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Change From Yr11 To Sixth Form

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Original post by Lewis.
At the moment am finding the transition really great! Have started at a new college and enrolled today - was so fresh and nice as I had my closest friends with me but everyone else was new and I'm looking forward to getting to know them. Think I'm going to have a lot of fun and can't wait!


Hi! :hi: I'm butting in :biggrin:

I don't start until the 12th :unimpressed: but I can't wait! What subjects are you taking?
Original post by Amwazicles
Hi! :hi: I'm butting in :biggrin:

I don't start until the 12th :unimpressed: but I can't wait! What subjects are you taking?


Hello! Im butting too! Just that that is a bit late isnt it?! :biggrin:
Reply 702
I start on the 12th too
Original post by brimstone
That time has come. The end of the exams are soon to be in sight, then the long summer holidays, the results and finally... moving on to Sixth Form :eek:. It's a big change going from GCSEs to A Levels, so this thread is here to help you find out about the transition from normal school to Sixth Form.

Feel free to ask questions here and to discuss the changes :smile:

Thank you to kellywood_5 for the following information :

From school to sixth form
-You'll have a much better relationship with most of your teachers and they'll treat you more like adults, even as friends sometimes
-Depending on the subjects you take and the size of your sixth form, the classes will probably be much smaller, allowing for more interaction in lessons and a more relaxed atmosphere
-You'll have frees and it'll most likely be up to you how you spend them
-You'll still be nagged to get your work done, but because you're there of your own free will, they can't do anything to you if you don't, so you need more self-motivation
-You'll be the most senior students in the school and thus expected to set a good example to the younger pupils

From GCSEs to A-levels-You only have to study your favourite and best subjects, which is obviously great
-The work will be much more in depth and probably more interesting
-For essay subjects, it'll be much more about analysis and evaluation than just pure facts
-You can no longer get away with having a basic knowledge of a subject and then blagging the exam or just learning reams of facts without actually understanding them



From experience:
the teachers treat you exactly the same, parents get called all the time for the smallest things even though we are meant to be 'independent' and in 'control' of our learning, its ridiculous.
Classes are more relaxed but depending on the size of your classes etc depends on the size of your school. my classes are all large which i hate.
In my sixth form we are pressured to give up our free's to help around the school, id just relax in the free you get and catch up on any work. During exam periods they are 100% best for revision, don't mess about then!
You really should be prepared for more work but as long as you keep on top of it you will cope, that's why you have free's :wink:
Also bare in mind, its hard to get good results in practice exams at the start of the year, i always used to get disheartened when i got a bad result but you learn to realise that A-level exams are 100% different to GCSE and once you learn the difference your grades will get better, trust me.
Good Luck! its not all bad! you'll make a lot of friends that you never thought you would! :smile:
Reply 704
''From school to sixth form
-You'll have a much better relationship with most of your teachers and they'll treat you more like adults, even as friends sometimes
-Depending on the subjects you take and the size of your sixth form, the classes will probably be much smaller, allowing for more interaction in lessons and a more relaxed atmosphere
-You'll have frees and it'll most likely be up to you how you spend them
-You'll still be nagged to get your work done, but because you're there of your own free will, they can't do anything to you if you don't, so you need more self-motivation
-You'll be the most senior students in the school and thus expected to set a good example to the younger pupils

From GCSEs to A-levels-You only have to study your favourite and best subjects, which is obviously great
-The work will be much more in depth and probably more interesting
-For essay subjects, it'll be much more about analysis and evaluation than just pure facts
-You can no longer get away with having a basic knowledge of a subject and then blagging the exam or just learning reams of facts without actually understanding them''

this is all true!

get used to a load of work and get it done, hand in everything dont miss a bit of homework only you will lose out!

im getting ready for year 13 on tuesday and cant wait to be honest...

it only gets better, unless somehow you are doing subjects you dont enjoy...
Original post by mad-marek
Hello! Im butting too! Just that that is a bit late isnt it?! :biggrin:


I know! :unimpressed: My induction day is on friday, but proper timetable starts monday. :frown: When do you start?
Original post by Amwazicles
I know! :unimpressed: My induction day is on friday, but proper timetable starts monday. :frown: When do you start?


I had my induction today, but I have tomorrow off, and go back in full swing on thursday! Cant wait! haha :biggrin:
Reply 707
Original post by Amwazicles
Hi! :hi: I'm butting in :biggrin:

I don't start until the 12th :unimpressed: but I can't wait! What subjects are you taking?


Hiya :smile: 12th seems very far away! And I'm doing English lit/lang, Psychology, Media and accounting. Want to get into marketing and product management. What are you doing?
Original post by Lewis.
Hiya :smile: 12th seems very far away! And I'm doing English lit/lang, Psychology, Media and accounting. Want to get into marketing and product management. What are you doing?


