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

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Reply 20

Rajive

Any advice concerning part time jobs in year 12 and with AS levels?

Reply 21

AnnaRainbows

Original post by Rajive

Any advice concerning part time jobs in year 12 and with AS levels?

Don't do more than 10 hours a week.

Reply 22

tryingandfailing

Start making revision notes and doing practice questions as soon as you've finished a topic, and don't be afraid to keep asking if you don't understand something.

Reply 23

brxvebird

It is never too late to change you mind.
Don't feel like you're stuck with your A Level choices forever because you're not, you can always try again or find an alternative course. Stick at it and make sure you have a strong alternative plan B if you do feel like giving up, but don't think you're a failure if you hate your subjects. There's always other options!

Reply 24

username1967813

Whatever you do, don't waste your free periods. That time is dead valuable

Reply 25

Firenze26

Revise even if you find the topic easy and, other than making you feel better, don't think that a 'good' mock results means that you'll be able to get good results in reality.

Also, after your exams, be careful when looking at unofficial markscheme, they can give you like so much anxiety especially if you did so immediately after the exams.

Reply 26

Darth197

Start early, write concise notes (dont write pretty notes in neat handwriting cause it'll take up all of your time and I can guarantee that you wont even use them), make visual aids (posters/flash cards), do every past paper on the face of the earth... no procrastinationm, regular breaks, eat well, sleep well and take time off (with hobbies) and you wont need to live off junk food, sleep 2hrs a day and rely on energy drinks.

Reply 27

JoeyTr

Original post by alow

Hahahahahahahahahahahahaha

What the **** are you on about?

Work hard, get good grades, it's as simple as that, that's my advice. From all my friends and my own experience, it's a direct correlation. I worked very hard and incessantly worked at the library and got A*A*A*A, friends who didn't work as hard didn't get as good grades, which is fine, if you enjoy doing other stuff at the same and don't spend as much time working, that's a legitimate choice.

Reply 28

alow

Original post by JoeyTr

But 80-100 hours a week for A*s, that's a ****ing ridiculous suggestion. If you did that you clearly work incredibly inefficiently, I did less than half of that for the 2 weeks before exams and managed to do every past paper (and legacy paper) in that amount of time, what exactly are you doing? Hell, I don't even work that much for NatSci most weeks.

Reply 29

aamirac

• Always ask for help if you don't understand anything! Even if it seems like a small topic, still ask since everything is important to know.

• Don't overwork yourself. Give your self breaks in between revision and if you feel like it's all getting a bit too much, it's okay to take a breather. :redface:

• Start making your notes and revision cards from the end of the first half terms and as you progress throughout the year so you don't leave things to the last minute! (Leaving things to the last minute is a big NO NO)

• Keep a record of all the past papers you've done by writing it down or make an excel spreadsheet of the grades you marked so you can keep track of your progress and know what grade you are working at

• Don't listen to those that put you down. If you believe you can do it, then there's nothing stopping you from reaching your goal.

• Keep track of the news. It's helpful to be able to pull real life examples into your work and gain a better understanding of what you're learning. (Especially helpful skill if you're doing essay subjects)

That's all I could think of for now...

Reply 30

Pinocchiolewis

I kind of winged my a levels so my advice is **** but....

Never underestimate cram revision! Try to revise though out the year but if you (like me) find yourself not remembering anything a few weeks before the exam, don't give up! Systematically cram everything into your brain the day before/day of the exam and you will benefit; whereas if you just give up you'll have no chance :smile:

Reply 31

JoeyTr

Original post by alow

True, just for A*'s you don't need to work that hard. But I also took extra maths mechanics modules (M3 and M4) in preparation for my MechEng, as well as doing Gold Dofe and head boy stuff, which I saw as all part of school. It's just doing all the past papers and exercise book questions to ensure maximum UMS just in case. Besides, when you get into the habit of high work hours you get used to it pretty quick.

Elon Musk used to do "over 100 hour weeks, every week" for years during the financial crisis, and he's since slowed down to "80-85". It probably was superfluous but it's an excellent habit, and is useful when things get real after school. It's just what you get used to and your aims.

Reply 32

dancepiratedance

Use your free periods, for god's sake don't waste your free periods, use them.

Reply 33

alow

Original post by JoeyTr

M3 and M4 don't require that much work, after a handful of papers it's all a bit samey. I can count on my hands how many UMS I dropped over 5 A2s and did at most 40hrs a week for the fortnight before exams. You must simply waste so much time when working.

What exactly has Elon Musk got to do with this? I'm sure when he was working that much he wasn't just repeating the same M3 papers over and over...

Reply 34

LegallyMinded

If you take 3 AS subjects your teachers may claim that there's "less pressure". Trust me. There isn't.

Oh and don't leave your EPQ until the last minute if you take one, I've got 2 weeks to plan and complete mine.

Reply 35

JoeyTr

Original post by alow

That can't be true, you did 80 hours of work and did every past paper including legacies in 5 A2's, that's under 20 minutes a past paper including marking, and dropped less than 10 UMS? That's inhuman, I'm not saying it's not possible, that's just far beyond what I, or anyone I've ever met in my life, is capable of, were you on the IMO team? Which college are you at, Trinity?

Reply 36

alow

Original post by JoeyTr

Yeah... Maths papers are more than doable in 15-20 minutes. I finished M1 in 9 minutes in the exam. I'm not a mathmo.

Reply 37

Student403

Original post by JoeyTr

It's really not hard to believe. The problem is people think of maths as this insanely hard subject when it's really not. You understand it? You're fine.

Reply 38

JoeyTr

Original post by alow

Yeah... Maths papers are more than doable in 15-20 minutes. I finished M1 in 9 minutes in the exam. I'm not a mathmo.

I agree C1-4 were 20 minute papers, but I can't agree with any of the other maths papers and definitely not in physics or chemistry, maybe FP1/M1/S1 if you're especially quick, but like D1/D2/M4 are slow papers regardless. M1 took me like 40 minutes in the exam to get 100UMS. That's an absolutely outrageous time. Neither am I, but BMO/IMO is infinitely easier with more time, or in your case, if you work especially quickly. Fair enough.