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What did you choose?

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Reply 20
Original post by Gogregg
With Biology (OCR), I did past papers and with questions that I would get wrong, I would put them into flashcards so I could learn them later. I would also make notes on any topics that I was weaker on, and would regularly read over them. It was hard work, but I really hope it all paid off.

For Chemistry (AQA) you can basically just learn the mark-scheme and get a good grade. So I did exactly that! Obviously you need to actually understand it and be able to apply it to get the A, which hopefully I have, but who knows? But until the change in the specification, the answers and questions would always be the same, so I just put them all on flashcards and learnt them throughout the year.

If you want to do well at A-Level, you really need to put the work in, and make sure to pay attention in lessons. If you've listened in all the lessons, it makes coming to revise the subjects so much easier. That said, it's important to relax sometimes :wink:


No, you don't. You just need Chemistry, and for most universities, Biology.


Thank god lol, thanks!
Original post by Amelia76
I also want to do medicine, do i have to pick maths and physics if i want to do medicine?

I don't know because I think mostly it depends on the college U join ànd the country u r in because as well as I know medicine requires three sciences in most colleges :wink::smile:
Original post by shahida sulaiman
I don't know because I think mostly it depends on the college U join ànd the country u r in because as well as I know medicine requires three sciences in most colleges :wink::smile:


In the UK, only Cambridge requires 3 sciences.
Original post by surina16
In the UK, only Cambridge requires 3 sciences.


Really!!! Well I m doing edexcel and am not in UK so that's why i guess??!!!
I.C.T
Undecided
Undecided
Probably won't do a 4th
Original post by Amelia76
How did you revise for bio and chem?


For biology I would make shorter, more concise notes on each topic on flashcards. That way, it didn't look like much to learn and was easy for someone to test me on. Past papers never go a miss for it either! It's all about exam technique for bio so definitely do the PPQs.

Chemistry is more taking the time to understand concepts. Like biology, I would've written flashcards on each topic, but as it's so unpredictable, the best thing to do is past papers definitely. Once you understand the basic concept, just do past paper questions to solidify your knowledge :smile:


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Original post by shahida sulaiman
Really!!! Well I m doing edexcel and am not in UK so that's why i guess??!!!


The requirements aren't different for internationals. If you are applying for the UK, then only Cambridge requires 3 sciences.
Original post by Amelia76
What subjects did you choose for your A levels, and what do you think was the hardest subject and why?


In order of difficulty, hardest first, I chose:

- Philosophy
- History
- English lit
- Geography (dropped after AS)

Philosophy was the hardest because there was a lot of content and most of it was difficult to get your head around. You couldn't just learn facts, you had to really understand each argument.
MathsFurther MathsChemistryPhysicsFrench :smile:
I did Ethics + Philosophy (AS only), Spanish, English Language, Japanese and Music. tbh they all had difficulties in themselves but maybe Spanish because I had to get extra tutoring sessions?
Reply 30
Original post by Tsunaomi
MathsFurther MathsChemistryPhysicsFrench :smile:


How did you revise for chem?
Reply 31
Original post by Gogregg
With Biology (OCR), I did past papers and with questions that I would get wrong, I would put them into flashcards so I could learn them later. I would also make notes on any topics that I was weaker on, and would regularly read over them. It was hard work, but I really hope it all paid off.

For Chemistry (AQA) you can basically just learn the mark-scheme and get a good grade. So I did exactly that! Obviously you need to actually understand it and be able to apply it to get the A, which hopefully I have, but who knows? But until the change in the specification, the answers and questions would always be the same, so I just put them all on flashcards and learnt them throughout the year.

If you want to do well at A-Level, you really need to put the work in, and make sure to pay attention in lessons. If you've listened in all the lessons, it makes coming to revise the subjects so much easier. That said, it's important to relax sometimes :wink:


No, you don't. You just need Chemistry, and for most universities, Biology.


I am also doing Aqa chem, what do you think of the exam board? and thanks for the advice.
I chose to do A-Level ICT, Geography, Art, RS and AS Psychology.

Because my subjects are all completely different and I'm good at all my subjects, it's difficult to say which is the hardest. I guess I would say Art because although it isn't difficult and I have a passion and I'm good at art, it is very time consuming.
Biology(dropped after as)
Psychology
Sociology
English language

Bio was definitely my hardest at AS compared to my other subjects bc of how much memorisation and exam practice is required, I ended up with an E in the subject. I'm so annoyed at the grade j got bc the content isn't actually that difficult to understand.
At a2 psyc was probably the hardest. I did it on the exam board WJEC and you basically have to memorise a billion essays.
Sociology and English were pretty straight forward, however saying this I'm unsure on how I've done on both these exams :frown:
Reply 34
Original post by slee551
I chose to do A-Level ICT, Geography, Art, RS and AS Psychology.

Because my subjects are all completely different and I'm good at all my subjects, it's difficult to say which is the hardest. I guess I would say Art because although it isn't difficult and I have a passion and I'm good at art, it is very time consuming.


yeah i heard it is very time consuming. By the way how did you revise for psychology.
Reply 35
Original post by Tsrsarahhhh
Biology(dropped after as)
Psychology
Sociology
English language

Bio was definitely my hardest at AS compared to my other subjects bc of how much memorisation and exam practice is required, I ended up with an E in the subject. I'm so annoyed at the grade j got bc the content isn't actually that difficult to understand.
At a2 psyc was probably the hardest. I did it on the exam board WJEC and you basically have to memorise a billion essays.
Sociology and English were pretty straight forward, however saying this I'm unsure on how I've done on both these exams :frown:


AW hopefully you did great, and how did you revise for psychology. And for bio did you just have trouble to remember everything?
Reply 36
I did bio, chem, psych, and math (AS only) Chemistry was definitely the hardest!!
I've just finished Year 12 and I'm taking Maths, History, Politics and English Literature (which I'm hoping to drop, dependent on grades :s-smilie:).

I find History the hardest, followed very closely by English Lit. The amount of content you need to remember for History is ridiculous, and the timing of the exam isn't on your side.

It didn't help me that because I knew I wasn't sitting a History exam at the end of Year 12, I abandoned the whole subject and now have nothing to show for the year... I'm having a fun summer so far :wink: I found English Lit hard purely because I'm not naturally good at it and I hate the subject sooo
Original post by Amelia76
What is your advice for Bio, chem and psychology in terms of revision and the subject in general?


For each subject - make rough notes during the lesson, go home and write or type these notes up on an evening. Start in September! Keep all neat notes in separate notebooks.

Biology - study mark schemes intensely, learn what questions are asking for because it's easy to go off on a tangent and write irrelevant nonsense

Chemistry - make a small booklet of key terms / mechanisms

Psychology - condense experiments into your own words in short succinct paragraphs. Recite the facts/figures whenever you have spare time


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Original post by Amelia76
I am also doing Aqa chem, what do you think of the exam board? and thanks for the advice.


I thought it was okay. Due to the new A-Levels, they changed up the exams, making it a bit different, and more mathsy, so If you're good at maths you should be fine. There's also more questions where you have to work through it all yourself, rather than it guiding you through it.

AQA were a bit annoying in that they changed the specification the Easter before the exam without really letting anyone know.

The content isn't all too difficult if I'm honest, but I've only done AS level, so we'll see :colondollar:

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