[THREAD] Tips for new Year 12s studying Science + Maths and get As in all subjects
Year 12 A-level Sciences Tips Thread
By nwmyname
By nwmyname
I myself studied all of Biology, Chemistry and Physics at AS.
Yes it sounds tough, but they weren’t really that different from most subjects.
These were my grades for the new spec 2016 Sciences and Old spec maths Exam:
Biology (OCR) = A
Chemistry (OCR) = A
Physics (OCR) = A
Maths (EdExcel) = A
I have some tips though for any of you Year 12s that study any of these subjects.
They mainly apply to all of these sciences, but over the coming days, we’ll probably add some of your own to the individual subjects.
1. Don’t waste time learning.
This is quite a strange one.
A-levels are a different ball game to GCSEs.
A-levels require commitment from the start as you cannot swallow all of the information before a mock exam.
You need to know everything beforehand since a lot of the sciences develop from foundation theories, so without knowing the basics, you can be quite badly done.
2. Get a very good textbook.
Some textbooks are very bad.
Pearson’s series are very very very bad, and that is no exaggeration.
CGP books personally I feel are NOT textbooks.
They are last minute revision tips.
Get the A-level Oxford books.
They are the perfect textbooks to simplify everything.
https://global.oup.com/education/content/secondary/series/ocr-a-level-sciences/?view=ProductList®ion=uk
These are also available on Amazon by searching the ISBN for the appropriate book.
More will be added if you want. These are the current two points of advice you need to get through Year 12 with 4As like I personally did, after resorting to putting all my effort in at the start of Year 12.
Ask me anything!
If you have your own tips to share, please do so below!
If you are in Year 13 like me and want to ask how I revise or etc. then please feel free to ask too.
(edited 7 years ago)
Scroll to see replies
What do the CGP books do wrong in comparison to the Oxford ones?
Any advice on What textbooks specifically I should use for Chemistry and Physics A2?
Is chemistry really really hard
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Original post by Antediluvian
What do the CGP books do wrong in comparison to the Oxford ones?
CGP books certainly for Chemistry get the mechanisms wrong in terms of where electrons move.
I don't think it's too much to talk about, just that you lose marks in the real exam.
Certainly in Chemistry too, how they write formulae is just too complicated and doesn't really go in-depth with what they are talking about.
e.g. an Alcohol is classified as R-OH but alcohols are not simply like that. They have other chemical properties too that are too easily overlooked.
In Biology and Physics, they are very good books, but they aren't suitable until last minute revision because the style of extension questions and some of the content isn't really in depth. I mean, it's advertised specifically as a revision guide itself. The textbooks seem ok, but then again like I said, the depth is more important.
Physics I would totally recommend when you try to practice all the difficult questions of course.
Original post by CountyCobra
Any advice on What textbooks specifically I should use for Chemistry and Physics A2?
I would still say
Oxford A-level Chemistry Year 2.
They also print past paper questions from many specs ago with the answers as well so you don't need to waste your time looking online for the.
CGP revision guides are fine too, but note they are revision guides, NOT textbooks.
Original post by Astudent24
Not really.
It was fine for me.
You just need to have an open head and actually visualise molecules and atoms rather than just memorise it.
That's the tip to succeed, especially in Organic Chemistry where you don't get formulae, so you really have to use your head and figure out what you are doing.
Original post by Astudent24
you bet!
I just got A's in bio chem and phy new spec as levels (AQA) as well as maths and I found cgp books perfect tbh.
Posted from TSR Mobile
Posted from TSR Mobile
Original post by nwmyname
I myself studied all of Biology, Chemistry and Physics at AS.
Yes it sounds tough, but they weren’t really that different from most subjects.
These were my grades for the new spec 2016 Sciences and Old spec maths Exam:
Biology (OCR) = A
Chemistry (OCR) = A
Physics (OCR) = A
Maths (EdExcel) = A
I have some tips though for any of you Year 12s that study any of these subjects.
They mainly apply to all of these sciences, but over the coming days, we’ll probably add some of your own to the individual subjects.
1. Don’t waste time learning.
This is quite a strange one.
A-levels are a different ball game to GCSEs.
A-levels require commitment from the start as you cannot swallow all of the information before a mock exam.
You need to know everything beforehand since a lot of the sciences develop from foundation theories, so without knowing the basics, you can be quite badly done.
2. Get a very good textbook.
Some textbooks are very bad.
Pearson’s series are very very very bad, and that is no exaggeration.
CGP books personally I feel are NOT textbooks.
They are last minute revision tips.
