When we think of mountains, we often imagine towering, immovable structures of rock. It may therefore come as a surprise that mountains are actually dynamic, with their height constantly changing due to the natural forces acting on them. Although these changes take place over many years, the height of our mountains can play an important part on our climate and biodiversity.
Tectonic Activity
Mountain growth is primarily driven by Earth’s tectonic plate activity. In a process called continental collision, two plates collide, generating intense pressure and heat that cause the rocks to soften. This force causes the rocks at the point of contact to fold upwards, forming mountain ranges like the Himalayas. In this region, the Indian plate is pushing into the Eurasian plate at a rate of around 5 cm per year, causing the Himalayas to rise by about 1 cm annually.
Another type of tectonic activity, known as subduction, occurs when one plate slides beneath another. As the denser plate sinks, it begins to melt, triggering volcanic activity that leads to the formation of mountain ranges such as the Andes. In this region, the subduction of the denser Nazca plate beneath the South American plate occurs at a rate of 6 to 10 cm per year, causing the Andes to rise by 5 to 10 millimetres annually.
Volcanic Activity
When pressure builds beneath the Earth’s crust, magma can be forced to the surface in an eruption. Over time, the repeated accumulation of magma from volcanic activity leads to the formation of mountains. Volcanic eruptions typically occur at tectonic boundaries, where such pressure is generated.
In contrast, when tectonic plates are pulled apart in a process known as rifting, magma rises to fill the resulting gap, causing mountains to form along the rift. Mount Etna in Italy is one of the world’s most active volcanoes. Each eruption deposits layers of lava and ash that gradually increases the mountain’s height.
Isostatic Rebound
Isostatic rebound occurs when the Earth’s crust adjusts to changes in weight, much like that of a compressed marshmallow regaining its shape. This effect is typically seen when the mass of mountains is reduced due to erosion or the loss of snow and ice. Isostatic rebound helps counteract the decrease in mountain height by allowing the crust to slowly rise and can take place over many years. For example, the melting of glaciers in mountain ranges like the Alps has caused a slight isostatic rebound, with the land gradually lifting several millimetres per year.
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Ash Cloud Formation And Dispersion
Volcanic eruptions are fascinating geological phenomena, but they don’t usually break into the news cycle unless they are spectacular, come with a risk of tsunami, or create an ash cloud that might reach UK airspace.
Though not life-threatening, the recent volcanic eruption near Grindavik, Iceland, in August generated an ash cloud that drifted over the British Isles later that month, receiving extensive media coverage.
Pressure And Particles
But why would a volcanic eruption nearly 900 miles away impact UK airspace? To answer this, we need to understand the science behind volcanic ash cloud formation and dispersion. The magma, or molten rock, that volcanically erupts through the Earth’s crust contains pressurised gases such as sulpher dioxide. Most of this erupting magma spews out as flowing lava on the surface. However, the explosive eruption shreds some of the lava into tiny particles, and the escaping gases launch this material into the air, where it cools down and solidifies into a volcanic ash cloud.
The dispersion patterns of this ash cloud depend on particle size, wind speed and direction, and the type of eruption. The largest particles (around 2mm, about the diameter of a grain of rice) fall closest to the volcano, creating an almost unbreathable atmosphere. The smallest particles are carried by the wind, traveling in whichever direction and at whatever speed the wind moves, and are transported the furthest.
Carried On The Breeze
It is this type of volcanic ash cloud that has been carried south to the UK from Iceland by the prevailing winds. If the eruption is especially large, these volcanic ash particles can be launched into the upper echelons of the atmosphere, where they combine with other dust particles as condensation nuclei. Water vapor condenses around these particles to create clouds, which are then incorporated into the broader atmospheric cloud dispersal process.
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The World’s Most Magnificent Underground Rivers
When we think about magnificent rivers, we think of iconic water flows like The Nile, Congo, and the Amazon rivers, all of which have had movies made about them. However, sometimes, beneath our feet and unknown to us flow a fascinating network of secret underground rivers and wet cave networks, most of which will be unfamiliar. Here are some of the best.
Rio Secreto, Mexico
I must admit, I the first time I hear heard of this one, I simply loved the name, but it is truly magnificent. Located on the Riviera Maya near Playa Del Carmen, this majestic underground water watercourse traverses a limestone cave system which blesses it with magical turquoise waters. One final fact: According to legend, the Rio Secreto was discovered by a local chasing an Iguana!
