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How should I organise myself in A-Levels? How did you organise yourself?

fortunesfool

A big notebook for all my subjects? Separate folders and notebooks for each subject? One big lever arch folder with dividers for all my subjects?

How did you organise yourself in A-Levels?

Reply 1

JakeW1000

I was really bad with my organisation with my alevels, mainly because I don't use notes for revision. I ended up with a text book with lined paper inserted into the pages relevant to the content. So bad hehe.

I would suggest if you are planning on filing it neatly you use a ring binder and divide it up into the chapters/units. Have a ring binder for each subject, perhaps unit if you get a lot of notes. XD

Reply 2

Old_Simon

One big folder / binder for all subjects won't be enough I would think. It can be useful to differentiate between class notes which you obviously take in class and your own permanent notes on the topic. They might need different systems eg : Notebooks for class and loose paper / files for long term note building. You might want additional resources for exercises particularly in maths / science subjects. Finally it can be handy to have a "working folder" for all your current stuff in all subjects with dividers. Then just thin it out into your archive folders as each bit is completed. You definitely need a plan on how you wish to proceed. Good organisation is essential. Good luck.

Reply 3

loperdoper

Well, at first I didn't. So all my organisation ended up being whatever stationary was on sale in WHSmith as I panicked one school night. For Biology and Physics, I had A5 refill pads, and an A5 folder for each subject, plus an A4 canvas folder-bag thing which held all the notes I was given. I also had an A5 folder per subject for revision.
For Media Studies, I had a single marvel notebook with a sticker on it. That's literally it. Lasted me the entire year, too.
For Maths, I simply used an A4 canvas folder-bag thing, and seperated each topic up with super-cheap presentation files.
Overall, I had three canvas-bag things, five A5 folders (the buggers kept breaking), about thirty super-cheap presentation files (I would seperate science modules using them too), far too many plastic wallets, a marvel notebook, a pack of dividers and so very, very many refill pads (at least 8).

One folder is not enough, but you won't really know what works best for your subject until you get there. Once I realised I needed to have an organisation system, I tried to make it all the same for each subject, and frankly it doesn't work. Each subject will work differently to each other, so you'll need different things for it. If you want to be organised going into the year, my advice would be to buy as much cheap stationary as you can, so it's not awful when you don't use half of it and have to buy more of other things.

Reply 4

QuantumSuicide

Dont listen to all these noobs that go overboard and by tonnes of folders/books/stationery/scissors/glue stick/felt tips/lever arch folders blah blah blah

Dude, all you need are a couple of pens and a book for each subject. Sorted

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(edited 9 years ago)

Reply 5

Laurasaur

Organisation is, without a doubt, one of my favourite things. I haven't actually started my A-levels yet, but I'm almost completely prepared. :colondollar:

I have four arch lever files (one for each subject) and a single ring binder. The arch lever files will stay at home, containing subject dividers, the specification, notes and past papers, but the ring binder will be used to transport work from school<->home (because all four files will not fit in my bag, and I don't want to ruin them). My sixth form will provide school notebooks, and I will transfer my notes from those onto paper for my files, during free periods, so that I can have a neater copy to revise from and I don't have to add anything to my notes that I don't need. Also, I've bought the relevant textbooks, so anything that doesn't make sense in class can be clarified (some teachers have the explanation skills of a teaspoon).
Hope this helps :smile:

Reply 6

AfiyahNadeem

Original post by Laurasaur

Organisation is, without a doubt, one of my favourite things. I haven't actually started my A-levels yet, but I'm almost completely prepared. :colondollar:

I've seen many people use this organisation system, but how does it work?
What if you need to bring in all of the previous work that you've stored in the lever arch files at home to college/sixth form? Would you have to bring the huge lever arch files? :confused:

Reply 7

chelseajanett

I studied 4 AS subjects, I had one lever-arch file for each subject (They always stayed at home) and a 10 pack of dividers for each file, labelled by each topic (E.G Psychology: Memory, Attachment, Research Methods, Stress, Social Influence, Abnormality) You can follow the textbook for these if you wanted to. For History I needed more than 10...

And then plastic wallets, one week of work in one plastic wallet. I took all notes in a refill pad and then on a Friday at the end of the week I would organise all notes and handouts and file them away. But if there's anything you'll need for upcoming lessons, keep it in the notepad! Also, to keep handouts safe, I'd keep them all in another plastic wallet in my bag. For any work which I'd previously done which needed to be brought in, I popped it in the plastic wallet which stayed in my bag.

It worked really well! Towards the end of the year I got really lazy and didn't file away at the end of each week, which was a huge pain for revision! Don't get lazy with it! I'll be better with it this year!

I also didn't have to carry about loads of different notebooks or ringbinders, which I loved! :colondollar:

For each subject, I used the end file divider for past papers :redface:

(edited 9 years ago)

Reply 8

Laurasaur

If you need to bring it in for revision, you could easily bring in a revision textbook or your school notebook, as long as it covers the same stuff. If it's for marking purposes, you could transfer the necessary work into school with the ring binder, as long as it's big enough or just bring extra plastic bags for the files for that day. But ideally, the work that can be marked would be in your school notebook, so you would only bring that in.
I just use that method because it keeps most of the work (including the spec and exam papers) in the same place, when it comes to revising I'm not going to have to try to find everything and (hopefully) nothing will go missing from the file. Plus, unlike using a notebook, it takes a lot longer to fill up and you probably won't need multiple files for a single subject as long as you use both sides of the paper.

Reply 9

Arieisit

Original post by QuantumSuicide

Yeah, I know right. These guys are an overkill :tongue:

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Reply 10

Sandtrooper

Volunteer Team

I'm starting with one big lever arch and five notebooks.

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Reply 11

AlphaDog0127

I took in a pen 4/5 days a week :smile:

If you want to be organised though I'd advise a folder for each topic you do because that will save you looking for things when you revise later. If you have a subject where you are expected to write chances are you will write A LOT, most people start off with one folder then within 3 weeks it's full. I had separate note books for different teachers though because they all taught us different topics at the same time and I scanned any worksheet/booklet we were given onto the computer.