Get the A-level Oxford books.
They are the perfect textbooks to simplify everything.
https://global.oup.com/education/content/secondary/series/ocr-a-level-sciences/?view=ProductList®ion=uk
These are also available on Amazon by searching the ISBN for the appropriate book.
More will be added if you want. These are the current two points of advice you need to get through Year 12 with 4As like I personally did, after resorting to putting all my effort in at the start of Year 12.
Ask me anything!
If you have your own tips to share, please do so below!
If you are in Year 13 like me and want to ask how I revise or etc. then please feel free to ask too.
Year 12 A-level Sciences Tips Thread
By nwmyname
By nwmyname
I myself studied all of Biology, Chemistry and Physics at AS.
Yes it sounds tough, but they weren’t really that different from most subjects.
These were my grades for the new spec 2016 Sciences and Old spec maths Exam:
Biology (OCR) = A
Chemistry (OCR) = A
Physics (OCR) = A
Maths (EdExcel) = A
I have some tips though for any of you Year 12s that study any of these subjects.
They mainly apply to all of these sciences, but over the coming days, we’ll probably add some of your own to the individual subjects.
1. Don’t waste time learning.
This is quite a strange one.
A-levels are a different ball game to GCSEs.
A-levels require commitment from the start as you cannot swallow all of the information before a mock exam.
You need to know everything beforehand since a lot of the sciences develop from foundation theories, so without knowing the basics, you can be quite badly done.
2. Get a very good textbook.
Some textbooks are very bad.
Pearson’s series are very very very bad, and that is no exaggeration.
CGP books personally I feel are NOT textbooks.
They are last minute revision tips.
Get the A-level Oxford books.
They are the perfect textbooks to simplify everything.
https://global.oup.com/education/content/secondary/series/ocr-a-level-sciences/?view=ProductList®ion=uk
These are also available on Amazon by searching the ISBN for the appropriate book.
More will be added if you want. These are the current two points of advice you need to get through Year 12 with 4As like I personally did, after resorting to putting all my effort in at the start of Year 12.
Ask me anything!
If you have your own tips to share, please do so below!
If you are in Year 13 like me and want to ask how I revise or etc. then please feel free to ask too.
Did u do or write notes? Like condense ur textbook and class notes to make personal notes? Btw, I rlly appreciate ur effort in making this thread
xoPosted from TSR Mobile
Original post by moshe015
I just got A's in bio chem and phy new spec as levels (AQA) as well as maths and I found cgp books perfect tbh.
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Same, I did chemistry and physics AS on AQA, CGP text books were a life saver compared to the text books from school. I got As in both my ASs.
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Original post by moshe015
I just got A's in bio chem and phy new spec as levels (AQA) as well as maths and I found cgp books perfect tbh.
Posted from TSR Mobile
Posted from TSR Mobile
I liked CGP textbooks too, don't get me wrong.
For learning a concept from scratch, they were a bit more condensed then you would need.
Of course, once you learnt the concept, the CGP books helped to refine it into shorter and more efficient meaning.
Original post by amanii_ox
Did u do or write notes? Like condense ur textbook and class notes to make personal notes? Btw, I rlly appreciate ur effort in making this thread xo
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xoPosted from TSR Mobile
I never wrote notes in school.
This sounds very strange, but I always felt school was the time to listen to the teacher rather than write notes as it made me more engaged to listen to them.
Of course, when prompted, I did write them but I felt it was easier to listen to them, watch them, ask them questions and later go home to write those notes.
Yes, so I used the textbook to write these notes into a more condensed format.
I always used to spare a margin on the right hand side of the page to write down definitions or molecules to elaborate the notes I had just written and draw a line between the definitions and the notes themselves.
In the exam season, I compiled something like a 100 page (Yes, 100 page) book of questions and answers to help memorise how to write my answers.
This really really helped my exam answers as I could systematically write answers that the examiners wanted to see, rather than just waffle and waffle - plus it saved me lots of time!
I might release it soon
Original post by munchkin1212
Same, I did chemistry and physics AS on AQA, CGP text books were a life saver compared to the text books from school. I got As in both my ASs.
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I don't disagree with what he says haha
In fact, I agree with him like I said in Physics AS.
I mean it is a personal feeling.
I only had the revision guides not the textbooks so I'm not really in a position to talk about them.
I was only mentioning that the revision guides were not substitutes for the textbooks themselves.
Original post by nwmyname
CGP books personally I feel are NOT textbooks.
CGP books personally I feel are NOT textbooks.
