Turning it all around - CCD to A*AA at A level

Airbear

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So I'm starting this blog to track my progress during my revision for the May/June A level exams. I'm not doing well in school at all, but I want to turn it around and get good grades for my A levels. I would have started a 'Grow my Grades' topic, but I've missed the deadline for entries and I don't think im allowed to start a thread now.

I'm taking a gap year next year, in which I will probably do the Biology A level, and then I will hopefully apply to do Biomedical Science at University. At the moment, I don't really have the right subjects to do Biomedical Science, so I guess I'll have to do Biology in my gap year which is fine (I was originally planning to travel).

At the start of year 12, I studied Maths, German, Biology, Economics and Welsh bac. I dropped Biology after a month or so because I decided that I didnt want to do the University course that I originally wanted to do, meaning that I wouldn't need Biology, and I was already doing 5 A levels. I ended up getting these grades in my Summer exams, after basically doing no revision and missing a lot of school towards the end of the year (I think, cant remember exactly):

Economics - C
German - C
Maths - D
Welsh bac. - TBC in yr 13

I decided to drop Economics because I really didnt enjoy the subject, so this year in year 13 I studied German, Maths and Welsh bac. When I apply to University, this is what I hope to apply with:

Biology - Predicted A
Maths - A*
German - A
Welsh bac - A (already confirmed as of Spring 2016)

These are what I would love to have, but I don't really need an A in German, and I feel like a B might be more likely. That's okay though, as when I apple to University, they will most likely only ask for 3 A levels, for example AAA with 2 sciences (Maths and Biology).

These were my GCSE results (Which prove that I am capable of higher grades than CCD):
Additional maths - A*
Maths - A*
German - A*
Biology - A
Physics - A
Chemistry - A
ICT - A
Welsh - A
Economics - A
Geography - A
History - A
R.E - A

I've made a revision plan, and I havent done any revision as of yet (my first exam is really close :/) so I really need to get started and work really hard.

I'll try and update every day or so with what I've done, but here are my goals for tomorrow:

-Write out notes for C1 (And understand the work)
- Write out notes for C2
-Write out notes for C3
-Do German homework (If there was any)
-Start revising for my German speaking exam- memorising an essay basically
-Revise the book I am studying for German

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Drunq

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good luck (!)

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OrionMusicNet

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(Original post by Airbear)
So I'm starting this blog to track my progress during my revision for the May/June A level exams. I'm not doing well in school at all, but I want to turn it around and get good grades for my A levels.

I'm taking a gap year next year, in which I will probably do the Biology A level, and then I will hopefully apply to do Biomedical Science at University. At the moment, I don't really have the right subjects to do Biomedical Science, so I guess I'll have to do Biology in my gap year which is fine (I was originally planning to travel).

At the start of year 12, I studied Maths, German, Biology, Economics and Welsh bac. I dropped Biology after a month or so because I decided that I didnt want to do the University course that I originally wanted to do, meaning that I wouldn't need Biology, and I was already doing 5 A levels. I ended up getting these grades in my Summer exams, after basically doing no revision and missing a lot of school towards the end of the year (I think, cant remember exactly):

Economics - C
German - C
Maths - D
Welsh bac. - TBC in yr 13

I decided to drop Economics because I really didnt enjoy the subject, so this year in year 13 I studied German, Maths and Welsh bac. When I apply to University, this is what I hope to apply with:

Biology - Predicted A
Maths - A*
German - A
Welsh bac - A (already confirmed as of Spring 2016)

These are what I would love to have, but I don't really need an A in German, and I feel like a B might be more likely. That's okay though, as when I apple to University, they will most likely only ask for 3 A levels, for example AAA with 2 sciences (Maths and Biology).

These were my GCSE results (Which prove that I am capable of higher grades than CCD):
Additional maths - A*
Maths - A*
German - A*
Biology - A
Physics - A
Chemistry - A
ICT - A
Welsh - A
Economics - A
Geography - A
History - A
R.E - A

I've made a revision plan, and I havent done any revision as of yet (my first exam is really close :/) so I really need to get started and work really hard.

I'll try and update every day or so with what I've done, but here are my goals for tomorrow:

-Write out notes for C1 (And understand the work)
- Write out notes for C2
-Write out notes for C3
-Do German homework (If there was any)
-Start revising for my German speaking exam- memorising an essay basically
-Revise the book I am studying for German

If you are trying to jump from CCD to A*AA, I reckon efficiency is going to be pretty important for you. For maths, I would honestly suggest not really spending much time making notes, you can learn pretty much all that you need to know just off of past papers (examsolutions is a good website with videos) and other external papers such as solomon papers (available on physicsandmathstutor.com). Just my advice because you don't want to to waste more time than necessary.

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Airbear

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(Original post by OrionMusicNet)
If you are trying to jump from CCD to A*AA, I reckon efficiency is going to be pretty important for you. For maths, I would honestly suggest not really spending much time making notes, you can learn pretty much all that you need to know just off of past papers (examsolutions is a good website with videos) and other external papers such as solomon papers (available on physicsandmathstutor.com). Just my advice because you don't want to to waste more time than necessary.

Thank you for the advice

I do really want to make notes before I start doing past papers though, because I can see which topics I need to go over (I missed a lot of school this year), and also if I start by doing past papers with my notes, they will all be in one place. I will have a look at those websites thanks!

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Tawheed

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All the best, stay the course, and never give in and never back down. Keep going to the very end. See this through

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OrionMusicNet

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(Original post by Airbear)
Thank you for the advice

I do really want to make notes before I start doing past papers though, because I can see which topics I need to go over (I missed a lot of school this year), and also if I start by doing past papers with my notes, they will all be in one place. I will have a look at those websites thanks!

Fair enough, just don't spend too long making them. However, if you do think you are short on time I would advise you just watch exams solutions videos on the topics very quickly and jump straight to the papers. You may mess up the first 3 or 4 but you should get into the flow of things soon after. If you run out, there are always more papers available on physicsandmathstutor.com

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Airbear

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(Original post by OrionMusicNet)
Fair enough, just don't spend too long making them. However, if you do think you are short on time I would advise you just watch exams solutions videos on the topics very quickly and jump straight to the papers. You may mess up the first 3 or 4 but you should get into the flow of things soon after. If you run out, there are always more papers available on physicsandmathstutor.com

Yeah making the notes shouldn't take too long. I guess I'll see tomorrow when I start them. Thanks again

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Airbear

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Okay so today I basically did no work. I guess I just couldnt be bothered, and I didnt have school today because it's a bank holiday so I'll probably do more tomorrow, as I'll be back to my 'routine' of getting up at a certain time and doing revision when I get home from school.
So all I did today was did some revision for the book I'm studying for German. Tomorrow this is what I'm doing:
- school from 9.30am to 3pm
- German homework in frees if there was any (need to check)
- C1 notes
- 2 hours revision for my German speaking exam (Mock on Wednesday)

I'll probably spend about 2 hours on my C1 revision- I'll go through the work and make a revision page to refer to when doing past papers. So in total 4 hours revision excluding the German homework. Not too much so I'll do that from 4pm-8pm probably

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Drunq

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(Original post by Airbear)
Okay so today I basically did no work. I guess I just couldnt be bothered, and I didnt have school today because it's a bank holiday so I'll probably do more tomorrow, as I'll be back to my 'routine' of getting up at a certain time and doing revision when I get home from school.
So all I did today was did some revision for the book I'm studying for German. Tomorrow this is what I'm doing:
- school from 9.30am to 3pm
- German homework in frees if there was any (need to check)
- C1 notes
- 2 hours revision for my German speaking exam (Mock on Wednesday)

I'll probably spend about 2 hours on my C1 revision- I'll go through the work and make a revision page to refer to when doing past papers. So in total 4 hours revision excluding the German homework. Not too much so I'll do that from 4pm-8pm probably

If i were you, I'd focus more on C2 because C1 is too easy compared to C2.

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Airbear

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(Original post by Drunq)
If i were you, I'd focus more on C2 because C1 is too easy compared to C2.

Yep I'm going to, but I need to start first by going through all my maths (C1, C2, C3, C4, S1, M1) from the beginning to refresh my memory and go through anything I don't understand. My C1 exam is only in 16 days so I should probably work on that too. I'm planning on doing some C2 the day after tomorrow

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RezzBerry

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I feel as if I need to start one of these threads. I've been procrastinating badly, lately.

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anonwinner

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(Original post by Airbear)
Thank you for the advice

I do really want to make notes before I start doing past papers though, because I can see which topics I need to go over (I missed a lot of school this year), and also if I start by doing past papers with my notes, they will all be in one place. I will have a look at those websites thanks!

You only have a couple weeks left and you haven't even started Maths past papers yet?

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anonwinner

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(Original post by RezzBerry)
I feel as if I need to start one of these threads. I've been procrastinating badly, lately.

Making one of these threads is just further procrastination...

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YeSand

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(Original post by anonwinner)
Making one of these threads is just further procrastination...

Good luck bro I'm resitting C1 and C2.

Got so much to do!

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Sacred Ground

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Good luck, hope you pull it off

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Airbear

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(Original post by anonwinner)
You only have a couple weeks left and you haven't even started Maths past papers yet?

I've got 5 weeks until my A levels maths exams (the earlier ones are AS level resits so not loads of work to do there), and I've done maybe 8 C3 past papers, a couple of C4 papers and like half of an M1 paper. But like I said, I've got over 6 weeks and 7 weeks until my C4 and M1 exams respectively, so although I know I should have started sooner with revision, I've still got time.

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anonwinner

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(Original post by Airbear)
I've got 5 weeks until my A levels maths exams (the earlier ones are AS level resits so not loads of work to do there), and I've done maybe 8 C3 past papers, a couple of C4 papers and like half of an M1 paper. But like I said, I've got over 6 weeks and 7 weeks until my C4 and M1 exams respectively, so although I know I should have started sooner with revision, I've still got time.

Yes you definitely still have time, I thought you'd done literally zero past papers.

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Airbear

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Yesterday I did a GN2 past paper which I marked and I got an A so I feel fairly confident about that. I just need to go over some essay writing skills and stuff like that. I wrote some c1 notes and did some questions, but I need to do some more on that tomorrow. Today I'm just concentrating on my GN3 speaking exam, as I have a mock tomorrow

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leahnj

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what did you end up getting?

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