Advice for new A-Level students

Me and my friend made this video talking about all the things we would like to have known before we started A-Levels and I was wondering what advice you would give to your pre-A-Level selves, or the advice you would give to anyone starting A-Levels soon.

Reply 1

VulcanMonk

It's pretty easy for most people to get through GCSE without any extra work and still achieve decent grades. A level is a step up and requires a change in attitude (independence).

Focus on what you're doing, forget everyone else, chances are you won't see them ever again once you leave school/college. Or at least contact will fade rapidly. It's easy to get dragged back by friends who talk a lot and sub consciously persuade you to do less. If some friends talk of how little they've done, how hard it is and only show interest in non-academic activities it's easy to get sucked into their mindset because you're good friends with them.

Having a goal is important, not necessarily a career goal but by this point you've worked hard to finish GCSE and now it feels like starting all over again for A level, then looking ahead to starting all over again for university. It's easy to get demotivated. If you have a career in mind, obviously aim for that, if not, aim for the goal of having options. If you really don't know what to do, look at career opportunities in demand and work hard at the subjects for that sector. We live in a world where money is a necessity and whilst doing what you love is the best advice, if you don't know what that is then doing what will bring you money will enable you more choice along the road until a time that you find what you love.

Finally, it's often the case that people only love what they're good at. So you could choose a path purely aimed at financial security, secure employment and if you become good at it you end up loving what you initially did not.

It can be a tricky time, you can no doubt tell I'm describing the problems I had but it seems common place in the forums as well, hopefully this will help someone.