That's because they're not textbooks, they're revision guides! If you use any revision guide (CGP or not) as a textbook then you're going to have a hard time. As revision guides, I think CGP is great.
A-Levl tips
-When you do past papers make sure you happy with what you are getting and look to see an improvement over time. If not revise more and learn from your mistakes.
-Tick off the specification to make sure you've learnt everything and nothing should shock you.
-Try and be able to answer every question on all the past papers.. Aim for 100 so you get higher than if you aimed for like 80 or 90.
-Also once you go through past papers do questions from other papers (Solomon papers etc. Or other exam boards with the same topics) on every topic you learnt for a bit then go back to past papers when you've forgotten the answers.
-Try and do all past papers at least twice.
-Start revising from the beginning and go over what you learn in every lesson
-Go over every topic atleast 3 times
-Keep track of what you get on past papers and make sure you meet your target.
-On your second attempt on the past papers make sure you see an improvement from the first attempt and so on.
-Focus on your weaker subjects when you have got your important subjects to where you want.
-Ask the teacher for extra homework and questions.
-If there is something you don't know ask the teacher straight away, or write it down and ask at the end.
-Treat your mocks like the real thing
-Always do more than is required if you are aiming for the best (which you should be).
-Don't get frustrated if you don't get something, watch YouTube videos on it, ask your teacher then attempt some questions.
-Take your time and do not rush things, make sure you understand everything you are doing.
-it's better to understand how to do something than just know how to do it
Try and understand it and you will remember it easier.
-Never give up
-If you get bored take a break
-Don't neglect subjects
-Always think you will pass, think positively.
-Nothing is impossible, you can get straight As, if x can why can't you? Just work as hard as you need to
-What you put in, is what you get it.
-Make sure you pick right subjects, if you know what you want to do check the entry requirements.
-Find something to motivate you, dream career? Uni? Making parents proud?
-Try and want to revise, it shouldn't be something you have to do.
-Help others out if they need it, it reinforces your memory and maybe they'll help you in the future.
This is dragging so I'll end here. Hopefully you find this useful, and sorry if I repeat anything.
Good luck on your results.
Posted from TSR Mobile
-When you do past papers make sure you happy with what you are getting and look to see an improvement over time. If not revise more and learn from your mistakes.
-Tick off the specification to make sure you've learnt everything and nothing should shock you.
-Try and be able to answer every question on all the past papers.. Aim for 100 so you get higher than if you aimed for like 80 or 90.
-Also once you go through past papers do questions from other papers (Solomon papers etc. Or other exam boards with the same topics) on every topic you learnt for a bit then go back to past papers when you've forgotten the answers.
-Try and do all past papers at least twice.
-Start revising from the beginning and go over what you learn in every lesson
-Go over every topic atleast 3 times
-Keep track of what you get on past papers and make sure you meet your target.
-On your second attempt on the past papers make sure you see an improvement from the first attempt and so on.
-Focus on your weaker subjects when you have got your important subjects to where you want.
-Ask the teacher for extra homework and questions.
-If there is something you don't know ask the teacher straight away, or write it down and ask at the end.
-Treat your mocks like the real thing
-Always do more than is required if you are aiming for the best (which you should be).
-Don't get frustrated if you don't get something, watch YouTube videos on it, ask your teacher then attempt some questions.
-Take your time and do not rush things, make sure you understand everything you are doing.
-it's better to understand how to do something than just know how to do it
Try and understand it and you will remember it easier.
-Never give up
-If you get bored take a break
-Don't neglect subjects
-Always think you will pass, think positively.
-Nothing is impossible, you can get straight As, if x can why can't you? Just work as hard as you need to
-What you put in, is what you get it.
-Make sure you pick right subjects, if you know what you want to do check the entry requirements.
-Find something to motivate you, dream career? Uni? Making parents proud?
-Try and want to revise, it shouldn't be something you have to do.
-Help others out if they need it, it reinforces your memory and maybe they'll help you in the future.
This is dragging so I'll end here. Hopefully you find this useful, and sorry if I repeat anything.
Good luck on your results.
Posted from TSR Mobile
Original post by nwmyname
I never wrote notes in school.
This sounds very strange, but I always felt school was the time to listen to the teacher rather than write notes as it made me more engaged to listen to them.
Of course, when prompted, I did write them but I felt it was easier to listen to them, watch them, ask them questions and later go home to write those notes.
Yes, so I used the textbook to write these notes into a more condensed format.
I always used to spare a margin on the right hand side of the page to write down definitions or molecules to elaborate the notes I had just written and draw a line between the definitions and the notes themselves.
