Year 12s: what will be the first way you research your future options? >>

A story of TCFactor's Journey to greatness and molecular ingenuity and intrigue.

TCFactor

Well, I assume you’ve read my last GYG.

Of course you didn’t; I barely updated it.

Well, here’s mine from last year: Year 12, just in case.

A little bit about myself:

What are my interests?

I watch a lot of TV, Films and taking the micky out of Socialists; so stupid. Btw, Godfather I and II, Bonnie and Clyde, Casablanca, Shawshank Redemption are

Also, I love Molecules.

What A-Levels am I doing?

Biology (AQA)

Chemistry(AQA)

~~Maths (AQA)~~

Philosophy and Ethics (EDEXCEL)

What are my GCSE Results?

Biology (AQA)-A

Chemistry(AQA)-A

Physics(AQA)-A

English Lit(AQA)-7

Maths (AQA)-7

ICT (AQA)-A

German (AQA)-B

DT: Electronic Products-B

English Lang(AQA)-6

RS (AQA)-C

History (AQA)-C

Some important dates:

Exam Week 1:

Week beginning the 22/10/18

Mocks:

Fortnight beginning the 07/01/19

Exam Week 2:

Week beginning 04/03/19

A-Levels Examinations:

A Level Religious Studies Paper 1: Philosophy of Religion (9RS0 01) 4th June 2019 (AM) 2h

A Level Chemistry: Paper 1 (7405/1) 4^th June 2019 (PM) 2h

A Level Biology: Paper 1 (7402/1) 6^th June 2019 (AM) 2h

A Level Religious Studies Paper 2: Religion and Ethics (9RS0 02) 11^th June 2019 (AM) 2h

A Level Chemistry: Paper 2 (7405/2) 11^th June 2019 (PM) 2h

A Level Biology: Paper 2 (7402/2) 13^th June 2019 (AM) 2h

A Level Biology: Paper 3 (7402/3) 17^th June 2019 (AM) 2h

A Level Chemistry: Paper 3 (7405/3) 19^th June 2019 (AM) 2h

A Level Religious Studies Paper 4: Study of Religion (9RS0 4A-F) 19^th June 2019 (AM) 2h

A-Level Results Day:

15/08/19

Notification Squad:

(edited 5 years ago)

Reply 1

CountBrandenburg

You need to update parts of this... mocks are 07/01/19 for us for example and you aren’t doing maths anymore 😛

Reply 2

TCFactor

UPDATE 1:
Sunday 9th September 2019

(Cheating, sort of, but here is something from my Old GYG that I felt was more apt here than there.)
(And it isn't really an update)

So what happened?
Well exams went on, they went OK.
I could probably get an ABB/AAB prediction.

But the thing is, it is kind of good I didn't get AAA/+; it made me realise that medicine wasn't the career that was going to satisfy.

You see, around two years ago, in the Year 10-Year 11 summer holidays, I garnered an interest in the bio-pharmaceutical industry. So I decided that I would go into medicine. That was the thought until around a month/three weeks ago. I realised I had stupid reasons for my career path. I wanted to get my degree, go into Pathology, and do a PhD, possibly, all finished by around the age of 34, after which I would go into industry.

Then I realised. Going into Medicine would mean lifelong dedication to studying, which was fine, but not at the level Medics have to. My true interests lie in, and always have lied, Life Sciences. I hope to do my degree, with a year in industry, integrated masters, or both (some unis offer the integrated masters in industry). Then hopefully, I'll do a PhD and see where to go from there, hopefully in industry.

Doing Medicine would mean specialising and having to spend my whole career doing that specialty, before I would be considered a specialist. But getting a PhD, means that you would be going somewhere no one has ever ventured, and being an expert in that field, which fascinated me. I'd be a specialist in my field around the age of 27, rather than much later on in my life, were I a Physician.

In addition, throughout all the year, I suffered from problems. Let's say those problems involved going to a counsellor. Well before this, I visited a therapist of sorts who asked me a simple question:

So you get stressed a lot? And you are going to devote yourself to an entire career that is extremely stressful?

My reponse was:

Yes.

But when I went home and realised that I don't have to do Medicine, I was the happiest I had been in months, years even.

I realised that I want to change the world, and I can do it by working in industry/research. That and I really want to go into Politics. First Muslim, BAME Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, eh, @CountBrandenburg???

Sorry for the rambling. I saw @CoffeeGeek had created his new GYG, and realised mine was long overdue.

After realising I hadn't properly put the notification squad in the vast majority of the posts on my old thread, here it is:

Ask if you want to be added to the notification squad.

(edited 5 years ago)

Reply 3

TCFactor

Original post by CountBrandenburg

You need to update parts of this... mocks are 07/01/19 for us for example and you aren’t doing maths anymore 😛

I crossed the devil's subject out.
And I have OCD; please use the font Gibson, size 14.

