Self-teaching A level sciences

Hello TSR,

I'm currently in Year 10 studying for my GCSEs. I would like to self-teach myself A levels in Biology and Chemistry because I'm finding all of the work far too easy (I'm doing Triple Science) and I want to get ahead an have a good knowledge of the subjects before I even start Sixth Form.

Does anyone have any good methods? I've looked though the specifications and just researched a few of the topics listed but I'm wondering if there is a better way.

Thanks :smile:

Reply 1

mehelan

You need to know what specification you are doing because topics will vary with the exam board. Good Luck :biggrin:

I am in year 11 and I am currently studying Triple Science and I have started A-level. DO NOT UNDERESTIMATE A-LEVEL!!! I get A*s without putting effort in at home but A-level is on another level. Nevertheless I am still taking C1 early!!!!!! :wink:

Reply 2

roobee

Yes, GCSEs can be piss easy at times, I do as level biology and it's not so much the actual content but the volume is WOAH and you need to learn alotta words/ways to answer exam q's.
I would just get the basics about enzymes/genes..etc really really clarified because that comes up constantly at A level all the time

Reply 3

Salmaa!

12

Original post by Kiran96

Hello TSR,

I'm currently in Year 10 studying for my GCSEs. I would like to self-teach myself A levels in Biology and Chemistry because I'm finding all of the work far too easy (I'm doing Triple Science) and I want to get ahead an have a good knowledge of the subjects before I even start Sixth Form.

Does anyone have any good methods? I've looked though the specifications and just researched a few of the topics listed but I'm wondering if there is a better way.

Thanks :smile:

if you're gonna try teaching yourself the syllabus then you should really get at least a little help, a mentor or tutor, A-level is on a completely different level to GCSE. I got 5 As and 5 A*'s at GCSE level, then it came to A levels and I got C's and D's, it's a much bigger workload and more complex topics to learn. So just be careful, it's a pretty big leap. Other than that, good luck!

Reply 4

NabilKhan

If you can get a tutor, it'll be brill. Currently an A2 student; teaching yourself A levels is not easy. Wait for your results next year. Then decide.

Reply 5

ieatcheeseyo

12

GCSE's are the Priority...
But Yeah basically "Learn" familiarise yourself with http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_System_of_Units
and if your doing OCR Biology, Look up Organelles of the Cell - Module 1 Unit 1 for OCR
Read ahead if you want, but I'd suggest starting like June...after your final GCSE exams

Reply 6

ser00

12

yeah i found gcse triple science really easy too and now im doing bio, chem, physics and f maths as...you will DEFINATELY find them hard. doesnt matter how smart you are, chemistry is insane, bio has sooo much content and physics is impossible. maybe get the cgp head start to as books, or start reading some revision guides for the as specifications, but honestly i dont think you should try too hard because youre only in year 10 and you will have forgotten everything you try to teach yourself in 2 years time.

Reply 7

oli_G

12

I wouldn't 'self-teach it' per se.

I would read loads of books, talking about more advanced concepts, and watch videos/watch TV programs about more advanced science.

That way you can gain a good scientific background but not bombard yourself with A level stuff that you may have problems understanding.

That's what I did when I was in your position - I know do Maths, Further Maths, Bio, Chem and Phys at sixth form and am loving it.

If you're this keen on science this early on you're do great in A level :smile:

Good luck.

Spoiler

Reply 8

oli_G

12

Original post by ser00

yeah i found gcse triple science really easy too and now im doing bio, chem, physics and f maths as...you will DEFINATELY find them hard. doesnt matter how smart you are, chemistry is insane, bio has sooo much content and physics is impossible. maybe get the cgp head start to as books, or start reading some revision guides for the as specifications, but honestly i dont think you should try too hard because youre only in year 10 and you will have forgotten everything you try to teach yourself in 2 years time.

Reply 9

ollie82

Original post by Kiran96

Hello TSR,

I'm currently in Year 10 studying for my GCSEs. I would like to self-teach myself A levels in Biology and Chemistry because I'm finding all of the work far too easy (I'm doing Triple Science) and I want to get ahead an have a good knowledge of the subjects before I even start Sixth Form.

