Miriam's Road Through A Levels

Sorry to hear about UNIQ, you're doing so much already! I'm a future law applicant too, good luck with everything!

Wow! You're so ahead in Chemistry We've done 2.1, 2.4 and we're starting 2.5 but that's literally it... Random question but how do you revise?? I'm on the WJEC spec as well and I do Chemistry, Biology and Maths and your Chemistry mock mark is amazing! I didn't do so well in my mock and I really don't know what to do. I'm going to try going over all the Unit 1 content again and make sure I really understand it but yea.

Where are you thinking of applying?

LSE, UCL, KCL, Warwick and either Cambridge/Oxford (I'll decide after UNIQ and mocks). What about you?

Cambridge, Durham and UCL are pretty certain. I’m also considering LSE, Bristol, Warwick, KCL and Birmingham (Birmingham as a backup option).

Are you not considering Oxford? Those are great choices btw, I'm sure you'll get in

I’m considering it, but I prefer the course at Cambridge.

26/02/2018

Hello. I keep forgetting to update this, which shows the scattered state of my mind in this month that is too close to exams to be relaxed but not close enough to warrant constant revision. I guess I’ll stick with my usual layout:

Chemistry

As well as covering Unit 1 before Christmas, we’ve finished 2.4, 2.5, 2.6 and 2.7. We’ve nearly finished 2.8, so I think we’ll finish the course with a good amount of time to review certain topics in class. I need to keep revisiting the mechanisms and doing Unit 1 past papers. I got 98% on an isomers test (I lost one mark on a stupid explain question).

Maths

Unlike with Chemistry, I’m worried that my class isn’t going to finish with a lot of time to review topics. It’s slightly worrying and I know that I’d be happy with a faster pace in lessons. However, I’ve decided to start making revision notes during this half term holiday (haha England, I get mine while you’re going back to school). I’ve finally started to understand Binomial Expansion when not using Pascal’s triangle.

History

Woooohoooo! I managed to get full marks in an essay entitled “To what extent do you agree that religious grievances were the main cause of rebellion between 1529 and 1558?”. I’m genuinely surprised because I wrote it under timed conditions (I have a habit of writing too much for the time limit) and I totally missed out the (slightly irrelevant) Rhys ap Gruffydd rebellion. We’re currently at about 1570 in the reign of Elizabeth I. On the Weimar side of the course, we’ve basically finished learning the content. I need to review it a lot. We’re now starting to look at exam technique in more depth because this exam requires source analysis.

English

I’m enjoying studying Jane Eyre, but I’m conscious of the limited time we have left. I really need to start reviewing Street Car and writing essays in my free time. I’m most nervous about English.

Extra-curricular

Who got rejected from UNIQ? This girl did. I’m the rejection email they specified that it was because of my postcode, so I’m not that upset. I’m still waiting on the results of my Sutton Trust Cambridge summer school application and my Yale summer school application.

My school just finished performing The Phantom of the Opera for four nights and I’m still shattered. It was a wonderful experience but I won’t miss rehearsing everyday.

I still haven’t heard back about the legal work experience I applied for, so I’ve sent an email to chase the law firm up about it. Even if it’s a rejection, I just want the know the outcome.

Unrelated

Have any of you been watching University Challenge? That American from Oxford is blowing my mind with the amount of random things he knows; I’m semi-convinced that he has a photographic memory.

Quite on the contrary, we have more than enough time to finish maths but in chemistry we're pushed to finish the course at all, never mind extra time for revising in class.

I didn't actually apply to UNIQ, but feel like I should've in hindsight; then again my area isn't too bad so I doubt I'd have gotten in, just based on postcode. Commiserations on the rejection but you have other chances! It's kind of a pity that you don't live a little further west because Swansea are running a summer scheme for kids in South West Wales with loads of places, but also kind of not a pity because it looks like a bit of a shambles to me, very quickly hashed into existence.

Well done with Phantom! Glad you enjoyed, though I've got to say I think it's one of the most overrated musicals ever. I wouldn't see it on West End unless they paid me.

I agree that Phantom is very overrated and there are many eye-roll moments, but I enjoyed playing it none the less (the music was often quite dramatic). We’re doing Sweeney Todd next year, which I’m not that happy with because I was hoping for something like The Sound of Music (my fave) or West Side Story.

My school did Sweeney in 2018. It was easily the hardest theatre experience of my life, but because I love anything dark, I enjoyed very much.

You been applying to open days/been to any yet? I'm finding it frustrating the amount of universities who only offer open days for undergraduates on Wednesdays in term time; especially so considering Wednesday is the worst day on my timetable to miss.