Reply 4

nyxnko_

I don't mind being added to your tag list (although I'm NOT going to be formatting my replies in the font Gibson, size 14, that's too much for me to handle)
I'm sorry you dropped Maths tho.

Reply 5

TCFactor

Original post by nyxnko_

I don't mind being added to your tag list (although I'm NOT going to be formatting my replies in the font Gibson, size 14, that's too much for me to handle)
I'm sorry you dropped Maths tho.

Maths is the devil confirmed. Devil Worshippers.
To be honest, many people regret not dropping Maths and it is nice not to be one of them.
Props to all those who like it.

Reply 6

username1751857

Nice thread but please ask me before you start putting me on notifications. I’d like to be removed please! @TCFactor

Reply 7

TCFactor

Due to glitchiness, I removed the Notification Squad, and put it here instead.
Ask if you want to be added (or removed).

Notification Squad:

(edited 5 years ago)

Reply 8

JT_888

Original post by TCFactor

Due to glitchiness, I removed the Notification Squad, and put it here instead.
Ask if you want to be added (or removed).

Notification Squad:

Click here plz

I would like to be removed from the notification squad.

Reply 9

nyxnko_

Original post by TCFactor

Maths is the devil confirmed. Devil Worshippers.
To be honest, many people regret not dropping Maths and it is nice not to be one of them.
Props to all those who like it.

I am a devil worshipper :tongue:

(I think I'm a follower of a higher being than the devil, seeing as I take FM as well :lol:

)

Reply 10

TCFactor

UPDATE II:
Wednesday 12th September 2019

What's happened in the last few days???
~~Other than Designated Survivor being saved by Netflix, nothing.~~
Biology: Went ahead one topic, but it's caught up, so I need to go ahead again; I really want that A prediction in Bio, preferably an A. I have a test in 3 weeks, on topics that were done at the end of last year. Then I have another set of exams; part of the proper exam week, on the topics we're doing now. School isn't going over he topics for the earlier test, so I need to be on top of my game essentially.
tldr; I am making notes on 4 four topics (sort of) simultaneously.
Chemistry: I accidentally went ahead one topic, on purpose. I intended to go ahead, but read the course calender wrong.
Philosophy + Ethics (+Christianity): Not much; I already did the summer tasks, so there wasn't much to do, bar some set revision stuff for year 12, that will be a regular thing, so we don't forget.

Oh, and tomorrow is the rebirth of the schools' debate club, soon to be renamed, The (insert my school name here)'s Union. My idea, obviously.
I'm also on my thirdish draft of my personal statement, which is nearly finished; I hope it isn't too early, as I'm not applying for the early October Deadline, but the January one, for which our school sets their own deadline of December. Even then I'll be finished early. :smile:

Reply 11

TCFactor

UPDATE III:
Friday 21st September 2019

What's happened in the last week???
Biology: Nearly finished Chapter 19 Revision (Populations) and next week I will go over Chapter 13.
Chemistry: Nearly finished the Acids and Bases topic, one week early. I also made a revision timetable (see below).
Philosophy + Ethics (+Christianity): Not much; Funny thing really. So my Philosophy teacher (my ethics teacher last year; they swapped for some reason) wasn't here yesterday, but she set three essays for cover work, from a list of four. So yesterday I gave in two to my Ethics teacher to give to her, and I gave the third one when I was staying after school for open evening. I did the fourth one today. No one else has done it, so it will be funny to see their faces when they find out 'twas only me who did the work. Because I want an A.
My provisional revision time table:

So, only chemistry, as of now. I know I have to revise Biology this week, which is why it isn't on there, since Biology is only on two topics; one week for each. And for the Biology October exams, 'tis the same thing. And Philosophy and Ethics isn't on there, since I haven't a clue as to what is in the test, and neither does my Philosophy teacher (Ethics teacher is head of department, and she was sick today.) But I didn't revise it much last year and got a high B-blame drawing smily faces everywhere. I'll try to do a weekly update. Or something regular; might be daily, or every few days, or maybe something else, I don't even know.

Reply 12

TCFactor

UPDATE IV:
Monday 24th September 2019

COUNTDOWN:

BIOLOGY CH. 13&19 TOPIC TEST: 7 DAYS

OCTOBER MOCK WEEK: 28 DAYS

What did I do today?

Biology: Did the Population size biotic and abiotic & Investigating populations questions from pxsbiology-really good. Then I realised that I have an ISA to do for today-we do ISAs for each practical as they are apparently similar to the practical questions I will get in Paper 3. So I did that in the morning. Then I realised that our teacher gave two ISAs and I did the one due for next week. So I had to do the one due for today. So I didn't get as much done as I would've liked. But I gave myself a self-imposed exile. I will stay at school for an extra hour everyday to do more work, so I can do less at home. I realised that I work much better at school.

