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A* and A grade students in A level physics, how did you do it?
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Meron
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mjtriggs
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I'm doing OCR, and I only manage to do well because of Maths.
I generally lose all of the marks on any question where I have to explain anything, and I'm only getting an A because of low grade boundaries and Maths! So I guess you could say that I'm watching this thread with interest!
I generally lose all of the marks on any question where I have to explain anything, and I'm only getting an A because of low grade boundaries and Maths! So I guess you could say that I'm watching this thread with interest!
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Zuzuzu
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(Original post by mjtriggs)
I'm doing OCR, and I only manage to do well because of Maths.
I generally lose all of the marks on any question where I have to explain anything, and I'm only getting an A because of low grade boundaries and Maths! So I guess you could say that I'm watching this thread with interest!
I'm doing OCR, and I only manage to do well because of Maths.
I generally lose all of the marks on any question where I have to explain anything, and I'm only getting an A because of low grade boundaries and Maths! So I guess you could say that I'm watching this thread with interest!
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normal
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I always had a thorough understanding of all the topics. Being good at maths also helps. Not trying to sound arrogant but getting an A* with 100% in some modules is easy if you understand physics.
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kebabmonk
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I am doing the AQA course, and although it is hard (unit 4 especially), i got a B last year and am retaking so should get up to an A for AS. I just have to try and hang on for A2. It is so much harder than AS!
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mjtriggs
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Sorry, I'm doing Edexcel, same as OP.
Struggling this year really, but need an A for Durham :/
Struggling this year really, but need an A for Durham :/
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ttoby
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For the explanation questions, look at mark schemes to see what sort of wording they want you to use, then use similar words/phrases yourself.
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mintaero25
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I would definitely recommend revising the wordy information in preparation for the longer essay questions (that may just be on the AQA board though..) But physics is more than just maths so definitely brush up on your explanations of concepts.
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username457532
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(Original post by mjtriggs)
I'm doing OCR, and I only manage to do well because of Maths.
I generally lose all of the marks on any question where I have to explain anything, and I'm only getting an A because of low grade boundaries and Maths! So I guess you could say that I'm watching this thread with interest!
I'm doing OCR, and I only manage to do well because of Maths.
I generally lose all of the marks on any question where I have to explain anything, and I'm only getting an A because of low grade boundaries and Maths! So I guess you could say that I'm watching this thread with interest!
I'm doing OCR B and I die a little bit inside when I need to explain anything...
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dotty_but_good
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Personally I found the course I was doing to be a pain, think it was OCR B. It didn't have a real text book, and our teachers were shocking, I got an A but was less than 1% from an A*. Got 100% in my AS modules. So all I had to revise with were past exam papers but they changed the syllabus so much they weren't much help. Old syllabus had much more maths. Now a days being good at maths just ain't enough.
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kebabmonk
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(Original post by mjtriggs)
Sorry, I'm doing Edexcel, same as OP.
Struggling this year really, but need an A for Durham :/
Sorry, I'm doing Edexcel, same as OP.
Struggling this year really, but need an A for Durham :/
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WhatamIdoing
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Im doing Edexcel SHAP AS and Im not doing Maths, yet I'm still working (so far) at an A grade level. It's not particularly hard at all and the Maths aspect of it really is laughable so far. You really just need to know how to apply equations and explain things.
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(Original post by dotty_but_good)
Personally I found the course I was doing to be a pain, think it was OCR B. It didn't have a real text book, and our teachers were shocking, I got an A but was less than 1% from an A*. Got 100% in my AS modules. So all I had to revise with were past exam papers but they changed the syllabus so much they weren't much help. Old syllabus had much more maths. Now a days being good at maths just ain't enough.
Personally I found the course I was doing to be a pain, think it was OCR B. It didn't have a real text book, and our teachers were shocking, I got an A but was less than 1% from an A*. Got 100% in my AS modules. So all I had to revise with were past exam papers but they changed the syllabus so much they weren't much help. Old syllabus had much more maths. Now a days being good at maths just ain't enough.
My favourite bit is from the A2 book 'Simulated Brownian motion paths look like a ball of wool tangled by a demented kitten'... We spent ages debating how to test that...