Tham Khoun Xe River, Laos
The Tham Koun Xe River is 7 km in length with passages reaching 60 metres in height and 80 metres wide at some points. It also features stalagmites over 20 metres high and, allegedly, cave pearls as wide as a ruler. It was discovered in 1905 by Paul Macy, a French Explorer.
Tham Luang Nang Non, Thailand
This river and cave system reached international prominence due to it being the location of the courageous cave rescue of the 12 tourists who had become trapped there due to monsoonal flooding in 2013. But there is a reason tourists come here; it is an epic system, with a gaping main entrance chamber 80 metres in height and traverses 10.3 kilometres of complex winding, narrow tunnels. Tham Luang Non is also seasonal: it has an underground riverbed, but only flows as a river during the Monsoon season.
Ogof Ffynnon Ddu (Cave of the Black Spring), Wales
This is one of the deepest cave systems in the UK with its lowest passageways bottoming out at 274 metres below the surface! It’s a mix of dry and wet caves and contains many ‘thundering river’ passages. It was once also the site of another epic cave rescue involving 300 volunteers.
Sistema Sac Actun (White Cave), Mexico
This claims to be the world’s longest underground river, running 95 miles, and can be found in Quintana Roo, Mexico. Its other claim to fame was the discovery therein, in 2017, of a prehistoric human called Naia, beneath the system along with a mastodon, a prehistoric relative of the Elephant.
Puerto Princesa River, Philippines
This is a UNESCO World heritage site so you can trust this will be beautiful and epic. It’s a 5-mile underground river that can be traversed via an organised canoe trip with the usual stalagmites and stalactites but significant biodiversity including crab-eating Monkeys, white bellied sea eagles and Tabon birds. It seems very family friendly and there seems very little chance of you ‘ending up on the news’ if you know what I mean.
Hang Soong Doong River, Son Doong Cave, Vietnam
Finally, there is Son Doong Cave (pictured) and its river, Hang Soong Doong. This is a place which makes you feel as though you could make some kind of Hollywood fantasy or magical realism epic inside it. It is one of the world’s largest natural caves, containing the fast-flowing subterranean Hang Soong Doong and an extensive network of waterways. The cave interior is so large at points that you could fit an entire New York block inside. The cave also contains its own miniature jungle eco-system, with a layer of mist hovering over it.
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With the Solstice upon us, our thoughts turn to the longest day and the many associated festivals and events that occur around this solar event. Stonehenge, the ancient and mysterious stone circle found in Wiltshire, has become a global focal point for the solstice, with 10,000 people from all over the world visiting it on the 21st of June last year, according to the BBC.
When I am chatting about this event with friends, the inevitable question arises: ‘How were these stone circles made without heavy machinery?’ The answers, while entertaining have often been sketchy so I thought this year, I would see what the experts have to say on the matter!
The Creation Of Stonehenge
The organisation English Heritage has a pretty balanced view on this: they believe that the first monument of Stonehenge was not a great stone, but a circular earthwork enclosure, created around 3000 BCE.
To begin with, a ditch was dug by people with simple deer antler tools, and the chalk was piled up, similarly using people-power to build an inner and outer bank. 56 timber or stone posts (they can’t be sure) were erected in the ditch. This was used as a cremation cemetery until about 2,500 BCE when the site was transformed to form the basis of the monument you see today.
At this point, the enormous Sarsen Stones (weighing 25 tonnes) and smaller bluestones (weighing 2 at 5 tonnes) recognisable today were erected to form a greater monument. Owing to the sheer size and weight of these stones and the mystery of their transportation, many fanciful stories about Giants and wizards were thought up as an explanation.
Science Over Magic
In more recent centuries science has replaced such magic-realism, offering more plausible explanations of the construction process. State-of-the-art geochemical research has confirmed what for years had been suspected; that the Sarsen stones were brought down from the Marlborough Downs (West Woods area) with the efforts of hundreds of well-organised people. The smaller Blue Stones were transported from the Preseli Hills in west Wales. This may sound incredulous but unburdened by modern distractions like TV, the Internet, and theme parks ancient Britons could channel extraordinary levels of human effort into such tasks, allowing them to achieve feats that might seem remarkable by today’s standards.
