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Doctor dream gcse chemistry terror

Hey!
I'm 14 and i'm just going into my GCSE years. My dream is to become a doctor one day and I love biology! Although, I'm not very good at chemistry. Do you have any tips/books or revision guides for chemistry to help me get a good grade in GCSE and then hopefully a-level? c:
I'm better at english and creatives but I really want to try and be good at chemistry because it really doesn't come naturally!

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I wanted to be a famous actress at age 14 but I'm applying for a science degree at university next month :tongue:

With regards to chemistry, try CGP books, but I personally used the BBC Bitesize pages during GCSE.

But really, don't stress yourself out. Talk to your teachers for guidance and take it calmly :smile:
Original post by rosieme
Hey!
I'm 14 and i'm just going into my GCSE years. My dream is to become a doctor one day and I love biology! Although, I'm not very good at chemistry. Do you have any tips/books or revision guides for chemistry to help me get a good grade in GCSE and then hopefully a-level? c:
I'm better at english and creatives but I really want to try and be good at chemistry because it really doesn't come naturally!



For GCSE try mygcsescience website, use GCSE bitesize, try to revise materials and do past papers!

I only did foundation paper so i can't really give any more advice!
Original post by rosieme
Hey!
I'm 14 and i'm just going into my GCSE years. My dream is to become a doctor one day and I love biology! Although, I'm not very good at chemistry. Do you have any tips/books or revision guides for chemistry to help me get a good grade in GCSE and then hopefully a-level? c:
I'm better at english and creatives but I really want to try and be good at chemistry because it really doesn't come naturally!


Sound a lot like me at that age. I've just got AAB at A-level (B in chem), which normally isn't enough for medicine, but if you're determined enough there'll always be a way in. I'm currently working in a hospital abroad for a year before using an alternative pathway. My point is, that as long as you manage to be alright at chem like me, you still stand a chance. So don't get awfully stressed about that.

As far as revising for chemistry I would usually recommend the official revision guides. CGP is supposed to be good although I never liked it. It's important to know how you learn best, which you only discover by improvising. If you really want I can also see if I can help your problems in chemistry by PM.
Reply 4
Original post by enaayrah
I wanted to be a famous actress at age 14 but I'm applying for a science degree at university next month :tongue:

With regards to chemistry, try CGP books, but I personally used the BBC Bitesize pages during GCSE.

But really, don't stress yourself out. Talk to your teachers for guidance and take it calmly :smile:


Thank you! I will try those books! Aha certain events in my life have made me really want to do this XD
Reply 5
Original post by Alaric III
Sound a lot like me at that age. I've just got AAB at A-level (B in chem), which normally isn't enough for medicine, but if you're determined enough there'll always be a way in. I'm currently working in a hospital abroad for a year before using an alternative pathway. My point is, that as long as you manage to be alright at chem like me, you still stand a chance. So don't get awfully stressed about that.

As far as revising for chemistry I would usually recommend the official revision guides. CGP is supposed to be good although I never liked it. It's important to know how you learn best, which you only discover by improvising. If you really want I can also see if I can help your problems in chemistry by PM.


Thank you this has given me confidence! I really am trying to have a positive mindset about this c: and cool, I'll know who to come to with tricky chem problems hehe
Reply 6
Original post by Uz25
For GCSE try mygcsescience website, use GCSE bitesize, try to revise materials and do past papers!

I only did foundation paper so i can't really give any more advice!


Thanks for the link!
Yeah my school make us do higher tier and foundation :c
Reply 7
You have plenty of time to improve at your chemistry, so it's good that you're looking at this already :smile: as others have already said, the mygcsescience youtube videos are awesome! Do plenty of past paper practice, and use flashcards to test yourself and recall lessons
Reply 8
Original post by Ezme39
You have plenty of time to improve at your chemistry, so it's good that you're looking at this already :smile: as others have already said, the mygcsescience youtube videos are awesome! Do plenty of past paper practice, and use flashcards to test yourself and recall lessons


YAS past papers are a really good idea!
I've just bought more flashcards so I'm totally ready :bban:
Go through the curriculum specification (found on the website of whichever exam board you're taking) and correlate all the points with both your notes and a CGP revision guide.
Make sure that you know exactly what it is that you know, if you understand my meaning.
On a less specific note, you know that you need to jump through all sorts of ridiculous hoops to be an "attractive" medical candidate, yes? 14 is a very good age to make headway there.
Reply 11
Original post by Infraspecies
Go through the curriculum specification (found on the website of whichever exam board you're taking) and correlate all the points with both your notes and a CGP revision guide.
Make sure that you know exactly what it is that you know, if you understand my meaning.


