My sixth form journey - all or nothing

Glad I stumbled across this.

From what I've read it seems as though you've got the rest of your academic path figured out already and you clearly have ambition, that'll get you far in life believe me.

I've always thought with Essay writing you excel more if you're very passionate about the topic you're discussing so focus on the aspects of the topics that you find empathy with, it could be things that affect you in your everyday life and make you feel emotionally connected with it. Having said that, using emotive words is a good starting point. Try and practice the concept of putting your thoughts into words, like I said it's easier if you have the passion for what you're talking about but you might find something that you really like or don't like when doing some research. Another helpful tip is using short and snappy sentences. They're really good in keeping the reader engaged (people simply don't like reading things that are long and tedious). So. Yeah. Short. Snappy. Simple.

Not getting your ideal GCSE results isn't the end of the world (as you've probably figured out already). I was like you at your age, thinking that my GCSEs were the most important qualifications ever if I was to get anywhere in life. Yeah they're important and if it goes wrong you end up taking a bit of short-term pain (e.g. resitting failed exams in Sixth Form or College), but I personally think you've got your two/three years at Sixth Form to make up for it. Time is on your side man!

Good luck! I've subbed if you haven't noticed haha. How's your wardrobe change coming along btw? (remember you from your post on the fashion thread)

Hi all, I've seen quite a few of these go up and be quite successful in motivating yourself, so I figured i'd also start one for me. A little context, I'm starting year 12 this year at a different school than I did my GCSE's at. The reasoning behind this was obvious, the school I come from "requires improvement" and the one I'm going to is rated "outstanding" by Ofsted. Furthermore, I felt like my school did not offer the level of teaching required to get the grades I wanted at GCSE and (subsequently) I didn't get them.

GCSE's
I took 11 GCSE's, including English Literature in year 10, in year 11 I was aiming for straight A/A* grades on results day and I cried to see only one A grade (in a btec) and the rest below. I was distraught to the point of breaking down onto my teacher's shoulder. I had to witness my dream of studying Law/PPE (undecided which) vanish before me as I did not meet the A level grade requirements. I have had to change two of my three A level choices and now I will be studying in September: Economics, Business Studies, Sociology, Maths (AS) with the EPQ. So 5! Wow! My degree will be in Business Studies, and I will be aiming to get into a Russell Group university. My plan is to get a First at university and hopefully still manage to convert to law and go into my dream job of corporate law. To do so, I will need straight A's in year 13 at A2, with an A in Maths AS and A/A* in EPQ. I will be updating my progress, as I will be studying two subjects I thought I'd never take for the next two years of my life!

Help?
I would like to ask now if anybody has any advice/tips in essay writing, grammar (yes any grammar tips) and studying. I will need to take year 12 as if it was year 13, because if I mess up year 12 - my dream will be shut out forever.

Wish me luck, I'll be trying to update the blog with my homework/progress whenever I can! Give me suggestions on what to write in the updates please!

Sociology -
Business Studies -
Maths (AS) -
Economics - currently doing summer prep, writing two essays with the topic titles, 'How well is the UK being managed?' and 'explain the factors that have influenced the price of oil in the last two years'.

30/08/2016
-3 Paragraphs done, including introduction. I want to write one more and then conclude. (1st essay)

EPQ - Still haven't thought of my ultimate title (I will be writing a 5000 word essay), thinking on writing about economic history perhaps? (any suggestions?)

(sorry if there any typos or grammar errors, it's been like two months since I have had to type so much!)

you've inspired me, truly. Good luck on your A Levels!

Hi all, I've seen quite a few of these go up and be quite successful in motivating yourself, so I figured i'd also start one for me. A little context, I'm starting year 12 this year at a different school than I did my GCSE's at. The reasoning behind this was obvious, the school I come from "requires improvement" and the one I'm going to is rated "outstanding" by Ofsted. Furthermore, I felt like my school did not offer the level of teaching required to get the grades I wanted at GCSE and (subsequently) I didn't get them.

GCSE's
I took 11 GCSE's, including English Literature in year 10, in year 11 I was aiming for straight A/A* grades on results day and I cried to see only one A grade (in a btec) and the rest below. I was distraught to the point of breaking down onto my teacher's shoulder. I had to witness my dream of studying Law/PPE (undecided which) vanish before me as I did not meet the A level grade requirements. I have had to change two of my three A level choices and now I will be studying in September: Economics, Business Studies, Sociology, Maths (AS) with the EPQ. So 5! Wow! My degree will be in Business Studies, and I will be aiming to get into a Russell Group university. My plan is to get a First at university and hopefully still manage to convert to law and go into my dream job of corporate law. To do so, I will need straight A's in year 13 at A2, with an A in Maths AS and A/A* in EPQ. I will be updating my progress, as I will be studying two subjects I thought I'd never take for the next two years of my life!

