Aiming for the Stars (GYG 23/24)

University of Strathclyde

Original post by bbbbbbb87

Week 5:
This weekend I went to University of Leeds open day and sadly I have to say it was kinda dissapointing :frown:

. The Product Design course didn't really look that good and when we arrived to the class, there was no one there which was a bit awkward. The students were a bit too depressing about the course and didn't show much enthusaism. The talk was just a video being played which could have been put online. However I did love the city and it had so much energy. If the course was better, I definitely would have applied because the city was exactly my vibe. Overall, I don't think I will apply as I need AAA and I didn't really like the course that much.

Have done: :biggrin:

This week, I have done quite a bit of revision for the tests, I've done the posters so I'm working through practice questions. The questions for this topic aren't too bad but they're a bit wordy and less mathsy.

For DT, I have started going through the flashcards I've made and done a couple practice questions. I find these questions so much harder as when you look at the answers, they are fairly obvious but it's hard thinking of them when the question comes up.

To do: :smile:

- More revision for the tests, I'm going to continue with the methods I'm currently doing as they seem to be working well

- Finish up bits on my DT NEA coursework, I want this to be done and sorted so over the half term I can start working on my portfolio for Loughborough.

- Practice my CAD and 3D modelling. I'm going to spend any free time I have this week on this so I can use it for my coursework and portfolio. I'm currently following a fusion 360 in 30 days course and it's been really useful

It's a shame you found it disappointing, but at least the open day gave you a better idea of what suits you.

I'm really enjoying reading your blog and wish you the best with the upcoming tests. I also think you're aiming for a great course at uni (but I might be a biased engineer :colondollar:

albeit in a different sector).

Can't wait to follow your journey to uni!

Reply 22

Official Rep

15

I agree @brainzistheword! It sounds like the open day still served a purpose helping you hone in on the best choices for you :smile:

Make sure to give feedback to the uni so they're aware of anything they can improve on for future years!

Good luck with your tests! Sounds like you're doing great. You're super organised :grin:

Enjoy your weekend - find a balance between studying and having some down time.

- Caitlin :h:

Official University of Strathclyde Rep

(edited 1 year ago)

Reply 23

OP

Original post by brainzistheword

It's a shame you found it disappointing, but at least the open day gave you a better idea of what suits you.

I'm really enjoying reading your blog and wish you the best with the upcoming tests. I also think you're aiming for a great course at uni (but I might be a biased engineer :colondollar:

albeit in a different sector).

Can't wait to follow your journey to uni!

What sector of engineering do you do? There's so many different branches I've been finding out such as ones like biomedical engineering. It is great though since it means there's something for anyone.

Original post by University of Strathclyde

I agree @brainzistheword! It sounds like the open day still served a purpose helping you hone in on the best choices for you :smile:

Make sure to give feedback to the uni so they're aware of anything they can improve on for future years!

Good luck with your tests! Sounds like you're doing great. You're super organised :grin:

Enjoy your weekend - find a balance between studying and having some down time.

- Caitlin :h:

Official University of Strathclyde Rep

Thank you for the good luck wishes. The open day really did help since I was very on the fence for it :smile:

Reply 24

OP

It's already half term which is unbelivable but also great since I so needed a nice relaxing rest. However, my rest has been cut short by the amount of work due as soon as school starts. :frown:

I got the chance to visit a design museum recently and there was so many chairs! I think designers have some weird love for making ugly unusable chairs :K:

(I don't know why the images are sideways or how to fix it :frown:

)

Week 6:

Have done: :redface:

- I don't know how I did on the DT test but I don't think it was too bad. Doing practice questions helped, and I was able to talk about a designer's work that I remembered doing in a practice question.

- The physics test was also alright but there was a big question on the practicals and I always forget to revise them so had to wing it there. My teacher is so speedy at marking and gave the results very soon after we done it. I got a C :s-smilie:

.

I'm feeling mixed about it as I thought I would get an A/B but it's better than my previous results. I don't think I will have evidence to move my predicted grade up now which is worrying as I was hoping to use this test and we won't have any more until after the UCAS deadline.

- I did not do my DT coursework because I was lazy last week so now I have to do it for when we go back, I need to make a cardboard model and test it. However, testing it means I need to take it to the client which is scary since I'm shy.

- I did practice fusion 360 this week, followed a couple more tutorials from the learn in 30 days course and hopefully, soon I'll be able to use it independantly.

To do: :ashamed2:

- Thanks to that physics test, now I definitely need to work on my portfolio in hopes that it will make up for being below the entry requirement.

- I'm going to get my dt model done, if I can find scrap cardboard around the house.

- I found out I got a big maths test as soon as we come back which is great and I missed a topic test which I have to do at home.

- I have to write up a PAG for physics which is not looking fun as well

Reply 25

Volunteer Section Leader, Clearing and Applications Advisor

DT and portfolio is your priority I hope?
Use the other stuff to break up those two main things :yep:

Reply 26

OP

Original post by 04MR17

DT and portfolio is your priority I hope?
Use the other stuff to break up those two main things :yep:

They were my main piority but I got a bit lost on what to do for them so I didn't get much done. Plus the card I was going to use for moddeling got recycled by accident :frown:

Reply 27

Volunteer Section Leader, Clearing and Applications Advisor

Original post by bbbbbbb87

They were my main piority but I got a bit lost on what to do for them so I didn't get much done. Plus the card I was going to use for moddeling got recycled by accident :frown:

Uh oh

Nevermind, we live and we learn

I've never had a half term where I've finished everything I wanted to get done

Reply 28

OP

Happy Halloween Everyone!!

I saw so many cool costumes this year online, people were really creative. My favourite had to be the disney couple outfits like the princess and the frog.

Week 7:

Have done:
- I've been working on my portfolio a bit more now, I added some old work into it and now I'm trying to format it so it looks nicer.

- I recycled the cardboard I was going to use for my DT models by accident (whoops :colondollar:

) so I tried to make it out of paper but it fell apart very quickly. At least most people are behind on their work so the teacher didn't check.

- Had a maths test this week which just went bad. No amount of revision was going to help me there since I didn't even know those topics were going to come up.
Screenshot 2023-10-31 194116.png

To do:
- I decided to start revising for mocks even though they are in January. I want to do a little each day and start early so I will feel less guilt if I skip a day. Currently I'm just going to go over year 12 stuff with past papers and textbook questions.

- Still gotta work on that portfolio, I'm trying to get it done before teachers start setting loads of revision homework. I'm finding it hard though, I can't find much on how to lay it out.

Reply 29

Volunteer Section Leader, Clearing and Applications Advisor

Original post by bbbbbbb87

They were my main piority but I got a bit lost on what to do for them so I didn't get much done. Plus the card I was going to use for moddeling got recycled by accident :frown:

Uh oh

Nevermind, we live and we learn

I've never had a half term where I've finished everything I wanted to get done, and I've been doing this for many years :shakecane:

Reply 30

OP

Week 8:
We got our reports back recently, I found out I got a D in the recent maths test. 😧 But I did get an A in product design so that kinda makes up for it. I really need to start doing well in tests because the deadline is only like 2 months away and I need to get those predicted grades up. Luckily, there's a physics tests coming up next week and I'm gonna be spending the whole week revising for that.

Have done:

•

I actually followed my revision timetable that I made last week which was shocking to me. I thought that I would give up but I stuck through 🙂

•

My portfolio is also looking better, I found a website which had some really good tips on what to write but I then lost it.

To do:

•

Physics, physics and more physics...

•

Not do dt coursework, dt is so fun because now its just making and drawing but I keep working on my coursework instead of revising theory or for other subjects. So I'm going to try and lay back on the work I do for it this week.

Reply 31

Volunteer Section Leader, Clearing and Applications Advisor

There's no point having high predicted grades if you don't achieve them in August.

Well done for your A in product.

Even bigger well done for your D in Maths. Because I hope there's a lot you are learning from it. Make that D count.

Reply 32

OP

Original post by 04MR17

There's no point having high predicted grades if you don't achieve them in August.

Well done for your A in product.

Even bigger well done for your D in Maths. Because I hope there's a lot you are learning from it. Make that D count.

Yes that is true. I don't want to end up not meeting those predicted if they get put too high. Thank you, I am learning from it, I wrotre down a list of stuff to review after we went through the test so I am going to make sure I practice those soon.

Reply 33

14james

3

Original post by bbbbbbb87

Hello and welcome to my blog about aiming for the stars. :flower2:

Kinda literally, hoping to get A*s but if that doesn't happen, I hope that I will still do well. Currently I am in year 13 taking maths (AQA), physics (OCR A) and DT (AQA). And my predicted grades AAC with the C in physics. I think I got lucky with an A in maths as the grade boundaries were low for that test. Most of the year, I was getting Cs and Ds.

