e's year 13 journey - GYG

Hello hello!
It's the end of half term for me! (a week off - yay!) I thought now would be a great time to start a GYG having completed a few weeks of year 13.
I study English Lit, Biology and Maths and I'm predicted A*AA. I've applied to Oxford and Birmingham (Human Sciences), Leicester and Lancaster (Human Geography) and Nottingham (Liberal Arts) and I've begun to hear back from them already, which I was slightly taken aback by.
I'm enjoying year 13 so far, there is a lot of work but I'm finding it mostly manageable. For Biology, I'm focussing on revising a lot of year 12 content before I begin the past papers, English I'm trying to nail quotations and key scenes and for Maths I'm trying to keep afloat with the current topics and then going back and revising year 12 ones.
Has anyone got good maths revision tips? I'm finding just doing mixed practice in the book and questions from last year for difficult topics just doesn't work too well for me - I end up even more confused!
I'm using a retrospective revision planner which is working really well and I'm enjoying using as it takes a lot more of the pressure off trying to plan my day out down to the minute and I can easily see at a glance what topics I still need to revise!
Anyway, that's enough from me!
I'll hopefully remember to keep this updated!

Welcome to Grow Your Grades! Revision planners are so helpful, and they're also great because throughout the year you can look back at how much you've done, which can be a real boost. What text are you studying for English?

What exam board do you do for biology?

I do AQA! what about you?

I do Edexcel A, it's different to most biology courses as it focuses each topic around a story such one about forensics or about cystic fibrosis

Oh wow! That’s really interesting! I think I’d like that as it gives a real-world application to each topic which I’d find really useful!

Hello hello!
It's the end of half term for me! (a week off - yay!) I thought now would be a great time to start a GYG having completed a few weeks of year 13.
I study English Lit, Biology and Maths and I'm predicted A*AA. I've applied to Oxford and Birmingham (Human Sciences), Leicester and Lancaster (Human Geography) and Nottingham (Liberal Arts) and I've begun to hear back from them already, which I was slightly taken aback by.
I'm enjoying year 13 so far, there is a lot of work but I'm finding it mostly manageable. For Biology, I'm focussing on revising a lot of year 12 content before I begin the past papers, English I'm trying to nail quotations and key scenes and for Maths I'm trying to keep afloat with the current topics and then going back and revising year 12 ones.
Has anyone got good maths revision tips? I'm finding just doing mixed practice in the book and questions from last year for difficult topics just doesn't work too well for me - I end up even more confused!
I'm using a retrospective revision planner which is working really well and I'm enjoying using as it takes a lot more of the pressure off trying to plan my day out down to the minute and I can easily see at a glance what topics I still need to revise!
Anyway, that's enough from me!
I'll hopefully remember to keep this updated!

Good luck with your studies. Would be interested to hear more about your retrospective revision planning as I've heard good things about the method, but never given it a go... yet!

Thank you so much! The retrospective revision method is working well at the moment! I’ve got a spreadsheet split into each of my subjects with all topics/spec points/units/texts depending on the subject in each with an initial RAG rating. I then have a number of columns and I put the date revised in and give it a new RAG rating. It’s useful to see then how revision has worked for each topic and I can instantly see what I’ve revised recently and what needs more attention. I generally follow the same revision method for each topic for each subject - eg. Biology I use Seneca, then YouTube, then quizzes made by the department, then past papers. I occasionally skip a step or two if I’m more confident. For the initial RAG rating, most were based on previous exams or a mindmap in 2 colours of pen, one for own knowledge, one for corrections/missed info from text book! Let me know if you give it a go! I’m finding it so helpful!

Quick update:
I’ve had my first week back, and it has been an odd one. I found out about my Oxford rejection on the first day back which I’ve been attempting to cope with - my knee-jerk reaction was to go and google the cost of flights for half term 😭 and then I cried when I got home. My parents have been really understanding and supportive of me, and did say that they had their reservations about Oxford. I’m now looking at my other four options and appreciating the fact that I can now pick from a range of courses which have a similar grade requirement. I think Nottingham Liberal Arts is number one at the moment, but we shall see! I’m also glad that I don’t have to work myself into the ground to get an A in biology- as nice as it would be, it’s no longer totally essential, which I’m pleased about. I genuinely do feel like a weight has been lifted, even though it’s been replaced by some disappointment. I’m taking it easy over the next few weeks, and working when I can, but not berating myself if I can’t work.

hey I applied for HS and also got a rejection this week, i completly understand how you feel on one hand i’m relieved I don’t have to get an A in maths but on the other hand I am of course disappointed but just think everything happens for a reason and I guess we can’t see how insignificant this rejection will be in a couple years time when we’re happy elsewhere (hopefully aha)

Oh I’m really sorry! The relief and weight off the shoulders with grades seems at odds with the disappointment, you’re right though, one day we’ll look back on this and recognise how insignificant it is the grand scheme of things, and in fact allowed us to do all the things we’ll go on to do! Where else have you applied for?

Hello hello!
It's the end of half term for me! (a week off - yay!) I thought now would be a great time to start a GYG having completed a few weeks of year 13.
I study English Lit, Biology and Maths and I'm predicted A*AA. I've applied to Oxford and Birmingham (Human Sciences), Leicester and Lancaster (Human Geography) and Nottingham (Liberal Arts) and I've begun to hear back from them already, which I was slightly taken aback by.
I'm enjoying year 13 so far, there is a lot of work but I'm finding it mostly manageable. For Biology, I'm focussing on revising a lot of year 12 content before I begin the past papers, English I'm trying to nail quotations and key scenes and for Maths I'm trying to keep afloat with the current topics and then going back and revising year 12 ones.
Has anyone got good maths revision tips? I'm finding just doing mixed practice in the book and questions from last year for difficult topics just doesn't work too well for me - I end up even more confused!
I'm using a retrospective revision planner which is working really well and I'm enjoying using as it takes a lot more of the pressure off trying to plan my day out down to the minute and I can easily see at a glance what topics I still need to revise!
Anyway, that's enough from me!
I'll hopefully remember to keep this updated!

that’s so true. I’ve applied for HS at ucl, birmingham and exeter and Health and HS at durham wbu ? Idk why but i have a feeling I bet you at the open days for oxford and ucl correct me if Imm wrong 😭

For your maths, I surely prefer to prepare my own notes and keep track with different types of questions. As long as you have notes about everything you gotta know, u will be able to overcome the questions with some thinking. im also on my 13th year for a levels! good luck!

HS at Birmingham, Human Geography at Leicester and Lancaster and Liberal Arts at Nottingham. I didn't make it to the UCL open day, although I would have liked to have gone, I might've seen you at the Oxford one though!