Revision Tips

After spending the last few weeks revising like mad I thought now would be a good time. One thing they never tell you at school is how to revise but seeing as in May I will be in my forth year of doing exams, I have figured out the best ways for me to revise and remember information. I have just had mock exams for my AS levels and although I haven't had the results yet, I know I didn't do very well in 2 of them, purely because I didn't do enough revision. I have a few tips for revision which hopefully some of you will find useful. 

1. Organise yourself
I know this is obviously easier said than done, however I think it is important to be successful with revision. I know a lot of people like to make revision timetables however I don't find them useful and when I don't stick to it I just give up. From now until about a month before my exams I am planning to do between 10-15 hours of revision per weekend. Obviously during school holidays I will do more and in the month run up to the exams I will be revising every day. Instead of planning exact slots of revision I prefer to make a log of what revision I have done as for me seeing how much I have done is far more motivating than seeing how much more you have planned for the day. For AS/A level work I also highly recommend lever arch files as they are big enough to keep all of your notes in and organised. If you can fit your work into ring binders then using them is probably best as they are easier to transport. 

2. Make revision cards
Revision cards are a life saver for me, I write them throughout the year and read them every so often and then when it comes to the exam period I have my revision material sorted. I find them especially useful for psychology and sociology as you can write all of the key terms and definitions on them. I use medium sized index cards which are the perfect size for writing down studies for both subjects. I use them for English and biology too for key terms and theories for English but I prefer to revise in different ways for these subjects which I will talk about in a minute.

3. Use colour
I love to use colour to make my revision resources such as revision cards and posters. For my revision cards this year I have been writing in purple and writing key words, quotes or points that are important to remember in pink or blue. My favourite coloured pens to write in are Papermate inkjoy clicky pens, stabilo fine liners and staedtler fine liners. If you are revising from sheets that you have been given highlighters are your best friend as you can make certain information stand out amongst a million other words. Revision is just another excuse for me to buy stationary!

4. Do past papers
Past papers are an amazing revision resource and they are free to get hold of. Although I don't do maths anymore, past papers were the only way I could revise for maths as you learn how to answer the questions in the way that the examiners want and lets face it there's only so many questions that they can ask. Before my maths exam I had done every past paper available and doing them helped massively. Subjects such as science, English, sociology and psychology also have the same style questions year after year so past papers are also great to get your head around how the questions will be asked.  

5. Plan essay's
I know that doing a lot of essays takes a lot of time and alongside homework and other revision, this is time we often don't have. For essay based subjects such as sociology I highly recommend making essay plans for every essay question you can think of/find online or in past exam papers. By planning them you can then check against the mark scheme to check that you have included all of the information that you need. It's also worth looking over the essay plans as it's quite possible that a question similar to one you have written a plan for will come up in the real exam.

6. Be creative
I'm not a very creative person and learn much better writing notes and revision cards than making posters. However there is always a piece of information that I can't remember no matter how much I try, which is when I have to change my methods a bit. I stick post it notes to my bathroom mirror, on the wall next to my desk, on the wall next to my bed - literally anywhere where I will see them. Obviously you don't want a ton of information on these but by putting key points on them you are likely to learn them subconsciously. Also making up songs or rhymes about certain things can help too. When I was trying to learn the order of the nervous system a few years ago a couple of us in my class put the words to a tune to help us remember the order and sure enough in the exam I could remember the order. If you learn well from revision posters and mindmaps then you could make some very basic ones with little information to put up on your walls or even wardrobe doors that way you will see them every day.

7. Revision Guides
Revision guides are amazing. I know that most of the time they cost money but they really are worth the money. For GCSE I had revision guides for all three sciences, geography, maths and 2 for English which were all around £5 each however I know some schools lend them. For AS level I've bought revision guides for sociology and biology and have 'rented' a textbook for both subjects from the school. We have also been given revision booklets made by the school for biology and psychology so it's always worth asking to see if the teachers can provide you with any summary notes of topics or if they have revision sheets because they don't cost anything. I use revision guides to make some notes but mainly just read them. You can read them anywhere and are so easy to transport.