Help?
I would like to ask now if anybody has any advice/tips in essay writing, grammar (yes any grammar tips) and studying. I will need to take year 12 as if it was year 13, because if I mess up year 12 - my dream will be shut out forever.

Wish me luck, I'll be trying to update the blog with my homework/progress whenever I can! Give me suggestions on what to write in the updates please!

Sociology -
Business Studies -
Maths (AS) -
Economics - currently doing summer prep, writing two essays with the topic titles, 'How well is the UK being managed?' and 'explain the factors that have influenced the price of oil in the last two years'.

30/08/2016
-3 Paragraphs done, including introduction. I want to write one more and then conclude. (1st essay)

EPQ - Still haven't thought of my ultimate title (I will be writing a 5000 word essay), thinking on writing about economic history perhaps? (any suggestions?)

(sorry if there any typos or grammar errors, it's been like two months since I have had to type so much!)

OMG I SWEAR YOU'RE LIKE MY TWIN!!!! I want to do law so badly at Liverpool or Leicester uni (I want to become a human rights lawyer) but I only got 3As (I was aiming for 2A*s and 5As etc) . I've decided to work really hard to get the best grades possible to get into the uni I want to go to! I feel like I slacked a bit at GCSE, therefore I will be revising everything I learnt from school on that day.I know this sounds cheesy but I will be alongside you and your journey with my own jounrey! Hope all goes well for you! Keep me updated! xx

Update 08/09/2016
Enrolled into sixth form today. Received email feedback that the tutors are very impressed I met the deadline early. School is very much new to me and it'll take me a while to grasp onto the sheer number of students. My EPQ will be on Brexit and I will have to conjure a very specific question so my EPQ does not relate to Macro Economics or any other field of study that I have chosen. Sociology looks to be one of the most difficult subjects alongside Economics, at the moment information is quite dense, so I will need to get used to the step up quickly. Until next time, M

Sounds good! Have you started your EPQ already? We only start them next month(October). Have you noticed how everyone is more mature in sixth form!???

Hi all, I've seen quite a few of these go up and be quite successful in motivating yourself, so I figured i'd also start one for me. A little context, I'm starting year 12 this year at a different school than I did my GCSE's at. The reasoning behind this was obvious, the school I come from "requires improvement" and the one I'm going to is rated "outstanding" by Ofsted. Furthermore, I felt like my school did not offer the level of teaching required to get the grades I wanted at GCSE and (subsequently) I didn't get them.

GCSE's
I took 11 GCSE's, including English Literature in year 10, in year 11 I was aiming for straight A/A* grades on results day and I cried to see only one A grade (in a btec) and the rest below. I was distraught to the point of breaking down onto my teacher's shoulder. I had to witness my dream of studying Law/PPE (undecided which) vanish before me as I did not meet the A level grade requirements. I have had to change two of my three A level choices and now I will be studying in September: Economics, Business Studies, Sociology, Maths (AS) with the EPQ. So 5! Wow! My degree will be in Business Studies, and I will be aiming to get into a Russell Group university. My plan is to get a First at university and hopefully still manage to convert to law and go into my dream job of corporate law. To do so, I will need straight A's in year 13 at A2, with an A in Maths AS and A/A* in EPQ. I will be updating my progress, as I will be studying two subjects I thought I'd never take for the next two years of my life!

Help?
I would like to ask now if anybody has any advice/tips in essay writing, grammar (yes any grammar tips) and studying. I will need to take year 12 as if it was year 13, because if I mess up year 12 - my dream will be shut out forever.

Wish me luck, I'll be trying to update the blog with my homework/progress whenever I can! Give me suggestions on what to write in the updates please!

Sociology -
Business Studies -
Maths (AS) -
Economics - currently doing summer prep, writing two essays with the topic titles, 'How well is the UK being managed?' and 'explain the factors that have influenced the price of oil in the last two years'.

30/08/2016
-3 Paragraphs done, including introduction. I want to write one more and then conclude. (1st essay)

EPQ - Still haven't thought of my ultimate title (I will be writing a 5000 word essay), thinking on writing about economic history perhaps? (any suggestions?)

(sorry if there any typos or grammar errors, it's been like two months since I have had to type so much!)

Hi Marshall Taylor!

Having just finished my A-Levels - AAB and an A* in my EPQ - and all in essay-based subjects, I should be an expert in writing essays. Unfortunately, I also have dyslexia! So yeah, not a great start!

That being said, I like to think I know a fair bit of info regarding essay-based subjects. Most essays like a PEEL approach (Point, Evidence, Explanation, Link back to the question), with perhaps a bit more complexity for synoptic links in really essay-based subjects (lol I studied History and got sick and tired of synoptic links! ) Perhaps mix it up a bit with a more 'sophisticated' vocabulary, including subject-specific words. It also helps to keep in touch with the news and talk about that, but don't just point: explain why it's important as well!

