Mia's GYG- A-Level edition
So, here we are again!
WELCOME TO MIA'S GYG (A-LEVEL EDITION)
Introduction
Hi there! My name is Mia (if we're not already acquainted). You may know me from my GCSE GYG thread (or even my AS thread, although that didn't last too long; the reason for which I will elaborate on shortly).
My GCSE thread really helped me get things done. However, because of reasonably extreme extenuating circumstances, my AS thread never really took off in any way, and I did not do super well at as (ABC, well below my standards). Because of my poor AS results, I have decided to apply next year with my A-level results rather than having sub-standard A-level predictions. However, this means one thing: I need to get a really good set of A-level results! This is of course where this blog comes in.
What I'm doing (and my aims):
Let's start off with my A-level choices:
English literature (EdExcel)
History (AQA)
Biology (AQA)
Ideally, I'd like an A* in each and know that I'm perfectly capable of this, even if it is perhaps a bit ambitious. However, I wouldn't lose sleep over A*A*A and A*AA would be fine, too. Having said this, I'm coming into this academic year with the mindset of aiming for 100% in everything (because why not?
), so I intend to work as though I needed 3A*s. I can be very ambitious after all, and even if I don't get 3A*s, won't it at least be fun to try? 
Academic background:
We've already spoken about AS results, so there's no need to go over it again (and I'm not particularly happy to speak about them too much as I'm sure you'll understand, haha)
In terms of GCSEs, if you didn't know already, after remarks I got 999998888, which isn't too bad for someone who came from a state school where only around half of the students achieved at least 5A*-C grades incl. maths and English.
I now go to a different sixth form than where I sat GCSEs (my old school was bad for many reasons, maybe I'll tell you some funny stories from there in these posts every once in a while, just as an aside??), so the standard of teaching here is better and I believe I'm definitely equipped to achieve the top grades.
What to expect from this blog:
If you followed my GCSE or AS blog, you will perhaps be familiar with my format.
However, for the uninitiated, here's the general idea:
Upon numerous other things along the way!
I've already been working super hard this year (as well as after my AS exams last year), so definitely expect more work than what you saw at GCSE (providing I keep it up, which I'll definitely try to!).
I'll now tag who was tagged last year in my unsuccessful thread (lol), but please let me know if you'd like to be added/removed!
I'm also hoping to be more active in other people's threads this year (I only came on periodically last year, and although I checked a lot of threads I didn't really interact). So, if you're thinking of starting a blog this year and are doing a tag list, do tag me! I'd love to follow your academic journeys and I'm ready to be super proud of you all at the end of it (no pressure
)
That's all from me from the moment. I'll hopefully have a post out either tomorrow or Monday evening (I even have a reminder set on my phone for it!)
Bye bye for now
WELCOME TO MIA'S GYG (A-LEVEL EDITION)
Introduction
Hi there! My name is Mia (if we're not already acquainted). You may know me from my GCSE GYG thread (or even my AS thread, although that didn't last too long; the reason for which I will elaborate on shortly).
My GCSE thread really helped me get things done. However, because of reasonably extreme extenuating circumstances, my AS thread never really took off in any way, and I did not do super well at as (ABC, well below my standards). Because of my poor AS results, I have decided to apply next year with my A-level results rather than having sub-standard A-level predictions. However, this means one thing: I need to get a really good set of A-level results! This is of course where this blog comes in.
What I'm doing (and my aims):
Let's start off with my A-level choices:
English literature (EdExcel)
History (AQA)
Biology (AQA)
Ideally, I'd like an A* in each and know that I'm perfectly capable of this, even if it is perhaps a bit ambitious. However, I wouldn't lose sleep over A*A*A and A*AA would be fine, too. Having said this, I'm coming into this academic year with the mindset of aiming for 100% in everything (because why not?
), so I intend to work as though I needed 3A*s. I can be very ambitious after all, and even if I don't get 3A*s, won't it at least be fun to try? Academic background:
We've already spoken about AS results, so there's no need to go over it again (and I'm not particularly happy to speak about them too much as I'm sure you'll understand, haha)
In terms of GCSEs, if you didn't know already, after remarks I got 999998888, which isn't too bad for someone who came from a state school where only around half of the students achieved at least 5A*-C grades incl. maths and English.
I now go to a different sixth form than where I sat GCSEs (my old school was bad for many reasons, maybe I'll tell you some funny stories from there in these posts every once in a while, just as an aside??), so the standard of teaching here is better and I believe I'm definitely equipped to achieve the top grades.