Construction
The Sarsen and flint hammer-stones found at Stonehenge is believed these to have used to shape and smooth the huge stones we know. There doesn’t seem to be a lot of evidence as to how the stones were erected, but there is a belief that the process started by digging a large hole with a sloping side. The back side of the hole was lined with a row of wooden stakes. Using leverage, strategically placed weights, and an A-Frame and plant fibre ropes, the stone was hoisted and moved into position by the ancient Briton Tug-of-War team! Rubble was packed into the hole to secure the stone. The horizontal lintels were probably raised into position using timber platforms, with tenons then further shaped to securely hold the lintel in place.
So, while we can’t know exactly how Stonehenge was constructed, existing evidence and intelligent guesswork have led to highly plausible construction scenarios.
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The 1st of May marks the anniversary of Scotland’s union with England – a historical event which occurred in 1707. But when and how did Wales and Northern Ireland unite with the UK? Let’s find out.
The UK vs Great Britain
Before we learn about how the countries of England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland united, let’s first clarify the difference between Great Britain and the United Kingdom. These terms are often used interchangeably but they mean quite different things. The country known as The UK, short for the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, consists of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. The ‘British Isles’ refers to all of the islands in the north-western part of the Europe that sit outside the mainland. This includes The Channel Islands, The Isles of Scilly, The Isle of Man and Great Britain amongst many many others. The term ‘Britain’ (a word which derives from the Roman word ‘Britannia’) or ‘Great Britain’ simply refers to the landmass that is the largest island in the British Isles, where England, Wales and Scotland are housed.
Forming The United Kingdom
Now we’ve learnt the correct terminology, let’s delve into a brief history of how Britain and The United Kingdom came to be. It began with the establishment of England. Around 927 CE, Athelstan united the various Anglo-Saxon tribes that lived across the country to form the Kingdom of England. Athelstan became the first King of England.
Fast forward to 1536 when Wales was absorbed into The Kingdom of England. Because he wanted legal and religious unification across his lands, King Henry VIII enacted a bill which meant that Wales would be governed by the same laws as England, effectively making them the same country. Then, in 1707, The Kingdom of England and the Kingdom of Scotland united under the Act of Union and Great Britain was born. It is said that King James I added ‘Great’ to Britain’s name as he wanted to distinguish his new Britain from the Roman Britannia which only consisted of England and some parts of Wales. James I also liked to refer to himself at the King of Great Britain.
Almost a century later in 1801, Ireland also joined the union – creating the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. But in 1922, the Republic of Ireland (or Eire) withdrew from the union, leaving just the northern counties of Ireland part of the union. And so, the name, as it remains to this day, changed to The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
To learn more about the Act of Union and how Scotland became part of Britain, visit Act of Union 1707 – UK Parliament.
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And What Are The 6 Global Hurricane Seasons?
When European explorers travelled to the Caribbean centuries ago they experienced especially violent storms that battered their ships. They would later learn that the local people referred to these storms as hurakan and that for them they signified evil spirits and weather gods.
Three Names
Move forward a few hundred years and a hurakan, now named Hurricane, is only one of three names given to these giant, spiralling tropical storms, that usually have wind speeds of over 74 mph. When they form over the North Atlantic, Central North Pacific, and Eastern North Pacific, they are called Hurricanes, and while the brunt of them usually strike America, their weaker remnants often also hit the UK. However, when such a storm forms over the South Pacific or the Indian Ocean it is referred to as Cyclone, and if it develops in the Northwest Pacific it will be called a Typhoon.
The official Hurricane seasons, followed by their season peak dates are shown below.
1. North Atlantic – June 1 to November 30 (peaks late August to October)
2. Central North Pacific June 1 to November 30 (peaks late August to October)
3. Eastern North Pacific – May 15 to November 30 (peaks in July to September)
4. North West Pacific – N/A as tropical cyclones form throughout the year (peaks late August to early September)
5. Indian Ocean – April 1 to December 31 (peaks May and November)
6. South Pacific – November 1 to April 30 (peaks late February/early March)
Hurricanes originate in warm ocean waters with a surface temperature of over 26.5 degrees. While this temperature is great for swimming, the energy from this warm water also feeds low-pressure weather systems, which are the precursor to storms and eventually hurricanes. The hurricane draws the heat from the warm, moist ocean air and releases it via the condensation of water vapour in thunderstorms. Hurricanes spin around a low-pressure centre known as the eye of the storm which is about 20 to 40 miles wide and is strangely calm. However, it is the wall of this circular eye that contains the strongest winds and most rain.
