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Trying to get A*A*A*A*A* at A-level

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Original post by Naruke
Congrats fam!


Thank you!!
Day 17
General Update + Daily Tip
I'm not sure why, but I get a LOT of requests for tips via messaging and posts on this thread. I haven't yet achieved any of my grades so I guess its probably not the best idea to ask me xD. But what I've decided to do is to give little tips in every post!
So the tip for today is (as simple as it gets):

Stay Organised : As simple as it sounds, it is absolutely crucial to stay organised in your A-level year(s). So I know different people have different ways of organising themselves but here's how I do it.
I carry a small standard sized folder to college and I have dividers which allow me to separate each subject. I then attend my lessons (lots of lessons) and I insert any handouts into my folder (usually there's a holepuncher in class but I have a polly pocket or plastic wallet to keep any loose papers inside). At home, I have a large lever arch folder for each subject. Make sure you STORE YOUR NOTES FROM YOUR FIRST YEAR SO THAT YOU CAN USE THEM IN YOUR SECOND YEAR and for your first year exams. I am in my second year, I haven't yet achieved the grades I want but I have my notes and I intend to use them!

Daily Update

MAT
I'm working on MAT 2012. So far I've already somehow managed to get 74 marks and I still have question 7 to do.... I don't know if 2012 was just an easy paper or I'm marking myself too nicely but I've got good marks
So far:
Question 1: 36/40
Question 2: 9/15 (didn't finish on time + i wouldn't have got the last part anyways)
Question 5: 14/15 (almost nailed this except for the very last part of the last question)
Question 6: 15/15 (nailed this one - i love question 6)
Question 7: 12/15
Total so far: 86/100 - average score amongst all applicants 52.1, amongst shortlisted applicants 63, amongst successful applicants 68.2


I think this is just a too good to be true tbh... my performance will probably drop in the next paper.
I need to work on my timing though... I did question 1 a lot faster (40 minutes). Question 2 I ran out of time. Question 5 I spent too long on (50 mintues), question 6 I did in about 40 minutes. - that leaves me with 20 minutes to do question 7.
(edited 7 years ago)
Original post by Someboady
...


Nice thread, I'm a first year mathmo at St Catz this year so please drop me a message if you (or anyone else) have any questions, I'd be more than happy to help :smile:

edit: Should probably add that I mean St Catz, Oxford :tongue:
(edited 7 years ago)
Original post by Euclidean
Nice thread, I'm a first year mathmo at St Catz this year so please drop me a message if you (or anyone else) have any questions, I'd be more than happy to help :smile:

edit: Should probably add that I mean St Catz, Oxford :tongue:


Thank you! How much do you think I should be aiming for on the MAT? Do you have any tips for the exam and preparing for it?
Well done !! How much do u revise per day ?
Reply 165
Wow, excellent!
Considering that 8 hours a week is needed per subject to get good grades, you would need around 32 hours plus (depending on you EPQ)
That a 1 day and 1/3...
Considering you have 5 FULL school days, which is roughly 8 hours, total of 40.
32+40=72 = 3 FULL days of education.
You still have another 4 days.
You should, theoretically get your wanted grades if you are willing.
Do sports or procrastinate, might help you study better.
Day 19
Just MAT preparation... just MAT.
I have a Physics test next week though, so I'm going to spend Sunday evening revising for that. Aside from this I'm just going to coast through it. MAT is incoming and that's what I want to concentrate on. only 23 days left! I was busy running errands yesterday so I got practically nothing done except I submitted my final assignment for Computer Science. This means I get respite until Christmas from CompSci! (I plan on taking this month off from Computer Science to concentrate on MAT) Physics is not too strenuous at all at the minute so I'm not too fussed about it, I just need to keep up with the workload. Same with Maths. Right now its all about MAT...

So for MAT prep I'm going to be working through some crucial topics. They're exceptionally long but I'm making notes on them, ensuring I understand them. What I've noticed is that the last part of Question 2 and 5 is often worth around 5 to 6 marks. That's a lot of marks and this is where I lose out. Hence I am trying to ensure I secure these marks!

I want to ensure I have covered all my mistakes and these topics before my next MAT paper which will be the 2013 paper. I have 24 days left till my MAT exam... scary stuff!
(edited 7 years ago)
Original post by SNK0
Wow, excellent!
Considering that 8 hours a week is needed per subject to get good grades, you would need around 32 hours plus (depending on you EPQ)
That a 1 day and 1/3...
Considering you have 5 FULL school days, which is roughly 8 hours, total of 40.
32+40=72 = 3 FULL days of education.
You still have another 4 days.
You should, theoretically get your wanted grades if you are willing.
Do sports or procrastinate, might help you study better.



