The Student Room Group

*URGENT* I am in desperate need of advice

STORY TIME...
I was on D grades for R.S and science when I was in year 10 I left my revision the last minute (2 weeks before exams) I spent 1 week doing R.S and one week doing science revision. I got a B for R.S GCSE and in science I was really close to a C but I got a D (it was B1 B2 B3 C1 C2 C3 P1 P2 P3) I know I did not do well. Now I have B4 B5 B6 C4 C5 C6 P4 P5 P6. And I think that because I managed to go from a D to a B in R.S so quickly I am sure if I start revising much earlier now I can fix all my grades and especially science. The things I am doing now in year 11 I understand perfectly fine. I would love to become a neurosurgeon in the future (for personal reasons. It just means alot to me) I know that I have a lot of work to do to fix my grades but I am sure that I am capable to get good grades in the science exams that I am doing now. I get A* grades in English and art (I know this makes people think I should probably do something English/art related but I just don't want that) I think that if I managed to improve up to an A* in these subjects I can do it for everyrhing else as long as I put in the effort.

Ok story over. (Probably a really messy story and when I look back a lot won't make sense...sorry)

Does anyone have any revision tips for science in general? Also do I have any chance of redoing those gcses in a different school? Does anyone know what thread I should post this? Will my GCSEs set me back from becoming a neurosurgeon? (I know it sounds stupid but I really want this job more than anything else in the world) all science teachers in my school are telling everyone that they can't redo them because "there just isn't the capacity to do the coursework...it will take too much time *insert a ton of other excuses*"

another thing
Everyone in my class got Ds for science...and this year we have a new teacher and we got the first 6 mark practice question for homework and no one got 6/6 some people got 4 or 3 a few people even got 1 but I got full marks and I bought the new textbook and I know it is just a small thing but I really think I am capable (how many times have I repeated myself)
Original post by viks.
STORY TIME...
I was on D grades for R.S and science when I was in year 10 I left my revision the last minute (2 weeks before exams) I spent 1 week doing R.S and one week doing science revision. I got a B for R.S GCSE and in science I was really close to a C but I got a D (it was B1 B2 B3 C1 C2 C3 P1 P2 P3) I know I did not do well. Now I have B4 B5 B6 C4 C5 C6 P4 P5 P6. And I think that because I managed to go from a D to a B in R.S so quickly I am sure if I start revising much earlier now I can fix all my grades and especially science. The things I am doing now in year 11 I understand perfectly fine. I would love to become a neurosurgeon in the future (for personal reasons. It just means alot to me) I know that I have a lot of work to do to fix my grades but I am sure that I am capable to get good grades in the science exams that I am doing now. I get A* grades in English and art (I know this makes people think I should probably do something English/art related but I just don't want that) I think that if I managed to improve up to an A* in these subjects I can do it for everyrhing else as long as I put in the effort.

Ok story over. (Probably a really messy story and when I look back a lot won't make sense...sorry)

Does anyone have any revision tips for science in general? Also do I have any chance of redoing those gcses in a different school? Does anyone know what thread I should post this? Will my GCSEs set me back from becoming a neurosurgeon? (I know it sounds stupid but I really want this job more than anything else in the world) all science teachers in my school are telling everyone that they can't redo them because "there just isn't the capacity to do the coursework...it will take too much time *insert a ton of other excuses*"

another thing
Everyone in my class got Ds for science...and this year we have a new teacher and we got the first 6 mark practice question for homework and no one got 6/6 some people got 4 or 3 a few people even got 1 but I got full marks and I bought the new textbook and I know it is just a small thing but I really think I am capable (how many times have I repeated myself)


Well, you need good GCSEs to apply to most medical schools, which is something of a prerequisite for being a neurosurgeon. Also, don't have your speciality decided this early. Most medical students change their minds a hundred times over while they're still at medical school.

You need to do as well as possible at GCSE. From what you say, you go to a pretty bad school (if everyone in your class is getting Ds in science GCSE), which medical schools will take into account. However, this will only mitigate to an extent and you're likely to be in competition with people with much better results so just do as well as you can and cross the next bridge when you get to it.

