Starting a levels... advise please?
Hi there,
I am starting sixth form on Friday and I am hoping all you kind people on tsr can answer a few questions I have.
1. Would you advise taking the EPQ?
2. How hard is further maths?
GCSE maths and I found additional maths reasonably straight forward and got a B but with no revision. I am a hard worker and certainly no genius like many of you on TSR. I am interested in a science/engineering degree.
3. Could you predict what a levels I get with these GCSEs?
YAWWWNN.. yes I know there has been so many posts like this but every single one says well "I know people who got A*s and GCSE and suddenly got Us at a levels which of course I know does happen but on average those that did well at GCSE should go on to get reasonable grades at A level with hard work right?
At GCSE I got?
Maths A*
English literature A*
English Language A
Biology A*
Chemistry A*
Physics A*
Geography A
History A
RS A
French A
Drama A
3. Is the step upto a level really that big?
I worked very hard at GCSE so it kind of scares me when people say "the work load at alevel is sooo much greater than GCSE" coz i really dont think I could possibly work any harder =(
Thank you very much for you help
Josephine xx
I am starting sixth form on Friday and I am hoping all you kind people on tsr can answer a few questions I have.
1. Would you advise taking the EPQ?
2. How hard is further maths?
GCSE maths and I found additional maths reasonably straight forward and got a B but with no revision. I am a hard worker and certainly no genius like many of you on TSR. I am interested in a science/engineering degree.
3. Could you predict what a levels I get with these GCSEs?
YAWWWNN.. yes I know there has been so many posts like this but every single one says well "I know people who got A*s and GCSE and suddenly got Us at a levels which of course I know does happen but on average those that did well at GCSE should go on to get reasonable grades at A level with hard work right?
At GCSE I got?
Maths A*
English literature A*
English Language A
Biology A*
Chemistry A*
Physics A*
Geography A
History A
RS A
French A
Drama A
3. Is the step upto a level really that big?
I worked very hard at GCSE so it kind of scares me when people say "the work load at alevel is sooo much greater than GCSE" coz i really dont think I could possibly work any harder =(
Thank you very much for you help
Josephine xx
Further maths is not too hard as long as you can grasp it fairly quickly, it all kind of falls in together. I'll predict AAB (Don't have a clue but here's a go lol). Step up is not that big as long as you learn the material in lessons and do homework and past papers and you should be fine 
. Btw you will always be able to work harder than you think you can when you want something desperately, like good grades in your case 
. Btw you will always be able to work harder than you think you can when you want something desperately, like good grades in your case 
Original post by josephinemar25
Hi there,
I am starting sixth form on Friday and I am hoping all you kind people on tsr can answer a few questions I have.
1. Would you advise taking the EPQ?
2. How hard is further maths?
GCSE maths and I found additional maths reasonably straight forward and got a B but with no revision. I am a hard worker and certainly no genius like many of you on TSR. I am interested in a science/engineering degree.
3. Could you predict what a levels I get with these GCSEs?
YAWWWNN.. yes I know there has been so many posts like this but every single one says well "I know people who got A*s and GCSE and suddenly got Us at a levels which of course I know does happen but on average those that did well at GCSE should go on to get reasonable grades at A level with hard work right?
At GCSE I got?
Maths A*
English literature A*
English Language A
Biology A*
Chemistry A*
Physics A*
Geography A
History A
RS A
French A
Drama A
3. Is the step upto a level really that big?
I worked very hard at GCSE so it kind of scares me when people say "the work load at alevel is sooo much greater than GCSE" coz i really dont think I could possibly work any harder =(
Thank you very much for you help
Josephine xx
I am starting sixth form on Friday and I am hoping all you kind people on tsr can answer a few questions I have.
1. Would you advise taking the EPQ?
2. How hard is further maths?
GCSE maths and I found additional maths reasonably straight forward and got a B but with no revision. I am a hard worker and certainly no genius like many of you on TSR. I am interested in a science/engineering degree.
3. Could you predict what a levels I get with these GCSEs?
YAWWWNN.. yes I know there has been so many posts like this but every single one says well "I know people who got A*s and GCSE and suddenly got Us at a levels which of course I know does happen but on average those that did well at GCSE should go on to get reasonable grades at A level with hard work right?
At GCSE I got?
Maths A*
English literature A*
English Language A
Biology A*
Chemistry A*
Physics A*
Geography A
History A
RS A
French A
Drama A
3. Is the step upto a level really that big?
I worked very hard at GCSE so it kind of scares me when people say "the work load at alevel is sooo much greater than GCSE" coz i really dont think I could possibly work any harder =(
Thank you very much for you help
Josephine xx
1. The EPQ depends on whether or not you do it in something relevant to what you plan to apply for at university. It is by no means a necessity, and you would do fine without it.