Chemistry: I finished off the Acids, Bases and Equilibria questions that our school moodle has. I also used chemrevise and e-rintoul to make notes on the rate equations and arrhenius equation topic. I was stressing myself out, but then realised that I would only lose one day out of the 5 I need for every topic I need to do. Plus the questions are only 22 pages vs 43 for the Acids and Bases topic. I plan to do around 11 per day, or 5-6 sides of questions (two per page). I could do more depending on the way I printed the questions; I split them into packs, of around 11. But the questions don't end one pack and vice-versa, so I try to do those at the end. And the head of chemistry puts questions that are for the later topics, by accident, as they can be really similar.

RS: Now, you see... I can't do any revision until I know what topics are in the test. And I do have some Year 12 revision and homework to do, but I will do those during the week.

Also, I went to the University of Liverpool on Saturday. ‘Twas nice, but I didn’t get to visit the beatles’ houses.

(edited 5 years ago)

Reply 13

TCFactor

UPDATE V:
Tuesday 25th September 2019

COUNTDOWN:

BIOLOGY CH. 13&19 TOPIC TEST: 6 DAYS

OCTOBER MOCK WEEK: 27 DAYS

What did I do today?

Biology: Learnt some of the content for Chapter 13, or more importantly, the Energy flow part.

Chemistry: My self-imposed study exile seems to be working; I did all the questions for Rate Equations on Moodle, so I finished the majority of that topic in a day. Now I have some final bits and bobs to finish off tomorrow.

RS: Now, you see... I can't do any revision until I know what topics are in the test. And I do have some Year 12 revision and homework to do, but I will do those during the week. <- This will remain here for a while. I did two (one and about 1 or 2 paragraphs for the other) essays for my Philosophy Teacher, who was off. Supposed to give it in today, but I could get away with giving it tomorrow.

Also, my update schedule is erratic. I'm trying to do daily, but if nothing eventful is happening, or if I have an exam, or I simply cannot be bothered, then I won't update it, kapiche???

(edited 5 years ago)

Reply 14

TCFactor

UPDATE VI:
Sunday 14th October 2018

COUNTDOWN:

BIOLOGY CH. 13&19 TOPIC TEST: GOT A C-2 OFF A B, WHICH IS WHAT I WANTED, BUT I WAS BEING A RETARD

OCTOBER MOCK WEEK: 8 DAYS

What did I do today?

Biology: Nothing, but I got a new tutor yesterday, who taught me the majority of respiration, which is what I planned to do today.

Chemistry: Yesterday: did a Test on the Acids and Bases Topics from a-levelchemistry.co.uk. Today: Not much, but now, only 4 topics are in the test, rather than 6, so I might do something, who knows.

RS: Need to finish Annotating the Copleston and Russel anthology; quite fun, negl.
Uni stuff: I might be able to push my predicted grade up to AAB, if I work a little harder. Supposed to go to Keele, but it was raining today. I may go to Lancaster for an campus tour in half term.
Also, I want to do a Chemistry degree now, not Biological Science. Will get my application done, in about a month. In the week of our school's open evening (open evening is on Thursday the 8th), because it feels complete then, idk.

Again, my update schedule is erratic. I'm trying to do daily, but if nothing eventful is happening, or if I have an exam, or I simply cannot be bothered, then I won't update it, kapiche???

(edited 5 years ago)

Reply 15

TCFactor

[center]UPDATE VI:
Monday 3rd December 2018
I've been away for a looong time. Anyway, in the mocks, I got BCC. The B was in RS, which I didn't really bother in. The C's in Bio and Chem were mostly stupid. Went through the papers; should've gotten at least BBB, rather than BCC. Well, if I did try in RS, then ABB.
I got my predicteds to ABB, so these tests didn't do much. I had to stop stressing. I feel motivated now, at least a little bit.
Sent my application off last Monday, got all five offers, as of today.
Loughborough (BSc Medicinal and Pharmaceutical Chemistry)-ABB.
Lancaster (MChem Chemistry )-ABB.
Keele (MChem Chemistry w/Medicinal Chemistry)-BCD
(apparently school takes part in a scheme that qualifies me for a reduced offer).
Liverpool (BSc Medicinal Chemistry)-ABB.
Leicester (BSc Pharmaceutical Chemistry)-BBB, BBC if I firm.
All require a B in Chem.
My A is in RS. So relevant, I know.
Anyway, the applications are in descending order of time.
If you must, Loughborough and Lancaster were today.
Keele was last Thursday.
Liverpool and Leicester were Tuesday.
And yes, those on the same day were also of descending time too.
Anyway, my updates will probably be as spontaneous as this, I think. I'll try to do it more regularly, but I probably won't update until Mocks, which are in January.

(edited 5 years ago)

Reply 16

nyxnko_