should i give up?

im doing my a levels, bio, chem and maths but i havent been doing well in then. i keep getting Cs/Bs but i want to get As/A*s. is it possible to work hard enough to be at this level by the time i reach the actual exams? ive gotten an A in chem and bio before but im struggling overall. please help.

Reply 1

BCU Student Rep

Official Rep

Original post by mx.roadkill

Hi @mx.roadkill,

I took Biology and Chemistry during my A-Levels as well, a piece of advice I commonly heard was to drill exam past papers. This may seem very broad and general, but I found it to be the most useful. A pattern I found throughout these past papers (biology especially) is the similarity of questions, most of the time you'll be thrown big mark questions but it isn't as difficult as you think it to be.

These 'big mark' questions usually ask of a particular process, but just by mentioning specific keywords you can easily get the marks you need. You might also find it useful to write down those big mark questions on a flashcard, and write the answers in memorable bullet points on the back of it. Flashcards are also useful for memorising biological processes and mechanisms. I preferred having my flashcards on paper, but if you prefer them online you can try using quizlet!

In terms of chemistry, for inorganic you would be required to be familiar with calculations so do practice some past paper questions covering those. Whereas for organic chemistry, you would be required to have a good understanding of organic mechanisms and naming organic compounds. Depending on your exam board, you may be required to draw out these mechanisms as well. There are plenty videos online highlighting the processes of these mechanisms. After you have gone through your past papers, identify where you got wrong answers and try to understand why that happened. Was it a miscalculation? If so, attempt it again and see if you can get it right. Knowing you got an answer wrong is one thing, but understanding why you got it wrong is what will strengthen your understanding.

Don't give up, I'm rooting for you! 🙂

Hope this helps,
Danish
BCU Student Rep