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A-level routine that got you top A level grades

What was your study routine (at the beginning of the year and at the end) to be able to get top a level grades? Including year 12 and 13.

I’ll be in college soon so it’s good to know how I should study :smile:

Reply 1

CardiffUni Rep 2

Official Rep

Hi! I'm Fatiha, a 2nd year Psychology student and a Cardiff Uni Rep.

It's been a while since I did my A-Levels, though to be honest I'm still using the same techniques as I did in A-Level! First thing is I think organisation is super important, make sure you're on top of how you organise your topics and/or revision time.

Flashcards are super helpful, since they're an easy way to practice active recall. I would suggest moving past paper flashcards and using apps/programs such as Anki! It's a free program that lets you make flashcard sets super quick and also tells you how much you need to revise everyday until your last exam, which I found super helpful :smile:

Something that I was pretty bad at doing during A-Levels, although I recommend others do, is to keep your revision consistent! After a class, it's easy to just ignore it for the minute and work on other things, but if you can, it's a good idea to make revision notes on it as soon as you can in a free period, or when you have time. The worst thing you can probably do to yourself is cram tons of information last minute haha

It's hard keeping yourself motivated, so I try to make a goal everyday on how much I want to get done. For example, I make a goal that I want to get 6 hours of work done (which includes lessons as well as revision) or that I want to cover "X" topic by this date. There is a bit of a shift from GCSE'S to A-Levels, and there is a lot of emphasis on self-motivated study!

For the gritty exam periods, I tried my best to follow this technique called the "Rule of 8". It's the idea that to maximise productivity in a healthy way, it is best to separate your day into 8ths - 8 hours for working (this involves lessons and any type of work), 8 hours for relaxing, and 8 hours for sleeping. Of course, I never managed to achieve 8 hours of work in a day, but I found myself the most productive when I tried to aim for this!

I hope that all helped! :smile:

- Fatiha, Cardiff University Student Rep

Reply 2

StudyMind

Original post by Mxxrcell

Heya!
Maintain a consistent study schedule, break down your subjects into manageable chunks, actively engage with the material through note-taking and summarizing, seek clarification when needed, practice regularly with past papers or sample questions, and take breaks to avoid burnout. Experiment with different study techniques to find what works best for you. Remember that everyone's study routine is unique, so it's important to find what suits your learning style and preferences :h: