sixth form advice?

vse.kar.vem

I know there's a lot online already, but if anyone has any advice they think might not be spoken about as much, I'd love to hear. :smile:

(I'm a year 11 going into sixth form as an external student; a level biology (OCR), geography (Edexcel A), and spanish (AQA))

Reply 1

smco1095057

Hey there, I’m going into year 13 as an external last year and I reckon there’s a couple things really.

A) get a locker if you can
B) sign up for anything you can like clubs and opportunity wise especially if you’re new to your sixth form
C) talk to anyone you can, it’s good to have lots of people you can have quick conversations with to make waiting for things less awkward
D) try and get on teachers good sides
E) enter essay competitions regardless of which subjects you take they’re so useful

Reply 2

VitaLongissima

Original post

by vse.kar.vem

I know there's a lot online already, but if anyone has any advice they think might not be spoken about as much, I'd love to hear. :smile:

(I'm a year 11 going into sixth form as an external student; a level biology (OCR), geography (Edexcel A), and spanish (AQA))

Hi there,

I finished my a level in Spanish this year (AQA as well). My advice for Spanish specifically is read as much as you can in Spanish, from loads of different sources, and in different varieties of Spanish. This does multiple things:

•

Expands your vocab, which is rather important given that you need to have a wide vocab for A level - your translations become easier when you know more vocab, you're speaking doesn't feel so repetitive, you begin to feel more expressive;

•

It gets you used to reading about random subjects and topics which you wouldn't necessarily read by choice. For example, I wasn't particularly interested in dictatorships, but making myself read about them in spanish was rather useful given that they come up in a reading question in my exam. It is important that you also read literature in Spanish, because literary spanish, like any language, is different from your academic texts (I studied Latin German Spanish and Ancient Greek, and I can tell you that literature texts were noticeably different to your bog standard translations). This is important given you have to study and analyse a set text. (Same applies for the film - watch spanish media);

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When you come across a word in a reading or a translation or a synonym exercise, if you have read widely, there is a chance you will know the word in question - i read the word madrugar in a book, and it came up in a literary extract we were using to practise, and my life was much easier because of it.

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If you do not know a word, reading widely will help you to guess it. You get a feel for the language and how it feels and functions when you get more exposure.

On another note, you need to actively practise your spanish. You cannot confine your experience and use of it solely to your lessons, it will not do anything. My friends and I would often mix spanish into our conversations outside of lessons , sometimes because we just wanted to, sometimes because we wanted to have a conversation in private, and sometimes because it just happened. The worst thing you can do is think that the hour or so of spanish you have is enough - it is not.

In general for Sixth form:

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It goes both very quickly, and at the same time, is two years, so it is a marathon not a sprint, do not burn yourself out because it will do you no favours come exams.

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Revise steadily throughout the two years, so that when you come to exams, you're not relearning stuff, but rather brushing up on it.

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Enjoy it - it is genuinely very fun if you help it to be, and is not something that should be taken for granted.

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Remember to take care of yourself during it - it is a demanding two years, and that is not something to be neglected. So sleep properly - an essay or set of questions are genuinely not worth losing sleep over; eat properly and drink a lot of water; take regular, actual breaks; do things that you enjoy, schedule time with friends, make sure that you still live a life.