Original post by nisha.sri
Well done !! How much do u revise per day ?



Hi,
I get home about 5 o clock, spend about an hour eating/doing errands. Then I start working around 6 o clock till about 9:30 so 3 and a half hours per week day. So thats about 17.5 hours per school week (5 days). Then I work for about a good 6 hours on Saturday and on Sunday. That's almost 30 hours per week (29.5) of revision (excluding school time). How much of that is procastination depends on my level of motivation xD. Also I need to factor in MAT preparation...so theoretically I should be working harder.
EDIT: I don't time how much I work... I just work whenever I can.
(edited 7 years ago)
Original post by Himtiaz
What other subjects are you taking?


Im doing bio and chem :smile: wbu?


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Original post by DamnDaniel2
Im doing bio and chem :smile: wbu?


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Bio chem phys math
Original post by Himtiaz
Bio chem phys math


Oh ok! What do you want to do at uni?
I want to go and read maths :smile:


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Original post by DamnDaniel2
Oh ok! What do you want to do at uni?
I want to go and read maths :smile:


Posted from TSR Mobile


I'm thinking dentistry or medicine. Which uni do you want to go to?
Original post by Someboady
Day 17
General Update + Daily Tip
I'm not sure why, but I get a LOT of requests for tips via messaging and posts on this thread. I haven't yet achieved any of my grades so I guess its probably not the best idea to ask me xD. But what I've decided to do is to give little tips in every post!
So the tip for today is (as simple as it gets):

Stay Organised : As simple as it sounds, it is absolutely crucial to stay organised in your A-level year(s). So I know different people have different ways of organising themselves but here's how I do it.
I carry a small standard sized folder to college and I have dividers which allow me to separate each subject. I then attend my lessons (lots of lessons) and I insert any handouts into my folder (usually there's a holepuncher in class but I have a polly pocket or plastic wallet to keep any loose papers inside). At home, I have a large lever arch folder for each subject. Make sure you STORE YOUR NOTES FROM YOUR FIRST YEAR SO THAT YOU CAN USE THEM IN YOUR SECOND YEAR and for your first year exams. I am in my second year, I haven't yet achieved the grades I want but I have my notes and I intend to use them!

Daily Update

MAT
I'm working on MAT 2012. So far I've already somehow managed to get 74 marks and I still have question 7 to do.... I don't know if 2012 was just an easy paper or I'm marking myself too nicely but I've got good marks
So far:
Question 1: 36/40
Question 2: 9/15 (didn't finish on time + i wouldn't have got the last part anyways)
Question 5: 14/15 (almost nailed this except for the very last part of the last question)
Question 6: 15/15 (nailed this one - i love question 6)
Question 7: 12/15
Total so far: 86/100 - average score amongst all applicants 52.1, amongst shortlisted applicants 63, amongst successful applicants 68.2


I think this is just a too good to be true tbh... my performance will probably drop in the next paper.
I need to work on my timing though... I did question 1 a lot faster (40 minutes). Question 2 I ran out of time. Question 5 I spent too long on (50 mintues), question 6 I did in about 40 minutes. - that leaves me with 20 minutes to do question 7.


Hello, It's inspiring how hard you work. I hope you do well.

I have some resources which might help you prepare for the MAT. If you send me your email I could send them to you. I cannot attach them on this message because the file size exceeds the limit. Please let me know how useful they are!
Original post by Someboady
Thank you! How much do you think I should be aiming for on the MAT? Do you have any tips for the exam and preparing for it?


Anything hovering around 60 is a very credible score from what I've heard, honestly, don't get too worked up about scoring past papers because in the actual exam the whole scene changes. You will focus more and have adrenaline (etc.) that you didn't have before and so are likely to form better connections between what the question is asking and the ideas you have.

Tips for the exam, I would say, keep your mind flexible. If you're trying something and it's not working, and if you feel like the solution is getting uglier rather than coming together, maybe sit back for a couple of seconds (the exam is very long, you have time to think!) and really question what you are trying to achieve and whether there is another tool or idea you can utilise.

Time management is essential, keep a watch or failing that, an eye on the clock. If you're spending a lot of time trying to get yourself those last 3 marks on a question, move on, the pay-off of doing so is not worth the expended time. Obviously make sure you have your equipment, I found a compass to be extremely helpful so definitely purchase one if you don't have one.

