[namzy01]

As the title suggests, im seeking advice from anyone who acheived an A* or was very close to an A* completing chemistry under the AQA exam board. Btw I got a B for chemistry (12 ums away from an A) so im definitely resitting unit 2 where I did poorly.

[charco]

(Original post by namzy01)
As the title suggests, im seeking advice from anyone who acheived an A* or was very close to an A* completing chemistry under the AQA exam board. Btw I got a B for chemistry (12 ums away from an A) so im definitely resitting unit 2 where I did poorly.

Check out this AQA chemistry website for a fully linked specification and notes...

[gingerbreadman85]

Work your ass off? Revise as you go along? Listen to your teacher like it was the voice of God? Do lots of past papers till your eyes bleed?

[Alpha-Omega]

(Original post by gingerbreadman85)
Work your ass off? Revise as you go along? Listen to your teacher like it was the voice of God? Do lots of past papers till your eyes bleed?

You make it sound so much fun.

[Bright.Inspiration.]

omggg i need advice on this too

long story short - i am doing a whole chemistry A level (AS and A2) in ONE year, and to get into uni next year i need to get an A*

any advice would be amazingggg !

[NewCrack]

(Original post by Bright.Inspiration.)
omggg i need advice on this too

long story short - i am doing a whole chemistry A level (AS and A2) in ONE year, and to get into uni next year i need to get an A*

any advice would be amazingggg !

holy crap good luck!

[Snavej]

(Original post by Bright.Inspiration.)
omggg i need advice on this too

long story short - i am doing a whole chemistry A level (AS and A2) in ONE year, and to get into uni next year i need to get an A*

any advice would be amazingggg !

Um... forget your social life... Nah dont, just work hard... and Good Luck

[Scarface-Don]

Ive just completed A2 AQA Chemistry but I got an A though. But what I would advice you to do is to do the end of topic questions until you don't get a single one wrong. Save up the past papers until your study leave because its a relatively new syllabus so resources are scarce. And follow the book closely because I found the explanations in the book quite amazing. Some things that I didn't understood in class I was able to understand by having a look in the book. Good luck

[NewCrack]

(Original post by charco)
Check out this AQA chemistry website for a fully linked specification and notes...

Thanks for that!

[Bright.Inspiration.]

(Original post by NewCrack)
holy crap good luck!

cheers

[Bright.Inspiration.]

(Original post by Snavej)
Um... forget your social life... Nah dont, just work hard... and Good Luck

i probably will have to forget my social life to be honest

i really need the damn A* but i havent done chem since GCSE (im 18 - taking a gap year and doing chem in it)

[Bright.Inspiration.]

(Original post by charco)
Check out this AQA chemistry website for a fully linked specification and notes...

Ahh thats helpful - thank you

[kidoo]

Work work work, study study study, listen listen listen, past-papers past-papers past-papers.

Repeat process.

Honestly though, you just need to get your head down. There is no such thing as a step by step guide on how to get good grades. Threads like this are misleading due to their weird title which makes the recipe for success in A levels sound like building a paper plane in step-by-step order.

[namzy01]

Someone told me its either "you get it or you dont". I dont think this is true as long as you have a little understanding of the basic principles in chemistry.

[Part A]

(Original post by Scarface-Don)
Ive just completed A2 AQA Chemistry but I got an A though. But what I would advice you to do is to do the end of topic questions until you don't get a single one wrong. Save up the past papers until your study leave because its a relatively new syllabus so resources are scarce. And follow the book closely because I found the explanations in the book quite amazing. Some things that I didn't understood in class I was able to understand by having a look in the book. Good luck

Do you think there is any point in doing pre-2009 aqa chem past papers? :L

[Scarface-Don]

(Original post by Part A)
Do you think there is any point in doing pre-2009 aqa chem past papers? :L

Yes definitely since there are only a few past papers. But they do contain some stuff that is not in the syllabus so you they might look more challenging and you do not want to end up looking up stuff which is not required for your exam. My chemistry teacher used them as revision in class but he used to take out all the questions that were not part of the syllabus, maybe you could recommend this to your teacher. However I would say that like 90% of stuff is related to your syllabus so yes definitely use them.

[Adrian87]

buy the unit 4 and 5 A2 collins student support material chemisry book. Its essential. concise and has a practice exam. I found the AS one amazing

[Octohedral]

(Original post by namzy01)
As the title suggests, im seeking advice from anyone who acheived an A* or was very close to an A* completing chemistry under the AQA exam board. Btw I got a B for chemistry (12 ums away from an A) so im definitely resitting unit 2 where I did poorly.

(Original post by Bright.Inspiration.)
omggg i need advice on this too

long story short - i am doing a whole chemistry A level (AS and A2) in ONE year, and to get into uni next year i need to get an A*

any advice would be amazingggg !

The best method;

1. Choose a good textbook. Condense every page onto about 1/6 of a page so your notes are about one page per section. Do this HOWEVER long it takes (it used to take me about half an hour to do 1/6 of a page, and about 40 pages altogether. Use colour coding for definitions etc. At the end you will understand the work, rather than just having memorised stuff.

2. Tick things off the specification as you go.

3. As you go, make memorisation sheets. The most essential are;
i) Chemical tests - chemicals, conditions, what you see, interpretation.
ii) Map of organic reaction pathways.
Though there are others. Close to the exam, learn these by heart.

4. Do lots of past papers and memorise the definitions especially - they are often looking for a key word, and things often come up several times.

I was the only person in my class to get an A*, so it works.

Good luck!

Edit: Oh, and if you don't procrastinate you don't have to give up your social life.

[namzy01]

(Original post by Octohedral)
The best method;

1. Choose a good textbook. Condense every page onto about 1/6 of a page so your notes are about one page per section. Do this HOWEVER long it takes (it used to take me about half an hour to do 1/6 of a page, and about 40 pages altogether. Use colour coding for definitions etc. At the end you will understand the work, rather than just having memorised stuff.

2. Tick things off the specification as you go.

3. As you go, make memorisation sheets. The most essential are;
i) Chemical tests - chemicals, conditions, what you see, interpretation.
ii) Map of organic reaction pathways.
Though there are others. Close to the exam, learn these by heart.

4. Do lots of past papers and memorise the definitions especially - they are often looking for a key word, and things often come up several times.

I was the only person in my class to get an A*, so it works.

Good luck!

Edit: Oh, and if you don't procrastinate you don't have to give up your social life.

+rep for the great advice . Btw what would you say was the longest or hardest thing to grasp in a2 chemistry?

[Part A]

(Original post by Adrian87)
buy the unit 4 and 5 A2 collins student support material chemisry book. Its essential. concise and has a practice exam. I found the AS one amazing

Best books! Got them for AS, look great