Thank you! I never thought about that!
Reply 12
Original post by Infraspecies
On a less specific note, you know that you need to jump through all sorts of ridiculous hoops to be an "attractive" medical candidate, yes? 14 is a very good age to make headway there.


Yes aha I'm doing work experience in a daycare centre at a hospital. I'm trying to build up my extra curricular activities too c:
I'm not super knowledgeable about medicine, but I was looking into it a few months ago before changing my mind about my future career. I think that the courses tend to be quite chemistry based, and a lot of universities require chemistry but not biology, suggesting chemistry is more important than biology for medicine. So if you don't like/aren't very good at chemistry, perhaps a 5 or 6 year long course based around it is not the kind of thing you want to be doing. Although I don't want to deprive you of your dream, and I'm sure if you work hard at your chemistry now, in the future you'll be fine.
Original post by rosieme
Yes aha I'm doing work experience in a daycare centre at a hospital. I'm trying to build up my extra curricular activities too c:


Excellent. Make sure to read widely, both in and around the medical sphere.

It is ridiculous the steps one needs to go through; medicine isn't uniquely challenging, just unfortunately oversubscribed.
Original post by Stringer8ell
I'm not super knowledgeable about medicine, but I was looking into it a few months ago before changing my mind about my future career. I think that the courses tend to be quite chemistry based, and a lot of universities require chemistry but not biology, suggesting chemistry is more important than biology for medicine. So if you don't like/aren't very good at chemistry, perhaps a 5 or 6 year long course based around it is not the kind of thing you want to be doing. Although I don't want to deprive you of your dream, and I'm sure if you work hard at your chemistry now, in the future you'll be fine.


Doing something that uses chemistry is very different from doing chemistry. The focus will be totally different, and it will feel more like a tool, than a specialisation. In which case, it's just a matter of learning the machinery.
Reply 16
Original post by Stringer8ell
I'm not super knowledgeable about medicine, but I was looking into it a few months ago before changing my mind about my future career. I think that the courses tend to be quite chemistry based, and a lot of universities require chemistry but not biology, suggesting chemistry is more important than biology for medicine. So if you don't like/aren't very good at chemistry, perhaps a 5 or 6 year long course based around it is not the kind of thing you want to be doing. Although I don't want to deprive you of your dream, and I'm sure if you work hard at your chemistry now, in the future you'll be fine.
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Really? I've read about medical students saying it's mostly biology learning about systems etc with the chemistry part being about the chemical processes of those functions.
Reply 17
Original post by Infraspecies
Doing something that uses chemistry is very different from doing chemistry. The focus will be totally different, and it will feel more like a tool, than a specialisation. In which case, it's just a matter of learning the machinery.


Yeah that's what I hoped!
Original post by Stringer8ell
I'm not super knowledgeable about medicine, but I was looking into it a few months ago before changing my mind about my future career. I think that the courses tend to be quite chemistry based, and a lot of universities require chemistry but not biology, suggesting chemistry is more important than biology for medicine. So if you don't like/aren't very good at chemistry, perhaps a 5 or 6 year long course based around it is not the kind of thing you want to be doing. Although I don't want to deprive you of your dream, and I'm sure if you work hard at your chemistry now, in the future you'll be fine.


There's no pure chemistry on the course. It's just a stupid and outdated entry requirement.
Reply 19
Original post by Democracy
There's no pure chemistry on the course. It's just a stupid and outdated entry requirement.


Ah thank you! Do you study medicine then?

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