8. Create a study area and remove distractions
Obviously you don't have to revise in the same place all of the time but it's an idea to create a space in your house which is quiet, clean and tidy such as a desk in your bedroom or if you don't have a desk you could always use the dining room table. I like to make my desk look really nice to make doing revision that little bit more enjoyable. Keep your phone and all electricals away from where your revising. It's all to easy to pick up your phone to use the calculator then spend the next hour on twitter and texting friends.

9. Revise little and often
If you think about it for a minute it makes much more sense to start revising now. Say you have 18 weeks until exams start and you have 10 topics to cover for each subjects you can almost spend 2 weeks on each topic per subject instead of spending a week before the exam stressing and cramming which isn't the best way to revise.

10. Have breaks
This is probably the most important tip. If you don't take breaks you won't be able to take in the information that you are revising so it would be completely pointless. I think a 5-10 minute break every hour is enough but you can take them as often as you like but try not to have longer breaks than revision sessions! Also make sure that you are getting enough sleep. I learnt this the hard way. Water is also proven to make us concentrate more so be sure to drink plenty throughout the day!

I hope some of you found these tips helpful!

Megan xx

(P.S. I don't claim to know everything about revision, these are just some of the things that I do to revise.)

Eggs Recipe Book

Egg's has got the be the book with the least original name ever! I love baking so love getting new recipe books which I can use. Eggs does what it says on the front and inside it houses hundreds of recipes which use eggs. The book has everything from ice cream and sauce recipes to how long to boil an egg for which is something a lot of people aren't sure of. There really is a recipe in here for everyone. Every recipe is accompanied by beautiful pictures and really easy to follow instructions.

The book is great if you like to cook or if you like to bake and I'd say it's a really great recipe book if you don't have many as there is a recipe for most things in there. Another thing that I love is that unlike other recipe books the recipes in Eggs are things which I would actually make/eat and doesn't include ingredients that you can only get from that one market in Italy!

The book only costs £6.99 on Amazon so you really get a lot of recipes for your money as the book is pretty thick, it has over 300 pages! It's also a hard back so will stay in good condition even whilst it's being thrown around in the kitchen. I have referred to this book a few times since I got it and am really enjoying using it.

What's your favourite recipe book?

Megan xx

*Contains a sponsored link

Negligence

It's not something that we think about a lot but a lot of problems are caused by beauty treatments whether that be something as basic as a leg wax to something as major as cosmetic surgery. When something does go wrong and people are left in pain or more seriously with major complications to their health going through a legal battle is one hassle that people would prefer not to have to do. However imagine you turn to your solicitor and they fail to help whether that be by not providing you with the correct documents or 'forgetting' about your case altogether. Solicitor negligence is something which is spoken about much however when it happens it can be very stressful for the injured party. They put all of their trust into their solicitor, the one person who has the power to help and they aren't treating your case in the necessary way. Redress Law are specialists in solicitor negligence and can help to put a case right if it has been handled in the wrong way. Redress Law are there to help when even your own solicitor isn't! Of course this doesn't just apply to beauty treatments, Redress Law are specialists in personal injury, employment, property and divorce so are likely to be able to help no matter what the situation. 

Megan x

*This is a sponsored post

The Sunday Post #2

I hope you've all had a lovely week! This week I did my 4 mocks over the space of 2 days and it would be an understatement to say it was horrible. I'm not too sure how well I did but I definitely think 2 went a lot better than the other 2. In biology on Friday I had to do a heart dissection which was disgusting and I couldn't even finish it, it really was horrible! I'd prefer to just learn from my textbook! On a plus side I had no homework or coursework deadlines for the week so since my mocks finished on Tuesday, I haven't had any work to do at home so took the opportunity to relax for a few days as I have a couple of coursework deadlines looming over the next few weeks. 