Hurricanes And Storm Surges
To be honest, if the storm stayed out at sea, the average person wouldn’t know much about it. But, when a Hurricane makes landfall it can often create a huge storm surge, sending seawater flooding inland with great force. In recent times, probably the most infamous of these surges came in the wake of 2005’s Hurricane Katrina, which hit New Orleans and the surrounding coast. Storm surges can create waves that are 20 feet high, and they can move several miles inland to devastating effect. The high winds associated with hurricanes, destructive in themselves, can also create tornadoes to compound the problem.
Thankfully, modern meteorological systems enable hurricanes to be forecast in good time so that people can evacuate to safety until the storm has passed. Such precautions are now more important than ever, as due to climate change creating warmer waters, hurricanes will only become more frequent and more violent.
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5 Freshly Found In 2023
When we hear so much about deforestation and declining habitats and dwindling species, (at a rate of 273 species a day), it can be a relief to hear that last year scientists discovered in hundreds of new-to-science species. These include an electric blue tarantula, a Giant Penguin, a Dalek Wasp, a silent frog and a teeny tiny, Pigmy Squid. In reality the seemingly endless discovery of new species shouldn’t surprise us at all because according to this Mongabay Periodical experts estimate that less than 20% of earth’s species have been documented by western science.
The Electric Blue Tarantula
I have to admit the newly discovered Electric Blue Tarantula caught my imagination. It has nanostructures on it’s hairs which produce an iridescent effect and is not caused by pigment photospores that typically underpin the bioluminescence seen in nature, such as in fireflies and lanternfish. These vibrant blue tarantulas were found in the muddy floor of Phan Nga province’s (located in southern Thailand) mangrove forest. Of course, also thanks to their blue glow they will not be able to creep up on you in the dark!
Kumimanu Fordycei
This one is a species not around anymore, but also previously unknown. Early last year, the biggest Penguin that ever lived, Kumimanu fordycei, was discovered by scientists analysing fossils found on a New Zealand Beach. It was thought to have weighed over 150 kilograms, (Arnold Schwarzenegger was 107 kg in his prime), which is about the same as a Panda and heavier than the largest bird alive today!
The Dalek Wasp
Discovered in the last days of 2023, The Dalek Wasp wins the best name award for me and is one of 619 new wasp species discovered this year under the encompassing Genus Dalek. Now there’s a comforting thought.
Another Silent Frog
“Ribbit, Ribbit”, the characteristic sound of the hopping frog would not be found emanating from this new species of Silent Frog, Hyperolius ukaguruensis, also discovered in 2023. This frog does not croak at all but uses the spines on its throat to communicate via sense of touch. It’s supposed to be a little bit like frog braille!
Kodama Jujutsu
I have always been used to hearing fanciful tales of Giant Squid, so was intrigued by the discovery of a trend-bucking pygmy squid, Kodama jujutsu. It is under a centimetre in length and was found close to the coastline of Okinawa Island in Japan’s Ryukyu Archipelago.
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How The Pomodoro Technique Can Help You
In a recent article, I touched on the Pomodoro technique as a means of being productive when it comes to revision over the Easter break. But, such a fleeting mention doesn’t do justice to just how useful it can be.
The What
The Pomodoro Technique is a strategy aimed at helping people who struggle to focus for long periods and have a short attention span. If you get easily distracted, the Pomodoro is definitely for you. Developed in the 1980s by a University student who struggled to focus on his studies and assignments, the Pomodoro Technique is a strategy for doing work in short stretches. Twenty-five minutes of focus broken up by five-minute breaks, with a longer break of 15-30 minutes after every fourth stretch. It’s a technique that’s applicable beyond revision and can be applied to how you work, manage tasks, and helps you completely remove procrastination as a problem—which is an issue many of us deal with, especially when it comes to those things we just don’t want to do. By breaking tasks down into smaller, more manageable chunks to deal with systematically, that mountain in front of you is reduced to a series of steps. It makes you more efficient, mitigates distraction and ultimately makes you much more accountable to yourself.
The How
The Pomodoro Technique is designed to get work done while preventing the chance of overwhelm or the temptation of distraction. It works best with a bit of preparation and with a timer beside you (that timer should not be your phone, we’re here to remove distractions not add them). To prepare, make a list of the tasks or a single large task broken down into smaller ones. Assemble everything you need and remove anything you don’t. What you’re going to do is flip your perspective from sitting down for the long haul and instead stack a series of small wins through short bursts of focused work with breaks in between.
