Things you wish you knew before A-Level.

Discussion for A-Level students and for those choosing their A-Level subjects.

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  1. ray_charlene's Avatar
    • Exalted Member
    • Location: Leicester
    • Posts: 392
    Re: Things you wish you knew before A-Level.
    (Original post by InternetGangster)
    I couldn't disagree more.
    It depends what you do for GCSE and A-level.
    For Maths, I didn't do GCSE but HKCEE in HongKong but they are basically exam for the students of the same age. I got a C, then when I did more than 30 GCSE pastpapers my friend got, I got full marks for each of them. (I think they were AQA and there were something like higher tier and foundation tier :excited: )
    Also you need a lot more skills for A-level when you do Economics, EngLit, Law, Philosophy etc.
  2. Procrastination's Avatar
    • Junior Member
    • Posts: 53
    Re: Things you wish you knew before A-Level.
    (Original post by YB101)
    what changes ?


    HAHAHAHAHAHAAHA YOU HAVE A LOT COMING FOR YOU MY FRIEND!


    But seriously, the work load is ridiculous. The amount of work I had spilt my folder in half 3 times. better work on your organisation and time management skills.

    AS is alright, A2 will make you regret taking the subject. The questions get weird and so "guessy" and synoptic I've never know for there to be a year were there hasn't been a massive uproar about some stupid question they OCR have thrown in. this year they repeated a question from a another paper and s**t went down.

    You have no room for forgetting, because everything you learn from the start of AS WILL appear in your last exam

    I wish you all the best on your journey. PM me for further information. I am an OCR Biology Survivor

    hahha. Thank you for the information and advice.
  3. Dr. Bassman's Avatar
    • Benevolent Member
    • Location: London
    • Posts: 796
    Re: Things you wish you knew before A-Level.
    Extra-curricular activities are pointless. On your personal statement you mainly write about the subject you want to do and have a short paragraph on yourself. Make sure you have at least something to say but it should seem genuine. All they want to know is that you're a somewhat interesting person and have more to your life than just studying. Also, don't be afraid to bull**** on your PS if you don't have to have an interview. As long as it's factual you can basically make up things about yourself... just make sure you do it properly.
  4. chazbonleolion's Avatar
    • New Member
    • Posts: 6
    Re: Things you wish you knew before A-Level.
    (Original post by Zu!)
    2) A-level Geography (especially Edexcel) is not just 'colouring in maps', it's actually a pretty tough subject as there is a lot to learn!

    So true.
  5. brittanna's Avatar
    • Peer Of The TSR Realm
    • Posts: 1,503
    Re: Things you wish you knew before A-Level.
    That AQA Biol4 is the biggest load of crap anyone could study in their lives. How dare it be called science!!
  6. Vixen47's Avatar
    • Peer Of The TSR Realm
    • Location: Location, Location
    Re: Things you wish you knew before A-Level.
    That one piece of advice you read practically everywhere that says "start revision six weeks before the exam" actually means REVISE SIX WEEKS BEFOREHAND. :emo:
  7. dmccririck's Avatar
    • Adored and Respected Member
    • Location: Somerset
    • Posts: 530
    Re: Things you wish you knew before A-Level.
    (Original post by YB101)
    If you are doing biology, every animal or species that appears in your exam, you will develop an increased hatred for. I can never look at cats and pandas in the same way.
    Panda's are a bunch of c****.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4eqUtK61SOs
  8. Shaman's Avatar
    • Junior Member
    • Posts: 26
    Re: Things you wish you knew before A-Level.
    (Original post by NaaderBajwa)
    That OCR and Biology do not mix.
    (Original post by YB101)
    If you are doing biology, every animal or species that appears in your exam, you will develop an increased hatred for. I can never look at cats and pandas in the same way.

    You will never hear truer words than these.
    Also : Do NOT trust the teachers to do a good job of teaching you everything. And please take first year modules seriously. You can see a huge contrast between people who have a good bank of UMS to get them into uni by doing very average in their summer exams and those who now are stressing because they need 85% or so to get into their top Uni choice.
  9. Vixen47's Avatar
    • Peer Of The TSR Realm
    • Location: Location, Location
    Re: Things you wish you knew before A-Level.
    (Original post by Procrastination)
    I had OCR 21st century science for GCSE and thought they were great, what changes?:confused:
    The transition from GCSE to A Level.
  10. LeaX's Avatar
    • Peer Of The TSR Realm
    • Posts: 1,874
    Re: Things you wish you knew before A-Level.
    PAST. PAPERS.

