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What's the essential piece of advice you'd give to someone starting their A-levels?

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Do the work. Don't kid yourself that you are when you aren't. Don't tell yourself you'll catch up later. Don't tell yourself you're smart enough to do it all at the end. Don't tell yourself that some of the stuff isn't important. Don't tell yourself that you can learn it all out of books by yourself when you feel a bit more motivated. Do the work.
Original post by alow
Hahahahahahahahahahahahaha

What the **** are you on about?


:laugh: true!
Straight A's/A*'s at GCSE does not usually equate to straight A's/A*'s at A level and a place at Oxbridge.
Original post by Craig1998
Straight A's/A*'s at GCSE does not usually equate to straight A's/A*'s at A level and a place at Oxbridge.


This is so so so true and its amazing how many people believe because they managed all A*s at GCSE that they will get them again at A2


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The gap between GCSE and a level is understated.

Posted from TSR Mobile
Original post by Craig1998
Straight A's/A*'s at GCSE does not usually equate to straight A's/A*'s at A level and a place at Oxbridge.


Complete and total truth.
A-levels > social life
Original post by Natalierm2707
This is so so so true and its amazing how many people believe because they managed all A*s at GCSE that they will get them again at A2


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yh I know someone with straight A's and A*'s at gcse who got ABBC at AS and then got rejected from oxford after applying ( for law ) with the view that they will consider ' contextual factors'
Only the people who revise for hours every day will get the good grades. being smart doesn't mean you will get the grades. I know someone with an A* in gcse maths who got a C in AS maths cause they cared more about learning to drive and getting smashed then doing revision.....
If you're doing English, History, Philosophy, any essay-based humanity, do all the essays you're set and get them marked! I kicked myself after exams for not taking the opportunity to get my essays marked, because for English and History, two suggested practice essays were actually in the exam!

Say you're writing an essay on Daisy for The Great Gatsby. Before you start the essay, use the internet to find 3 or 4 previous essays on Daisy (there are tons). Read critical material, watch lectures on that character, read other people's interpretations of her, and do all this before sitting down to write. Over AS you shouldn't get too many essays too soon and you can afford taking 2 hours or so to get a better overall appreciation of the essay topic. Save all the websites you've used for revision in May. Get into the habit of reading other people's opinions and thoughts and critically evaluating them ("Wilson Knight said X Y Z about this topic, and whilst I agree with his thoughts that the use of X Y Z shows this, I think actually X Y Z here could be a reference to X Y Z") because you'll get higher marks in essays, and you'll get into great critical thinking habits for A2 and university. But don't plagiarise!
If you're undecided take 4 AS's but only if your school allows you to drop one at the end of year 1! Also, start making notes and re-caps all the way through the school year as this will really help you when exam season comes
Only take chemistry a level if you really really really enjoy it. It is definitely not a filler subject
Don't focus on your friends or reputation, only your a levels matter
Take 4 AS bc you don't know what you'll want to drop by the end of the year
Don't just assume that because you found GCSEs ok that A Levels will be the same. You may have two years before your final exams but constantly revise and go over what you have learnt. Don't be the person that leaves all the revision until the end. (Especially music students, don't leave all of the compositions until the end, try and finish them quite early on so that you have time to go back and improve them.)
Careful about TSR, don't let all their advice influence you. For example saying a certain A-level is super easy, people have different abilities at different subjects. And remember to study consistently! Never leave it last minute :wink:
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spnlove
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Make notes continually throughout the year and just stay organised, I would recommend using one folder for each of your subjects and just keeping all your notes in one place. This will make everything so much easier when you come to revise!!
The most important thing about A-levels is to choose the right ones for the career you want. They affect everything. It makes life extremely difficult in your 20's if you chose the wrong A-levels for the degree course you figure out you want to do.


So if you find yourself in a situation where you realize you've chosen the wrong ones (i.e. you can't apply to the uni course you want to do with your A-levels) then stop and take a year our - even if you've already done AS. At 16/17 if feels like you're being left behind - but life is not a race and it's far better to get somewhere slowly than go nowhere fast.

16/17/18/19 are very young ages where you can change your mind about a career and not have it affect the rest of your life negatively. 1 or 2 extra years before uni is absolutely nothing in the long run. I say this as a 29 yr old about to start a medical degree after 2 previous degrees - all because I did the wrong A-levels 13 yrs ago. I don't regret my previous 2 degrees/life experience but if I knew then what I know now, I'd take a year out, reapply to another college and apply to uni a couple of years ''later'' for the right degree for me rather than rushing to uni because everyone else was too.

In terms of studying for A-levels, my only advice is - you get out what you put in. Also, set aside ''no study'' days or else it's easy to burn out.
Use your frees to do homework and write notes, i had 2 or 3 frees a day and by the end of the year when i was writing notes late into the night i totally regretted not using them

By the end of the second year i also made a point of doing homework the day i got it just to get it out the way, meant i avoided a last minute panic of have i done that homework :smile:
Do subjects you actually enjoy otherwise studying for them becomes a nightmare, don't forget to actually have a life outside of A levels... there should be a balance between working and playing

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