Starting A Levels in a week would really like help on how to revise for all A*'s
Hey everyone, I hope you're all doing well. I’m about to begin my A-Levels in English Literature, History, and Economics, which I selected with the ambition of studying law at a top university, such as LSE, UCL, Oxford, King's, or Queen Mary. Given the competitive nature of these institutions, I’m fully committed to putting in the effort required to achieve top grades.
Reflecting on my recent GCSE experience, I realize that my approach to revision was far from ideal. Although I managed to secure decent grades (all 7s and above), I struggled during exam season due to inadequate preparation throughout the year. Most of my revision ended up being done in a rush, just days before the exams. While I’m grateful for the results I achieved, I am determined to avoid this stressful and inefficient approach during my A-Levels, especially given the increased difficulty and content-heavy nature of my chosen subjects.
I’m particularly aware that both English Literature and History demand a deep understanding of extensive material, and I’m eager to develop a more structured and consistent revision plan. However, in the past, I found that creating revision timetables became more of a distraction than a useful tool. I often spent more time designing the timetable than actually following it, which ultimately hindered my progress.
With that in mind, I’m seeking advice on how to revise effectively and consistently from the beginning of the academic year. How do you approach content-heavy subjects like English Literature and History? What strategies or study techniques have you found to be effective in managing large volumes of material? Additionally, how do you stay disciplined and motivated to revise regularly, rather than leaving it all until the last minute?
Any guidance or insights you could share would be greatly appreciated. I’m eager to learn from others’ experiences so that I can avoid repeating past mistakes and work towards achieving my goals.
Thank you in advance for your help!
Reflecting on my recent GCSE experience, I realize that my approach to revision was far from ideal. Although I managed to secure decent grades (all 7s and above), I struggled during exam season due to inadequate preparation throughout the year. Most of my revision ended up being done in a rush, just days before the exams. While I’m grateful for the results I achieved, I am determined to avoid this stressful and inefficient approach during my A-Levels, especially given the increased difficulty and content-heavy nature of my chosen subjects.
I’m particularly aware that both English Literature and History demand a deep understanding of extensive material, and I’m eager to develop a more structured and consistent revision plan. However, in the past, I found that creating revision timetables became more of a distraction than a useful tool. I often spent more time designing the timetable than actually following it, which ultimately hindered my progress.
With that in mind, I’m seeking advice on how to revise effectively and consistently from the beginning of the academic year. How do you approach content-heavy subjects like English Literature and History? What strategies or study techniques have you found to be effective in managing large volumes of material? Additionally, how do you stay disciplined and motivated to revise regularly, rather than leaving it all until the last minute?
Any guidance or insights you could share would be greatly appreciated. I’m eager to learn from others’ experiences so that I can avoid repeating past mistakes and work towards achieving my goals.
Thank you in advance for your help!
Reply 1
Start early. So make flashcards as you go, make revision notes as you go. Do not leave anything until last minute. So say you go over something in class that you're not that confident on, ask the teacher, or go and teach yourself it ASAP, so that it doesnt get to exams and you realise you don't know enough. Also do topic tests after you finish a set of work, so maybe you finish a book in English, or a period of History, go and find practice questions on them, and do them right away. You can try them first without any notes, then go back with another colour and try again with notes. Keep repeating this process. Essentially, make resources as you go, and do practice papers as soon as you've done enough content to do so.
Hey,
I currently take A Level History and here are some of my tips that have helped me get top grades in the exams:
1. Pre - Reading & Notes -> Do this before your lessons and make notes for the current chapter and try to go ahead when you have time. Try and condense your notes down though. I then use my condensed notes to create my flashcards so I don't have to relook and condense from the textbook. You can also make timelines and mind maps to visualise a period in history.
2. Flashcards have been a huge help for memorisation so definitely use them.
3. Do exam Q's and Practise Papers -> before writing the essays definitely make essay plans. Don't make them short at first, literally brain dump then start to condense. Closer to the Exam I tend to write Paragraphs and Essays which I hand to the teachers for marking. Also use the Textbook exam Q's as well especially once you have finished the topic so you can see how much you have retained.
Also, when you are revising definitely make essay plans under timed conditions ~ 5mins and also practice writing your essays in timed conditions.
4. Wider Reading -> Read books & listen to Podcasts on your period of history that you are studying. Honestly you don't need to read the entire book if you don't have the time, just read the chapter which is relevant to your section in the textbook.
I currently take A Level History and here are some of my tips that have helped me get top grades in the exams:
1. Pre - Reading & Notes -> Do this before your lessons and make notes for the current chapter and try to go ahead when you have time. Try and condense your notes down though. I then use my condensed notes to create my flashcards so I don't have to relook and condense from the textbook. You can also make timelines and mind maps to visualise a period in history.