What to expect from this blog:
If you followed my GCSE or AS blog, you will perhaps be familiar with my format.
However, for the uninitiated, here's the general idea:
•
What I do each day (revision-wise, of course 
)
•
The revision resources I use
•
Any challenges I face (and more importantly, how I intend to overcome them)
Upon numerous other things along the way!
I've already been working super hard this year (as well as after my AS exams last year), so definitely expect more work than what you saw at GCSE (providing I keep it up, which I'll definitely try to!).
I'll now tag who was tagged last year in my unsuccessful thread (lol), but please let me know if you'd like to be added/removed!
Spoiler
I'm also hoping to be more active in other people's threads this year (I only came on periodically last year, and although I checked a lot of threads I didn't really interact). So, if you're thinking of starting a blog this year and are doing a tag list, do tag me! I'd love to follow your academic journeys and I'm ready to be super proud of you all at the end of it (no pressure
)That's all from me from the moment. I'll hopefully have a post out either tomorrow or Monday evening (I even have a reminder set on my phone for it!)
Bye bye for now
(edited 4 years ago)
Scroll to see replies
Original post by Mikos
So, here we are again!
WELCOME TO MIA'S GYG (A-LEVEL EDITION)
Introduction
Hi there! My name is Mia (if we're not already acquainted). You may know me from my GCSE GYG thread (or even my AS thread, although that didn't last too long; the reason for which I will elaborate on shortly).
My GCSE thread really helped me get things done. However, because of reasonably extreme extenuating circumstances, my AS thread never really took off in any way, and I did not do super well at as (ABC, well below my standards). Because of my poor AS results, I have decided to apply next year with my A-level results rather than having sub-standard A-level predictions. However, this means one thing: I need to get a really good set of A-level results! This is of course where this blog comes in.
What I'm doing (and my aims):
Let's start off with my A-level choices:
English literature (EdExcel)
History (AQA)
Biology (AQA)
Ideally, I'd like an A* in each and know that I'm perfectly capable of this, even if it is perhaps a bit ambitious. However, I wouldn't lose sleep over A*A*A and A*AA would be fine, too. Having said this, I'm coming into this academic year with the mindset of aiming for 100% in everything (because why not?), so I intend to work as though I needed 3A*s. I can be very ambitious after all, and even if I don't get 3A*s, won't it at least be fun to try?
Academic background:
We've already spoken about AS results, so there's no need to go over it again (and I'm not particularly happy to speak about them too much as I'm sure you'll understand, haha)
In terms of GCSEs, if you didn't know already, after remarks I got 999998888, which isn't too bad for someone who came from a state school where only around half of the students achieved at least 5A*-C grades incl. maths and English.
I now go to a different sixth form than where I sat GCSEs (my old school was bad for many reasons, maybe I'll tell you some funny stories from there in these posts every once in a while, just as an aside??), so the standard of teaching here is better and I believe I'm definitely equipped to achieve the top grades.
What to expect from this blog:
If you followed my GCSE or AS blog, you will perhaps be familiar with my format.
However, for the uninitiated, here's the general idea:
Upon numerous other things along the way!
I've already been working super hard this year (as well as after my AS exams last year), so definitely expect more work than what you saw at GCSE (providing I keep it up, which I'll definitely try to!).
I'll now tag who was tagged last year in my unsuccessful thread (lol), but please let me know if you'd like to be added/removed!
I'm also hoping to be more active in other people's threads this year (I only came on periodically last year, and although I checked a lot of threads I didn't really interact). So, if you're thinking of starting a blog this year and are doing a tag list, do tag me! I'd love to follow your academic journeys and I'm ready to be super proud of you all at the end of it (no pressure)
That's all from me from the moment. I'll hopefully have a post out either tomorrow or Monday evening (I even have a reminder set on my phone for it!)
Bye bye for now
WELCOME TO MIA'S GYG (A-LEVEL EDITION)
Introduction
Hi there! My name is Mia (if we're not already acquainted). You may know me from my GCSE GYG thread (or even my AS thread, although that didn't last too long; the reason for which I will elaborate on shortly).
My GCSE thread really helped me get things done. However, because of reasonably extreme extenuating circumstances, my AS thread never really took off in any way, and I did not do super well at as (ABC, well below my standards). Because of my poor AS results, I have decided to apply next year with my A-level results rather than having sub-standard A-level predictions. However, this means one thing: I need to get a really good set of A-level results! This is of course where this blog comes in.