    Do them all, then do them again and again. Don't stop until you can get As in every paper.
  11. chanlp94's Avatar
    • Junior Member
    • Posts: 36
    Re: Things you wish you knew before A-Level.
    (Original post by Procrastination)
    I had OCR 21st century science for GCSE and thought they were great, what changes?:confused:
    They treat you well at GCSE to suck you in, then they treat you like their bitch at A-level.

    I got ****ed over. :mad:
  12. A100whoo's Avatar
    • Overlord in Training
    • Location: The attic at 109 Kingsbridge Avenue, Leeds, England
    • Posts: 2,147
    Re: Things you wish you knew before A-Level.
    Do really well in your AS Levels, youll be less stressed in y13
  13. lazershus's Avatar
    • Adored and Respected Member
    • Location: London
    • Posts: 562
    Re: Things you wish you knew before A-Level.
    don't be stupid like me and leave revision to last minute, do this at gcse and get all your As and A*s, try it at A level and leave the exam room crying! one thing i think is important is making sure you actually understand what you're learning, no point trying to remember things word for word (except definitions), if you listen to teachers in class and understand the work then you should do fine, defo revise early or you'll end up like me with sleepless nights drinking black coffee while speeding through pages of boring information the night before the exam. *sigh*

    AND OMG DO PAST PAPERS ALWAYS! AS MANY AS YOU CAN!! THEY REPEAT SO MUCH (well i can only speak for ocr chem, bio and mei maths but i'm sure it's the same with most exams)
    also being an organised person is helpful. i'm not, so it's a good thing i don't rely on my class notes, if i did half will be missing and i will be dead.
  14. chaosdestro0's Avatar
    • Adored and Respected Member
    Re: Things you wish you knew before A-Level.
    Don't do computing as it's just memorization.
  15. YB101's Avatar
    • Exalted and Worshipped Member
    • Posts: 1,200
    Re: Things you wish you knew before A-Level.
    (Original post by dmccririck)
    Panda's are a bunch of c****.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4eqUtK61SOs
    HAHAHAHAHAHAHA I'M CRYING!

    So true, Colourpoint cats also!

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4277Z...layer_embedded
  16. DeelyBopper's Avatar
    • PS Helper
    • Adored and Respected Member
    • Location: Northamptonshire
    Re: Things you wish you knew before A-Level.
    - Actually bothering at AS pays off
    - All exam boards hate you (especially OCR)
    - To not think that because you were good at a subject at GCSE you will be any good at A level (particularly relevant to English Lit students!!)
    - Make some damn notes!!
    - You will hate all your subjects at the end of A levels.
  17. Oromis263's Avatar
    • Overlord in Training
    • Location: Alagaësia
    • Posts: 3,498
    Re: Things you wish you knew before A-Level.
    I wish I knew how important AS would be. Work hard and really push for the top grades in AS, and you will get the offers you want from the universities you want in year 13. Then, due to having the good grades the year before, the pressure is relieved slightly when it comes to the end of year 13 exams, as you won't have to do as well in the harder exams.
  18. TattyBoJangles's Avatar
    • Overlord in Training
    • Location: Cambridge
    • Posts: 2,164
    Re: Things you wish you knew before A-Level.
    Try to be abstract in your OCR Biology revision; they like to ask questions that seem completely irrelevant to the course.
    I pretty much memorised the entire course and did loads of extra reading.. but the exam still had me going "WTF?"

    I also had to pretty much self-teach the Biology course. My teachers were useless and I even had to teach the class once because she didn't understand photosynthesis..
  19. lausa22's Avatar
    • Adored and Respected Member
    • Location: Liverpool
    • Posts: 536
    Re: Things you wish you knew before A-Level.
    1) DO SO MANY PAST PAPERS. And then do more. And then some more.

    2) Don't mess about in your AS year. I got D's and my teachers said it was fine, I could just bring the grades up next year, but now I'm working my butt off to try and get good grades.

    3) Don't take Chemistry, unless you know the teacher is the best teacher ever. That goes for Maths and Physics too.
  20. BlueSparkleDust's Avatar
    • Full Member
    • Posts: 81
    Re: Things you wish you knew before A-Level.
    I wish I knew different revision techniques before I started A levels, now I'm doomed
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