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mjtriggs
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(Original post by kebabmonk)
I would have needed an A in Physics for Durham but they rejected me for geography BA. Just a B needed for me (JUST!) lol
I would have needed an A in Physics for Durham but they rejected me for geography BA. Just a B needed for me (JUST!) lol
They haven't offered me a place yet, but for Maths it's A*AA, and I'm only taking three subjects
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Meron
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(Original post by normal)
I always had a thorough understanding of all the topics. Being good at maths also helps. Not trying to sound arrogant but getting an A* with 100% in some modules is easy if you understand physics.
I always had a thorough understanding of all the topics. Being good at maths also helps. Not trying to sound arrogant but getting an A* with 100% in some modules is easy if you understand physics.
I wonder if you would something perhaps I have never considered.
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dmz
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Also did edexcel, got 72/120 on my 1st one, worked at it and got 98/120 on my 3rd, and 90% on the prac, this gave me a B at the end of AS, worked my ass for A2, had this software that gets past paper questions on specific topic and i printed of about 300pages off past papers, 4 to a page, with the markscheme, important to understand wording's in markscheme. Most questions, just writing the relevant formula gets you 40%, writing the wrong one doesn't get penalised, so don't be too worried, just try not to write every known formula on every question, get good at re-arranging formula's, i basically stuck to this and got 100% on my first A2 exam, so i need like 84% or something to get an A* on my last exam and a low E to get an A, but i kinda did give a crap cos i had to get A in chem and i think i got a B on my last exam but still 6 UMS off an A*
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RK92
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um its hard to say how you can get good grades, but ive never had to work that hard to do a level physics because i read more than the syllabus just because im interested in physics. i think that you can get an a/a* in physics if you just practice a lot, as there are only so many types of question they can ask (and the exam boards deliberately repeat some questions from previous years)...
make sure you can rearrange equations, learn all the laws and practice... pretty much all there is to sugges.
make sure you can rearrange equations, learn all the laws and practice... pretty much all there is to sugges.
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Meron
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#18
(Original post by dmz)
Also did edexcel, got 72/120 on my 1st one, worked at it and got 98/120 on my 3rd, and 90% on the prac, this gave me a B at the end of AS, worked my ass for A2, had this software that gets past paper questions on specific topic and i printed of about 300pages off past papers, 4 to a page, with the markscheme, important to understand wording's in markscheme. Most questions, just writing the relevant formula gets you 40%, writing the wrong one doesn't get penalised, so don't be too worried, just try not to write every known formula on every question, get good at re-arranging formula's, i basically stuck to this and got 100% on my first A2 exam, so i need like 84% or something to get an A* on my last exam and a low E to get an A, but i kinda did give a crap cos i had to get A in chem and i think i got a B on my last exam but still 6 UMS off an A*
Also did edexcel, got 72/120 on my 1st one, worked at it and got 98/120 on my 3rd, and 90% on the prac, this gave me a B at the end of AS, worked my ass for A2, had this software that gets past paper questions on specific topic and i printed of about 300pages off past papers, 4 to a page, with the markscheme, important to understand wording's in markscheme. Most questions, just writing the relevant formula gets you 40%, writing the wrong one doesn't get penalised, so don't be too worried, just try not to write every known formula on every question, get good at re-arranging formula's, i basically stuck to this and got 100% on my first A2 exam, so i need like 84% or something to get an A* on my last exam and a low E to get an A, but i kinda did give a crap cos i had to get A in chem and i think i got a B on my last exam but still 6 UMS off an A*
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Meron
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#19
(Original post by RK92)
um its hard to say how you can get good grades, but ive never had to work that hard to do a level physics because i read more than the syllabus just because im interested in physics. i think that you can get an a/a* in physics if you just practice a lot, as there are only so many types of question they can ask (and the exam boards deliberately repeat some questions from previous years)...
make sure you can rearrange equations, learn all the laws and practice... pretty much all there is to sugges.
um its hard to say how you can get good grades, but ive never had to work that hard to do a level physics because i read more than the syllabus just because im interested in physics. i think that you can get an a/a* in physics if you just practice a lot, as there are only so many types of question they can ask (and the exam boards deliberately repeat some questions from previous years)...
make sure you can rearrange equations, learn all the laws and practice... pretty much all there is to sugges.
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dmz
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#20
(Original post by Meron)
Thanks, I very much appreciate it. I know its difficult to say how to get good grades I just wanted to know what would others do that perhaps I am not doing.
Thanks, I very much appreciate it. I know its difficult to say how to get good grades I just wanted to know what would others do that perhaps I am not doing.
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