Does anyone have any good methods? I've looked though the specifications and just researched a few of the topics listed but I'm wondering if there is a better way.

Thanks :smile:

GCSE sciences are very very easy. A-Level is much harder.

However I do totally sympathize as I went through this too, and found A-Level Biology pretty easy too.

I'd suggest finding out what board your school uses for A-level sciences. (OCR, Edexcel, AQA etc)
then get the text books that go with the board. I did OCR and the text books are very easy to follow even if you haven't studied it in class. However knowing all the topics in advance can make you very bored in 6th form. (in year 12 i used to read all the books and was therefore bored out of my mind in year 12 and 13)

you might be able to find the A-level text books in the school library or science labs?

another suggestion would be to read some science books. this is very good for when you apply to uni because the unis will expect you to have read some research and relevant books and journals.

which particular science are you interested in? there are magazines designed for a level students - biological sciences review and chemistry review etc. you may also be able to find those in your school library. there's also Nature magazine and New Scientist. I can tell you biology books to read but I'm not much good with physics!

Reply 10

ser00

12

Original post by oli_G

I wouldn't 'self-teach it' per se.

I would read loads of books, talking about more advanced concepts, and watch videos/watch TV programs about more advanced science.

That way you can gain a good scientific background but not bombard yourself with A level stuff that you may have problems understanding.

That's what I did when I was in your position - I know do Maths, Further Maths, Bio, Chem and Phys at sixth form and am loving it.

If you're this keen on science this early on you're do great in A level :smile:

Good luck.

Spoiler

high five

Reply 11

ollie82

Original post by Kiran96

Hello TSR,

I'm currently in Year 10 studying for my GCSEs. I would like to self-teach myself A levels in Biology and Chemistry because I'm finding all of the work far too easy (I'm doing Triple Science) and I want to get ahead an have a good knowledge of the subjects before I even start Sixth Form.

Does anyone have any good methods? I've looked though the specifications and just researched a few of the topics listed but I'm wondering if there is a better way.

Thanks :smile:

also now would be a good time to think about getting some experience!
you would be surprised how many people will say yes to you coming and working with them if you just ask. in your summer(this year, or next year) try to work in a hospital or research department. Working in different places will help you realise what you're interested in. If you just google post-doc research, often pages with people's email adresses come up - if you email them, many will be happy to have you. i did this. i also did a nuffield bursary in year 12 - it's designed for students to work in science and technology. also look at Crest awards.

Reply 12

mehelan

Original post by oli_G

I wouldn't 'self-teach it' per se.

I would read loads of books, talking about more advanced concepts, and watch videos/watch TV programs about more advanced science.

That way you can gain a good scientific background but not bombard yourself with A level stuff that you may have problems understanding.

That's what I did when I was in your position - I know do Maths, Further Maths, Bio, Chem and Phys at sixth form and am loving it.

If you're this keen on science this early on you're do great in A level :smile:

Good luck.

Spoiler

How is it like to do 5 a-levels? I am planning to do those 5 and study medicine at uni!

Reply 13

Kiran96

OP

Thank you very much for your replies. I think I will check out some text books and just read up some advanced topics and develop my interest instead of teaching myself the courses.

I understand what you're saying about the big leap in difficulty but from what I've been looking up information for, I seem to find it quite understandable however I'm surprised to see that some of the stuff we've been taught at GCSE level is oversimplified haha.

My school's exam board for A level Biology is Edexcel (Salters-Nuffield biology) and for A level Chemistry it is OCR (Salters Chemistry B) in case anyone wanted to know. I already have a CREST bronze and silver award, I think I will pursue a gold crest next year.

Reply 14

Kiran96

OP

Original post by ollie82

GCSE sciences are very very easy. A-Level is much harder.

However I do totally sympathize as I went through this too, and found A-Level Biology pretty easy too.

