Edexcel Chemistry (A2)

Why is a level chemistry so bad?
There is no logical way to look at questions (except calculations) and I never seem to know what worded questions are looking for. Mark schemes are always so vague!

Can someone give me some advice on how to approach questions and revision for chem?

It's not bad. Have you seen biology?

I have a few friends doing biology, it seems so boring and theres lots of work. Glad i didn't pick it!

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I meant the mark schemes. The problems you seem to have with chemistry are ten times worse in biology.

Ah. I assume that a lot of biology is about memorising information and application of it (similar to chem) but i cant seem to get the hang of it. You have any tips that you can share from your experiences with biology?

Why is a level chemistry so bad?
There is no logical way to look at questions (except calculations) and I never seem to know what worded questions are looking for. Mark schemes are always so vague!

Can someone give me some advice on how to approach questions and revision for chem?

It's not bad. Have you seen biology?

DBZ fellow fan

My old avi as well

Anyway, I'm also studying Chemistry alongside Biology, Psychology and History. Out of them all, Chemistry has to be the hardest A-Level I'm studying

I do have to agree with you that the questions are quite hard to understand some times but I'd say look at the answers themselves and compare the questions to them. Look at what they want to hear in your answer since answers are bound to given to you.

Look at what you struggle with and learn it by teaching yourself and making notes (when I mean by teaching yourself, I actually mean use a whiteboard sometimes or something to teach yourself like how a teacher would teach a student, it actually helps)

Just asking, what board for Chemistry are you doing at A-Level? I'm currently on Edexcel and mark schemes aren't too bad


In regards to Biology, out of 10, its about 6 in terms of difficulty, if you get the right points you're sorted with Chemistry, its about the application of knowledge mainly with some contextual knowledge being tested out on.

Just learn the content and understand the concepts. Ensure you make notes (I like my notes colourful ) and understand everything before tackling questions and past papers

And yes, Biology mark schemes are more vague than Chemistry mark schemes

Chemistry on the same scale is about 9 out of 10

Hope this helps

I agree on the difficulty of the content, but getting the right points can be very difficult in biology. In chemistry if you understand the content, you get the marks, but with biology it's less clear cut.

DBZ fellow fan

My old avi as well

Anyway, I'm also studying Chemistry alongside Biology, Psychology and History. Out of them all, Chemistry has to be the hardest A-Level I'm studying

I do have to agree with you that the questions are quite hard to understand some times but I'd say look at the answers themselves and compare the questions to them. Look at what they want to hear in your answer since answers are bound to given to you.

Look at what you struggle with and learn it by teaching yourself and making notes (when I mean by teaching yourself, I actually mean use a whiteboard sometimes or something to teach yourself like how a teacher would teach a student, it actually helps)

Just asking, what board for Chemistry are you doing at A-Level? I'm currently on Edexcel and mark schemes aren't too bad

Ah, i used to watch DBZ alot when I was younger!
I have really lost interest in chemistry recently, so im not that motivated to learn the subject, maybe thats why Ive seemed to struggle so far.
Out of interest are you in the first year or second year of college?

I'm in Year 12 so first year of college

I guess you could say that but then again, it is something I find quite fun although sometimes difficult. (Fun excludes Hess's Law )

I'm in Year 12 so first year of college

I guess you could say that but then again, it is something I find quite fun although sometimes difficult. (Fun excludes Hess's Law )

Im in 2nd year, just some advice make sure you know what you want to do at uni now and make sure you have some work experience/extra curricular activity to go with it, will be very handy. And also revise early on, and dont get complacent like I did!

I hated hess's law so much! But its not too bad when you get used to it. If you enjoy it, i guess it should be easier to revise then, make sure you get lots of practice done for the exams

Hess's law is just simple vectors.

Thanks for the advice. Was so indecisive in the beginning of Year 12 as to what degree but hoping to a chemistry-related degree

And I've got some extra-curricular activities (Subject Mentoring for Chemistry GCSE and Year 7 Maths and also at a primary) and am hoping to take part in C3L6 competition later this year, attend some lectures by Royal Society of Chemistry and also do some work experience by Nuffield later this year in the summer
Just hoping that might be enough...

I'm kinda revising but I don't feel like I do enough though

Hess's Law is like Can't stand it but generally I love chemistry. Enthalpy was fun at GCSE

EDIT - Just asking, what universities you hoping to study at next year and what courses as well?

Ive got an offer from Warwick to study accounting and finance, I just need to get AAA this year, simple enough
What did you get at GCSE?

Good Luck

GCSEs
Biology - A
Chemistry - A*
Physics - B
Maths - B
English Lang - B
English Lit - B
History iGCSE - B
ICT - A*
Humanities - B
Citizenship - B
Religious Studies - B
And two other GCSE's I won't mention....

Wasn't great

Not bad, if you put the work in this year you can get 4 A's or as close to it as possible!