2. How hard you find Further Maths is entirely dependent on how good you are at Maths, and how passionate you are about the subject itself, alongside the commitment you show towards it.
3. No idea; "I know people who got A*s at GCSE and went on to get Us at AS-level" - that statement is fact and there is no way to predict your grades because GCSEs are not even remotely at the level of A-levels; you can get away with minimal effort at GCSE, whereas you cannot at A-level.
4. The step-up is not that bad, it's over-exaggerated a lot of the time. That isn't to say there isn't a step-up; both the content and the workload increase in difficulty, yet you should be able to cope with ease if you put the work in.
Hope that helps!
The phrase 'what you put in is what you get out' really is all that applies in this situation. Your GCSE grades are completely irrelevant other than indicating your current level of intelligence. This is because A levels are an entirely different ball game but if you want to succeed and try hard enough at sixth form you will get where you want.
I didn't spend one minute out of school revising for my GCSEs and I got mostly B and C grades, I got to sixth form and crapped myself because, based on my gcse grades according to averages, I was set to achieve DDD. This made me work extremely hard and I came out with A*AA, which illustrates just how insignificant GCSEs are.
A levels are a blank slate so you should not go by any predicted grades given to you, it could either make you complacent or set your ambitions too low. You should aim for the highest results you feel possible, set a target, and then when it is reached aim even higher.
The EPQ is generally a waste of time in my experience, the school sell it to you but after about 6 weeks of monotonous meetings and thinking about what little progress you've made you'll probably just want to focus on your studies.
Sweat it out for the next two years and be prepared to give up your social life from Feb to June.
Have fun!
I didn't spend one minute out of school revising for my GCSEs and I got mostly B and C grades, I got to sixth form and crapped myself because, based on my gcse grades according to averages, I was set to achieve DDD. This made me work extremely hard and I came out with A*AA, which illustrates just how insignificant GCSEs are.
A levels are a blank slate so you should not go by any predicted grades given to you, it could either make you complacent or set your ambitions too low. You should aim for the highest results you feel possible, set a target, and then when it is reached aim even higher.
The EPQ is generally a waste of time in my experience, the school sell it to you but after about 6 weeks of monotonous meetings and thinking about what little progress you've made you'll probably just want to focus on your studies.
Sweat it out for the next two years and be prepared to give up your social life from Feb to June.
Have fun!
1) If you can manage your time well, and have a strong passion that you feel you can channel into an essay, go for it! I haven't done it personally, so wouldn't be able to tell you
2) Anecdotally I've heard it's not harder than normal maths, but it really depends on your modules. I'm only just going into it
3) I honestly can't predict. I got Distinction, 4 A's and 5 B's and a friend of mine got something like 8 A*'s and 3 A's. We got the same grades (ABBD) at AS level.
4) Don't be scared, okay? I found personally in subjects I was good at, it was just the exams that were harder and there was more content. In subjects I was slightly weaker at, I found everything about it harder. If you worked hard for your GCSEs (and didn't just decide to start watching Teen Wolf, like I did), you should be just fine.
2) Anecdotally I've heard it's not harder than normal maths, but it really depends on your modules. I'm only just going into it
3) I honestly can't predict. I got Distinction, 4 A's and 5 B's and a friend of mine got something like 8 A*'s and 3 A's. We got the same grades (ABBD) at AS level.
4) Don't be scared, okay? I found personally in subjects I was good at, it was just the exams that were harder and there was more content. In subjects I was slightly weaker at, I found everything about it harder. If you worked hard for your GCSEs (and didn't just decide to start watching Teen Wolf, like I did), you should be just fine.
Personally I think the step-up from GCSE to AS is hugely exaggerated, the content is harder and workload greater, but most people are more than capable of doing really well in A Levels with hard work.
The best advice I can give you:
1) Work in all your free periods after christmas holidays (or before if you are extra committed)
2) Never, ever let yourself fall behind - catching up can be incredibly difficult, and preferably stay ahead (e.g. make notes on a topic before the lesson)
3) You will be tested throughout the year (e.g. practice questions).. if you aren't achieving grades you will be happy with at the end of the year then do extra work (make extra notes from the text-book or go over class notes) to make sure you are consistently achieving the grades you want.
Hope this helps
The best advice I can give you:
1) Work in all your free periods after christmas holidays (or before if you are extra committed)
2) Never, ever let yourself fall behind - catching up can be incredibly difficult, and preferably stay ahead (e.g. make notes on a topic before the lesson)
3) You will be tested throughout the year (e.g. practice questions).. if you aren't achieving grades you will be happy with at the end of the year then do extra work (make extra notes from the text-book or go over class notes) to make sure you are consistently achieving the grades you want.
