REALLY?? How hard is AS level exactly?
Every AS thread I go to, everyone is saying that you need to work from day 1 and rewrite your notes everyday, always complete homework, stay motivated, etc..
So how hard is it exactly to revise from the first day and continuously study? If every sixth former is telling people to work really hard, surely everyone would listen and get A's in all subjects!
So why does everyone succeed, what are we doing wrong?
Any other tips for the soon-to-be sixth former?
Im taking:
Maths
Bio
Chem
and eng lit but I want to change this to RS (philosophy and ethics)
...And I want a medical career, not sure which job specially though
Thank you, wonderful sixth formers on TSR
PS. How do I make a teacher favouritise me
So how hard is it exactly to revise from the first day and continuously study? If every sixth former is telling people to work really hard, surely everyone would listen and get A's in all subjects!
So why does everyone succeed, what are we doing wrong?
Any other tips for the soon-to-be sixth former?
Im taking:
Maths
Bio
Chem
and eng lit but I want to change this to RS (philosophy and ethics)
...And I want a medical career, not sure which job specially though
Thank you, wonderful sixth formers on TSR
PS. How do I make a teacher favouritise me
Scroll to see replies
Its a huge step up from GCSE no exaggeration, the work content is a lot harder! Specifically the sciences there is a lot more knowledge and its a lot more independent. For biology theres a lot to learn and remember facts wise, chemistry is ridiculous I got an A in gcse probably gonna get a D in august :/ English lit I do, I love it but make sure you learn your novels inside out and get ready for re drafting up until 3 figures for coursework, I'm not trying to discourage you just take that in mind you'll see for yourself how big the jump is, good luck!
It depends a lot on the person. Some will float by without much in the way of effort, others will struggle more.
Your best bet is, of course, the horrible cliche of working smart, not hard. Actually pay attention in class. Ask about things you don't understand, and do work when you get it. Shouldn't have many issues then.
Your best bet is, of course, the horrible cliche of working smart, not hard. Actually pay attention in class. Ask about things you don't understand, and do work when you get it. Shouldn't have many issues then.
They aren't that bad, yes they are a big step up from GCSEs, but in a way it is easier because you do less subjects so you can focus your efforts. I have done better at AS than I did at GCSE. If you keep on top of your work from the start of the year you should be able to get used to the pace and difficulty.
Original post by Cutie_Pie
Every AS thread I go to, everyone is saying that you need to work from day 1 and rewrite your notes everyday, always complete homework, stay motivated, etc..
So how hard is it exactly to revise from the first day and continuously study? If every sixth former is telling people to work really hard, surely everyone would listen and get A's in all subjects!
So why does everyone succeed, what are we doing wrong?
Any other tips for the soon-to-be sixth former?
Im taking:
Maths
Bio
Chem
and eng lit but I want to change this to RS (philosophy and ethics)
...And I want a medical career, not sure which job specially though
Thank you, wonderful sixth formers on TSR
PS. How do I make a teacher favouritise me
So how hard is it exactly to revise from the first day and continuously study? If every sixth former is telling people to work really hard, surely everyone would listen and get A's in all subjects!
So why does everyone succeed, what are we doing wrong?
Any other tips for the soon-to-be sixth former?
Im taking:
Maths
Bio
Chem
and eng lit but I want to change this to RS (philosophy and ethics)
...And I want a medical career, not sure which job specially though
Thank you, wonderful sixth formers on TSR
PS. How do I make a teacher favouritise me
Don't do this, you'll be wasting your time. Make notes properly in class and check your syllabus/textbook for anything extra and add to it. I rewrote all my notes but I think it was a waste of time, if you have to then make sure it doesn't get in the way of doing your homework and other revision. Best way to do well for Chemistry and Biology is to do EVERY question you can get your hands on. For maths do as many as you think you'll need until you are fully prepared for that topic then do past papers.
having just completed AS levels i can comment quite reliably for Maths ( as that is the only subject i do that's common with you )
For Maths you do C1,C2 and then either M1/S1/D1. the step-up from GCSE to C1 is really not much , it's just higher GCSE A* stuff really , a couple of topics which you may not have come across before are differentiation and integration however they are not difficult to understand - i think for Maths the concepts are not hard to get , it's just practice needed !!
this especially applies to C2 where the concepts of logarithms and especially the trig stuff at first is incredibly difficult to get your head around - but if you just practice ( ESPECIALLY for Logarithms ) then you'll soon be able to nail it. i know that when i first came across Logs i proper struggled massively , but now it's a walk in the park for me , and should be for you too !
So really , there is a step-up HOWEVER you really do not need to be revising from day one , but i would say keep up to date with the work - don't fall behind , basic stuff really. you won't find it that much harder to grasp the concepts , of course for some people it might take longer but in relation to the length of time available you should be able to get your head around them easily enough , but if you don't practice questions etc. then that's where you'll lose the A and get a B instead , or lose the B for a C and so on and so forth.