2. Flashcards have been a huge help for memorisation so definitely use them.
3. Do exam Q's and Practise Papers -> before writing the essays definitely make essay plans. Don't make them short at first, literally brain dump then start to condense. Closer to the Exam I tend to write Paragraphs and Essays which I hand to the teachers for marking. Also use the Textbook exam Q's as well especially once you have finished the topic so you can see how much you have retained.
Also, when you are revising definitely make essay plans under timed conditions ~ 5mins and also practice writing your essays in timed conditions.
4. Wider Reading -> Read books & listen to Podcasts on your period of history that you are studying. Honestly you don't need to read the entire book if you don't have the time, just read the chapter which is relevant to your section in the textbook.
Sorry, one more thing I forgot to add was don't be discouraged if you don't get the results you want right away (because I didn't) especially in essay base subjects as it is definitely a work in progress and writing these 25 & 30 Mark Essays can be difficult. Definitely use other classmates sample essays or ask your teachers for them because you can compare and see where you went wrong. Wishing you all the best 
Reply 4
Flashcards flashcards flashcards - literally make so many and blurt them to get information ingrained into your memory. Perfecting exam technique is also key. Do lots of practise questions and get your teachers to mark and give feedback.
Original post by saskiahdltea
Start early. So make flashcards as you go, make revision notes as you go. Do not leave anything until last minute. So say you go over something in class that you're not that confident on, ask the teacher, or go and teach yourself it ASAP, so that it doesnt get to exams and you realise you don't know enough. Also do topic tests after you finish a set of work, so maybe you finish a book in English, or a period of History, go and find practice questions on them, and do them right away. You can try them first without any notes, then go back with another colour and try again with notes. Keep repeating this process. Essentially, make resources as you go, and do practice papers as soon as you've done enough content to do so.
Thank you so much for the advice! I really like the idea of making revision notes and flashcards as I go along – it seems like a great way to stay on top of the content without feeling overwhelmed later on. I hadn’t thought about doing topic tests right after finishing a unit, but it sounds like an effective way to ensure I fully understand everything. I’ll definitely start incorporating these strategies into my routine. Thanks again!
Original post by Ani_21
Hey,
I currently take A Level History and here are some of my tips that have helped me get top grades in the exams:
1. Pre - Reading & Notes -> Do this before your lessons and make notes for the current chapter and try to go ahead when you have time. Try and condense your notes down though. I then use my condensed notes to create my flashcards so I don't have to relook and condense from the textbook. You can also make timelines and mind maps to visualise a period in history.
2. Flashcards have been a huge help for memorisation so definitely use them.
3. Do exam Q's and Practise Papers -> before writing the essays definitely make essay plans. Don't make them short at first, literally brain dump then start to condense. Closer to the Exam I tend to write Paragraphs and Essays which I hand to the teachers for marking. Also use the Textbook exam Q's as well especially once you have finished the topic so you can see how much you have retained.
Also, when you are revising definitely make essay plans under timed conditions ~ 5mins and also practice writing your essays in timed conditions.
4. Wider Reading -> Read books & listen to Podcasts on your period of history that you are studying. Honestly you don't need to read the entire book if you don't have the time, just read the chapter which is relevant to your section in the textbook.
I currently take A Level History and here are some of my tips that have helped me get top grades in the exams:
1. Pre - Reading & Notes -> Do this before your lessons and make notes for the current chapter and try to go ahead when you have time. Try and condense your notes down though. I then use my condensed notes to create my flashcards so I don't have to relook and condense from the textbook. You can also make timelines and mind maps to visualise a period in history.
2. Flashcards have been a huge help for memorisation so definitely use them.
3. Do exam Q's and Practise Papers -> before writing the essays definitely make essay plans. Don't make them short at first, literally brain dump then start to condense. Closer to the Exam I tend to write Paragraphs and Essays which I hand to the teachers for marking. Also use the Textbook exam Q's as well especially once you have finished the topic so you can see how much you have retained.
Also, when you are revising definitely make essay plans under timed conditions ~ 5mins and also practice writing your essays in timed conditions.
4. Wider Reading -> Read books & listen to Podcasts on your period of history that you are studying. Honestly you don't need to read the entire book if you don't have the time, just read the chapter which is relevant to your section in the textbook.
Wow, this is incredibly detailed—thank you! I love the idea of pre-reading and making condensed notes ahead of time. Pretty sure this way I should be able to stay ahead in class and create useful flashcards without doubling up on work. Your advice on essay plans and practicing under timed conditions is also really helpful, especially since I'm aiming for top grades. I'll defoo start incorporating wider reading and podcasts too; I think that will really deepen my understanding. Thanks for sharing these tips, they’re exactly what I was looking for!