What I'm doing (and my aims):
Let's start off with my A-level choices:
English literature (EdExcel)
History (AQA)
Biology (AQA)
Ideally, I'd like an A* in each and know that I'm perfectly capable of this, even if it is perhaps a bit ambitious. However, I wouldn't lose sleep over A*A*A and A*AA would be fine, too. Having said this, I'm coming into this academic year with the mindset of aiming for 100% in everything (because why not?
), so I intend to work as though I needed 3A*s. I can be very ambitious after all, and even if I don't get 3A*s, won't it at least be fun to try? Academic background:
We've already spoken about AS results, so there's no need to go over it again (and I'm not particularly happy to speak about them too much as I'm sure you'll understand, haha)
In terms of GCSEs, if you didn't know already, after remarks I got 999998888, which isn't too bad for someone who came from a state school where only around half of the students achieved at least 5A*-C grades incl. maths and English.
I now go to a different sixth form than where I sat GCSEs (my old school was bad for many reasons, maybe I'll tell you some funny stories from there in these posts every once in a while, just as an aside??), so the standard of teaching here is better and I believe I'm definitely equipped to achieve the top grades.
What to expect from this blog:
If you followed my GCSE or AS blog, you will perhaps be familiar with my format.
However, for the uninitiated, here's the general idea:
•
What I do each day (revision-wise, of course )
•
The revision resources I use
•
Any challenges I face (and more importantly, how I intend to overcome them)
Upon numerous other things along the way!
I've already been working super hard this year (as well as after my AS exams last year), so definitely expect more work than what you saw at GCSE (providing I keep it up, which I'll definitely try to!).
I'll now tag who was tagged last year in my unsuccessful thread (lol), but please let me know if you'd like to be added/removed!
Spoiler
I'm also hoping to be more active in other people's threads this year (I only came on periodically last year, and although I checked a lot of threads I didn't really interact). So, if you're thinking of starting a blog this year and are doing a tag list, do tag me! I'd love to follow your academic journeys and I'm ready to be super proud of you all at the end of it (no pressure
)That's all from me from the moment. I'll hopefully have a post out either tomorrow or Monday evening (I even have a reminder set on my phone for it!)
Bye bye for now
Hello! Can i be tagged into your gyg please?
(edited 4 years ago)
All the best for this year Mia!
any ideas about courses you might be doing at uni? Can i stay tagged please?
Original post by Hazzabear
Hello! Can i be tagged into your gyg please?
Of course! Thanks for your interest
Original post by laurawatt
All the best for this year Mia! any ideas about courses you might be doing at uni?
Can i stay tagged please?
All the best for this year Mia!
any ideas about courses you might be doing at uni? Can i stay tagged please?
Of course! Glad to see you back, Laura!
I'm definitely thinking about law. How about you?
Original post by theJoyfulGeek
Good luck Mia!! I would love to be tagged!
Thank you very much! I'd be very glad to have you on this educational journey!
Original post by SlightlySummer
Keep me tagged please, you seem super nice
Haha I'm very glad to hear I come across this way!
and definitely will do!Original post by Mikos
Of course! Glad to see you back, Laura!
I'm definitely thinking about law. How about you?
I'm definitely thinking about law. How about you?
Ooh sounds great!
I’m thinking about maths at the moment Original post by laurawatt
Ooh sounds great! I’m thinking about maths at the moment
I’m thinking about maths at the moment Best of luck! I know you have all the potential to study maths at an excellent uni. How are you finding A-levels so far?
Original post by Mikos
Best of luck! I know you have all the potential to study maths at an excellent uni. How are you finding A-levels so far?
Aw thank you! You’ll rock law school! I’m definitely busy, but I’m loving it
DAY 1: 7/10/19
What I did today:
History- 2 hours. I read ahead on the topic of Mary I (AKA Bloody Mary) and also made some notes on Stalin's 5 year plan
Biology- 2 hours. I did a bit of lab book work as well as trying to remember the many details of photosynthesis. It's one of those topics that aren't difficult to understand, but there's just far too much to remember!
What I used:
History- Hodder textbook, Oxford University Press Textbook (Tudor). Oxford University Press textbook, Corin and Fiehn Russia textbook (Russia)
Biology- CGP revision guide
I've been taking it easy this week in terms of workload so far as I've had quite a bit to do outside of school. However, I'm still getting a fair amount done, even if it's not perhaps what I want (just yet!). This academic year I've taken to the attitude of "no zero days". That being that even if you get a disappointing amount done, it's still far better than nothing, which definitely holds true to A-levels where every meaningful revision minute counts!
