April is here, the days are longer and optimism is in the air. However, if you are preparing for summer exams, this can come as more of a hindrance or distraction rather than anything remotely positive. This is the final challenge of will power, you have worked through the cold dark winter nights and whilst everyone is starting to enjoy the outdoors you have a metaphorical chain tying you to your desk.
This is the point where an organised routine can really help, if you have set out to do 8 hours of work in a day and a timetable is rigorously followed the last few hours of the day can be enjoyed with some exercise outdoors or even just a quiet dinner in the fading sun. Another option is to get outside bright and early and enjoy what many call the best part of the day. A stroll through a park or the open countryside can really get you in a positive mood to start the day’s work.
It was about this time, a few years ago now admittedly, that I had my first session of private tuition. Sat in the garden of the V&A with pot of tea following pot of tea, I had an eight-hour day of tuition in the sunshine. Whilst this was a rather idyllic setting, the benefits of private tuition became very clear and I wished I had had more. That eight-hour period was far more productive than a whole week’s work in gaining a deep understanding of the material.
So other than wishing those revising all the best for the tough couple of months ahead, the only other thing to do is to urge as many people as possible to sign up as a tutor. This is the time that the students really need your help and we still have a few subjects without any tutors.