As for how to get good grades in science: start revision early (earlier than two weeks before the exams, preferably) using an exam board-specific revision guide if possible, practice loads of past papers under exam conditions and timings, learn standard answers from mark schemes and so on. It's a sausage factory, really. :s-smilie:
Reply 2
I actually go to a really good school (sorry it doesn't sound like it) its just that there are two classes for science top set and middle set and middle set has people getting lower grades top set got C-B and middle got (D and I think 1 or 2 C grades) but there is also a triple science class where everyone will likely get A* to A. I'm sorry it is a good school we got really high results I think 84% got 5A*-C grades including maths and English. Yeah basically the resaon a whole class got bad grades is because they are in a lower set but there are a ton of people who got really high grades some even got all A*s we were shown a whole list of people in assembly. I know I sound like a really dumb kid but I know I can do it. And neurosurgery is really interesting to me. Also I know that I made a mistake leaving revision to such a short amount of time :frown:
Original post by viks.
I actually go to a really good school (sorry it doesn't sound like it) its just that there are two classes for science top set and middle set and middle set has people getting lower grades top set got C-B and middle got (D and I think 1 or 2 C grades) but there is also a triple science class where everyone will likely get A* to A. I'm sorry it is a good school we got really high results I think 84% got 5A*-C grades including maths and English. Yeah basically the resaon a whole class got bad grades is because they are in a lower set but there are a ton of people who got really high grades some even got all A*s we were shown a whole list of people in assembly. I know I sound like a really dumb kid but I know I can do it. And neurosurgery is really interesting to me. Also I know that I made a mistake leaving revision to such a short amount of time :frown:


Well, in that case, there's really not much to say except that you should get revising and do as well as possible in your final exams next summer. Sorry, but medicine is a very competitive subject and you need to be trying your best to get those top grades, especially if you're from a good school.

The reason I say you shouldn't be so geared towards a single speciality from such an early age is that, given that you're still doing you GCSEs, chances are you that you know little to nothing about the field. Not nearly enough to make an informed decision - setting too high a bar without regard for how you'll get there and whether you'll like it if you do can be soul-destroying. I'm not saying this to be insulting, but GCSE really is a very rudimentary scientific education - even A-levels are limited when it comes to studying science, to some extent.

You don't sound dumb. :smile: Grades aren't really the best measure of intelligence, in my experience, but you still need them if you want to get into medical school. I know plenty of people who got higher grades than me at GCSE and A-level and yet, just by talking to them, I can tell that they're not exactly super geniuses so much as they're hard workers. And there really is no substitute for hard work when it comes to grades unless you're a prodigy.

That being said, you need to do the appropriate resits and work hard on your other exams now. You need to be aiming for A*/A grades in most if not all of your subjects, preferably, if you want to do medicine. Good luck.

P.S. Please quote when replying to me because otherwise I don't find out until much later unless I happen upon it by chance.
(edited 8 years ago)
Reply 4
Original post by Hydeman
Well, in that case, there's really not much to say except that you should get revising and do as well as possible in your final exams next summer. Sorry, but medicine is a very competitive subject and you need to be trying your best to get those top grades, especially if you're from a good school.

The reason I say you shouldn't be so geared towards a single speciality from such an early age is that, given that you're still doing you GCSEs, chances are you that you know little to nothing about the field. Not nearly enough to make an informed decision - setting too high a bar without regard for how you'll get there and whether you'll like it if you do can be soul-destroying. I'm not saying this to be insulting, but GCSE really is a very rudimentary scientific education - even A-levels are limited when it comes to studying science, to some extent.

You don't sound dumb. :smile: Grades aren't really the best measure of intelligence, in my experience, but you still need them if you want to get into medical school. I know plenty of people who got higher grades than me at GCSE and A-level and yet, just by talking to them, I can tell that they're not exactly super geniuses so much as they're hard workers. And there really is no substitute for hard work when it comes to grades unless you're a prodigy.

That being said, you need to do the appropriate resits and work hard on your other exams now. You need to be aiming for A*/A grades in most if not all of your subjects, preferably, if you want to do medicine. Good luck.

P.S. Please quote when replying to me because otherwise I don't find out until much later unless I happen upon it by chance.


