The Student Room Group

REALLY scared for Sixth Form

Starting sixth form in a few days. I’m so nervous about starting A-levels and I’m literally driving myself crazy with stress. I found my GCSEs so stressful and the thought of having a repeat of the experience sounds terrible. It’s even more stressful when I hear people say how much harder A-levels are in comparison to GCSEs. So, it may sounds stupid, but I’m genuinely scared I’ll just die of stress or a heart attack during my A-levels.

Any advice? Whether that be for sixth form, handling stress, or many getting therapy because I’m honestly think I have an Anxiety disorder, so maybe talking to someone or getting a prescription will help make sixth form more manageable?
Reply 1
hi. firstly, what you are feeling is completely normal, and the majority of students feel it to some degree. so, don't think that you're alone or weird for it.

secondly, if you believe you have an anxiety disorder, or another mental health problem then certainly seek help, through therapy or other means, because in that case there is little anyone other than a certified professional can do to help appease your stress.

if this isn't quite the case, here is some general advice i can give to you (as someone going into y13).

1.

A-Level is not at all like another version of the GCSE. part of the reason people keep telling you it's a lot harder is because yes, the content is more difficult and there is more of it- but you will have matured (and will mature further) since GCSE, so you will be able to manage it. remember, your brain has developed since the start of y10, and so have you as a person. i personally think another reason people say it's so much harder is because it's truly a two-year thing. YR12 IS NOT YR10. you can't coast one year, in fact, most schools give predicted grades which go to universities based on your yr12 work. this is not to stress you out even further- i actually think it's a lot better than having to do tons in y13 and none the year before. so, be prepared with the mentality that A-level is a two-year course- you can't put your foot on the gas later rather than sooner.

2.

start early. i kind of said this in my last point, but please, please start early. i don't know which subjects you're taking and whether you have NEAs, nor when your school provides deadlines for these, but once you're settled into sixth form (give yourself at least two months to adjust) START. i'm a little bit like you; i'm prone to panic attacks if i have very near deadlines, and i personally cannot do things the night before as i just have a meltdown. rely on discipline, not motivation. start off with an hour of studying/ project completion a day, whether or not you're motivated to. if you've done half the work two months before the deadline, you are going to feel over the moon and so relaxed. also, in yr13 when you have to start doing more, it'll be nicer to already be used to doing some work, and you can gradually increase the number of hours. so really, it's about taking away from your own stress. be kind to your future self. this being said, don't put too much pressure on yourself, or you will burn out. it's about finding the right balance. as i said earlier, one- three hours a day is more than enough in the first two terms of yr12. go outside, socialise, draw, paint, whatever, all of these are further stress-relievers.

3.

be organised. my school uses computers so it's a lot easier, but from what i remember most schools in the uk use paper. so buy pretty ring-binders or whatever, but make sure you have all your notes, because they will help so much in the future, and you will be so much less stressed if you have everything nicely compiled ready to be revised. also websites can help a lot, because A-Level for a lot subjects requires you to read around.

4.

use your free periods. use them wisely. it's pretty much impossible to be productive in all of them- sometimes you just really want to unwind, or chat with your mates, and that's totally fine. but for the most part, these are lifesavers- i don't think i've ever done my homework at home. i have 3 NEAs to do, plus an EPQ, so i've always finished my homework during my frees so that i'm not working till like 2 at night (i need 8 hours of sleep. also that's another thing; GET 8-9 HOURS OF SLEEP. teenagers need more than adults, and not getting enough can lead to distraught, stress, or wanting to cry).

so yeah. this is pretty much the standard stuff that every teacher will probably jam down your throat soon, but trust me, it works. easier said than done i know, but if cramming last minute doesn't work for you, or if you're prone to stress, these are my best tips, because i was very much in a similar boat as you this time last year 🙂 good luck!

