[Worms]

(Original post by Larry31)
Quote me if you have any questions about A-Levels, I'd be more than happy to help!

Ooh, also, how much preparation work should we do over the Summer? Enough just to maintain our current knowledge?

[wolf-pack]

I'm worried about being bored to tears in sociology, I enjoyed it at GCSE, but my a- level teacher has to be the most uninspiring and boring teacher I have ever had. Because of this I just couldn't take her induction lessons seriously, she said to me and my friend "I assume you won't be doing sociology next year then" haha, I felt a bit guilty afterwards but she has actually destroyed my favourite subject... is maths calling me? hmmm................

[minthumbugs]

(Original post by meeow)
Thanks for the advice, it's really reassuring to get someone's perspective once they've been through it all
I hope it does, i'll get to reading my set texts this summer too methinks

that's ok, I wish someone had last year before I started. The response I got was 'wait till you get to uni!' which wasn't really helpful..

It couldn't hurt to read it through once before having to analyse it. What are your set texts?

[Larry31]

(Original post by Worms)
x

Hey! Hmm grade change? I think that it really varies from person to person. I got an A* at GCSE and am on an A at AS predicted A* for A2; but then there are people with A*s at GCSE who got Cs in January. At our sixth form, the teachers set mini assessments at the end of every chapter and used your percentage to calculate a predicted grade, but that isn't necessarily how all schools do it.
In terms of preparation, I would personally advise that you take a break while you can. The holidays during 6th form are not like lower school, they are full of work and exam prep. even my summer holiday this year is jam-packed with EPQ research, uni visits, PS writing, UCAS filling in, part-time work as well as any work my subjects are going to set me. If you get REALLY bored then you could look at the first couple of chapters to C1 which act as a transition to AS-Level. Perhaps look over the more advanced GCSE stuff. My C1 book is hiding somewhere so I don't quite remember what the first topic is, I have a feeling it is indices or something along those lines :P do you know which exam board you'll be on?

[meeow]

(Original post by minthumbugs)
that's ok, I wish someone had last year before I started. The response I got was 'wait till you get to uni!' which wasn't really helpful..

It couldn't hurt to read it through once before having to analyse it. What are your set texts?

Yeah, a lot of advice is available on TSR, which is nice. I think they're pride and prejudice, othello and God of all small things, although i'm told that the teacher is liable to change them last minute

[Alotties]

(Original post by Worms)
I recently read somewhere that if you write down things you are worried out, you are more likely to overcome them.

Not particularly sure this is true but it's worth a bash.

For example, these are my worries.

1) I am scared that I will procrastinate as much as I did at GCSE

2) I am worried that Physics and Chemistry will be disastrous.

3) Finally I'm scared about weakening friendships, my options are very different to my friends.

Thanks x

*College ..?

1) You won't procrastinate more. You chose subjects you enjoy so you will be more motivated to work at them and the people around you will also have a better work ethic so won't be a distraction.
2) I do Chemistry but not Physics and because I enjoy the subject I have found it pretty simple to understand.
3) I went to the sixth form attached to the school i've been going to for 5 years and I ended up making a whole new group of friends this year, while still being friends with my old friends. My new friends are interested in the subjects I am interested in too and I find it easy to get along with them.

(Original post by Worms)
What is the general grade change from GCSE to A-level. My school just put the AS predicted grade as 1 grade lower than what you got at GCSE. Is this the general trend?

My school predicts them off your mean GCSE score.
My mean score was a B.
So my as level predictions were CCDD, if I had taken 3 as levels they would have been CCC.
In Jan I took 3 exams and achieved BBD, so they were slightly off. (One B was close to an A and the D was one mark off a C) so the predictions are just minimum targets that they'd like you to meet, or they are at my school

[Worms]

(Original post by Larry31)
Hey! Hmm grade change? I think that it really varies from person to person. I got an A* at GCSE and am on an A at AS predicted A* for A2; but then there are people with A*s at GCSE who got Cs in January. At our sixth form, the teachers set mini assessments at the end of every chapter and used your percentage to calculate a predicted grade, but that isn't necessarily how all schools do it.
In terms of preparation, I would personally advise that you take a break while you can. The holidays during 6th form are not like lower school, they are full of work and exam prep. even my summer holiday this year is jam-packed with EPQ research, uni visits, PS writing, UCAS filling in, part-time work as well as any work my subjects are going to set me. If you get REALLY bored then you could look at the first couple of chapters to C1 which act as a transition to AS-Level. Perhaps look over the more advanced GCSE stuff. My C1 book is hiding somewhere so I don't quite remember what the first topic is, I have a feeling it is indices or something along those lines :P do you know which exam board you'll be on?

Thank you, you are very wise.

[mevidek]

Not being good enough for my new school, finding it too stressful, and GCSE grades!

[Larry31]

(Original post by Worms)
Thank you, you are very wise.

xD thank you, but I'm just using my experiences to help I really hope you enjoy the maths, and that you get the GCSE grades you want

[Worms]

(Original post by Larry31)
xD thank you, but I'm just using my experiences to help I really hope you enjoy the maths, and that you get the GCSE grades you want

I want to get an A*, but I probably won't. Likewise in Physics. Que sera sera.

[Worms]

(Original post by mevidek)
Not being good enough for my new school, finding it too stressful, and GCSE grades!