In the exam season, I compiled something like a 100 page (Yes, 100 page) book of questions and answers to help memorise how to write my answers.
This really really helped my exam answers as I could systematically write answers that the examiners wanted to see, rather than just waffle and waffle - plus it saved me lots of time!
I might release it soon
This sounds very strange, but I always felt school was the time to listen to the teacher rather than write notes as it made me more engaged to listen to them.
Of course, when prompted, I did write them but I felt it was easier to listen to them, watch them, ask them questions and later go home to write those notes.
Yes, so I used the textbook to write these notes into a more condensed format.
I always used to spare a margin on the right hand side of the page to write down definitions or molecules to elaborate the notes I had just written and draw a line between the definitions and the notes themselves.
In the exam season, I compiled something like a 100 page (Yes, 100 page) book of questions and answers to help memorise how to write my answers.
This really really helped my exam answers as I could systematically write answers that the examiners wanted to see, rather than just waffle and waffle - plus it saved me lots of time!
I might release it soon
Oh wow! That's kinda inspired me! ThAnks (: !!!
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Original post by AdeptDz
A-Levl tips
-When you do past papers make sure you happy with what you are getting and look to see an improvement over time. If not revise more and learn from your mistakes.
-Tick off the specification to make sure you've learnt everything and nothing should shock you.
-Try and be able to answer every question on all the past papers.. Aim for 100 so you get higher than if you aimed for like 80 or 90.
-Also once you go through past papers do questions from other papers (Solomon papers etc. Or other exam boards with the same topics) on every topic you learnt for a bit then go back to past papers when you've forgotten the answers.
-Try and do all past papers at least twice.
-Start revising from the beginning and go over what you learn in every lesson
-Go over every topic atleast 3 times
-Keep track of what you get on past papers and make sure you meet your target.
-On your second attempt on the past papers make sure you see an improvement from the first attempt and so on.
-Focus on your weaker subjects when you have got your important subjects to where you want.
-Ask the teacher for extra homework and questions.
-If there is something you don't know ask the teacher straight away, or write it down and ask at the end.
-Treat your mocks like the real thing
-Always do more than is required if you are aiming for the best (which you should be).
-Don't get frustrated if you don't get something, watch YouTube videos on it, ask your teacher then attempt some questions.
-Take your time and do not rush things, make sure you understand everything you are doing.
-it's better to understand how to do something than just know how to do it
Try and understand it and you will remember it easier.
-Never give up
-If you get bored take a break
-Don't neglect subjects
-Always think you will pass, think positively.
-Nothing is impossible, you can get straight As, if x can why can't you? Just work as hard as you need to
-What you put in, is what you get it.
-Make sure you pick right subjects, if you know what you want to do check the entry requirements.
-Find something to motivate you, dream career? Uni? Making parents proud?
-Try and want to revise, it shouldn't be something you have to do.
-Help others out if they need it, it reinforces your memory and maybe they'll help you in the future.
This is dragging so I'll end here. Hopefully you find this useful, and sorry if I repeat anything.
Good luck on your results.
Posted from TSR Mobile
-When you do past papers make sure you happy with what you are getting and look to see an improvement over time. If not revise more and learn from your mistakes.
-Tick off the specification to make sure you've learnt everything and nothing should shock you.
-Try and be able to answer every question on all the past papers.. Aim for 100 so you get higher than if you aimed for like 80 or 90.
-Also once you go through past papers do questions from other papers (Solomon papers etc. Or other exam boards with the same topics) on every topic you learnt for a bit then go back to past papers when you've forgotten the answers.
-Try and do all past papers at least twice.
-Start revising from the beginning and go over what you learn in every lesson
-Go over every topic atleast 3 times
-Keep track of what you get on past papers and make sure you meet your target.
-On your second attempt on the past papers make sure you see an improvement from the first attempt and so on.
-Focus on your weaker subjects when you have got your important subjects to where you want.
-Ask the teacher for extra homework and questions.
-If there is something you don't know ask the teacher straight away, or write it down and ask at the end.
-Treat your mocks like the real thing
-Always do more than is required if you are aiming for the best (which you should be).
-Don't get frustrated if you don't get something, watch YouTube videos on it, ask your teacher then attempt some questions.
-Take your time and do not rush things, make sure you understand everything you are doing.
-it's better to understand how to do something than just know how to do it
Try and understand it and you will remember it easier.
-Never give up
-If you get bored take a break
-Don't neglect subjects
-Always think you will pass, think positively.