For Maths you do C1,C2 and then either M1/S1/D1. the step-up from GCSE to C1 is really not much , it's just higher GCSE A* stuff really , a couple of topics which you may not have come across before are differentiation and integration however they are not difficult to understand - i think for Maths the concepts are not hard to get , it's just practice needed !!
this especially applies to C2 where the concepts of logarithms and especially the trig stuff at first is incredibly difficult to get your head around - but if you just practice ( ESPECIALLY for Logarithms ) then you'll soon be able to nail it. i know that when i first came across Logs i proper struggled massively , but now it's a walk in the park for me , and should be for you too !
So really , there is a step-up HOWEVER you really do not need to be revising from day one , but i would say keep up to date with the work - don't fall behind , basic stuff really. you won't find it that much harder to grasp the concepts , of course for some people it might take longer but in relation to the length of time available you should be able to get your head around them easily enough , but if you don't practice questions etc. then that's where you'll lose the A and get a B instead , or lose the B for a C and so on and so forth.
Depends on person to person.
If you did horribly so far in your academic life at school, it's probably going to be hard.
If you have been doing very well, it's probably gonna be like any previous years.
Personally, I just paid attention in class, writing stuff down in class. No serious note making or revision beyond that.
If you did horribly so far in your academic life at school, it's probably going to be hard.
If you have been doing very well, it's probably gonna be like any previous years.
Personally, I just paid attention in class, writing stuff down in class. No serious note making or revision beyond that.
Original post by Cutie_Pie
Every AS thread I go to, everyone is saying that you need to work from day 1 and rewrite your notes everyday, always complete homework, stay motivated, etc..
So how hard is it exactly to revise from the first day and continuously study? If every sixth former is telling people to work really hard, surely everyone would listen and get A's in all subjects!
So why does everyone succeed, what are we doing wrong?
Any other tips for the soon-to-be sixth former?
Im taking:
Maths
Bio
Chem
and eng lit but I want to change this to RS (philosophy and ethics)
...And I want a medical career, not sure which job specially though
Thank you, wonderful sixth formers on TSR
PS. How do I make a teacher favouritise me
So how hard is it exactly to revise from the first day and continuously study? If every sixth former is telling people to work really hard, surely everyone would listen and get A's in all subjects!
So why does everyone succeed, what are we doing wrong?
Any other tips for the soon-to-be sixth former?
Im taking:
Maths
Bio
Chem
and eng lit but I want to change this to RS (philosophy and ethics)
...And I want a medical career, not sure which job specially though
Thank you, wonderful sixth formers on TSR
PS. How do I make a teacher favouritise me
I have just finished my first year in sixth form. I have found that whilst the work load remains fine (as you stop doing a lot of subjects you had to previously do at GCSE), the exams did seem a lot harder. Maths was the subject I had the most homework from, just because 'practice makes perfect'. Geography was probably my hardest subject as it went from short answer exam questions at GCSE to long answers at AS and The A2 exam is even longer!
My advice would be to make revision notes as you go along and start revising in February half term - don't leave it all last minute. Also use your free periods effectively to get work done and use the school/college facilities. I always find I'm more motivated to work at school as I can get distracted and lazy at home! Also, buy some good quality revision books. I recommend the CGP new edition guides for maths - they really helped me :-)
Hope that helps!
Posted from TSR Mobile
Original post by Cutie_Pie
Every AS thread I go to, everyone is saying that you need to work from day 1 and rewrite your notes everyday, always complete homework, stay motivated, etc..
So how hard is it exactly to revise from the first day and continuously study? If every sixth former is telling people to work really hard, surely everyone would listen and get A's in all subjects!
So why does everyone succeed, what are we doing wrong?
Any other tips for the soon-to-be sixth former?
Im taking:
Maths
Bio
Chem
and eng lit but I want to change this to RS (philosophy and ethics)
...And I want a medical career, not sure which job specially though
Thank you, wonderful sixth formers on TSR
PS. How do I make a teacher favouritise me
So how hard is it exactly to revise from the first day and continuously study? If every sixth former is telling people to work really hard, surely everyone would listen and get A's in all subjects!
So why does everyone succeed, what are we doing wrong?
Any other tips for the soon-to-be sixth former?
Im taking:
Maths
Bio
Chem
and eng lit but I want to change this to RS (philosophy and ethics)
...And I want a medical career, not sure which job specially though
Thank you, wonderful sixth formers on TSR
PS. How do I make a teacher favouritise me
Im currently doing Medicine and studied chemistry, biology, maths and physics at AS level. Obviously the subjects get a bit harder and more in depth at AS level but on the other side you have more time to study the subjects as you aren't studying as many subjects as GCSE. I think its also down to you; you need to put the work in for the grade you want.
Original post by SixteenSaltines
They aren't that bad, yes they are a big step up from GCSEs, but in a way it is easier because you do less subjects so you can focus your efforts. I have done better at AS than I did at GCSE. If you keep on top of your work from the start of the year you should be able to get used to the pace and difficulty.
any particular reason(s) why you did better at AS than GCSE?