Same. Even though I know I'm not going to do as well as I could, I'm still excited, which is pretty embarrassing.

[CosmicVengeance]

AS predictions are worthless i know people predicted 3As and B that got 6 a*s etc and end up getting acdd while people predicted 4 Es like me if u put the effort up from gcse can get abbb


This was posted from The Student Room's iPhone/iPad App

[Lucy96]

To be honest, the only thing I'm worrying about the most is Chemistry. Oh and that I'll fail miserably and won't be able to pursue my dreams

[Worms]

(Original post by Lucy96)
To be honest, the only thing I'm worrying about the most is Chemistry. Oh and that I'll fail miserably and won't be able to pursue my dreams

Medicine...?

[BraddoCA]

It sounds like most of you guys are worrying about mostly the sciences and maths, and speaking as someone who is nerdy enough to do them all.....it's not too bad!

Chemistry is simply amazing, it helps that I've got a really great teacher, but suddenly you find that everything begins to piece together and you realise all the links between so many things... and ahhh....just beautiful! So don't worry about it, just go with the flow and you'll fall in love with it! Haha, I sound like such a dork! XD

Physics has been great too, I had a reaaaaaaally bad teacher so I know I've totally screwed up this year.....but the stuff you have to learn isn't that difficult. Just a more advanced level, when it comes to the Mechanics side of it. Plus, looking more in depth at Particle Physics was pretty intense...again, just amazing! I found this year that Chem and Phys linked much more closely together, and that was really exciting!

Bio.... I gotta admit, I'm not a big fan of Bio. I was really interested at GCSE, but some of the syllabus I found really boring...like conservation, and stuff like that. But learning more about cells, and the heart and transport in plants was pretty groovy, plus the biochemistry side was fascinating, and it tied in really well with chemistry if you take that as well.

And as for Maths, well...I'm certainly not the greatest mathematician, but with hard work and lots of practice, you will get there! I remember getting so upset over not being able to pick things up as quickly, but then all of a sudden it sort of clicked, and you find yourself looking at a problem and knowing exactly what to do! So again, don't worry!

Enjoy Year 12, it was great in so many ways! If you guys have any questions about AS Science / Maths, I'm more than happy to help out! Good luck guys!

[Luppy021]

Like many others I did not revise for my GCSEs at all, and got a bit of a shock come august and was even more worried for A levels due to the jump everyone was emphasising. But I feel the key thing when it comes to A levels is organisation I cannot stress that enough. Some tips:
-Write up notes, do whatever as long as te information can be easily found
-A diary with work to be completed/revised (really helps)
-Study/revision schedule from day one, it doesn't have to be huge amounts of time just helps you stay on top of the workload, it helps get into the routine of study work that needs to be done
-Also organisation helps make time to do stuff you want like gym/going out etc

Btw my target grades for AS Level were 2C's and 2D's, managed to way ace that
Any questions feel free and good luck to you all

[Bobby2]

(Original post by BraddoCA)
It sounds like most of you guys are worrying about mostly the sciences and maths, and speaking as someone who is nerdy enough to do them all.....it's not too bad!

Chemistry is simply amazing, it helps that I've got a really great teacher, but suddenly you find that everything begins to piece together and you realise all the links between so many things... and ahhh....just beautiful! So don't worry about it, just go with the flow and you'll fall in love with it! Haha, I sound like such a dork! XD

Physics has been great too, I had a reaaaaaaally bad teacher so I know I've totally screwed up this year.....but the stuff you have to learn isn't that difficult. Just a more advanced level, when it comes to the Mechanics side of it. Plus, looking more in depth at Particle Physics was pretty intense...again, just amazing! I found this year that Chem and Phys linked much more closely together, and that was really exciting!

Bio.... I gotta admit, I'm not a big fan of Bio. I was really interested at GCSE, but some of the syllabus I found really boring...like conservation, and stuff like that. But learning more about cells, and the heart and transport in plants was pretty groovy, plus the biochemistry side was fascinating, and it tied in really well with chemistry if you take that as well.

And as for Maths, well...I'm certainly not the greatest mathematician, but with hard work and lots of practice, you will get there! I remember getting so upset over not being able to pick things up as quickly, but then all of a sudden it sort of clicked, and you find yourself looking at a problem and knowing exactly what to do! So again, don't worry!

Enjoy Year 12, it was great in so many ways! If you guys have any questions about AS Science / Maths, I'm more than happy to help out! Good luck guys!

What exam board was/is your bio and chem with?

[kingtaco]

When learning C1 don't use a calculator for anything at all. I cannot stress how much this will help your arithmetic for your exam.

[chernid]

(Original post by Fool In The Rain)
I did the GCSE in year 9. It was part of a 'fast-track' programme. I got a B in it (yes, I know it's not the best).

Oh ok, B's still good I find. When I did my French speaking the first time I froze up and couldn't do it. Also, every time I had a writing assessment I basically forgot everything I prepped for it which just lead to me being the last to finish because I had to keep using the dictionary.

[jamboogy]

(Original post by Worms)
I don't live near any of my friends, or civilisation actually, so my days usually consist of going on TSR and respiring. Not exactly my idea of fun.

I'm liking the cheeky little biology term you decided to slip in there , very cheeky. Actually, I'm sort of in your situation too, but I live in London so everything isn't that far away. If you plan ahead, then it's not that bad travelling to see your friends?