With regards to preparation, expose yourself to as many questions as possible during this next month on the run up to the exam. These need not just be MAT past questions, AEA and STEP I work fine too, it's more about gaining a better 'mathematical maturity' which will put you in good stead for any follow-up interviews you may have. If you're into olympiad stuff, try some BMO, I am useless at olympiad so honestly I didn't do much BMO preparation although lots (a substantial number) of my peers have been very successful in international competitions so there seems to be some correlation there.

Best of luck, drop me a PM if you have any more questions :smile:
DAY 20
Today has been very hectic. I really don't think I'm working enough to achieve these A*s... I have to try harder.
It was sole MAT prep today with a bit of Circular Motion/SMH revision as I have a test next week.
Computer Science
Apparently, my work is comprehensive and of A* standard... But I'm awaiting a draft mark for section 1 of my coursework so I can make improvements.
EPQ
My EPQ teacher thought my work was amazing and I'd definitely get all the marks for my first section and if I keep it up I'll definitely get an A*
MAT
This was a real bummer. I tried the 2013 paper. It was incredibly difficult for me. I don't think I was in the right mind-set.
For MAT 2013, the average score amongst all applicants 44.8, amongst shortlisted applicants 54.2, amongst successful applicants 60.6
I scored 58/100...
So I would've been shortlisted but I probably wouldn't receive an offer.
What I struggle with the most is trying to understand what the question is asking for. Here's an example:

AB-words are “words” formed from the letters A and B according to certain rules. The rules are applied starting with the empty word, containing no letters. The basic rules are: (1) If the current word is x, then it can be replaced with the word that starts with A, followed by x and ending with B, written AxB. (2) If the current word ends with B, the final B can be removed.

Describe precisely all the words that can be produced with these two rules. Justify your answer.

I was very confuzzled and I thought... isn't there an infinite many ways that these rules could be applied.. how many times do they want me to apply these rules.... it was the word "precisely"... yeah... I was being a bit silly I guess but I think I'm still in like an "A-level Maths" mind set and not a problem-solving one. But I will do better in the 2014 paper.

So here's my plan for MAT:
40 minutes on Question 1, 30 minutes thereafter on 2,5,6 and 7. I intend to start with Q6 in the real paper as this is my strongest question. I often score 15/15 on this question. So I'm going to go 6, 1, 2, 5, 7... or something along those lines. The next paper (2014) I will do timed so that I can see how many marks I drop whilst on a strict timer!

Have a great week guys! Make the most out of your situation, whatever it may be!
Original post by Someboady
This was a real bummer. I tried the 2013 paper. It was incredibly difficult for me. I don't think I was in the right mind-set.
For MAT 2013, the average score amongst all applicants 44.8, amongst shortlisted applicants 54.2, amongst successful applicants 60.6
I scored 58/100...
So I would've been shortlisted but I probably wouldn't receive an offer.


If the average score amongst successful applicants is 60.6 (this is very college dependent too actually), then scorers of approximately 58 would almost certainly have been in the student cohort for that year (in large numbers) unless a substantial proportion scored 59 or 60. So 58 is a very credible score for that year especially because it was tough, well done :smile:

I have assumed that the outlier values for successful applicants lie north of 60.6 rather than below, which is a fair enough assumption given that a higher score is better. This means a large proportion of scores should be just a few marks below the mean to tilt the balance of outliers.
Original post by Someboady
Hi,

I'm creating this thread as a way to track my progress throughout the year and motivate myself to study. In my AS year I took AS-Maths, A-level Maths, AS Physics and AS Computer Science. I got 4A's. It might sound great but I missed the A* in Maths by 2 marks in my Core 4 paper. I got 100% in Core 1, Core 2 and Core 3 but my Core 4 dropped to just under 80%. This annoyed me a lot because I know I was ready for Core 4 and I know that I should've done miles better. It annoyed me because now I have to retake that module this year despite knowing it last year...it was just a bad day for me I reckon. My predicted grades are currently 3A*s (Maths, Physics, Computer Science) however my Further Maths looks to be an A, however I will try to get this bumped to an A* (I mean, I did really well in terms of UMS discounting Core 4). I am also taking the EPQ this year on Computer Science and I hope to be predicted an A*.

So my teachers believe me to be capable of achieving A*'s due to high A-grades last year however I must admit I think I won't manage it. I just feel like the margins for error are too high and I'll slip up like I did in my AS-year. I intend to try my hardest though and I hope this thread motivates others too.
I am applying to study Computer Science at Oxford, Imperial, Bristol, Warwick and Durham/Sheffield. My internal deadline for UCAS is next week. I also have to take the MAT in around a months time. Thus a lot of preparation is required. The work load is huge at the moment but I'm just about managing.