Once you’re ready, the process is fairly straightforward:
STEP ONE: Choose the task.
STEP TWO: Set your timer and work ONLY on that singular task.
STEP THREE: Once the timer goes off take a five-minute break. Stretch your legs, grab a drink, or check your phone.
STEP FOUR: Repeat steps one to three FOUR times.
STEP FIVE: Take a longer break of between fifteen and thirty minutes. Have some lunch, walk the dog or meditate.
Keep working through the steps like a cycle as you progress through your to-do list, and you’ll soon find yourself racing through it. It may seem deceptively simple, but that’s why it works. The idea behind this method is that the timer instills a sense of urgency. Instead of sitting back with the whole day ahead of you, finding ways to put off the work, time is turned against you. The breaks are there to help you catch your breath and not burn out.
If a task overruns, simply pick it up on the next interval, while if you have tasks that you know won’t take long at all, group them. If you have a sudden revelation of something that needs doing, simply make a note and add it to the list to do later, don’t ruin your momentum by diving into that task immediately. And of course, there are always moments of unavoidable interruption. Whether it’s a knock at the door or being informed of an important phone call, it’s not the end of the world. Simply take that break there, and then start fresh with a new interval from there.
What if you finish that task before the timer is up? Don’t call it early, use your remaining time to brush up further on whatever that task is. Research it more or go over what you’ve done; you’re focused on that particular topic at that moment so it’s important to keep that focus.
Things To Note
This technique isn’t going to change your life and solve all your problems, but it can be a huge help if used properly. With that in mind, it’s important to note that it doesn’t apply to everything and has its limitations. Long-form writing isn’t always the best for this. To really get into the flow of a piece, you do need longer to get the thoughts out of your head, so save the Pomodoro technique for research, editing and planning. Timing-wise, while the windows are relatively short, as you adjust to the technique it’s important to consider lengthening the windows of focused work. As your attention span and working mind adjust to it, you’ll likely find that the short windows begin to hinder more than help and longer stints will be more beneficial. Indeed, with that in mind, you might just come to a point where one day, you may not need it.
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How Did The Death Zone Get Its Name?
As the Everest climbing season gains momentum, you may hear the term “Death Zone” mentioned in articles and news reports about extreme high-altitude mountaineering.
At 29,029 feet, Mount Everest stands as the world’s highest mountain, with its final 4029 feet referred to as the Death Zone. The reason for this designation is that above 25,000 feet, our bodies struggle to adjust to the altitude, and the lungs fail to process sufficient oxygen, which in turn causes cells to begin to die.
Hypoxia
The effects of extreme high altitude on the lungs can be devastating: issues arise with hypoxia (oxygen deficiency), causing soaring pulse rates, blood clots (due to blood thickening), and increased stroke risk. In severe cases, this situation can progress to High Altitude Pulmonary Edema (HAPE), believed to occur when blood vessels constrict, raising pressure in the lungs. This results in fluid leaking from blood vessels into lung tissue and, in extreme cases, air sacs. This life-threatening condition, colloquially termed “fluid on the lung,” restricts respiratory function and can lead to drowning in one’s own fluid.
High-altitude hypoxia can elevate the resting heart rate to 140 beats per minute, a condition known as tachycardia, which may precipitate sudden cardiac arrest. The eye is also vulnerable and can suffer from high altitude retinal hemorrhages.(HARH) which looks like red splotches in the eye. It doesn’t look great but isn’t life threatening. According to experts, however, it can affect vision.
And More…
The digestive system slows is suppressed at high altitude and blood is diverted away and used to increase the bodies cardiopulmonary reserves. This can lead to nausea and vomiting. The brain is also affected at High Altitude by a condition known as high altitude cerebral edema (HACE). This is where hypoxia causes the brain to swell and this can lead to ataxia, fatigue and a decreasing level of consciousness.
Records Of The Death Zone
Experts suggest that climbers do not spend more than 20 hours in the Death Zone, with 48 hours being the absolute maximum for most people, even with supplementary Oxygen. Babu Chiri Sherpa holds the record for the time spent in the death zone without supplementary Oxygen and this is 21 hours. Pemba Gyalje is the record holder for being in the death zone with Oxygen and this is 90 hours.
