The Student Room Group

A level folder organisation

For my a levels i age chosen biology chemistry and maths. Should i....
1-Have a big folder for daily use but use a divider for 6 sections, in my school you have 2 teachers for each subjects and 3 big ones at home for each subject?
Or
2-Have 6 small individual folders for each teacher of each subject and carry them into school whenever i need them?
(edited 5 years ago)

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Original post by d0nkey_dude
For my a levels i age chosen biology chemistry and maths. Should i....
1-Have a big folder for daily use but use a divider for 6 sections, in my school you have 2 teachers for each subjects and 3 big ones at home for each subject?
Or
2-Have 6 small individual folders for each teacher of each subject and carry them into school whenever i need them?


Hi!
I just finished year 13 and I did bio and chem so I can give you advice on those but not maths.
At the start of year 12 I had small ringbinders for each subject but that got really tedious and I found it much easier to have a big lever arch with everything in it that I took to school - I organised mine with a section at the front for homework to do, one for homework to be done and then I had sections for each teacher and a section with spare paper - lined, plain and graph (I like to be prepared). Also hole reinforcers saved my life and I used to carry those around. Teachers had an annoying habit of not holepunching sheets that they'd give to us even though we all had folders so I had some plastic wallets in my lever arch too and a hole puncher in my bag for good measure (I probably didn't need the hole puncher though).

Maths might be different. I did it for a few weeks at the beginning of year 12 and we were given tiny A5 exercise books from school.
Original post by niv1234
Hi!
I just finished year 13 and I did bio and chem so I can give you advice on those but not maths.
At the start of year 12 I had small ringbinders for each subject but that got really tedious and I found it much easier to have a big lever arch with everything in it that I took to school - I organised mine with a section at the front for homework to do, one for homework to be done and then I had sections for each teacher and a section with spare paper - lined, plain and graph (I like to be prepared). Also hole reinforcers saved my life and I used to carry those around. Teachers had an annoying habit of not holepunching sheets that they'd give to us even though we all had folders so I had some plastic wallets in my lever arch too and a hole puncher in my bag for good measure (I probably didn't need the hole puncher though).

Maths might be different. I did it for a few weeks at the beginning of year 12 and we were given tiny A5 exercise books from school.


I’m just unsure whether using a big lever arch folder would be for me: Did you have a big one and small ring binders?
Bump
Original post by d0nkey_dude
For my a levels i age chosen biology chemistry and maths. Should i....
1-Have a big folder for daily use but use a divider for 6 sections, in my school you have 2 teachers for each subjects and 3 big ones at home for each subject?
Or
2-Have 6 small individual folders for each teacher of each subject and carry them into school whenever i need them?


Most students follow option one - keeping the current topic with them and the refiling it. It means you only need to carry one small file around.
Original post by Muttley79
Most students follow option one - keeping the current topic with them and the refiling it. It means you only need to carry one small file around.


Ah thanks
I would say have 3 smaller folders for each of you subjects, with dividers to separate the different teachers. Then, keep 3 large folders at home to store notes when your smaller folders fill up/ you finish a topic.
Original post by d0nkey_dude
For my a levels i age chosen biology chemistry and maths. Should i....
1-Have a big folder for daily use but use a divider for 6 sections, in my school you have 2 teachers for each subjects and 3 big ones at home for each subject?
Or
2-Have 6 small individual folders for each teacher of each subject and carry them into school whenever i need them?


- This is my gf folder near the AS math exam: about 3 inches thick. I think like > 200 pages

- This is my "folder" near the AS math exam: just 1 A5 note with the key infos.

--> I finished my exam in 75 minutes meanwhile she still hasn't finished after 2 hours.
A-level exam is not a learning exam, it's a memorizing exam. U can try to note down every single detail, or u can just note things that's worth to remember. If it's certainly will be on the exam, yes. If it doesn't then leave it. Also, link things together to minimize ur "data" cause no need to remember something 100% if u know how to find it in ur mind.
Original post by alevelphysicist
I would say have 3 smaller folders for each of you subjects, with dividers to separate the different teachers. Then, keep 3 large folders at home to store notes when your smaller folders fill up/ you finish a topic.


Thanks for the advice
Use this method cos I’ve done it and it works and it’s better than anything else:
Have a small daily folder you bring with you every day - I divided mine into 6 sections as I had 2 teachers for each subject. Have all the papers and info for the topics you are currently doing at the time
When you’ve finished with a topic, file it into a larger subject specific ring binder at home. This keeps your bag weight to a minimum- ive seen people carrying round multiple folders for each subject with all the info and it’s just not necessary!
Original post by Sophie.roberts11
Use this method cos I’ve done it and it works and it’s better than anything else:
Have a small daily folder you bring with you every day - I divided mine into 6 sections as I had 2 teachers for each subject. Have all the papers and info for the topics you are currently doing at the time
When you’ve finished with a topic, file it into a larger subject specific ring binder at home. This keeps your bag weight to a minimum- ive seen people carrying round multiple folders for each subject with all the info and it’s just not necessary!


Thank you, that’s really helpful!
Original post by d0nkey_dude
For my a levels i age chosen biology chemistry and maths. Should i....
1-Have a big folder for daily use but use a divider for 6 sections, in my school you have 2 teachers for each subjects and 3 big ones at home for each subject?
Or
2-Have 6 small individual folders for each teacher of each subject and carry them into school whenever i need them?


Hey I’m starting Alevels in September too. I’ve bought 3 lever arch binders (1 per subject) and I’m not entirely sure how I’m going to organise them but I think I’m gonna make revision notes as I go along and put them in the binders and use dividers to separate the different modules such as history topics.:smile:
Original post by EMB&lt
Hey I’m starting Alevels in September too. I’ve bought 3 lever arch binders (1 per subject) and I’m not entirely sure how I’m going to organise them but I think I’m gonna make revision notes as I go along and put them in the binders and use dividers to separate the different modules such as history topics.:smile:


Good idea
Original post by d0nkey_dude
Good idea


Thanks, I think especially if you are doing maths, there are so many modules so if you keep them all in a big lever arch folder with dividers, it will be so much easier for portable uses and seeing each section easily without looking through the folder to reach a certain section. If you are buying folders, go to wilkos, they are £2 per lever arch file and they are good quality too :smile:
Original post by EMB&lt
Thanks, I think especially if you are doing maths, there are so many modules so if you keep them all in a big lever arch folder with dividers, it will be so much easier for portable uses and seeing each section easily without looking through the folder to reach a certain section. If you are buying folders, go to wilkos, they are £2 per lever arch file and they are good quality too :smile:


Thanks for the wilko tips lol
Is it better to write notes on lined paper or to but a notebook, do you think?
Reply 16
Original post by d0nkey_dude
Is it better to write notes on lined paper or to but a notebook, do you think?


It's really getting down to personal preference now. I would say lined paper, as it's more flexible, but then you have to make sure you're organised so that you don't end up with a huge pile of loose sheets.
Original post by have
It's really getting down to personal preference now. I would say lined paper, as it's more flexible, but then you have to make sure you're organised so that you don't end up with a huge pile of loose sheets.


Yeah true thanks
Also 1 more thing, why do u still use folder if u have a laptop to upload things on?
Original post by SwagNam
Also 1 more thing, why do u still use folder if u have a laptop to upload things on?


I prefer to read and use physical notes instead of using a laptop, doesn’t usually go in my mind then

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