Advice for Starting Year 12

Hello, I am sorry if this is a common thread, but I couldn't find anything that immediately popped up. I am taking biology ocr a, chemistry ocr a, german aqa, psychology aqa, and wondering if anyone has any specific tips to those subjects, as well as more general ones. I have heard lots of the usual "keep on top of things", and "make sure you are organised" etc, but not as many tips suggesting how to, for example. Just wondering if anyone has some tips that worked for them in Year 12! Thank you x

I took two of the same subjects as you (Bio and Psych)

I’m taking a gap year this year (got my A-level results a few weeks ago) . Although I got very good grades, there were definitely some general things I’d advise, particularly for during your year 12 mocks because this is a very stressful time.

1) Make sure you keep your study space/room tidy. The more books and paper you have piling up, the more stressed you’ll get.
2) Try and set yourself a limit when revising. One of my teachers recommended 9:00pm as a cut off point to prevent burn out.
3) Organise your timetable of revision based on the lessons you have on that day. Keep one day a week where you do nothing.
4) Ask your teachers as many questions as you need to. At A-level, it’s more independent than secondary school, and those teaching at A-level appreciate the questions you ask. There might be difficult times, and having a good relationship with your teachers is so important, seeing as at times you’ll see them more than you’re own family!!
5) Start making revision resources early. For instance, after every lesson make flashcards for what you learnt that day.
6) Don’t just use the textbooks, use what you learn in class too. Teachers are there for a reason, to make the content easier to understand.

And subject specific advice…
- For Biology as I mentioned earlier, use your teachers’ PowerPoint slides as a starting point, don’t go straight to the textbook. Maybe grab a CGP textbook to go alongside the main OCR textbook, as the OCR one can be a bit bland alone.
-Watch YouTube videos of the processes involved in biology. For instance, for topics like transport in plants and photosynthesis it’s helpful to visualise what is going on.
- Do loads and loads of exam questions
-Make sure you understand the content before moving on or you won’t remember it.
-Don’t try and learn the biology above A-level requirements.

For Psychology…
- Do loads of exam questions
- Don’t try and remember every insignificant study and evaluation point.

Hope this helps

Hello, I am sorry if this is a common thread, but I couldn't find anything that immediately popped up. I am taking biology ocr a, chemistry ocr a, german aqa, psychology aqa, and wondering if anyone has any specific tips to those subjects, as well as more general ones. I have heard lots of the usual "keep on top of things", and "make sure you are organised" etc, but not as many tips suggesting how to, for example. Just wondering if anyone has some tips that worked for them in Year 12! Thank you x