Original post by Fas
having just completed AS levels i can comment quite reliably for Maths ( as that is the only subject i do that's common with you )
For Maths you do C1,C2 and then either M1/S1/D1. the step-up from GCSE to C1 is really not much , it's just higher GCSE A* stuff really , a couple of topics which you may not have come across before are differentiation and integration however they are not difficult to understand - i think for Maths the concepts are not hard to get , it's just practice needed !!
this especially applies to C2 where the concepts of logarithms and especially the trig stuff at first is incredibly difficult to get your head around - but if you just practice ( ESPECIALLY for Logarithms ) then you'll soon be able to nail it. i know that when i first came across Logs i proper struggled massively , but now it's a walk in the park for me , and should be for you too !
So really , there is a step-up HOWEVER you really do not need to be revising from day one , but i would say keep up to date with the work - don't fall behind , basic stuff really. you won't find it that much harder to grasp the concepts , of course for some people it might take longer but in relation to the length of time available you should be able to get your head around them easily enough , but if you don't practice questions etc. then that's where you'll lose the A and get a B instead , or lose the B for a C and so on and so forth.
For Maths you do C1,C2 and then either M1/S1/D1. the step-up from GCSE to C1 is really not much , it's just higher GCSE A* stuff really , a couple of topics which you may not have come across before are differentiation and integration however they are not difficult to understand - i think for Maths the concepts are not hard to get , it's just practice needed !!
this especially applies to C2 where the concepts of logarithms and especially the trig stuff at first is incredibly difficult to get your head around - but if you just practice ( ESPECIALLY for Logarithms ) then you'll soon be able to nail it. i know that when i first came across Logs i proper struggled massively , but now it's a walk in the park for me , and should be for you too !
So really , there is a step-up HOWEVER you really do not need to be revising from day one , but i would say keep up to date with the work - don't fall behind , basic stuff really. you won't find it that much harder to grasp the concepts , of course for some people it might take longer but in relation to the length of time available you should be able to get your head around them easily enough , but if you don't practice questions etc. then that's where you'll lose the A and get a B instead , or lose the B for a C and so on and so forth.
Thanks for this, I'm about to start math as an adult learner and it was seeming a bit daunting! I'll be doing 2 A2 subjects and AS math from next week but it seems a lot more possible now.
To the OP, I've just finished biology and the best advice I can give you is LEARN it. I made notes etc but didn't pay attention, then I ended up actually learning the things during the 10 days of revision I did before my exam. I'm reasonably confident that it went well (practice papers certainly did) but I'd have saved myself so much work if I'd just spent an hour or 2 a week outside of lessons just making sure I understood something and then jogging my memory before the exam. Biology and chemistry start to tie together in AS so it really will help if you understand both of them.
Gcse to AS for some subjects like chemistry is pretty big but others is small and builds you up eg maths.
But AS to A2 really sorts the men from the boys.
Posted from TSR Mobile
But AS to A2 really sorts the men from the boys.
Posted from TSR Mobile
AS is a jump from GCSE, but assuming GCSEs went fairly well then AS is not really rocket science... besides from some the rocket stuff in Physics
General advice: work smart, keep up to date, PAST PAPERS etc.
General advice: work smart, keep up to date, PAST PAPERS etc.
Original post by IgorYakov
Don't do this, you'll be wasting your time. Make notes properly in class and check your syllabus/textbook for anything extra and add to it. I rewrote all my notes but I think it was a waste of time, if you have to then make sure it doesn't get in the way of doing your homework and other revision. Best way to do well for Chemistry and Biology is to do EVERY question you can get your hands on. For maths do as many as you think you'll need until you are fully prepared for that topic then do past papers.
are there any books you recommend for ocr Biology and ocr chemistry and edexcel maths and edexcel RS?
where would I find questions to practice? Just past papers or are there any useful websites/blogs/books that I could use.
Original post by medicine12
Im currently doing Medicine and studied chemistry, biology, maths and physics at AS level. Obviously the subjects get a bit harder and more in depth at AS level but on the other side you have more time to study the subjects as you aren't studying as many subjects as GCSE. I think its also down to you; you need to put the work in for the grade you want.
Any revision tips, or things you would tell your younger self?
Original post by Muppet Science
]nice! i see what you did there
Original post by Cutie_Pie
are there any books you recommend for ocr Biology and ocr chemistry and edexcel maths and edexcel RS?
where would I find questions to practice? Just past papers or are there any useful websites/blogs/books that I could use.
where would I find questions to practice? Just past papers or are there any useful websites/blogs/books that I could use.
CGP guide for edexcel maths is good and some questions are challenging, other than that use your textbook (you should be given one in september) and use past papers.
Can't say much for OCR biology as I did AQA
Same for Chem but http://a-levelchemistry.co.uk/ is what I used and it has OCR on it too
Sorry don't do RS
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