p.s. if you are worried that you have exam anxiety, measures can sometimes be taken. i don't know if this is the case in all schools (although i think legally it has to be?) but one of my friends has exam anxiety and they get to do their exams in a separate, smaller classroom with only one invigilator, compared to the massive hall with endless rows and like ten invigilators breathing down your neck which induces more stress. maybe talk to a teacher about getting that for you final a levels and mocks?
Reply 2
Original post by dillon76
hi. firstly, what you are feeling is completely normal, and the majority of students feel it to some degree. so, don't think that you're alone or weird for it.
secondly, if you believe you have an anxiety disorder, or another mental health problem then certainly seek help, through therapy or other means, because in that case there is little anyone other than a certified professional can do to help appease your stress.
if this isn't quite the case, here is some general advice i can give to you (as someone going into y13).

1.

A-Level is not at all like another version of the GCSE. part of the reason people keep telling you it's a lot harder is because yes, the content is more difficult and there is more of it- but you will have matured (and will mature further) since GCSE, so you will be able to manage it. remember, your brain has developed since the start of y10, and so have you as a person. i personally think another reason people say it's so much harder is because it's truly a two-year thing. YR12 IS NOT YR10. you can't coast one year, in fact, most schools give predicted grades which go to universities based on your yr12 work. this is not to stress you out even further- i actually think it's a lot better than having to do tons in y13 and none the year before. so, be prepared with the mentality that A-level is a two-year course- you can't put your foot on the gas later rather than sooner.

2.

start early. i kind of said this in my last point, but please, please start early. i don't know which subjects you're taking and whether you have NEAs, nor when your school provides deadlines for these, but once you're settled into sixth form (give yourself at least two months to adjust) START. i'm a little bit like you; i'm prone to panic attacks if i have very near deadlines, and i personally cannot do things the night before as i just have a meltdown. rely on discipline, not motivation. start off with an hour of studying/ project completion a day, whether or not you're motivated to. if you've done half the work two months before the deadline, you are going to feel over the moon and so relaxed. also, in yr13 when you have to start doing more, it'll be nicer to already be used to doing some work, and you can gradually increase the number of hours. so really, it's about taking away from your own stress. be kind to your future self. this being said, don't put too much pressure on yourself, or you will burn out. it's about finding the right balance. as i said earlier, one- three hours a day is more than enough in the first two terms of yr12. go outside, socialise, draw, paint, whatever, all of these are further stress-relievers.

3.

be organised. my school uses computers so it's a lot easier, but from what i remember most schools in the uk use paper. so buy pretty ring-binders or whatever, but make sure you have all your notes, because they will help so much in the future, and you will be so much less stressed if you have everything nicely compiled ready to be revised. also websites can help a lot, because A-Level for a lot subjects requires you to read around.

4.

use your free periods. use them wisely. it's pretty much impossible to be productive in all of them- sometimes you just really want to unwind, or chat with your mates, and that's totally fine. but for the most part, these are lifesavers- i don't think i've ever done my homework at home. i have 3 NEAs to do, plus an EPQ, so i've always finished my homework during my frees so that i'm not working till like 2 at night (i need 8 hours of sleep. also that's another thing; GET 8-9 HOURS OF SLEEP. teenagers need more than adults, and not getting enough can lead to distraught, stress, or wanting to cry).

so yeah. this is pretty much the standard stuff that every teacher will probably jam down your throat soon, but trust me, it works. easier said than done i know, but if cramming last minute doesn't work for you, or if you're prone to stress, these are my best tips, because i was very much in a similar boat as you this time last year 🙂 good luck!
p.s. if you are worried that you have exam anxiety, measures can sometimes be taken. i don't know if this is the case in all schools (although i think legally it has to be?) but one of my friends has exam anxiety and they get to do their exams in a separate, smaller classroom with only one invigilator, compared to the massive hall with endless rows and like ten invigilators breathing down your neck which induces more stress. maybe talk to a teacher about getting that for you final a levels and mocks?

Thank you! This was really helpful. So, should I start trying to do an hour of revision a day from the moment I start, and increase the time I revise as I go along, or should I give myself a month or so to adjust and then start?
(edited 2 months ago)
Hey just my own personal opinion here!

As a reply to your last message

I think you should start to revise the content you learn from the week you start. I know that revising straight away for me really helped me in class to get familiar with the concepts and topics we were learning. I know teaches in my school like to spring random pop quizzes out of no where aha so that was one of the reasons.

I wouldn’t stress yourself out and revise for hours on end from the very start. I’d say an hour is good and build up your time as you go along but you can also do what works for you and makes you feel comfortable. Everyone works at their own pace!
Reply 4
Original post by TheQuietStudent
Hey just my own personal opinion here!
As a reply to your last message
I think you should start to revise the content you learn from the week you start. I know that revising straight away for me really helped me in class to get familiar with the concepts and topics we were learning. I know teaches in my school like to spring random pop quizzes out of no where aha so that was one of the reasons.
I wouldn’t stress yourself out and revise for hours on end from the very start. I’d say an hour is good and build up your time as you go along but you can also do what works for you and makes you feel comfortable. Everyone works at their own pace!

Ok, thank you! I’m still really nervous though. I sounds so simple to just ‘start asap’, but it’s so much harder to actual do it lol.

Should I maybe start by taking my class notes and making them more organised? Or would this be a waste of time? Should I just keep using my class notes even if they are messy, and just turn them into flashcards instead?
Reply 5
Original post by Daisy._.7777
Thank you! This was really helpful. So, should I start trying to do an hour of revision a day from the moment I start, and increase the time I revise as I go along, or should I give myself a month or so to adjust and then start?

totally depends on you. because you said you're quite nervous about it, i would give myself a bit of time- took me about a month, could take you more or less. whenever you stop feeling overwhelmed really- and you'll know about it.
Reply 6
Original post by dillon76
totally depends on you. because you said you're quite nervous about it, i would give myself a bit of time- took me about a month, could take you more or less. whenever you stop feeling overwhelmed really- and you'll know about it.

Tbh, I never stop feeling overwhelmed, I’m continuously overwhelmed (which is why I think I have an anxiety disorder). They only time i don’t feel overwhelmed is when I’ve completed studying on a day, because then I know there was nothing more I could’ve done on that day, and I’ve taken advantage of it as much as I can. The hardest part for me during my GCSEs was getting started with revision, but once I did I could study for like 5-10 hours non-stop (I know this is bad, I won’t do this during my A-levels) and was usually pretty productive. So, perhaps starting early might be better to keep my stress levels down, but maybe not from the 1st week. I’ll try and start maybe my 2nd/3rd so I can settle, and plan out my revision etc.

Plus, my school has a 2 week period where you can swap/drop some of your A-levels, and I’m still not 100% on what I want to study. So maybe I should wait until I know 100%, so I won’t waste my time revising for a subject I end up dropping after 2 weeks.

Thank you!
Reply 7
Original post by dillon76
totally depends on you. because you said you're quite nervous about it, i would give myself a bit of time- took me about a month, could take you more or less. whenever you stop feeling overwhelmed really- and you'll know about it.

Actually, the only subject I’m confident I’d taking is A-level History cause I’m interested in doing it at uni. So, maybe I can start revising for it from 1 week to help ease myself into A-level revision. And then come my 2nd/3rd week, I’ll start revising more and include my other subjects into my timetable.
Original post by Daisy._.7777
Actually, the only subject I’m confident I’d taking is A-level History cause I’m interested in doing it at uni. So, maybe I can start revising for it from 1 week to help ease myself into A-level revision. And then come my 2nd/3rd week, I’ll start revising more and include my other subjects into my timetable.


Honestly if that works for you then you should do it! There’s no need to study 24/7 right as sixth form starts as you won’t be bombarded with exams right off the bat so if you feel like you need some time to get adjusted before starting your revision then that’s completely fine! However I would say that in your study periods you should use that time to discuss topics you learnt in class or to do some minor recapping as it will help massively

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