mind when I revised rather than having to force myself to a strict schedule which I would have got stressed about if I didn't abide to it.
The main catch with this method is that you have to have faith in yourself that you will sit down and complete the hours, not leaving it to the last minute, but the freedom it gave me felt quite liberating when I knew that I could do things I wanted to do as well as getting in enough revision hours.
TIP: Look, we all know revision is not fun.. except for if you're watching a film! If you're finding it really difficult to sit down and begin revising, stick on a crappy film or TV series on low volume which you have already seen just for background noise. Whilst this does mean that the revision may be less effective, it means that you are sitting there and actually doing some at least, and then when it starts to get serious and you have highlighted things you don't understand, switch it off and focus 100%.
5. everything has to be in one place
One of my most effective revision techniques was writing down all the information that I would need to remember for one topic on one sheet of paper. This sheet could be double- sided/ A5/ A4/ even A3 if it needed to be, but the important thing was that all the notes from the textbook and my class notes were all in one place, with each micro-topic written in a different colour to avoid confusion. I ended up with sheets and sheets of these, where each new copy had increasingly more precise information because I had remembered all of the padding which went around it. I could then read through each topic leading up to the exams or use just specific parts of the topic. I could share the notes and ask my friends to quiz me on them and add to any practice answers using my notes before they were marked so I would know what was needed to get the marks and what wasn't. In Biology, for example, I was able to flick through 8 pages and have everything I needed from a very content-heavy 2 year course, meaning I could take this to and from lessons and always have my revision of use to me.
I just simply cannot think of a way which would have helped me revise any better than this- plus it was super colourful, which leads me onto my next point...
I just simply cannot think of a way which would have helped me revise any better than this- plus it was super colourful, which leads me onto my next point...
6. Always have a plethora (good word) of coloured pens- but never lend them out
It is vital that you have loads and loads of pens in different colours and some corresponding highlighters to go with them, allowing you to make coherent notes. If you associate one topic with a set of colours, for example, reds, yellows and oranges, you may then begin to visualise it more easily. But never, under any circumstances, lend them out- even to your best friend! No matter what anyone says, you will not get them back!!
The Morning routine:
7. Set your alarm at the latest possible time so that you can't snooze it- trust me
We have all done it... snoozing your alarm because you NEEED that extra 10 minutes half/sleep and your bed is just comfier than it has ever been before. This doesn't help, trust me!
You just prolong the time you have to wake up to the last possible minute, meaning you then have to spring out of bed and are more than likely to be late- don't even try to deny it. However, if you set your alarm to allow the exact amount of time for your routine, you will have no choice but to jump up. I know this already sounds dreadful but this leads me straight onto my next point:...
You just prolong the time you have to wake up to the last possible minute, meaning you then have to spring out of bed and are more than likely to be late- don't even try to deny it. However, if you set your alarm to allow the exact amount of time for your routine, you will have no choice but to jump up. I know this already sounds dreadful but this leads me straight onto my next point:...
8. Morning freshness
Once you have eagerly sprung out of bed (aka dragged yourself out of the warmest, comfiest place ever, bashing your alarm on the way), what you need is a bit of freshening up to wake yourself up. You know the drill; clean your teeth, moisturise your face, and if your eyes are still trying to close, do that old trick of splashing your face with water! It usually works a treat.
School Rules:
9. Don't Roll, pull
Girls, I'm talking about your skirts here. I am not one to have ever bowed down to the stupid rule that you have to wear your skirts below the knee- AKA Granny length! I do respect that they have to be an acceptable length rather than right up your booty, but getting 1000 teenage girls to wear these disgusting brown, pleated granny length ones is expecting a bit much. I went to an all girls secondary school where teachers continuously attempted to enforce this, but as you can imagine, the rarest sighting ever was to see a girl actually abiding to this rule. The most annoying thing about it was that if they caught you and saw your waistband was rolled you would get an after-school detention, which got a bit annoying after a while, SOOO..
I came up with the hack where you pull up you're skirt to as high as you want it, and as soon as a teacher who was prone to checking skirts is coming down the corridor, breath in and it'll travel down to your hips and be regulation length!
(Of course, you have to make sure the waistband is not soo big that it'll continue going and you will end up starkers..!!)
I came up with the hack where you pull up you're skirt to as high as you want it, and as soon as a teacher who was prone to checking skirts is coming down the corridor, breath in and it'll travel down to your hips and be regulation length!
(Of course, you have to make sure the waistband is not soo big that it'll continue going and you will end up starkers..!!)
10. Sit as far back on the field in summer so you can listen to music
One way to get the adrenaline pumping is to disobey the no phones rule and actually play music on the field during lunchtime- I know what you're thinking; I was such a rebel! With the lunchtime staff milling around trying to catch offenders, my friends and I would sit in the back corner smugly listening to music quietly, then stopping it if any potential threats were on the horizon. To this day, hearing a song that was popular at this time brings so many fond memories of the music on the field and breaking all these other stupid little rules. For example, we were absolutely forbidden to use the lift in one of the blocks, but we found out the code so you can imagine the fun we got up to! We would send people's abandoned bags up and because the lift was so loud, the staff in the block would all rush and wait until it arrived to their floor and the doors opened, ready to punish the offender but find only a bag :'D We would run up and watch their puzzled expressions through the door- call us sad, but it was the best fun to be had in secondary school!
Becky xx
Comment below your best and worst school memories!
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