The Student Room Group

Could you do A-leves in one year !!!!

Scroll to see replies

Reply 20
Original post by 999tigger
Who are they? your parents or the school?


lol, the school. My parent would probably flip over me failing considering my entire family is hugely academic, like PH.D boffins. but there must be an outcast!
Reply 21
Original post by Princepieman
Did it this year. Would not recommend.

Posted from TSR Mobile



why not ...?
appreciate the advice
Reply 22
Original post by Zacken
It was fine. The fact that it was Maths/Further Maths definitely helped, as they're not 'real' subjects like English or History.


Wow sounds lots of work. Did you study at your college/sixth form or at home? What is your predicted grades? Are you year 12 or 13? What university and which course are you hoping study? :0
If you're extremely motivated, love your subjects, and have a naturally great memory then it's definitely possible. But it's not a decision which should be taken lightly.

I would suggest you start by asking yourself why you want to do this. It won't necessarily advantage you in university applications, and most students find A levels challenging and stressful at the normal pace. Assuming you're of the normal age to start A levels (16-17ish), what's to be gained by rushing? Surely you can spare another year?

If you do decide to do it, then being exceptionally organised right from the start will be essential. A lot of A level students take a term or so to get into the swing of it, and as a result tend to underperform in their first year and improve later. You cannot afford to do that - frankly, if you're seriously considering it you should be getting ahead on the content already. Obviously I don't know how talented a student you are, but even the best students aren't immune to underestimating a unit, course, or A levels as a whole. Avoiding this is absolutely critical.

As for how many you can take like this, I think three is the maximum any sane person would recommend. More would almost certainly stretch you too thinly.

Good luck whatever you decide to do - for what it's worth I have experience self-teaching at A level and I have an offer from Cambridge, so if you have any questions feel free to quote/PM me!
Reply 24
Original post by Ordo
Wow sounds lots of work. Did you study at your college/sixth form or at home? What is your predicted grades? Are you year 12 or 13? What university and which course are you hoping study? :0


At home, should be A*A*A* or A*A*A at worst for my A-Levels, but they don't really mean much; The maths offer from Cambridge means that I have STEP to contend with, so the A-Levels become pretty much a formality and are nothing compared to that. I guess I'm not technically a year 12 or 13 in any sense, I'll be going to uni this October though, for that that's worth.
Original post by 171819
why not ...?
appreciate the advice


1. Stress of having consecutive exams is absolutely immense. You have basically 0 time to fully prepare for each exam, so unless you've no lifed it for the past year and all you do is think about revision your odds of remembering things are low
2. Time investment is ridiculous. I've had to figure out everything by myself - which meant getting creative about sources of information and keeping track of my learning entirely by myself
3. The pace you need to go at is ridiculous. Modules that might require 150+ hours of input have to be done in like half the time
4. It gets really old, really fast. Having virtually no one to speak to in a class situation sucks more than anything
5. Your will to live in the last 2-3 exams will be tested, very hard


Posted from TSR Mobile
Original post by 171819
lol, the school. My parent would probably flip over me failing considering my entire family is hugely academic, like PH.D boffins. but there must be an outcast!


why would your school let you? If you want to work from home, then get your parents to home school you.

The school they will want you on the premises as you are their legal respobsility


Ps there are loads of people on TSR who claim to have done there A levels with little or no revision, so if you had a whole year am sure they will say you can do it easily and have several holidays at the same time.
(edited 7 years ago)
Reply 27
Original post by Zacken
At home, should be A*A*A* or A*A*A at worst for my A-Levels, but they don't really mean much; The maths offer from Cambridge means that I have STEP to contend with, so the A-Levels become pretty much a formality and are nothing compared to that.


Thanks hope you get what you want but sorry i asked :frown: But how long have you been doing alevels? 2 years or 3 years? Maths is just different language and I dont think this subject viewed as lower value than in English/History.
Someone who went to my school self taught further maths alevel in a year and got an A* ... Not impossible but you need to be really motivated and smart.
Reply 29
Original post by Ordo
Thanks hope you get what you want but sorry i asked :frown: But how long have you been doing alevels? 2 years or 3 years? Maths is just different language and I dont think this subject viewed as lower value than in English/History.


Don't worry about it, I don't mind the questions, happy to clear anything up. I did the A-Levels in 1 year, that's the whole point. I started in September 2015 and I've finished in June 2016.

My wording in the earlier post was... bleurgh, it's certainly not lower in value, the point I was trying to get across is that it's very easier to self-teach and do well as the exams require next to 0 thought and creativity, whereas you need proper analytical thinking and that sort of skills for English and History and those sort of subjects.
Reply 30
That is exactly what I did this year, I just finished... I did Physics, Maths and ICT. I was confident after each exam. BUT I literally had to study 6+ hours a day 3 months before the exams to ensure that I was confident in all topics. I have ALL my notes neatly done for every single exam for every single topic going into exactly what you need to know for each topic. I have it all digitally as I used the Surface Pro 4.

It was definitely not easy, lots of planning, which most of them fails after you study for a while, good thing was I started day 1 of college to study so I could afford to test out different plans, and by the time I got 3 months before the exams, that's when I found my golden way to revise personally. That's is the thing, you have to search the way you revise perfectly if you want to do it. You need to put in lots of effort and you need LOTS of motivation.

So yes, totally possible as I just did it. However some modules were a resit for me.
(edited 7 years ago)
Reply 31
Original post by Princepieman

2. Time investment is ridiculous. I've had to figure out everything by myself - which meant getting creative about sources of information and keeping track of my learning entirely by myself
4. It gets really old, really fast. Having virtually no one to speak to in a class situation sucks more than anything
5. Your will to live in the last 2-3 exams will be tested, very hard


Can vouch for the above three points entirely.
@Zacken you are my idol :adore:

Spoiler

Reply 33
Original post by Zacken
Don't worry about it, I don't mind the questions, happy to clear anything up. I did the A-Levels in 1 year, that's the whole point. I started in September 2015 and I've finished in June 2016.

My wording in the earlier post was... bleurgh, it's certainly not lower in value, the point I was trying to get across is that it's very easier to self-teach and do well as the exams require next to 0 thought and creativity, whereas you need proper analytical thinking and that sort of skills for English and History and those sort of subjects.


Oh I see your points thanks :smile: Thats impressive doing in one year - i could not survive!!
Reply 34
Original post by surina16
@Zacken you are my idol :adore:

Spoiler



Yeaaaah, a lot of people detest me, keeps things fun. :tongue:
Reply 35
all hail lord zacin
Original post by Ayman!
all hail lord zacin


!!!!!
Reply 37
hmmmm... I can see a reoccurring point of the lack in classroom environment hoverer what if it all goes well will it put me in good stead for uni, would they prefer it?
Reply 38
Original post by Ayman!
all hail lord zacin


lol
Reply 39
Original post by 171819
hmmmm... I can see a reoccurring point of the lack in classroom environment hoverer what if it all goes well will it put me in good stead for uni, would they prefer it?


No.

Quick Reply

Latest