University Plan:

Currently I'm thinking of doing design engineering, if I do achieve my goals and get my predicteds up, I think I'll apply to Bristol or Imperial. But right now, I'm looking at glasgow, strathclyde and loughborough.

Hobbies:

I like to play hockey, listen to music (lana del ray, taylor and other basic popular singers) and read reincarnation manhwas so most of the time when I get distracted, it's likely due to those things.

Goals:

I want to get A* in all my subject but my current goal right now is to improve my physics grade so I can get a better predicted grade for university as all my choices want AAB.

Week 1 To Do list:

•

Finish homework

•

Revise for maths test

We do the exact same a levels! I applied to design engineering at Loughborough glasgow strathclyde and bath.

Reply 34

OP

Original post by 14james

We do the exact same a levels! I applied to design engineering at Loughborough glasgow strathclyde and bath.

Woah twinning. I'm basically applying to the same places except bath, I visited it but the course seemed too mechanical engineering for me. How is your DT NEA going?

Reply 35

OP

Week 9:
It was only half term a couple weeks ago but I already can't wait for the christmas holidays. But then I'm also not excited as we have mocks right after the holidays so I think most of it will be taken up with revision. I also won the GYG photography challenge which is fantastic and I'm really happy about that :smile:

Have done:

•

I've been doing loads of physics revision because this test is covering so many chapters. I've made notes on them and I found this youtube channel called Zphysics which had loads of good tips and explainations. I'm trying to do more practice questions this time since I think that will help so I'm going to use the textbook and pmt.

•

I found out very last minute that we had a maths test this monday, a small one though. I did some revision for it which helped a lot as I was able to do most of the questions but I ran out of time which sucks.

•

I did not do much dt coursework outside of school this week so I could do physics revision but I spent some of my frees in the classroom and did the work there. It's also good because I can get help from the teacher.

To do:

•

After the physics test, I'm going to go back to doing general revision for all my subjects. My plan is just to spend time doing practice questions and past papers as I've got notes for most of my year 12 subjects.

•

I need to work on my portfolio loads, I looked at someone elses and theirs looked brilliant so I want to get mine up to that standard.

•

Actually sort out my DT coursework write up, the practical and making side of things is going well but I haven't written up anything so I should do that before I forget why I did things.

Reply 36

Volunteer Section Leader, Clearing and Applications Advisor

Congratulations on your win

Timing is tricky, I used to start at the back of maths papers with the slightly beefier questions (don't know if this is still the case at A Level) which I'd get done first, so if I ran out of time for a little 2-3 marker at the front that was okay compared to the 8-13 mark stuff at the back

Prioritise the portfolio :yep:

That's number 1 for this week :wink:

Reply 37

OP

Original post by 04MR17

Congratulations on your win

Timing is tricky, I used to start at the back of maths papers with the slightly beefier questions (don't know if this is still the case at A Level) which I'd get done first, so if I ran out of time for a little 2-3 marker at the front that was okay compared to the 8-13 mark stuff at the back

Prioritise the portfolio :yep:

That's number 1 for this week :wink:

Thank you for the suggestion. I tried starting from the back on my physics test and it worked really well. I wasn't rushing at the end over the big questions which meant I had more time to think and properly answer them.

Reply 38

OP

Week 10:
I have a kinda busy week coming up so I don't know if I will be able to do much schoolwork but I definitely will try to focus on the key stuff, mainly university stuff because that is key. I am still a bit indecisive on my last choice, I was thinking UWE because I've been to bristol loads and have family there but it is an expensive city and I haven't researched what the course and teaching is like much.

Have done:

•

My physics test went really well and I got an A! The teacher did choose the easier questions for the test as there was a lot we had to revise but I think all the revision I did over the past week definitely helped.

•

I watched some videos on youtube about portfolio's and decided it may be easier to just restart from scratch to fix the layout of pages. I have mostly put together everything for one project but I need to sort the pictures out for the second.

•

I did sit down and actually start writing up my DT stuff, mainly because my teacher said he's going to start putting the final marks in for the first section and that scared me into doing work.

To do:

•

My main focus will be university stuff so picking my final choices, finishing up my UCAS application, putting together my portfolio. I want to hand it all in early december so I've got the next two weeks for that.

•

Working on my DT coursework, I've only been focusing on like one part but I need to test the other parts to check they work as well

Reply 39

OP