u/Calm-Difference-3267

PSA from your friendly neighbourhood teacher:

Well done for getting through the week - that's a huge achievement! This is your reminder to take a true break at some point this weekend - I know it probably feels like you have 2495737 things to revise but a proper rest will reduce the risk of burnout & increase your productivity when you are study.

Just to be clear though, a rest is not:

- doomscrolling on your phone for two hours

- staring at a TV or computer while you think about all the things you need to be doing

- staying up super late gaming or texting

An ideal rest would involve ideally physically getting out of the space where you usually study and doing something that requires you to be present and helps you feel refreshed. Some suggestions if you are not sure are:

- go for a walk with family/a friend/some music/a podcast

- do a 30 minute yoga or stretch session (use a youtube follow-along if you're not sure)

- do a craft activity (colouring, painting, sewing, embroidery, scrapbooking), would 10/10 recommend doing this with an upbeat/relaxing playlist or a comfort TV show

- spend time cooking a meal and then sharing it with friends/family

- have an everything shower & self-care session with a podcast

- journal (non-academic related) in front of a film/TV show

- read a book for pleasure, ideally tucked up in a nice cosy corner somewhere with a hot drink

Remember that you absolutely should not feel guilty for resting - in fact you will need to rest to be able to get through exam season and work most effectively! If you are struggling to rest, then organise something with a friend/family member so you are held accountable to actually take some time doing something else.

*I know some people have already sat exams but the compulsory ones kick off this week so I though now would be the best time*

I am a teacher and this is the pep talk I always give my students before they start their exams to (hopefully) stop them panicking - so here it is for anyone who might need it or hasn't been given it by anybody else!

First of all, you have done 12 years of school - that's huge. Assuming you've tried like 75% of your best for at least some of that time, there is knowledge and information in your head that you probably aren't even aware of! Even if you haven't done as much revision as you'd like to have done, there is still going to be LOADS of information in your brain just from being in lessons over the past 5-12 years.

Secondly, no matter what your school story is like, you should be SO proud of yourselves. Everyone has their own story full of challenges that most of the people around you may never even be aware of. If you have got to this point then you have got up and faced those challenges ever day, and that's a huge accomplishment.

Thirdly, these exam results are important yes but they are not the end of the world. They are not more important than your health or happiness. If it doesn't go to plan, you have time and you have options. It might not be what you would have originally planned, but things have a funny habit of working out okay in the end.

More importantly, outside of these exams you are a whole incredible human who is going to do great things. No exam grade changes any of that. The people in your life who love you now are going to keep loving you no matter what happens over the next month.

Do your best but look after yourselves, celebrate making it this far and give yourself credit for how much you have grown in your time at school!

*edit: also please make sure you GO TO BED at a decent time tonight and get some sleep - genuinely at this point sleep will do way more for your performance tomorrow than an extra hour or two of revision will*

My cardiologist prescribed 2.5mg ivabradine twice a day for me to try, but I'm a bit concerned since it explicitly says in the packaging that it shouldn't be taken by anyone with a resting HR of <70bpm and my resting is typically 50-60bpm. The cardiologist was aware of this as we decided against a beta blocker for this reason, but I'm still a bit nervous around taking it as I reallyyyyyyy don't want to end up back in hospital.

has anyone else started on ivabradine with a relatively low resting HR, or found that it doesn't lower resting HR too much?

Just wanted to share on here some tips that I am giving my students at the moment for how to have the best possible exam season!

1. When you are revising, do CONTENT -> APPLICATION. Essentially, first of all focus on getting the content down (I personally find online flashcards the most effective for this), THEN move on to practising the application of that knowledge by doing as many past paper questions as you humanly can! When doing past paper questions, make sure you star/highlight any you didn't get full marks on and then retry it again at the end of the session until you are able to get full marks. I see way too many students only doing one of these two options and it holds them back so much!
2. Exams are a marathon not a sprint! Please please please don't burn yourselves out in the first week by going crazy with cramming. It's super important to prioritise getting enough sleep, eating well, and getting outside when you can!
3. It's okay for this not to be a social season of your life. It's okay to sit away from your friends during a revision period/lesson because you know you'll be distracted near them. Nobody is going to hate you because you prioritise your grades for the next month or two. You are all in the same boat - everyone else will be okay with it if you just do what you need to do to come out with the best grades possible.
4. There are a lot of exams... just on the basis of probability it is likely that at least one of them will go badly. That's okay. What's important is how you respond to that - if you absolutely bomb an exam then absolutely go and have a big fat cry and eat some chocolate and do whatever else you need to do. But don't let it take over your day or your exam season. One bad exam doesn't mean anything, it's important to find a way to compartmentalise it and move on to working towards the exams that you still can control.
5. Ask for help!!! You don't have to do this on your own. If you have hit a revision wall, ask your parents to quiz you or to hide your phone for an hour. Ask a friend if they can explain a concept to you. Talk to your teachers about what it is that's stressing you out and ask them if they can help you make a revision schedule. It's never ever too late to ask for help - even if you've never done it before, you can start now.

And ultimately, it will all be okay in the end!! The exams will happen, they will finish, the world will keep turning, and everyone who loves you will keep loving you.

If you would like any more specific advice, feel free to leave a comment & I'll get back to you!

Just wanted to share on here some tips that I am giving my students at the moment for how to have the best possible GCSE season!

1. When you are revising, do CONTENT -> APPLICATION. Essentially, first of all focus on getting the content down (I personally find online flashcards the most effective for this), THEN move on to practising the application of that knowledge by doing as many past paper questions as you humanly can! I see way too many students only doing one of these two options and it holds them back so much!

2. GCSEs are a marathon not a sprint! Please please please don't burn yourselves out in the first week by going crazy with cramming. It's super important to prioritise getting enough sleep, eating well, and getting outside when you can!

3. It's okay for this not to be a social season of your life. It's okay to sit away from your friends during a revision period/lesson because you know you'll be distracted near them. Nobody is going to hate you because you prioritise your grades for the next month or two. You are all in the same boat - everyone else will be okay with it if you just do what you need to do to come out with the best grades possible.

4. There are a lot of exams... just on the basis of probability it is likely that at least one of them will go badly. That's okay. What's important is how you respond to that - if you absolutely bomb an exam then absolutely go and have a big fat cry and eat some chocolate and do whatever else you need to do. But don't let it take over your day or your exam season. One bad exam doesn't mean anything, it's important to find a way to compartmentalise it and move on to working towards the exams that you still can control.

5. Ask for help!!! You don't have to do this on your own. If you have hit a revision wall, ask your parents to quiz you or to hide your phone for an hour. Ask a friend if they can explain a concept to you. Talk to your teachers about what it is that's stressing you out and ask them if they can help you make a revision schedule. It's never ever too late to ask for help - even if you've never done it before, you can start now.

And ultimately, it will all be okay in the end!!

If you would like any more specific advice, feel free to leave a comment & I'll get back to you!