Also, what really stands out - from most examiner reports, past papers, and with my own personal experience writing essays - is originality. Sometimes this could be in your writing style, but for the most part, it means in your argument. Try and get used to being passionate about your subjects, both negatively and positively! (I thought I was too passionate during my Archaeology exam on a question about TV and Film presentations, but I actually got 100% UMS in that exam which accounted for most of the grade!)

The EPQ is reasonably straight-forward, but is time-consuming. Put the effort in, and you can get a stellar grade easy. If you need any help, you need only ask (I'm also helping my sister who has no ****ing idea what to do lol!)

While I didn't study sociology, I did study anthropology, which is similar. But apart from that, I can't offer you that much help specific to your subjects.

All the best, and I hope you get into a Russel Group Uni!

P.S. Don't be disheartened about your GCSE results. Incidentally, I too also studied 11 GCSEs and only one of them was an A (actually a distinction in ICT), but that didn't stop me getting mostly As at A-Level

Firstly, thanks so much for your reply it's really something I have been looking for! Just out of curiosity, are you planning to goto Uni? I have a good foundation for my EPQ project now (I think), should I put passion into it, if so how? (examples would be fabulous) I suppose with essay based questions I find it is really difficult to be passionate and stay on topic, for example disagreeing with an argument and then retelling a personal story where I was impacted perhaps wouldn't get me a high grade. I'm waiting upon my economics summer homework, where my teacher will give us a mark and I will keep you updated. I'm struggling to get a grips in business at the moment, it's quite boring and my class aren't the most excitable people. Any tips for motivation? I will try my best, but during year 11I allowed myself to get distracted, and now I believe I have changed. (during my frees I study pretty hard, but got distracted and only did 15 questions in 2 hours) I hope some of it made sense, because I'm tired from A levels and wrote this as fast as I can! Thanks so much

Hi Mr Taylor,

I am hoping to apply to university, yes. As a matter a fact, I have just attended the Oxford Open Day. Great stuff, but highly sceptical of course! I know that you were interested in going and, much the same as me, we're not quite on a par with the bulk of applicants, but hell, what have we to loose? What has about 80% of all applicants got to loose?

Anyway, pardon me for my Oxford rant. Your EPQ sounds very interesting, and, if you had sat my History paper this year, one of the questions was on more or less the topic of your Extended Project! You would have got an A for sure! Passion is very easy to exemplify in an EPQ because it's a tertiary process: Essay, Production Log, and perhaps most importantly, your presentation. Well, maybe not the most important in terms of marks, but definitely the most important to exemplify and demonstrate your passion and enthusiasm for your subject! It's also the final part of the process where you can bring everything together into one nice neat package. A good way I found to demonstrate passion for this was being creative! For my EPQ, I looked at the Rosetta Stone and wrote my first slide in hieroglyphs to get the participants to have a go translating! Being passionate is about standing out, and you can do it anyway you want.

In terms of writing the essay for it, the best place to demonstrate passion is in the conclusion. I held my head up high when I read that part to my supervisor, and it was basically a vehement speech. The problem with passion, as you rightly mentioned, is staying on topic, and many markers are really pessimistic or get cross when you just don't get to the point. Save it till the end, when you can knock the examiner out of the park! I'll try and attach my conclusion to give you an idea.

I'm sorry to hear you find business boring, and have a demotivated class. I had a very similar experience at college *cough* A2 Modern British History on a Friday afternoon *cough*. The best form of motivation is asking yourself why you are studying that course and what you want to get out of it. For me, studying History was for the most part interesting, but it quickly became boring at times. So I relied on telling myself why I'm studying it (to get a good grade) and how it will help me in later life. If, for example, your studying a subject just for utility and no real enthusiasm or interest *cough**cough* Maths *cough**cough* then this is tricky, but again, you have to keep re-affirming yourself why your doing it and the benefits it will bring.

I know you mentioned being a bit distracted in year 11, and that's really an innocent crime (we all did it) but A-Level is a different ball game. What I will say, and I will say this with caution, is not to work too hard. I practically had no life during my A2s because I was adamant and determined to do well, but I genuinely believe this worked against me near towards the exams. It was very stressful and tiresome, and I know A-Levels are a slog, but try to have a work-life balance.

You sound like a competent and studious student, and I'm sure you'll do well. But at the end of the day, don't loose sight off the end goal: going to a great university. But needless to say, and I know this is completely contradictory to everything I have told you thus far, you need not worry if you fail. I've been there, and it's depressing. But you can't loose faith. You never give up, and eventually you'll be all right!