What's the essential piece of advice you'd give to someone starting their A-levels?
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Stay organised. Catch-up is do-able in certain subjects, but a pain in the butt, and not something you want to be dealing with. Do your revision intelligently - don't think you can just get away with revising the content in the books. Do the extra reading, take the extra time to look something up.
DO NOT be afraid to go to your head of sixth form/college and tell them you're unhappy in your subjects. I got a month into doing psychology, decided I hated it, and told my head of year - now, I just got my 200/200 UMS in politics, despite joining a month late. It's not like being in GCSE's - you have a choice, and you need to take control if you're unhappy.
Most importantly, remember to enjoy it! You're not having to take compulsory languages, maths, or english anymore - these are all your choices. Even though it's tough at times, it's worth it in the end, and it's FAR better than GCSE's ever were.
DO NOT be afraid to go to your head of sixth form/college and tell them you're unhappy in your subjects. I got a month into doing psychology, decided I hated it, and told my head of year - now, I just got my 200/200 UMS in politics, despite joining a month late. It's not like being in GCSE's - you have a choice, and you need to take control if you're unhappy.
Most importantly, remember to enjoy it! You're not having to take compulsory languages, maths, or english anymore - these are all your choices. Even though it's tough at times, it's worth it in the end, and it's FAR better than GCSE's ever were.
Cherish what little time you have left before you start your A-Levels as you will want to run for the hills after the amount of work you get in your first year of A-Levels.
Also don't pick biology if it's on the AQA exam board as they've just changed literally everything so the questions hardly involve any biology knowledge and half of it is not on the specification and the mark scheme is full of stupid answers it's like a 5-year old has written it.
Also don't pick biology if it's on the AQA exam board as they've just changed literally everything so the questions hardly involve any biology knowledge and half of it is not on the specification and the mark scheme is full of stupid answers it's like a 5-year old has written it.
Contrary to popular belief, you can waste your free periods doing nothing, not spend hours revising every day and basically cramming and STILL get the top grades of A*s and As.
As long as you understand what you're talking about and your exam technique is A1, you can get better grades than people who spend their whole life revising. Have your social life, make sure the teachers don't hate you so they give you support, and you don't have to do these 50 hour revision weeks.
As long as you understand what you're talking about and your exam technique is A1, you can get better grades than people who spend their whole life revising. Have your social life, make sure the teachers don't hate you so they give you support, and you don't have to do these 50 hour revision weeks.
Original post by vca
Contrary to popular belief, you can waste your free periods doing nothing, not spend hours revising every day and basically cramming and STILL get the top grades of A*s and As.
As long as you understand what you're talking about and your exam technique is A1, you can get better grades than people who spend their whole life revising. Have your social life, make sure the teachers don't hate you so they give you support, and you don't have to do these 50 hour revision weeks.
As long as you understand what you're talking about and your exam technique is A1, you can get better grades than people who spend their whole life revising. Have your social life, make sure the teachers don't hate you so they give you support, and you don't have to do these 50 hour revision weeks.
I don't believe you and don't recommend this sort of thinking. It's not self-confidence... it's arrogance! Just because it might have worked for you, does not mean it works for anyone else. You must be lucky and very intelligent to do that; an anomaly. I am a very smart student myself, did 4 AS but ended up with a B in further maths. With a C in fp1 and C in s2! I totally understood the content of the course, and the previous exam styles. However what I believe screwed me over, was not doing enough questions.
Therefore my advice would be... do your homework, all of it! Also, do as many past paper questions as possible. Revise as much as you can. These years count!
*Make the most of your study (free) blocks. It will help to balance your workload.
*Get a friend to test your knowledge - I used to give my revision notes to my girlfriend, who would then quiz me on the material.
*Make notes, and stick them up around your room. That way you'll be able to retain the information for a longer period. Also, explore an effective note taking strategy like Cornell Notes. It saves a lot of time in the long run.
*Review your class notes every night
*Go to bed early, and wake up early.
*Get a friend to test your knowledge - I used to give my revision notes to my girlfriend, who would then quiz me on the material.
*Make notes, and stick them up around your room. That way you'll be able to retain the information for a longer period. Also, explore an effective note taking strategy like Cornell Notes. It saves a lot of time in the long run.