Gah, I know, I'm so annoyed everyone is talking about their first day and my induction isn't even until friday :sad:

I'm doing physics, maths, psychology (:five:), philosophy and photography :biggrin:

Not sure what I'm going to do with my life yet :tongue: But probably uni with something or some combination of the four academic subjects (not photography). :smile:
Reply 709
I think biggest transition is time management, you have more freedom and more free time in college, but use it well, start revising from day one. It pays off in the end!
Reply 710
No one seems to have posted here in a while... just wanted to say I found the first couple of weeks really hard but I'm so happy I stuck to it because everything has become more manageable and I've adapted etc. Hopefully any yr 11's reading this will take this into acc. 'cause I was so close to dropping out, whereas now I'm actually happier than I ever was at school.

EMZ=]
Reply 711
So in sixth form do you have to learn out side of lessons or is that just going over notes and work you've done in class? Also how usefull are notes compared to a textbook and why?

Thanks
I just find it worrying that GCSEs to A-Levels are a huge jump
Original post by Rya729
So in sixth form do you have to learn out side of lessons or is that just going over notes and work you've done in class? Also how usefull are notes compared to a textbook and why?

Thanks



I would say you should do as much studying out of lessons as you do in lessons.

So 5 hours of lessons a week should equal 5 hours of independent study and going over notes. This would not really include homework. But I'd go a little easy and knock it down to 4 hours during a busy week and bump it up if I had free time.

I find class notes are handy and will sometimes include stuff not in textbooks but some teachers take stuff directly out of textbooks. I would say use class notes and make your own notes from private reading and textbooks.

Good luck!
Original post by paniking_and_not_revising
I would say you should do as much studying out of lessons as you do in lessons.

So 5 hours of lessons a week should equal 5 hours of independent study and going over notes. This would not really include homework. But I'd go a little easy and knock it down to 4 hours during a busy week and bump it up if I had free time.

I find class notes are handy and will sometimes include stuff not in textbooks but some teachers take stuff directly out of textbooks. I would say use class notes and make your own notes from private reading and textbooks.

Good luck!


Being in sixth form classes as mentioned, requires you to write notes for study purposes etc. Is it like university where as the teacher talks you make as much notes as you can or do the teachers try helping you out with notes a bit aswell. E.g. if the teacher talks way too fast and you're not able to put all the notes onto your book without forgetting one and so the teacher would put some on the board for you.
Original post by Safiya122
Being in sixth form classes as mentioned, requires you to write notes for study purposes etc. Is it like university where as the teacher talks you make as much notes as you can or do the teachers try helping you out with notes a bit aswell. E.g. if the teacher talks way too fast and you're not able to put all the notes onto your book without forgetting one and so the teacher would put some on the board for you.


Classes don't always result in notes. We get a lot of reading (Englit and History) and make our own notes or use our class materials to make some notes. Most people go away and make their own notes as it helps you to make sense.

If you only rely on class notes, you're pretty much screwed.

Yeah. If you need to write down something, the teacher will give you an extra minute to finish. Most teachers will be more than happy to give help.

But this depends on colleges. My old one was a LOT different. We mostly had lectures and then went away to answer questions
Reply 716
I'm actually looking forward to Sixth Form unlike some Year 11's who are dreading it. Everybody is worried about how hard A Levels sound but people should remember that if they put the extra work in they'll do well. I'm prepared to do that so bring on September :smile:
Reply 717
it will sounds so cliché but honestly its about what YOU make of it.

so put in the extra work

be prepared to have to ask when you need help, dont expect the teacher to come to you.

make sure you spend the summer stocking up on some nice clothes, dont want to turn up to sixth form in the same jeans and t-shirt everyday!

bring plenty of stationary! stock up your locker so you never get caught short :smile:

and be brave, make friends and learn the system/where the loos are!

good luck, you'll be fine :smile:
Original post by brimstone
That time has come. The end of the exams are soon to be in sight, then the long summer holidays, the results and finally... moving on to Sixth Form :eek:. It's a big change going from GCSEs to A Levels, so this thread is here to help you find out about the transition from normal school to Sixth Form.

Feel free to ask questions here and to discuss the changes :smile:

Thank you to kellywood_5 for the following information :

From school to sixth form
-You'll have a much better relationship with most of your teachers and they'll treat you more like adults, even as friends sometimes
-Depending on the subjects you take and the size of your sixth form, the classes will probably be much smaller, allowing for more interaction in lessons and a more relaxed atmosphere
-You'll have frees and it'll most likely be up to you how you spend them
-You'll still be nagged to get your work done, but because you're there of your own free will, they can't do anything to you if you don't, so you need more self-motivation
-You'll be the most senior students in the school and thus expected to set a good example to the younger pupils

From GCSEs to A-levels-You only have to study your favourite and best subjects, which is obviously great
-The work will be much more in depth and probably more interesting
-For essay subjects, it'll be much more about analysis and evaluation than just pure facts
-You can no longer get away with having a basic knowledge of a subject and then blagging the exam or just learning reams of facts without actually understanding them





Basically the difference is you'll have to work harder, there's no blasted school uniform and you get more freedom. Simples! :wink:
Reply 719
Hello Everyone ,

Does anyone no any decent revision books for btec level 3 ICT (practitioners) ??
or is there anyone currently studying ICT level btec(practitioners) at college i can talk to....

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