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Physics AS & A2 in one year?

I'm currently studying Chemistry, Biology, History and ICT. I was intending on doing Physics instead of ICT but the school wouldn't allow it as I had a B in Maths GCSE. I'm hoping to apply to Cambridge through the Special Access Scheme for Medicine and after e-mailing the colleges most of them told me I would need to have a third science at A-level.

I've performed well this year and after speaking to the school they said there is a possibility of me doing Physics as an intensive A-level. I would get the notes and a tutor to meet with me once a week during the summer, I'm intending on studying around 6 hours a day and meeting with the tutor to discuss difficult topics for 3 hours a week. I would then start into the A2 class in September as by this point I would hope to be confident enough with the AS material to understand the A2 material. In January I would sit the two AS exams and in June sit the A2 exams.

Obviously it would take a lot of work as I am hoping to achieve an A. Is this do-able, on top of my other subjects? If I work every day throughout the summer would I be able to have enough understanding to start in the A2 course in September?

Reply 1

21Grapes

Original post by llessur123

Well it seems you have everything planned out. It's going to be very intensive but i don't see why it wouldn't be do-able. Whether you get an A or B or C is different matter and nobody knows how you'll do. Since you want to go to Cambridge I doubt you would give up anyway, if someone on a forum tells you no. It's likely you'll find yourself struggling with the maths of it though, so this is something you will have to think about.

Reply 2

Emily_waters

Why don't you do the AS this year and then stay on an extra year to do the A2? I don't see how you are going to manage it, but good luck anyway.

Reply 3

15weekwonder

Start in your summer holidays, see if you can get the AS done by January then bang out the A2 in the Summer. Good plan.

I'm doing Physics AS this summer, I've recently started going over the content - I'll let you know how that goes if you want. :P
(haven't had Physics classes this year)

I think it's doable.

If you work really hard over the summer and thoroughly go through all the AS content then you should be able to cope with A2 - besides, from what I've seen of Physics, it's not like Maths or Chemistry where you build on previous concepts. AS and A2 Physics don't seem to be as compound.
Not having Maths will make it harder for you, but not impossible.
A few formulas, understand what goes on behind them, interept a few graphs, the odd circuit and the AS seems pretty straightforward. I can't make much of a comment on A2 though.

Reply 4

llessur123

Original post by Emily_waters

Why don't you do the AS this year and then stay on an extra year to do the A2? I don't see how you are going to manage it, but good luck anyway.

I'm planning on doing medicine so an extra year wouldn't look great on my application :smile:

Reply 5

oj51oly

yeah do it what have you got to loose
with enough work anythings possible - i'm doing further maths in a year and one of the modules i did in a weekend and got 94 ums
give it a go, it'll be hard but worth it :smile:

Reply 6

TLK

Original post by 15weekwonder

I don't know who told you this but your wrong. You use a lot of AS physics in A2 especially in the further mechanics module when you use all the formulas you learnt as well as the facts that you get taught.

Also at the OP, as a current A2 physics student you will find doing AS and A2 in one year very very hard since you won't know the facts and formulas you need to know for A2, although it is not impossible but just a lot harder.
I'd advise you not to do it since I found doing one of modules (the hardest module) very hard since there is a lot to learn.
Anyway, good luck with whatever your choice is. :biggrin:

Reply 7

StanKing

If you feel you could do it, do it!

Reply 8

-G-a-v-

Get a good A-level textbook, and start now if possible. Any chance you could do one module this summer perhaps?

Reply 9

Preetinder

Could you drop ICT and/or History to ease the workload?

I'd say go for it-if you find the AS too tough in the summer, you haven't really lost out on much by atleast attempting it :smile:

Reply 10

evelynpevelyn

Original post by llessur123

Hey, I'm a current A2 physics student. I can tell you now that if you plan on doing that it will be A LOT of work, more than you probably think. A2 chemistry and physics are both really hard, don't get me wrong, it probably is do-able but it will be very stressful and difficult, especially unit 4 physics. sorry to be a downer, just thought I would warn you.

Reply 11

llessur123

Original post by -G-a-v-

Get a good A-level textbook, and start now if possible. Any chance you could do one module this summer perhaps?

I've got one already! I thought about that but I wouldn't be comfortable doing an exam in it so soon. I'd rather just do it next January after practising for a while.

Reply 12

llessur123

Original post by Preetinder

Could you drop ICT and/or History to ease the workload?

I'd say go for it-if you find the AS too tough in the summer, you haven't really lost out on much by atleast attempting it :smile:

I might, but I'm doing really well in ICT so I don't want to drop it if it isn't necessary and I don't want to drop history incase I don't do well in physics because then I'd only have two academic subjects and one weak subject which might not look to good. Bit of a dilemma really.