You Get Out of It What You Put In

"You get out of it what you put in."

I remember this phrase being used throughout my childhood. In a sports training session, for example, or a classroom. And I didn't really understand the true concept of it. I certainly didn't understand how I could apply it in my own teaching, with my own students. Weirdly, this week, I started using it. I heard the words come out of my mouth. I've taken a couple of days to digest why I said that, and what I really meant by it, and I think this is the key for Years 9 to 11 to understand the importance of independent studying. Let's dig into it.

The conversation always starts the same way:

"Hey - welcome to the new school year, big year - how was your summer?"

"Good thanks."

…

"Cool, did you… get any work done?"

"Nah, I mostly just chilled."

So. Many. Students will be able to relate to this. And this is a problem. Students, whether it's in the summer holidays or an academic year, are reluctant to do any 'extra' work. It doesn't take a genius to realise that extra work done throughout the year pays off massively come exam day… you get out of it what you put in.

And that is what that phrase means, but I never really understood it as a student myself because I didn't recognise what the "it" and the "what" was - I didn't make that connection. Now I have. And it's more important than I could have ever realised. And will probably explain why my own experience of Year 11 was this mad rush to actually catch up from all the lost "what" that I had ignored.

You get out of the exam (it) what work or GCSE revision you put into it.

It's a pretty simple equation actually when you think about it: the value of x (the work) determines the final value of y (the grade). If you want a high grade, unless you are some mad genius kid who's going to be working for Microsoft or Goldman Sachs in the next 12 months, you are going to need to put in work. I think students sometimes only realise the grade they want by the time it's too late. Maybe they believe they can get the grade without doing too much work? But I think understanding that putting that work in, from the beginning of an academic year, is going to affect the value of that grade at the end of it.

So, what does putting in 'extra work' look like?

"Come on now, Nick. I'm in Year 9 - surely I don't need to do any 'extra' work? I'm already doing loads!"

Ok, ok, I hear you. And I'm partly on board with what you're saying. You're right - the urgency isn't there as much as it would be for Year 11s taking actual GCSE exams but still. I want my Year 9s to sit their end of year exams with the intensity they would if they were the real GCSEs. Just like I'd want my Year 10s treating those end of year mocks as if they were the real thing.

Why?

Two reasons. Firstly, you get an opportunity to actually test your GCSE revision methods. It sometimes takes people a couple of goes to find out what works for them and what doesn't, giving you plenty of time to adjust those methods before real exams if needed. Secondly, you get very helpful data out of your results. If you don't really revise, and put very little into end of year exams, you've learnt nothing more than how badly you do when you don't treat exams with care - something you wouldn't do come the real thing. So what have you learnt? Nothing.

You get out of it what you put in.

So what do I suggest students start 'putting in'?

For students who get set very little homework at school - and by that I mean days where zero homework is set - I recommend, from the beginning of Year 10 or 11, one hour per day. Split between looking over topics covered, mini tests every weekend, watching a teacher on YouTube, whatever that student responds best to. I'm hearing from some students they are getting three hours a day of homework. In that circumstance, if you do get a day where there's not as much, do the extra 30 minutes to an hour of revision then. I wouldn't generally recommend adding additional work on top of a three hour evening homework session. I'm not a psychopath.

In February half term in Year 10 and 11 I recommend transitioning this time into past papers. Keep doing past papers. Please do past papers. I'm not going to say it again. Both of these year groups are about to be sitting full GCSE papers - so be doing past papers in preparation.

February half term Year 9 - no past papers for you, unless the school is doing a full past paper for the end of years, which is rare. Instead, go over all the notes from each subject, organise those notes, and do some mini tests.

Let's jump back to that equation as we wrap up. Whether Year 9 or Year 11, the end of the school year has a 'final value' - a grade assigned to mark the level of attainment achieved. The exams and tests set in order to gauge this are our it. You will get out of it what you put into it. All those additional work sessions. All those questions asked and answers logged. All those mini tests and past papers. This is what will determine what you get out of it.

If you'd like some support putting a proper GCSE revision plan in place, feel free to get in touch with me directly as a GCSE English tutor here.

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