This week I have been loving wearing my hair in a fishtail braid over my shoulder, it's a really quick and easy hairstyle and keeps my long hair out of my face, which is especially great since it's been quite windy this week. I've also been listening to the Wicked and Frozen soundtracks non stop, the songs on both are amazing. On that note if you haven't seen Frozen I highly recommend it, one of the best animated films I've ever seen, if not the best. I've also started to sort everything in my room out. It's really tidy to look at but everything is so unorganised in my drawers and cupboards so have started to declutter. 

Today I have made some lovely chocolate cupcakes complete with butter cream and have spent the rest of the day being really lazy surrounded by candles. I have written a few blog posts so haven't been completely unproductive this weekend. 

I have written a few posts for next week including a review of a recipe book which I really love as well as 2 posts full of my revision tips and techniques and possibly a sneaky haul post. 

Have you done anything interesting this week?

Megan xx

The Sunday Post #1

I thought this year I would start doing a weekly round up type post so that when I look back I will be able to see what I was doing each week. I know it would have made more sense starting this last week but I hope you enjoy reading anyway! These posts won't always be weekly updates but I will always be posting on a Sunday!

This week has not been the most exciting week of my life I've got to admit. I started back at sixth form on Tuesday, my day with 6 lessons, so that was a bit of a shock to the system. 

I'm currently revising (well not this second but you know what I mean) for my mock exams which are tomorrow and Tuesday. I am normally the worlds worst procrastinator so considering I have written around 250 revision cards in the last couple of days, I'm quite pleased! I still have a lot more revision to do tonight and tomorrow night *cries*.

On a brighter note I read Divergent in 3 nights and absolutely loved it. I think I'd go as far as saying that its my favourite book. I just couldn't put it down and the story line moved so quickly but it was rich in detail. If you would be interested in a book review let me know.

Yesterday morning I received the nicest surprise parcel in the form of the Katie Eary t-shirt in collaboration with Clique magazine. The t-shirt is beautiful and I really love it. Clique is something which is something I have really enjoyed reading this week too. I will be writing about the t-shirt and Clique magazine later this month so keep your eyes peeled for more information.

I have been drinking lattes like mad this week and have been loving my new little 'gadget' in the form of Mr Frothy. Its basically an electronic whisk thing that froths the milk in hot drinks. Does anyone else think frothy is a horrible word? This was quite cheap so would definitely recommend getting one if you enjoy having hot drinks.

I'd love to know what you've been doing this week!

Megan xx

P.s. I'll make sure the pictures are more interesting next week! 

Boots Boxing Day Shopping

Yes, I am aware that this is a week and 2 days late but I asked on twitter a couple of days ago and people still wanted to see what I bought in the Boxing Day sales. Sorry! I do have to admit I only went to Boots as I go to Boots every Boxing Day. My Boots opened at 7am this year so I was queued up outside at 6:30am! The shop itself is pretty small and there is only one aisle of gifts so I was lucky to get what I did.

The Ted Baker 'it had to be' mini hat box set was a bargain at only £5. The products included inside the mini hat box are a body spray, bath foam, body wash and body souffle. I have so far only tried the body spray and love it. The scent of these products is really sweet and a little bit floral which personally I love, but I don't think the scent is for everyone!

The box that the products come in is so beautiful and I think the classy floral print with the bold neon pink go perfect together. The products inside are wrapped up in a Ted Baker tissue paper so would have made a perfect gift. That is one thing I always find with Ted Baker, the packaging is always pristine and extra effort is always made to make the products feel even more luxurious.

The Gok Wan mini indulgence set wasn't something that I had my eye on at all this year, in fact none of the Gok Wan collection took my fancy this year. The set was an absolute steal at only £5 for 5 products and gorgeous packaging. The box has a flip up lid with a see through 'window' which I think makes the gift set look a lot more expensive than it was (even full price). 

