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Hyper_Kola's Journey to Medicine :D

Hii, so I'm in year 11 and am really determined to study medicine at university. I'm making this thread to keep myself motivated (I procrastinate a lot xD) and just to see how I progress.

My predicted GCSE grades are:
English Language = 8
English Literature = 8
Maths = 9
Biology = 9
Chemistry = 9
Physics = 8
Geography = 8
Religious Studies = 8
French = 8

I've applied to sixth form and will be doing Biology, Chemistry and Maths A levels alongside an EPQ (which I'll do on a medical-related topic).

I've got some work experience in which i volunteered at a school for children with disabilities over a period of six months. Also, I'll hopefully be getting experience in a hospital or GP clinic after my final GCSE exams.

I'll be posting what I'm revising, how I'm feeling, what I'm doing etc along with random motivational quotes and ramblings probably :biggrin:

So yeah, that's all for now :smile:

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So, tonight I've started revising Physics Unit 5 (Forces). At the moment I revise by reading the specification and CGP guide, and writing questions out. I then close the spec/guide and answer the questions on a separate piece of paper and check what I got wrong - then I go over this. It seems to be very effective for me.

I've got mocks for these next 2 weeks. Today was Biology and I'm SUPER confident I got at least 90%, if not 95%. Tomorrow I've got English Language and Maths. I will probably do some maths revision later, but physics is my weaker point so I'm focusing on that for a bit first. My physics exam is next Tuesday I think and I'm aiming for 70% or above.
Today's summary 9/10/17:

- Revised Physics Unit 5 (Forces)
- Revised Geography Unit 1A (The Challenge of Natural Hazards)
- Revised Maths (Algebraic Fractions, Simultaneous Equations, Composite Functions and Graphs)
- Read over Act 1 of Macbeth and annotated it
New follower! :biggrin:
So today were my English Language Paper 1 and Maths Paper 1 exams. English Language was surprisingly okay (I struggle with English) and I'm hoping for 70% (56/80). Maths was fine apart from the last question (wtf was that :O) and I got 67/80 which, if I maintain this as an average across all 3 papers (2 of which I haven't sat yet), is a grade 9 :biggrin:

Tonight I'll be revising Geography Unit 1A, 1B and 1C which consists of Natural Hazards, Weather Hazards, Climate Change, Ecosystems, Rainforests, Hot Deserts, Coastal Landscapes and River Landscapes. My exam is tomorrow afternoon.

Also I will be revising Chemistry Units 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 for tomorrow morning's exam. These include Rates of Reaction, Le Chatelier's Principle, Chemistry of the Atmosphere, Using Resources and Organic Chemistry (my favourite :biggrin:)

Bit tired but we were talking about careers in school so I feel really motivated today :smile:
Today's summary 10/10/17:

- Revised Units 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 of Chemistry (did loads of questions)
- Revised all of the Case Studies from Geography Units 1A, 1B and 1C (made flashcards)
- Revised a bit of Maths (for fun - it's the best thing ever :biggrin:)
Hi, I've just started my A-levels and want to study veterinary medicine. I was predicted all A*s (apart from further maths as I didn't have a prediction) and sat my GCSEs this year.

GCSEs
Biology - A*
Chemistry - A*
Art - A*
English Literature - 8
RE - A
Maths - 7
English Language - 7
Physics - A
ICT - A
Geography - A
Further Maths - B
French - C

4A*s, 6As, 1B and 1C

For A-levels I have decided to pick 4 and possibly drop one within the first year or first few months.

AS levels
Biology
Chemistry
Maths
Further maths

If you need any help with GCSEs I'm here to help :smile:
(edited 6 years ago)
Original post by OrangeArcher
Hi, I've just started my A-levels and want to study veterinary medicine. I was predicted all A*s (apart from further maths as I didn't have a prediction) and sat my GCSEs this year.

GCSEs
Biology - A*
Chemistry - A*
Art - A*
English Literature - 8
RE - A
Maths - 7
English Language - 7
Physics - A
ICT - A
Geography - A
Further Maths - B
French - C

4A*s, 6As, 1B and 1C

For A-levels I have decided to pick 4 and possibly drop one within the first year or first few months.

