*This is a review post written by the teen with feedback from me at the end*
Mindzest kindly sent me some of their downloadable resources to have a look and see if I found them helpful. I’m in year 8 and I’ve been doing tests/exams since I was 6 years old. Since year 7 the teachers have been preparing us for our GCSEs. Yes I know – in year 7!!! I find doing tests a bit stressful but to help calm my nerves I like to be really organized. Their packs are full of tips and advice and support to help you get through the stress of exams and studying.
Mindzest’s whole site is geared towards helping teenagers face stuff like exams and the stress of school life, and their packs are really easy to use and helpful. They work on areas like:
Revision techniques
Some revision techniques the pack suggested are:
Flash cards: these are useful as you can layout the information in any way. You can use lists, images, mindmaps or keywords. Another way you could set it up is you could put the question on one side and the answer on the other.
Retrieving: retrieving information as a part of your revision can help you lock information and show you where you need to focus on. When using this method you need to: Pick a topic, write it in the middle of a page and then write down everything that you know about that topic in a mindmap.
Note-taking: when making notes, its important to not just copy it from the book, but to write down bullet points in your own words. When you have done this try and make the point shorter and shorter so that the keywords stand out in a long-phrase. Picturing the keywords in the exam is easier than longer phrases so they will trigger your memories.
Mnemonics: these are a great way to remember things by association. One that you may already know is: Richard Of York Gave Battle In Vain. This is the mnemonic for the colours of the Rainbow.
Mental health:
It is important to keep up your health during exam periods – in not just your body but your mind. It is essential that you:
Eat healthier and drink of lots of plain water during exam periods to ensure that your body has enough energy to focus
Get enough sleep to ensure that you are awake and alert and able to focus and remember as much as you can.
Make sure that you don’t get too worried, make sure that if you are worried you share those worries with someone. If you start to overload yourself, work too hard and get extremely worried it could start to affect your mental health.
Breaks:
I know that everyone says it is important to work hard and revise as much as you can, they are not wrong but it is also extremely important to take frequent breaks so that you don’t burn out or get too tired. This also gives your brain a chance to process the information you have just learned, giving you a better chance of remembering the facts on the day(s).
I find them really useful and thorough and a really great tool to help me manage and cope better.
*Mum says*
These packs are easy to download, read and implement and geared and teens who are dealing with what seems like a lot more stress and pressure than I remember facing at their age. They are well thought out and a very useful tool. Their site is also a general excellent source of help for parents, teenagers, and educators too. Our kids are facing some tough stuff, and it’s helpful to find resources that we can use to support them. We would recommend Mindzest if you are looking for tools, support and ideas on how to get your teens through the hard work and pressure they are facing.
Do they have one to get teenagers to tidy their rooms? 😉