The products included are bath essence, body wash, body lotion, shower scrub and hand balm. They all smell divine and the scent reminds me of that of luxury spa brands. All of the products have argon oil in which is supposed to be brilliant for the skin so I will let you know how I get on with these.

The bottles are so elegant with the gold lids and writing and very simple, classic bottle design. I will definitely be putting these bottles in my bathroom as they are so beautiful and will look lovely in my bathroom!

I know my local Boots still has a few sale items in stock so if you saw something before Christmas that you want its worth having a look in your local Boots store.

I'd love to know if your bought anything in the sales this year!

Megan xx

Christmas Goodies 2013

I know I am a bit late on the bandwagon here but I thought I'd show you some of my Christmas presents from this year. I love reading these posts so thought I'd do my own, I am in no way showing off and I am so grateful for everything I received.

This year I took part in a blogger secret Santa and received some lovely gifts from Amy (who I met at the Nottingham blogger meet up in April). I absolutely love all of the gifts that Amy bought for me and I can tell a lot of effort went into choosing the items. If you haven't noticed from my blog, I love to bake so the Cupcake recipe book was such a great present for me! Amy also got me a set to make my own scented hanging hearts, which I can wait to do as I love crafty projects, as well as a cupcake case set complete with cake toppers which is lovely and something which will definitely be used soon!

My main present from my parents was a new laptop as my old one was almost 7 years old and although it lasted me well it was definitely on it's last legs. I picked the laptop and got it about a month before Christmas as I needed it for school work and my old was a bit too slow to cope with. I got a couple of other little things from my parents too including;

I am definitely not short of nail files now. The sheep ones are a bit of a novelty item however I have never had a glass nail file before and after hearing they are much better for your nails than normal emery boards I am excited to use it. Pens are something I can never have too many of. These have become my new revision pens (is that really sad?) There is a bit of a story behind the duck pen. Basically I used to collect these pens when I lived in Scotland so when we were in Bakewell a few weeks ago and I saw this I had to have it.

After going off the body shop for a while I now love their products again so was thrilled when I saw the Snowman shea duo in my stocking, which contains a body butter and lip butter. I also love the body shop hand creams, so was so happy to have the wild rose manicure and moisture duo which contains a hand cream and emery board. 

Divergent wasn't a book I had heard of but when my friend suggested it as my Christmas gift I looked it up and it sounded great, its meant to be a bit like the Hunger Games so obviously is perfect for me. After seeing the film trailer I am so excited to start reading this as the storyline seems really gripping, I have a feeling once I start I won't be able to put it down. My parents got me the highway code book so that I can 'revise' from it when I learn to drive. 

I love these ear muffs which have built in headphones. Amazing right? Anyway they are so warm and snugly and although I probably won't be wearing them outside I love them. Who said you can't wear ear muffs indoors! The bunny night light is something I have wanted for ages after seeing countless people talk about it. Its adorable and its such a cute addition to my bedroom.

I actually got 2 of the Lynx sets, are people trying to tell me something? The scent is quite nice and shower gel and body spray always come in handy so I will definitely use these. I also got another shower puff from the body shop.

If you have done a Christmas present blog post please leave the link below, I am so nosey and love to see what other people got!

Megan xx

New Year Resolutions

I love reading about other people's goals and resolutions for the year so decided I would write a post about my own. I like to set goals that are achievable so thought I would split them into 2, personal and blogging resolutions.

Personal resolutions
1. Work hard at sixth form and stay motivated to work. I want to get all of my target grades for my AS exams and the only way I am going to do that is with a lot of dedication and hard work.

2. Drink more water. This is pretty self explanatory. I don't drink enough of anything but water has skin benefits, health benefits and stops dehydration so I really need to try harder.