AS levels
Biology
Chemistry
Maths
Further maths

If you need any help with GCSEs I'm here to help :smile:


They're awesome GCSE's. My weaker subjects are English Language, English Literature, Geography and RE (basically the essay subjects). If you've got any tips/advice for these it'd be appreciated :smile:

Good luck for VetMed :biggrin:
Do you have any uni's in mind yet?
Original post by Hyper_Kola
They're awesome GCSE's. My weaker subjects are English Language, English Literature, Geography and RE (basically the essay subjects). If you've got any tips/advice for these it'd be appreciated :smile:

Good luck for VetMed :biggrin:
Do you have any uni's in mind yet?

Thank you :smile: I've got some tips and advice for those subjects but I'll type it all up on a computer at school tomorrow :smile: I am thinking of applying to Surrey, Nottingham, Liverpool/Glasgow/Edinburgh/Cambridge (2 of these 4)
Original post by OrangeArcher
Thank you :smile: I've got some tips and advice for those subjects but I'll type it all up on a computer at school tomorrow :smile: I am thinking of applying to Surrey, Nottingham, Liverpool/Glasgow/Edinburgh/Cambridge (2 of these 4)


They're good uni's. I know it's a bit early for me but I've also been looking at Nottingham and Liverpool, as well as Birmingham.

Thank you :biggrin:
Today were my Geography and Chemistry exams. They went well and I'm pretty confident I got about 75% in Geography and probably 85%-90% in Chemistry :biggrin:

Tomorrow's exams are Religious Studies, Maths Paper 2 and French Listening. Tonight I'll be revising the thematic Religious Studies units and quite a lot of maths. I won't be revising for my French exam because maths is my priority.

I'm actually quite nervous about my 2 remaining maths papers because I really want that grade 9. I need 190/240 overall and so far I've got 67 from Paper 1. That means I need to get at least 62/80 on both of my remaining papers. I'm just going to try my best :smile:

I'm also very excited because I've got some Jaffa Cakes to eat :biggrin:
Original post by Hyper_Kola
Hii, so I'm in year 11 and am really determined to study medicine at university. I'm making this thread to keep myself motivated (I procrastinate a lot xD) and just to see how I progress.

My predicted GCSE grades are:
English Language = 8
English Literature = 8
Maths = 9
Biology = 9
Chemistry = 9
Physics = 8
Geography = 8
Religious Studies = 8
French = 8

I've applied to sixth form and will be doing Biology, Chemistry and Maths A levels alongside an EPQ (which I'll do on a medical-related topic).

I've got some work experience in which i volunteered at a school for children with disabilities over a period of six months. Also, I'll hopefully be getting experience in a hospital or GP clinic after my final GCSE exams.

I'll be posting what I'm revising, how I'm feeling, what I'm doing etc along with random motivational quotes and ramblings probably :biggrin:

So yeah, that's all for now :smile:


Hello! :biggrin: Suppose I'd better introduce myself - I'm Protostar and I'm in Year 13, so I did my GCSEs a year and a bit ago. I got 7 A*s, 1 A, 2 Bs and 1 D, and my weaknesses were also in the essay subjects (English Language and English Literature were my 2 Bs, but somehow I managed to get an A* in Geography! :woo:) I did very similar subjects to you at GCSE so feel free to ask me any questions! :smile:

Those are some stunning target grades, but your work ethic looks amazing so I'm sure you'll do fab! Why do you want to study medicine? :h:

Also, very early in the year for mock exams! :shock: Did you do any preparation over summer?
Original post by Protostar
Hello! :biggrin: Suppose I'd better introduce myself - I'm Protostar and I'm in Year 13, so I did my GCSEs a year and a bit ago. I got 7 A*s, 1 A, 2 Bs and 1 D, and my weaknesses were also in the essay subjects (English Language and English Literature were my 2 Bs, but somehow I managed to get an A* in Geography! :woo:) I did very similar subjects to you at GCSE so feel free to ask me any questions! :smile:

Those are some stunning target grades, but your work ethic looks amazing so I'm sure you'll do fab! Why do you want to study medicine? :h:

Also, very early in the year for mock exams! :shock: Did you do any preparation over summer?