I will be working my socks off this year and I will begin my first post on Monday which will be my second full week at college. My first week was just appalling.
For Further Maths I will be studying the Edexcel syllabus (FP1,FP2,FP3,M2,S2,D1) and I hope to have FP1,M2,S2 finished by December.
For Physics I'm studying the AQA Syllabus and doing AstroPhysics for my option despite having chosen Turning points... my college sucks so bad.
For Computer Science I am doing the OCR exam board and I will be working on my coursework for the most part, I'm aiming to have that complete by December also. This will give me time to prepare for the exam.
Core 4, I will prepare for starting from January. There is no way I miss the A* in Maths next year. It scares me to think I might miss it again if I flop this exam.
My EPQ will be alongside my studies, I will sacrifice whatever time I have to it.
I am also a disadvantaged student in the sense that I attend a college that is underperforming and I am part of various schemes that allow me to apply to University. People from my area don't usually go to University and I will be the first in my family to attend University hopefully. Also I always thought Oxford/Cambridge were only for rich kids who could afford it lol..Glad they put that misconception away.
I am more than willing to pull my weight this year to achieve these grades. Oxford and Imperial are just hopes, I at least want to get offers from Bristol and Warwick and Sheffield/Durham.
If you have any advice about anything whether it be Universities, or how to succeed or A-levels I would be more than happy to receive it!
With that being said, I think this will be the opener to my thread.

Thanks for reading,
Someboady

EDIT: I am predicted 5A*s now. The support on this thread has been phenomenal and thank you everyone for your encouraging words, hopefully I'll meet everyone's expectations.

University Applications
Thank you to @DarkEnergy for creating the template used below!:
UCAS Application Send Off Date:
Oxford (MCompSci Computer Science) | Date: TBD | Reply: TBD
Imperial College London (MEng Computing) | Date: TBD | Reply: TBD
Warwick (MEng Computer Science | Date: TBD | Reply: TBD
Bristol (MEng Computer Science | Date: TBD | Reply: TBD
Durham (MEng Computer Science) | Date: TBD | Reply: TBD

MAT Preparation Record:
Target: 70/100

In order as attempted:
MAT 2010 | Q1: 28/40 | Q2: 5/15 | Q5: 15/15 | Q6: 4/15 | Q7: 3/15 | TOTAL = 55/100 (Average Successful applicant scored: 69.3)
MAT 2011 | Q1: 24/40 | Q2: 10/15 | Q5: 9/15 | Q6: 14/15 | Q7: 10/15 | TOTAL = 67/100 (Average Successful applicant scored 71.3)
MAT 2012 | Q1: 36/40 | Q2: 9/15 | Q5: 14/15 | Q6: 15/15 | Q7: 13/15 | TOTAL = 86/100 (Average Successful applicant scored 68.2)
MAT 2013 | Q1: 24/40 | Q2: 5/15 | Q5: 5/15 | Q6: 15/15 | Q7: 9/15 | TOTAL = 58/100 (Average Successful applicant scored 61.3)

Exams Incoming this Summer:
FP1 | Date: TBD | Time: TBD
FP2 | Date: TBD | Time: TBD
FP3 | Date: TBD | Time: TBD
D1 | Date: TBD | Time: TBD
S2 | Date: TBD | Time: TBD
M2 | Date: TBD | Time: TBD
C4 (Resit) | Date: TBD | Time: TBD

Physics Paper 1 | Date: TBD | Time: TBD
Physics Paper 2 | Date: TBD | Time: TBD
Physics Paper 3 | Date: TBD | Time: TBD

Computer Science Paper 1 | Date: TBD | Time: TBD
Computer Science Paper 2 | Date: TBD | Time: TBD

Total = 13 exams (inc. MAT)

I aim to have learnt the content for FP1, M2, C4, Physics Paper 1 and MAT byj,dm

How were GCSES. Did you do a language
Original post by Theplace


How were GCSES. Did you do a language


6A*'s 5A's
I did take french however though not at GCSE level... I received a Merit for it
Original post by Himtiaz
I'm thinking dentistry or medicine. Which uni do you want to go to?


Cambridge, Imperial, LSE and not sure about the other 2 but probably going to choose uni's that are in a different tier since the 3 uni's are very competitive to get into! What about yourself?


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Original post by DamnDaniel2
Cambridge, Imperial, LSE and not sure about the other 2 but probably going to choose uni's that are in a different tier since the 3 uni's are very competitive to get into! What about yourself?


Posted from TSR Mobile

Im kinda the same

Cambridge
Durham
Imperial
Edinburgh
Not sure about my last choice either

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