Current aims:
So, this is a little section I've decided to do this year, and one that's essential for a year as busy as year 13. Here is where I'll document my current school aims/duties, and how I'm progressing with them if relevant. So, here they are:
That's all I have to say for Monday! What have you guys got going on, school-wise? Any essays due/tests coming up?
Here's to a productive year!!
Tags:
What I did today:
History- 2 hours. I read ahead on the topic of Mary I (AKA Bloody Mary) and also made some notes on Stalin's 5 year plan
Biology- 2 hours. I did a bit of lab book work as well as trying to remember the many details of photosynthesis. It's one of those topics that aren't difficult to understand, but there's just far too much to remember!
What I used:
History- Hodder textbook, Oxford University Press Textbook (Tudor). Oxford University Press textbook, Corin and Fiehn Russia textbook (Russia)
Biology- CGP revision guide
I've been taking it easy this week in terms of workload so far as I've had quite a bit to do outside of school. However, I'm still getting a fair amount done, even if it's not perhaps what I want (just yet!). This academic year I've taken to the attitude of "no zero days". That being that even if you get a disappointing amount done, it's still far better than nothing, which definitely holds true to A-levels where every meaningful revision minute counts!
Current aims:
So, this is a little section I've decided to do this year, and one that's essential for a year as busy as year 13. Here is where I'll document my current school aims/duties, and how I'm progressing with them if relevant. So, here they are:
•
Biology test: on Thursday I have a test on the photosynthesis topic, so expect to be seeing quite a bit of photosynthesis revision over the next few days!
•
English coursework: first draft: by the end of the week I'm going to be looking towards finishing my first draft of my controlled assessment, which is due the following Friday (although I don't have to actually hand in the finished version until December I believe?). It's about the development of identity in Oranges are Not the Only Fruit by Jeanette Winterson and I Know Why the Caged Birds Sings by Maya Angelou. I'm struggling a bit with getting it just 'right', if that makes sense. My plan currently is that as soon as I finish my biology test on Thursday, I'm going to focus on getting the first section and intro more refined and I'm going to sit through it with my teacher to see how I can improve it, and then once I know what I'm doing I'll burn through the remaining controlled assessment at the weekend (so stay tuned for plenty of English revision this weekend haha) to get my first draft finished.
•
History essays: this year a big focus for me in history is exam technique. My own knowledge is really pretty good, and I'm way ahead on the topics. However, my exam technique needs perfecting, and with exam technique, as the saying goes, "practice makes perfect"!. So, I'll list here the essays I need to do (or re-do, as I've handed a couple of essays in which I've been given direct instructions on how to improve):
1.
Re-do Russia source
2.
Re-do Stalin kulak essay
3.
Tudor source question
4.
Tudor essay (set)
That's all I have to say for Monday! What have you guys got going on, school-wise? Any essays due/tests coming up?
Here's to a productive year!!
Tags:
Spoiler
Best of luck for perfecting your history essay exam technique!
I don’t have any tests at the mo
I don’t have any tests at the mo
Original post by theJoyfulGeek
Good luck with your Bio test! I'm sure you'll do really well!
I'm GCSE year, so I don't have any serious tests until mocks, but I have lots of short ones (Bio, Physics, weekly Latin Vocab Test, Computer Science mock mock, etc) coming up.
But that's a million times easier than all of those essays.
I'm GCSE year, so I don't have any serious tests until mocks, but I have lots of short ones (Bio, Physics, weekly Latin Vocab Test, Computer Science mock mock, etc) coming up.
But that's a million times easier than all of those essays.Thank you!! And tbf sometimes having lots of short tests can be a lot of work, especially if you're a bit of a perfectionist and want to get most of the test right. Best of luck with all your tests, I'm sure you'll smash them regardless
Original post by laurawatt
Best of luck for perfecting your history essay exam technique!