Hope this helps
Further Maths is fairly straight-forward if you're naturally good at Maths. Some people just 'get it' easier than others; just work consistently and don't let yourself fall behind.
Just because people you know are dossing around doesn't mean you need to. If people are sat playing games on the PCs or taking trips to Mcdonalds every single day and avoiding work, they don't deserve to be there. Like somebody said, you get out what you put in.
My best advice would be to revise everyday. Even if its an hour it counts. Take days like Christmas off. Also make sure you revise equal hours for each subject. I found biology easier and didn't revise as much and ended up retaking as grade wasn't as good. My teachers advises revise 4 hours per subject per week. Sounds like a lot to some but really isn't. If this is how you worked for GCSE then a levels won't be a big jump I promise you. I found a bigger jump from as to A2 if I'm honest!
I found a bigger jump from as to A2 if I'm honest!Original post by josephinemar25
Hi there,
I am starting sixth form on Friday and I am hoping all you kind people on tsr can answer a few questions I have.
1. Would you advise taking the EPQ?
2. How hard is further maths?
GCSE maths and I found additional maths reasonably straight forward and got a B but with no revision. I am a hard worker and certainly no genius like many of you on TSR. I am interested in a science/engineering degree.
3. Could you predict what a levels I get with these GCSEs?
YAWWWNN.. yes I know there has been so many posts like this but every single one says well "I know people who got A*s and GCSE and suddenly got Us at a levels which of course I know does happen but on average those that did well at GCSE should go on to get reasonable grades at A level with hard work right?
At GCSE I got?
Maths A*
English literature A*
English Language A
Biology A*
Chemistry A*
Physics A*
Geography A
History A
RS A
French A
Drama A
3. Is the step upto a level really that big?
I worked very hard at GCSE so it kind of scares me when people say "the work load at alevel is sooo much greater than GCSE" coz i really dont think I could possibly work any harder =(
Thank you very much for you help
Josephine xx
I am starting sixth form on Friday and I am hoping all you kind people on tsr can answer a few questions I have.
1. Would you advise taking the EPQ?
2. How hard is further maths?
GCSE maths and I found additional maths reasonably straight forward and got a B but with no revision. I am a hard worker and certainly no genius like many of you on TSR. I am interested in a science/engineering degree.
3. Could you predict what a levels I get with these GCSEs?
YAWWWNN.. yes I know there has been so many posts like this but every single one says well "I know people who got A*s and GCSE and suddenly got Us at a levels which of course I know does happen but on average those that did well at GCSE should go on to get reasonable grades at A level with hard work right?
At GCSE I got?
Maths A*
English literature A*
English Language A
Biology A*
Chemistry A*
Physics A*
Geography A
History A
RS A
French A
Drama A
3. Is the step upto a level really that big?
I worked very hard at GCSE so it kind of scares me when people say "the work load at alevel is sooo much greater than GCSE" coz i really dont think I could possibly work any harder =(
Thank you very much for you help
Josephine xx
1. No I wouldn't take it. You don't NEED it to get into even the best of universities. If you think you can manage the extra work, fine, I suppose it does show that you can manage your time well. But personally, I'd rather put the extra effort into getting 3/4 solid A Levels. When I was in sixth-form, the teachers tried to make the kids with good GCSEs do the baccalaureate, but it really didn't make a difference to their university applications because so many people did it!
2. A Level maths is a challenge, just like every other A Level. But it's certainly not impossible to do well in. If you put the effort in, there's no reason why you can't get a good grade. Are you wanting to do maths AND further maths as two separate A Levels? Look at the entry requirements of universities you are interested in and see which A Levels they require. I think it's very easy to put a lot of unnecessary pressure on yourself during A Levels. Don't over-do things when you really don't need to! It may not end well.
3. Obviously if people have good GCSE grades then their predicted A Level grades will be high, but anybody who gets good GCSE's could easily fail all of their A Levels due to not working hard or putting too much pressure on themselves to do the hardest subjects (or to do additional awards such the EPQ). A Levels are a clean slate, all of your hard work during GCSEs doesn't matter now.
4. You sound like you are a hard worker so I am sure you'll manage just fine. I actually much preferred A Level because you are only doing 3/4 subjects which you have chosen yourself, instead of 8+ subjects you may not like.