Hiii :biggrin: They're some great GCSE's!! Any tips for Geography?

Thanks xD

I want to study medicine for a few reasons. Firstly, one of my relatives passed away when I was young and I remember the doctors were really helpful and I was so grateful for them, and I want to be able to make a difference to someone's life like they did. Also, I just love working with people and I find learning about anything medicine-related to be very interesting.

Yeah I know, we've got another set in January :O
I only flicked through the CGP guides over the Summer to give myself a bit of a break.

Are you aiming for medicine too then?
Original post by Hyper_Kola
Hiii :biggrin: They're some great GCSE's!! Any tips for Geography?

Thanks xD

I want to study medicine for a few reasons. Firstly, one of my relatives passed away when I was young and I remember the doctors were really helpful and I was so grateful for them, and I want to be able to make a difference to someone's life like they did. Also, I just love working with people and I find learning about anything medicine-related to be very interesting.

Yeah I know, we've got another set in January :O
I only flicked through the CGP guides over the Summer to give myself a bit of a break.

Are you aiming for medicine too then?


Ah thanks you! And if I'm honest - old spec Geography was so easy, it might be different for you! But I would say make sure you know your case studies (if you have those still? I'm not very familiar with this new GCSE lark :tongue:) and processes for things like erosion and stuff. Knowing the technical details is probably best, you can work on the lengthier questions afterwards! And of course, past papers are always key :yep: even old spec ones will be beneficial provided the content hasn't completely changed!

Aww that's sweet - I'm glad that doctors inspired you to go into that field yourself! And having an interest is always a good start, and one that a surprising amount of people overlook sadly!

Wow, mock central it seems! :afraid: Good luck for those when they come around, I think my mocks will be in January too (right as I'm about to turn 18 :lol:)
That's good - I'm not one to advocate summer revision at all! Think everyone should be enjoying their summer stress free :yep: Even over this summer just gone, between Year 12 and Year 13, I only sat down at my desk a couple of times and that was because I had a bit of holiday homework (:yucky:)

I'm not actually! I'm doing Maths, Further Maths and Physics at A Level and am applying to study Maths at university :excited: I have a few friends who are aspiring medics though, so I was interested to know why you want to pursue it :smile:
Original post by Protostar
Ah thanks you! And if I'm honest - old spec Geography was so easy, it might be different for you! But I would say make sure you know your case studies (if you have those still? I'm not very familiar with this new GCSE lark :tongue:) and processes for things like erosion and stuff. Knowing the technical details is probably best, you can work on the lengthier questions afterwards! And of course, past papers are always key :yep: even old spec ones will be beneficial provided the content hasn't completely changed!

Aww that's sweet - I'm glad that doctors inspired you to go into that field yourself! And having an interest is always a good start, and one that a surprising amount of people overlook sadly!

Wow, mock central it seems! :afraid: Good luck for those when they come around, I think my mocks will be in January too (right as I'm about to turn 18 :lol:)
That's good - I'm not one to advocate summer revision at all! Think everyone should be enjoying their summer stress free :yep: Even over this summer just gone, between Year 12 and Year 13, I only sat down at my desk a couple of times and that was because I had a bit of holiday homework (:yucky:)

I'm not actually! I'm doing Maths, Further Maths and Physics at A Level and am applying to study Maths at university :excited: I have a few friends who are aspiring medics though, so I was interested to know why you want to pursue it :smile:


Thank you :smile: Yeah, we still have case studies. Will definitely work through the past papers too - I don't think the content has changed that much, just a bit more of it.

Definitely. People are saying it's good money, but if I could I'd do it for free.