-Nothing is impossible, you can get straight As, if x can why can't you? Just work as hard as you need to
-What you put in, is what you get it.
-Make sure you pick right subjects, if you know what you want to do check the entry requirements.
-Find something to motivate you, dream career? Uni? Making parents proud?
-Try and want to revise, it shouldn't be something you have to do.
-Help others out if they need it, it reinforces your memory and maybe they'll help you in the future.
This is dragging so I'll end here. Hopefully you find this useful, and sorry if I repeat anything.
Good luck on your results.
Posted from TSR Mobile
Do you have any particular tips when revising for maths edexcel? Any particulAR textbook/revision guide? Any good websites or YouTube channels?
Btw, ThAnks for yr obvious help with everything else
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Original post by amanii_ox
Do you have any particular tips when revising for maths edexcel? Any particulAR textbook/revision guide? Any good websites or YouTube channels?
Btw, ThAnks for yr obvious help with everything else
Posted from TSR Mobile
Btw, ThAnks for yr obvious help with everything else
Posted from TSR Mobile
Arsey's solutions were the best.
Read model solutions.
They help you to set out your answer the way the examiner wants to see it.
Examsolutions is the best on youtube.
I can't think of many others.
Maybe he can think of others.
Original post by nwmyname
I myself studied all of Biology, Chemistry and Physics at AS.
Yes it sounds tough, but they weren’t really that different from most subjects.
These were my grades for the new spec 2016 Sciences and Old spec maths Exam:
Biology (OCR) = A
Chemistry (OCR) = A
Physics (OCR) = A
Maths (EdExcel) = A
I have some tips though for any of you Year 12s that study any of these subjects.
They mainly apply to all of these sciences, but over the coming days, we’ll probably add some of your own to the individual subjects.
1. Don’t waste time learning.
This is quite a strange one.
A-levels are a different ball game to GCSEs.
A-levels require commitment from the start as you cannot swallow all of the information before a mock exam.
You need to know everything beforehand since a lot of the sciences develop from foundation theories, so without knowing the basics, you can be quite badly done.
2. Get a very good textbook.
Some textbooks are very bad.
Pearson’s series are very very very bad, and that is no exaggeration.
CGP books personally I feel are NOT textbooks.
They are last minute revision tips.
Get the A-level Oxford books.
They are the perfect textbooks to simplify everything.
https://global.oup.com/education/content/secondary/series/ocr-a-level-sciences/?view=ProductList®ion=uk
These are also available on Amazon by searching the ISBN for the appropriate book.
More will be added if you want. These are the current two points of advice you need to get through Year 12 with 4As like I personally did, after resorting to putting all my effort in at the start of Year 12.
Ask me anything!
If you have your own tips to share, please do so below!
If you are in Year 13 like me and want to ask how I revise or etc. then please feel free to ask too.
Year 12 A-level Sciences Tips Thread
By nwmyname
By nwmyname
I myself studied all of Biology, Chemistry and Physics at AS.
Yes it sounds tough, but they weren’t really that different from most subjects.
These were my grades for the new spec 2016 Sciences and Old spec maths Exam:
Biology (OCR) = A
Chemistry (OCR) = A
Physics (OCR) = A
Maths (EdExcel) = A
I have some tips though for any of you Year 12s that study any of these subjects.
They mainly apply to all of these sciences, but over the coming days, we’ll probably add some of your own to the individual subjects.
1. Don’t waste time learning.
This is quite a strange one.
A-levels are a different ball game to GCSEs.
A-levels require commitment from the start as you cannot swallow all of the information before a mock exam.
You need to know everything beforehand since a lot of the sciences develop from foundation theories, so without knowing the basics, you can be quite badly done.
2. Get a very good textbook.
Some textbooks are very bad.
Pearson’s series are very very very bad, and that is no exaggeration.
CGP books personally I feel are NOT textbooks.
They are last minute revision tips.
Get the A-level Oxford books.
They are the perfect textbooks to simplify everything.
https://global.oup.com/education/content/secondary/series/ocr-a-level-sciences/?view=ProductList®ion=uk
These are also available on Amazon by searching the ISBN for the appropriate book.
More will be added if you want. These are the current two points of advice you need to get through Year 12 with 4As like I personally did, after resorting to putting all my effort in at the start of Year 12.
Ask me anything!
If you have your own tips to share, please do so below!
If you are in Year 13 like me and want to ask how I revise or etc. then please feel free to ask too.
The link that you provided to purchase the Oxford textbooks requires a password. Could you please tell me the ISBN for the Oxford physics AS/A level textbook so that I could search it up on Amazon?
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