Considering the risks and perils of entering the Death Zone, one may wonder why climbers undertake such challenges. The famous answer to this question, of course, is “Because it’s there!”
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Exam Questions On The Horizon
It might only be March, and May may seem so far away, but two things are worth mentioning: it’s never too early to be exam-ready, and time moves faster than you think it does.
So while you’re stepping up your revision, one of the best and most effective approaches is getting stuck into past exam papers. You’ll have a lot of the fundamentals of whichever subject you’re tackling in your memory already, but these questions will test how you apply what you know. It’s not just about information retention, but how you can use it alongside your problem-solving skills to reach an answer. Don’t think of them as tests but as puzzles.
The Anatomy Of An Exam Question
First of all, let’s pull apart these questions, and typically how they’re put together and the big clues they contain that will tell you what kind of response examiners are looking for (unfortunately, it won’t outright tell you the answer, just how to structure it).
The Prompt: This is the stem, the important part of the question amongst all the jargon and other information you’re given. It’s here that you’ll find the core information and the context for the question. It’s also where the imperative verbs will be that will tell you how to answer it.
Imperative Verbs: pay attention to these, because they are the indicator of just how to go about it. ‘Describe’, ‘compare’, ‘evaluate’ and ‘justify’ will all demand different answers. ‘Describe’ simply wants you to explain, while ‘compare’ will want you to look at the differences between two sets of data/sources. ‘Evaluate’ is likely going to want to you point out the flaws and the strengths of a source and decide on its reliability, and ‘justify’ will be wanting you to back up your answer using evidence from the text. These are just a few examples, so be sure to make a note of all the different ones you run into when looking at past papers, you may just notice a trend.
Supplementary Materials: these will be your data sets/graphs/images/sources depending on the exam you’re taking. It’s important to take the time to give them a good read-through. Your impulse will be to do so quickly and the temptation will be there to skim. Don’t. You’ll run the risk of misreading the information and that can derail your entire answer.
Mark Allocation: Have a glance at the marks available for the question. While not applicable to all exams (those that require longer-form responses) these can be a good indicator of just how much time and effort is required. If there are only a couple of marks at stake and you’re scratching your head at the way to answer it, chances are you’re overthinking it.
Planning Makes Perfect
Be sure to spend a few minutes before writing your answer to plan out what you’re going to say. Jot down some key arguments and examples, and highlight anything you think could be relevant. Prioritise the points you think best fit the answer, and then write. Taking the time here will help focus your writing and stop you from meandering from your point. Plus, should you run out of time, that plan will point out where your answer is going. It may not have much of a bearing on your marks, but you can’t rule out the marker not taking it into account.
Timing
Spending too much time on one question has the consequence of leaving you considerably less time for any subsequent ones. If you’re struggling with a question, the next one you may find much easier—how you’ll kick yourself if you waste time on a lost cause when you could maximise your marks elsewhere on the paper! Two partially answered questions will net you more marks than one good one and one terrible one, bear that in mind.
Using your time wisely is very important, and while it’s understandable that exam situations can cause a bit of stress, and once you get momentum in a question you can lose track of that clock; discipline with your timing is one of the most valuable assets to have in an exam.
Cross Your ‘T’s, Dot Your ‘I’s
Keep in mind to leave yourself five minutes at the end to give your answers one last read-through to catch any errant spellings and missing punctuation. The amount of marks dropped for not adhering to the fundamentals of writing keeps teachers up at night, and you wouldn’t want to lose out on a grade because you misplaced too many commas.
Whatever You Do, Don’t Do Any Of These
Panic! Of course, that’s easier said than done, but keeping your cool will help you save precious time. You can help mitigate your angst by practicing exam papers under timed conditions. It won’t solve everything, but at least it will give you one less thing to be worried about.
Waffle! Keep in mind the points above, and don’t jump straight in to writing your answer, and you’ll do well to avoid this. Long answers that dance around the point don’t score as well as concise ones that are half the length.
Dwell on it. Coming out of the exam wondering what could have been and talking to your friends comparing answers is a great way to bring your mood down. Once time is up, there is nothing else you can do. Take a break, do something to take your mind off it—then on to the next one!
There’s plenty of time between now and the exam, so use it wisely. Just remember, whatever may come results day, if you can get to the end of May and tell yourself that you tried your very best, what else could you do? Nobody can ask more of you than that.
You’ve got this, good luck.
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