Sorry for not quoting I'm kind of new to the website. The thing is I know that there are a ton of options out there but I know I can fix my grades. There are alot of teachers that are really helpful. Do you know anything about redoing exams? One of my teachers said that someone redid an entire year to do all the GCSEs and then they got better grades? Do you have to pay to redo GCSEs? Will I have to redo the year to redo the sciences?
Original post by viks.
Sorry for not quoting I'm kind of new to the website. The thing is I know that there are a ton of options out there but I know I can fix my grades. There are alot of teachers that are really helpful. Do you know anything about redoing exams? One of my teachers said that someone redid an entire year to do all the GCSEs and then they got better grades? Do you have to pay to redo GCSEs? Will I have to redo the year to redo the sciences?


A lot of it has to do with your school's policy on this but, generally, yes you have to pay for resits yourself. There was a rule instituted a few years back, when I was finished off my GCSEs, that if you wanted to resit, you'd have to resit 40 percent of the qualification and, as each exam and the coursework were worth 25 percent, you'd have to do more than one exam even if you didn't need to.

I can't see why you'd have to redo the year to do your sciences again but you should ask your exams officer for more information.
Original post by viks.
Does anyone have any revision tips for science in general?
Past Papers. Which exam board?
Original post by viks.
Also do I have any chance of redoing those gcses in a different school?
Don't know.
Original post by viks.
Does anyone know what thread I should post this?
Ask a T.S.R. section moderator I'd say.
Original post by viks.
Will my GCSEs set me back from becoming a neurosurgeon?
You haven't done them yet (properly)
Original post by viks.
all science teachers in my school are telling everyone that they can't redo them because "there just isn't the capacity to do the coursework...it will take too much time *insert a ton of other excuses*"
They're right. Science took up 70% of my revision time over the year and I got Bs in coursework, admittedly different exam board though.
Original post by viks.
Everyone in my class got Ds for science...and this year we have a new teacher and we got the first 6 mark practice question for homework and no one got 6/6 some people got 4 or 3 a few people even got 1 but I got full marks and I bought the new textbook and I know it is just a small thing but I really think I am capable (how many times have I repeated myself)
I have a personal revision motto: "Don't trust teachers!" That got me 3 A*s, 5 As and a B(remarking in progress).
Reply 7
Revision tip: use the website/app quizlet to make flashcards - great for ion charges and chemical tests and physics equations.

To study medicine you shpuld probably have A* Bio and Chem.
Reply 8
Original post by viks.
STORY TIME...
I was on D grades for R.S and science when I was in year 10 I left my revision the last minute (2 weeks before exams) I spent 1 week doing R.S and one week doing science revision. I got a B for R.S GCSE and in science I was really close to a C but I got a D (it was B1 B2 B3 C1 C2 C3 P1 P2 P3) I know I did not do well. Now I have B4 B5 B6 C4 C5 C6 P4 P5 P6. And I think that because I managed to go from a D to a B in R.S so quickly I am sure if I start revising much earlier now I can fix all my grades and especially science. The things I am doing now in year 11 I understand perfectly fine. I would love to become a neurosurgeon in the future (for personal reasons. It just means alot to me) I know that I have a lot of work to do to fix my grades but I am sure that I am capable to get good grades in the science exams that I am doing now. I get A* grades in English and art (I know this makes people think I should probably do something English/art related but I just don't want that) I think that if I managed to improve up to an A* in these subjects I can do it for everyrhing else as long as I put in the effort.

Ok story over. (Probably a really messy story and when I look back a lot won't make sense...sorry)

Does anyone have any revision tips for science in general? Also do I have any chance of redoing those gcses in a different school? Does anyone know what thread I should post this? Will my GCSEs set me back from becoming a neurosurgeon? (I know it sounds stupid but I really want this job more than anything else in the world) all science teachers in my school are telling everyone that they can't redo them because "there just isn't the capacity to do the coursework...it will take too much time *insert a ton of other excuses*"

another thing
Everyone in my class got Ds for science...and this year we have a new teacher and we got the first 6 mark practice question for homework and no one got 6/6 some people got 4 or 3 a few people even got 1 but I got full marks and I bought the new textbook and I know it is just a small thing but I really think I am capable (how many times have I repeated myself)


Interesting.. Why don't you take classes from a very nice tutor? He would work on your problems and will also work on establishing your skills to attempt the paper. I did the same and got an A* in GCSE Biology.

I've in boxed you the link of what i think can be a game changer for you. I used the same :smile:

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