Yep - seems like a lot but I guess it'll be worth it when the final exams come around. Thank you :smile:
Good luck for yours too, I bet you'll do amazingly :biggrin:

I agree, definitely would've burnt out by now if I'd have done revision over the holidays.

That's so cool! Maths is my absolute favourite subject, it's awesome :biggrin:
Do you have any particular uni's in mind?
Original post by Hyper_Kola
Thank you :smile: Yeah, we still have case studies. Will definitely work through the past papers too - I don't think the content has changed that much, just a bit more of it.

Definitely. People are saying it's good money, but if I could I'd do it for free.

Yep - seems like a lot but I guess it'll be worth it when the final exams come around. Thank you :smile:
Good luck for yours too, I bet you'll do amazingly :biggrin:

I agree, definitely would've burnt out by now if I'd have done revision over the holidays.

That's so cool! Maths is my absolute favourite subject, it's awesome :biggrin:
Do you have any particular uni's in mind?


Sounds like it's stayed relatively the same then, I reckon you'll be okay! Grade boundaries were never very high for Geography in the past for some reason either, so there's that to bear in mind too :smile:

I love that, can tell you're very passionate :yep:

Yeah I suppose you're right! And thank you, luckily they're still a long way off yet :colondollar:

Me too - I was completely drained in the 2 weeks we had to be at school after exams this year that I desperately needed the break!

Yay!! Maths is the best :yay:
And I do indeed - I'm applying to Durham, Newcastle, Lancaster, York and Leeds, and will be submitting my application in just a few weeks I think! Have you thought about any yet?
Original post by Protostar
Sounds like it's stayed relatively the same then, I reckon you'll be okay! Grade boundaries were never very high for Geography in the past for some reason either, so there's that to bear in mind too :smile:

I love that, can tell you're very passionate :yep:

Yeah I suppose you're right! And thank you, luckily they're still a long way off yet :colondollar:

Me too - I was completely drained in the 2 weeks we had to be at school after exams this year that I desperately needed the break!

Yay!! Maths is the best :yay:
And I do indeed - I'm applying to Durham, Newcastle, Lancaster, York and Leeds, and will be submitting my application in just a few weeks I think! Have you thought about any yet?


That's good to know :biggrin:

It definitely is!

They're good choices :smile: I like the look of Liverpool, Nottingham, Lancaster, Manchester and Keele for medicine. Quite a long way off for me but I'm still excited :biggrin:
Original post by Hyper_Kola
That's good to know :biggrin:

It definitely is!

They're good choices :smile: I like the look of Liverpool, Nottingham, Lancaster, Manchester and Keele for medicine. Quite a long way off for me but I'm still excited :biggrin:


Also good choices :tongue: And yeah it is a bit but it's good to be prepared! :yep:
Today's summary 11/10/17:

- Revised the thematic units A (Relationships and Families) and B (Religion and Life) for Religious Studies
- Did some composite functions, histograms, circle theory and vectors for Maths revision

Haven't done as much revision as I usually do but I've been busy tonight so I'm still happy with what I've done :biggrin:
Had my Maths Paper 2, Religious Studies and French Listening exams today. Maths Paper 2 felt horrendous, not going to lie. I ended up wih 63/80 which isn't bad considering I felt lost on a few questions. My exams didn't go as well today as they could have because I barely slept last night and I'm quite ill. I think I was also pressuring myself a bit much on the Maths one. I'll just aim to do my best on Paper 3 next week :smile:

Religious Studies was easy and I'm confident that I got at least 75%.

French Listening was hard (my first time doing a Higher exam in French!) BUT I'm pretty proud of myself because I answered every question and I think I can say I achieved 75%ish.

NO EXAMS TOMORROW :biggrin:

Going to do a bit of Maths revision tonight, and probably read some of my English texts but I'm going to try and chill out a bit this weekend as I am extremely tired.

Tomorrow I've got a maths revision session after school which I love so I'll be a bit more productive then (unless there's Diet Coke like last time, in which case the beverage takes priority :biggrin:)

So yeah, overall pretty tired but very happy with how I've done so far. Going to go and eat a KitKat now xD

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