I'd suggest finding out what board your school uses for A-level sciences. (OCR, Edexcel, AQA etc)
then get the text books that go with the board. I did OCR and the text books are very easy to follow even if you haven't studied it in class. However knowing all the topics in advance can make you very bored in 6th form. (in year 12 i used to read all the books and was therefore bored out of my mind in year 12 and 13)

you might be able to find the A-level text books in the school library or science labs?

another suggestion would be to read some science books. this is very good for when you apply to uni because the unis will expect you to have read some research and relevant books and journals.

which particular science are you interested in? there are magazines designed for a level students - biological sciences review and chemistry review etc. you may also be able to find those in your school library. there's also Nature magazine and New Scientist. I can tell you biology books to read but I'm not much good with physics!

I'm interested in mainly chemistry but also biology. I think I would like to go into Chemical Engineering, Biochemistry or maybe Pharmaceutical engineering.

Thanks for your help!

Reply 15

keyboard-warrior

10

yeah you can pretty much learn the exam content yourself by buying textbooks, but the practical bit may be an issue, i'm not roo familiar, but i suspect that the textbook probably don't teach enough or at all on the practical units so you may have a problem here

Reply 16

oli_G

12

Original post by mehelan

How is it like to do 5 a-levels? I am planning to do those 5 and study medicine at uni!

It's great.

I never felt that challenged at GCSE and as a result found it boring.

The first thing I'd say is that you'll get loads of people trying to put you off doing this combination and thinking you're crazy. You're not.

All of the subjects fit in quite nicely with each other - especially fm/maths/physics and chem/bio. You get to learn about all areas of science and, while it's challenging, the workload is actually not too bad as long as you can keep up with things.

There's quite a few people in my school (although not that many) and most of them still have good social life's and outside interests. However, you have to work very hard and keep practicing. It's very different from GCSE, but for the right reasons.

Good luck :smile:

Reply 17

Liissiie

A Levels are a nightmare compared to GCSE! It's not so much the difficulty, more the volume!
I got good grades at GCSE, with no revision, but they are nothing compared to AS.

I would suggest, as you are in year 10, not cramming your head full of stuff right now, as a lot of the things you learn are based on GCSE stuff you may not have even covered yet.

If your teachers are anything like mine were, they will explain something easy, like the fact that alkenes have double bonds and then mention that you don't need to know how the bonds are formed until A Level. If I were you, I would ask the teacher after the class for more information, then you'll be building up knowledge in conjunction with what you're learning.

If you are majorly determined to get ahead, grab a copy of the exam board's text book, which the teachers give the A Level students and perhaps read it and do some practice questions. (The OCR text book I have is really clear and simple to use)

Good luck! :biggrin:

I envy your determination! :laugh:

Reply 18

ollie82

Original post by Kiran96

I'm interested in mainly chemistry but also biology. I think I would like to go into Chemical Engineering, Biochemistry or maybe Pharmaceutical engineering.

Thanks for your help!

i think the hardest thing for me at a-level was trying to cram everything in. i did lots of stuff outside school so was very busy and it was difficult trying to fit in work too.

a very important thing to do now would be to teach yourself to be organised. at a-level you don't have defined homework timetables in the same way as GCSE. your teachers might randomly hand you some homework and expect it in the next day. i found that sometimes it would take 5 mins, sometimes 3 hours. so it would be good to work on your time management and making sure you have ways of making yourself work even when you don't want to!!

i wanted to do chemical enginneering too when i started a-level, now it's molecular biology!

Reply 19

Rosi M

11

Original post by Kiran96

Hello TSR,

I'm currently in Year 10 studying for my GCSEs. I would like to self-teach myself A levels in Biology and Chemistry because I'm finding all of the work far too easy (I'm doing Triple Science) and I want to get ahead an have a good knowledge of the subjects before I even start Sixth Form.

Does anyone have any good methods? I've looked though the specifications and just researched a few of the topics listed but I'm wondering if there is a better way.

Thanks :smile:

Finding GCSE's "easy" doesnt necessarily mean you'll find A levels easy. You actually cant compare the two, its a massive jump and completely different. Whilst revising you'll feel yeah this is pretty simple, then get to the exams. I know people with a string of A*'s at GCSE who found A levels VERY HARD.

Self-teaching A level sciences

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