I think the level of step-up from GCSE to AS somewhat depends on whether you did well at GCSE because you remember things well and study efficiently or more because you understand, are good at and enjoy your chosen subjects. While study skills are great, and necessary to succeed at AS, I think you also need to understand the subject a bit rather than be able to tick the mark scheme's boxes. If you're looking to do science/engineering, you probably enjoy your subjects and "get" them to a certain extent. In any case I also think the step up is blown out of proportion. Personally, although the work is technically "harder", I found it easier to cope with 4 subjects of overlapping, only slightly tougher material than 11 subjects of often unrelated stuff.
I believe hard work is more important than individual brilliance in any exam.
I did science/maths subjects and what I found to be the most important for me was making sure that I fully comprehended the subjects as my teacher went through them. After we finished a subject/bullet on the specification (e.g. "Standing Waves" in physics) I'd look back over the work and make sure there was nothing I didn't understand. This meant that when it came time to revise for my summer exams, I was actually revising as opposed to re-teaching myself parts of the course I'd never really paid attention to. That took a lot less time for me. I could go "Right, this. Okay. Got it. Next." (of course an oversimplification!)
If you make sure you don't fall behind and prepare yourself properly for your exams (as others said, you can't rely on just natural ability at AS, not because of the difficulty but because the nature of the questions means there's things you'll just have to know to get the marks, and for the "application of knowledge" bits you need to fully understand the basic principles) I think it's no large task to keep up the standard and get 80%+ for an A at AS. I'm not saying it's easy. I'm saying if your someone with mostly As/A*s at GCSE, then the level to which you're willing to apply yourself is enough to get the same at AS, provided you do it sensibly! Don't not revise for A-Level Maths! And remember it's only 3/4 subjects now so they'll obviously need more revision each...(some people apparently overlook this). Overall I only spent a bit more total time revising my AS than my GCSEs.
Take the advice of my personal Deity, Douglas Adams: Don't Panic. If you work hard, enjoy and understand your subjects (or at least be able to answer correctly the typical exam questions on them) and revise in plenty of time for your exams then you will do more than fine. You're not afraid of hard work and your post here proves you're conscious of what's coming, so along with your GCSE grades I'd say you could get AAA and beyond! Aim high.
I believe hard work is more important than individual brilliance in any exam.
I did science/maths subjects and what I found to be the most important for me was making sure that I fully comprehended the subjects as my teacher went through them. After we finished a subject/bullet on the specification (e.g. "Standing Waves" in physics) I'd look back over the work and make sure there was nothing I didn't understand. This meant that when it came time to revise for my summer exams, I was actually revising as opposed to re-teaching myself parts of the course I'd never really paid attention to. That took a lot less time for me. I could go "Right, this. Okay. Got it. Next." (of course an oversimplification!)
If you make sure you don't fall behind and prepare yourself properly for your exams (as others said, you can't rely on just natural ability at AS, not because of the difficulty but because the nature of the questions means there's things you'll just have to know to get the marks, and for the "application of knowledge" bits you need to fully understand the basic principles) I think it's no large task to keep up the standard and get 80%+ for an A at AS. I'm not saying it's easy. I'm saying if your someone with mostly As/A*s at GCSE, then the level to which you're willing to apply yourself is enough to get the same at AS, provided you do it sensibly! Don't not revise for A-Level Maths! And remember it's only 3/4 subjects now so they'll obviously need more revision each...(some people apparently overlook this). Overall I only spent a bit more total time revising my AS than my GCSEs.
Take the advice of my personal Deity, Douglas Adams: Don't Panic. If you work hard, enjoy and understand your subjects (or at least be able to answer correctly the typical exam questions on them) and revise in plenty of time for your exams then you will do more than fine. You're not afraid of hard work and your post here proves you're conscious of what's coming, so along with your GCSE grades I'd say you could get AAA and beyond! Aim high.
Thank you very much everyone gave really really helpful advice best of luck to all of you xxx
Hey if any of you have done/ are doing A levels in these subjects could you tell me what you think?
Spanish? I'm gcse grade A standard, probably not A*. I have tutoring available if I do it for A level though, and I really enjoy it.
Art? I love it, it's my favourite subject. Predicted an A* at gcse
English lit? Predicted A*, I got an A* in Language (which I took early) though I hear it's very different..?
Religious studies? Find it easy/ interesting. Predicted gcse grade A*
Posted from TSR Mobile
Spanish? I'm gcse grade A standard, probably not A*. I have tutoring available if I do it for A level though, and I really enjoy it.
Art? I love it, it's my favourite subject. Predicted an A* at gcse
English lit? Predicted A*, I got an A* in Language (which I took early) though I hear it's very different..?
Religious studies? Find it easy/ interesting. Predicted gcse grade A*
Posted from TSR Mobile
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