*Review your class notes every night
*Go to bed early, and wake up early.
Original post by pereira325
I don't believe you and don't recommend this sort of thinking. It's not self-confidence... it's arrogance! Just because it might have worked for you, does not mean it works for anyone else. You must be lucky and very intelligent to do that; an anomaly. I am a very smart student myself, did 4 AS but ended up with a B in further maths. With a C in fp1 and C in s2! I totally understood the content of the course, and the previous exam styles. However what I believe screwed me over, was not doing enough questions.
Therefore my advice would be... do your homework, all of it! Also, do as many past paper questions as possible. Revise as much as you can. These years count!
Therefore my advice would be... do your homework, all of it! Also, do as many past paper questions as possible. Revise as much as you can. These years count!
It works for some but definitely not for all, I won't disagree with that.
I did however do every piece of homework and took all mocks and my subjects seriously, as well as doing all the past papers when they were set for homework and for revision. I have to say I did find a style of revision which was effective for me, and that's what's important.
* Take subjects you enjoy. If you don't like them, you won't be able to cope with them.
* Build up good relationships with teachers if you can. This way they are more likely to be reasonable with you when you miss work etc., and will often be there to give you advice on anything at all. I might just have been a teachers' pet, but by mid year 13 most of my teachers could tell if I was struggling without me even telling them, and were lenient with me when I needed it because I had earned their trust.
* Try to keep on top of work throughout the year. You'll be glad of it when it comes to exam season, and all you need to do is revise rather than re-learn.
* Don't be cliquey. Being in a clique is great until the clique falls apart and everyone else hates you because your group were such knobheads. Be tolerant of everyone at the very least, and it'll pay off. Try to make friends with people in your classes even if you aren't friends with them in your free time - it'll make your lessons more tolerable and you can help each other with catching up work.
* Build up good relationships with teachers if you can. This way they are more likely to be reasonable with you when you miss work etc., and will often be there to give you advice on anything at all. I might just have been a teachers' pet, but by mid year 13 most of my teachers could tell if I was struggling without me even telling them, and were lenient with me when I needed it because I had earned their trust.
* Try to keep on top of work throughout the year. You'll be glad of it when it comes to exam season, and all you need to do is revise rather than re-learn.
* Don't be cliquey. Being in a clique is great until the clique falls apart and everyone else hates you because your group were such knobheads. Be tolerant of everyone at the very least, and it'll pay off. Try to make friends with people in your classes even if you aren't friends with them in your free time - it'll make your lessons more tolerable and you can help each other with catching up work.
Working smart is more important than working hard.
Don't take the work lightly, be prepared with folders and resources for work and get stuck in from the start, as it will he harder for you later in the year if you don't get stuck in at the start, and last of all....have fun with friends!
Original post by Exceptional
Advice: drop out and do a BTEC
No don't do that
Stay organised from day one
Start revision early (like 3/4 months)
Use the Christmas and Easter holidays efficiently
Do not leave coursework until last minute
Try not to miss any days
Make sure to ask questions, however stupid you may think they are
Catch up on any notes you miss
Make a revision timetable
Find out your exam dates in advance
Start revision early (like 3/4 months)
Use the Christmas and Easter holidays efficiently
Do not leave coursework until last minute
Try not to miss any days
Make sure to ask questions, however stupid you may think they are
Catch up on any notes you miss
Make a revision timetable
Find out your exam dates in advance
I would say to guarantee yourself top grades you need try and work above what the specification requires. I think you need to know everything in the specification in depth (where possible) and above the A level standard. It's the only way to know that you will not be stumped by an A level question as you will be above it.
DO NOT do an EPQ
You will soon realise how big the jump is from GCSE to A-Level, but it is important that you use this knowledge wisely and put maximum effort in as well as learning good revision techniques now. Try your hardest in everything but as cliche as it sounds, make sure to believe in your own potential - you're probably more capable than you think you are, trust me. Don't be disheartened when you revise hard for a mock and get a D, revisit it and look at where you went wrong, then learn from it and move on.
Also good luck with the new linear system
Also good luck with the new linear system
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