What to do Tonight!

Before literature paper 1

Photo by Max van den Oetelaar on Unsplash

Don’t panic, relax. Don’t try to learn anything new. Trust what you know.

1. Pick 3 likely questions for each text.

2. For each one, write down from memory 8-15 quotes, or moments from the text.

3. Number them in chronological order.

4. If you can’t remember the quote, write down the reference - the examiner gives loads of marks for this when you link it to your argument.

Write down 3 purposes or reasons the author had for writing. These will be relevant to every question, because the author’s purpose is always the same!

3 Essay Topics

Macbeth

1. Supernatural

2. Kingship

3. Lady Macbeth

Romeo and Juliet

1. Masculine behaviour

2. Juliet and her Capulet

3. Love

A Christmas Carol

1. Attitude to the poor

2. Scrooge’s transformation

3. Christmas, happiness, joy

Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde

1. Evil (Hyde or Jekyll)

2. How is suspense created

3. Utterson

Remember

Just write down what you already know - that builds confidence and calm. You aren’t trying to learn anything new. That is stressful.

Now What?

Take a break to do something you enjoy. A run, a skateboard, 30 minutes of rubbish tv (or good tv), dinner, tell your mum that you love her …

Then test yourself on your plans - pr ask someone to test you.

Have another break - relax. Go again if you can.

Read them through one last time before bed.

Sleep

Get at least 8 hours sleep. Staying up late will make you slower tomorrow. You will get lower marks.

Be kind to yourself - you’ve got this. Go to bed.

Tomorrow Morning

Test yourself on them in the morning.

Read them over breakfast - have slow release carbs - muesli, porridge, bananas. Or, if you can, have protein - eggs! Eggs on toast, scrambled eggs, eggs the way you like them.

Don’t have sugar - sugar makes you high, and then you crash. Save the sugar for after the exam - stuff yourself then as a reward if you want. But this morning, you are going to show off all that knowledge.

In the Exam Room

Remember the tortoise and the hare - the tortoise always wins - keep plodding, writing as fast as your plod will let you, until you are forced to put your pen down.

Let me know how you do.