Original post by Ani_21
Sorry, one more thing I forgot to add was don't be discouraged if you don't get the results you want right away (because I didn't) especially in essay base subjects as it is definitely a work in progress and writing these 25 & 30 Mark Essays can be difficult. Definitely use other classmates sample essays or ask your teachers for them because you can compare and see where you went wrong. Wishing you all the best
Thanks for adding this! It’s really reassuring to hear that it’s normal not to get the results you want straight away, especially in essay-based subjects. I was really hoping to hear something like this because I've certainly heard of the horrors of year 1, getting abysmally low grades even from the top students. I’ll definitely ask my teachers and classmates for sample essays to compare and learn from. I’ll keep working on it, and your encouragement is really motivating. I’ll definitely keep pushing forward, even if it takes time. Thanks again, and I wish you all the best too! 😊
Original post by diyah.....
Flashcards flashcards flashcards - literally make so many and blurt them to get information ingrained into your memory. Perfecting exam technique is also key. Do lots of practise questions and get your teachers to mark and give feedback.
Reply 9
Original post by shrif1010
Good old flashcards, really dont see where I can go wrong with them especially if used repetitively, one question tho what sort of flashcards do you use digital/physical and if digital, would you recommend Anki?. I’ll definitely be making a lot of them, especially for the more content-heavy subjects like History. And you’re right—perfecting exam technique is key, so I’ll make sure to practice lots of questions and get as much feedback as possible. Appreciate the advice!
I personally preferred physical ( I used 5x8 which are the big ones) because writing the information down really helped me, but if that isn’t you then there’s nothing wrong with using digital. I sometimes used quizlet (but didn’t really make much use of it) and a lot of my friends used Anki and liked it so either is worth a shout.
I think what’s more important is what you actually put on the flashcards. For essay based subjects, what I found to be super useful was to make every sub topic an exam question and then plan how I would answer it - writing down all the points, the evidence and the analysis + counter if any. That way you’re making sure you are remembering all the information but in a way that is actually useful and analytical. Someone can memorise all the content but if they don’t know how to use the content or analyse it well, your marks will be limited, so that would be my top tip!
Would also recommend getting a whiteboard for blurting and looking online for band 5 answers. For history, they usually have examiners commentary on an exam series with actual examples of different bands. Could be a place to start to look for exam technique
Reply 10
Do you have supervised study periods in your sixth form/college? If so, what I do with them is I make a mental plan of what work I'm planning to achieve in that hour, and make sure that across A Week and B Week I have dedicated at least a few of these periods to each subject.
Supervised study is definitely easier to focus in because it's silent, but otherwise you can definitely do the same with free periods. Headphones can help reduce noise, or often I find a little chatter with friends who are also working in their frees isn't harmful.
I'm a big procrastinator but I find the school environment a good place for me to study, and I get a lot more done than I do at home. (I'm currently year 13 and predicted 4 A*s (not meant in a boasting way 😭), so this has worked for me but ofc everyone is different and learns differently )
Supervised study is definitely easier to focus in because it's silent, but otherwise you can definitely do the same with free periods. Headphones can help reduce noise, or often I find a little chatter with friends who are also working in their frees isn't harmful.
I'm a big procrastinator but I find the school environment a good place for me to study, and I get a lot more done than I do at home. (I'm currently year 13 and predicted 4 A*s (not meant in a boasting way 😭), so this has worked for me but ofc everyone is different and learns differently
)Reply 11
For History, my absolute favourite thing to do was make big Google docs with notes for certain topics! For example, for French Revolution, I would have a giant google doc with notes on Napoleon’s Domestic Policy which I could easily print out, highlight, and add to if I got new stats to include.
Original post by eagleflight
Do you have supervised study periods in your sixth form/college? If so, what I do with them is I make a mental plan of what work I'm planning to achieve in that hour, and make sure that across A Week and B Week I have dedicated at least a few of these periods to each subject.
Supervised study is definitely easier to focus in because it's silent, but otherwise you can definitely do the same with free periods. Headphones can help reduce noise, or often I find a little chatter with friends who are also working in their frees isn't harmful.
I'm a big procrastinator but I find the school environment a good place for me to study, and I get a lot more done than I do at home. (I'm currently year 13 and predicted 4 A*s (not meant in a boasting way 😭), so this has worked for me but ofc everyone is different and learns differently )
Supervised study is definitely easier to focus in because it's silent, but otherwise you can definitely do the same with free periods. Headphones can help reduce noise, or often I find a little chatter with friends who are also working in their frees isn't harmful.
I'm a big procrastinator but I find the school environment a good place for me to study, and I get a lot more done than I do at home. (I'm currently year 13 and predicted 4 A*s (not meant in a boasting way 😭), so this has worked for me but ofc everyone is different and learns differently
)Sorry for the really late reply, but yes at my sixth form I do have study periods, no frees at all, where we spend the time to study in the library, I'll try out your suggestion, and I'm sure your predicted 4 A*s for a reason so I wish you all the best with your exams and hopefully you come out with those grades. Once again thanks for the recommendation
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