3. Do more exercise. I want to tone up and lose a bit of weight this year. I'm not a very sporty person so won' be doing anything too dramatic.

Blogging resolutions
1. Blog at least 3 times a week. I haven't been posting regularly on my blog which is something that's going to change. 

2. Buy a blog domain. This is something I have wanted to do for a while as my blog name doesn't match the url of my blog.  

3. Comment more on other blogs. I am quite good at commenting on other blog posts. I probably comment on 40% of the ones I read but I could comment more.

What are your New Year Resolutions?

Megan x

*Photo from Fotor

Best Of 2013: Skincare

Happy New Year everyone! I hope 2014 is a great year for you all! These are my top skincare picks of 2013. This isn't my whole skincare routine, just products which I find really really work and ones which would be hard for me to replace with something else.  

FREEDERM FAST TRACK (£5.09)

As a teenager I have recently started to get quite bad acne and blemishes on my face. Luckily the majority of it is on my forehead so my fringe covers it. It is the best spot gel I have ever tried and unlike others it doesn't dry the skin out. It really does reduce redness and makes spots look 'less angry'.

WITCH BLEMISH STICK (£2.09)

This product has been a life saver this past year. I keep it in my bag and as soon as a spot or blemish starts to appear I dab a bit of this onto it and it keeps them at bay. I love that this is a totally natural product so it's safe to put on the skin as often as you like. I personally think everyone needs this in their life as it is suitable for all skin types and everyone gets the odd blemish and this stops them coming out at full force. 

L'OREAL MICELLAR SOLUTION (£3.33)

This is my favourite way to remove make up as it is so gentle on the skin and doesn't sting my eyes. It is so effective at removing eye make up and is perfect to use before a cleanser. Basically its water which removes make up, its completely scentless too. It claims to tone skin but I haven't noticed any benefits in this respect. I love the look of the packaging and really cannot fault this. 

DHC DEEP CLEANSING OIL (£4.50)*
Although I normally hate any type of oil in a product I love this. Its an oil cleanser which dissolves make up and cleanses the skin. Even though it's an oil I don't find this leaves any residue or has a negative impact on my combination skin. I find that once I've used it my skin look more awake and bright.

SOAP AND GLORY THE FAB PORE HOT CLOTH CLEANSER (£10)

Sorry I can't find a link to this but don't think it's been discontinued. This is in my opinion on par with the Liz Earle cleanse and polish if not a bit better as it is slightly thicker and more moisturising on the skin. I massage this onto my face for about 2 minutes then leave it for a minute (as it says on the back) and then use a washi cloth to take it off (I will talk about my love for Washi clothes in another post). The scent is lovely and fresh and this is something I really enjoy using every evening. Another great thing is it removes make up and doesn't really sting the eyes - winner!

AMIE MORNING DEW MATTE-FINISH MOISTURISER (£4.95)

This moisturiser is so light and non greasy and as it's designed for oily skin it has a mattifying ingredient so that skin doesn't look more shiny than it did before moisturising. People with oily skin don't always realise how important it is to moisturise even with their skin type but Amie have made a range of products designed to be beneficial to oily skin. Another plus point is that all of the ingredients are natural.

BALANCE ME RADIANCE FACE MASK (£18)*
I have quite dull skin so use this when I want my skin to look a bit more alive. I really love this mask. It goes onto the skin so smoothly and doesn't leave the redness that a lot of face masks cause. This is suitable for all skin types and contains a blend of essential oils so has great skin benefits.

SOAP AND GLORY THE FAB PORE FACIAL PEEL (£10)
This is the ultimate cleansing mask. It has microbeads in it to provide exfoliation when applied as well as having a secret pore shrinking ingredient. I use a grape sized amount once a week and my skin is in a fairly good condition and think this is one of the miracle products I've been using. I've done a full review of the fab pore facial peel here if you want to see my full thoughts about it. 

Let me know what your favourite skincare product of 2013 was!

Megan xx