I don’t have any tests at the mo
I don’t have any tests at the mo
Thank you! I'm trying super hard haha. And wow, lucky! I suppose when you have no tests it's a good opportunity to sit back and take a breather to recharge a bit
Original post by Mikos
Thank you! I'm trying super hard haha. And wow, lucky! I suppose when you have no tests it's a good opportunity to sit back and take a breather to recharge a bit
Yeah, I suppose being in y12 we haven’t covered enough content to be tested in it yet
Had a maths test last week but that’s been the only assessment so far
DAY 2: 8/10/19
What I did today:
Biology- 4 hours. Just some revision for the upcoming photosynthesis test as I'm sure you can imagine, finished off with a couple of practice questions from the physics and maths tutor website
What I used:
Biology- CGP revision guide, physics and maths tutor
Current aims:
So, quite a laidback day (although I must admit I'm beginning to get a bit tired of photosynthesis now haha). Hopefully, my revision will be more balanced after the test.
Tags:
What I did today:
Biology- 4 hours. Just some revision for the upcoming photosynthesis test as I'm sure you can imagine, finished off with a couple of practice questions from the physics and maths tutor website
What I used:
Biology- CGP revision guide, physics and maths tutor
Current aims:
•
Biology test: still revising but I can now say in confidence that I've learned everything
•
English CA: will focus on this after bio test
•
History essays: made a brief start on one (Tudor essay), but I don't intend to burn through them until after Thursday right now.
Tags:
Spoiler
Hey, I'm loving you're blog so far! Would you mind tagging me so I can follow along? Good luck on your test!
Good luck on your test!
good luck with the test
Original post by Toastiekid
good luck with the test
Thanks, Toastie!
Original post by QueenAelin
Hey, I'm loving you're blog so far! Would you mind tagging me so I can follow along? Good luck on your test!
Good luck on your test!Thank you very much! And of course I will!
Hi guys! So, last week was a pretty hectic one, with tests, trying to get coursework done, doing essays etc. Unfortunately, I completely forgot to keep track of exactly what I was doing, so I've decided that before I get back to my normal GYG format, I'll give you guys a summary of what's been going on when I wasn't updating.
WEEK REVIEW:
What I did:
English Controlled Assessment first draft-
So, the first draft has been completed and submitted. I'm not super happy with it, although I think it's natural to be a bit harsh on yourself with things like these. For now, I'm just waiting on what feedback my teacher gives so I can improve, and I'm more or less where I need to be on that front!
Biology test-
So, I finally sat the biology tests AND got my results back. I managed to get an A, which is okay, but of course I would have liked an A*. The test itself was 35 marks (so definitely a short one!) and that meant that any loss in marks had a big impact on the grade. On the bright side, the feedback my teacher offered me in terms of exam technique for this test has been super helpful, so I'm hoping to do better next time.
History essay-
So far, I've submitted 2, and I'm waiting on feedback from my teacher. I want to do a few more, but only after I get my feedback.
Current aims:
So, quite a bit going on and quite a bit to get sorted!
I'm currently on October half term break, and I plan to make this break very much a revision based one (rather than taking care of other things), so expect an update almost daily from me
Tags:
Are you guys on October break yet? If so, let me know what you plan to get up to. I'm super interested to hear about it. I'm probably going to focus on revision for biology and history in particular, but I'll probs do some English revision in small pockets. I guess we'll just have to wait and see!
WEEK REVIEW:
What I did:
English Controlled Assessment first draft-
So, the first draft has been completed and submitted. I'm not super happy with it, although I think it's natural to be a bit harsh on yourself with things like these. For now, I'm just waiting on what feedback my teacher gives so I can improve, and I'm more or less where I need to be on that front!
Biology test-
So, I finally sat the biology tests AND got my results back. I managed to get an A, which is okay, but of course I would have liked an A*. The test itself was 35 marks (so definitely a short one!) and that meant that any loss in marks had a big impact on the grade. On the bright side, the feedback my teacher offered me in terms of exam technique for this test has been super helpful, so I'm hoping to do better next time.
History essay-
So far, I've submitted 2, and I'm waiting on feedback from my teacher. I want to do a few more, but only after I get my feedback.
Current aims:
•
Biology test: still revising but I can now say in confidence that I've learned everything
•
•
I'm currently on October half term break, and I plan to make this break very much a revision based one (rather than taking care of other things), so expect an update almost daily from me
Tags:
Spoiler
Are you guys on October break yet? If so, let me know what you plan to get up to. I'm super interested to hear about it.
I'm probably going to focus on revision for biology and history in particular, but I'll probs do some English revision in small pockets. I guess we'll just have to wait and see! 
I finish for October break on Thursday!
Original post by emilynxlan
I finish for October break on Thursday!
Very nice! Do you get 1 week off for October or 2? Apparently it's only my county that gets 2 weeks, but I don't know if that's true haha
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