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A levels

Hi i've just started A levels bio and chemistry and i'm finding them quite hard it's been about a week. Is it common to find especially chemsitry hard at this point because I'm worried now I may stuggle in it and not get the A that I need in 2 years time
Original post by zak.sa1
Hi i've just started A levels bio and chemistry and i'm finding them quite hard it's been about a week. Is it common to find especially chemsitry hard at this point because I'm worried now I may stuggle in it and not get the A that I need in 2 years time

It is very common to find A levels challenging upon starting - new approaches are required and they take time to get used to.

I used to mentor A level chemistry for a range of exam boards and may be able to advise on some resources worth using in your studies. I just need to know which exam board you are with (you can look this up on your sixth form prospectus if you aren’t already aware).
Reply 2
Original post by TypicalNerd
It is very common to find A levels challenging upon starting - new approaches are required and they take time to get used to.
I used to mentor A level chemistry for a range of exam boards and may be able to advise on some resources worth using in your studies. I just need to know which exam board you are with (you can look this up on your sixth form prospectus if you aren’t already aware).

Hi thanks I'm doing AQA. Any help would be appreciated
Original post by zak.sa1
Hi thanks I'm doing AQA. Any help would be appreciated

AQA chemistry has a lot of resources, which puts you in an excellent position to study outside of school. I have attached some of the better resources I have come across and previously recommended to my former AQA students back in the day:

Davies A level chemistry: https://m.youtube.com/channel/UCjnvQEEejEGQrPT4JVJgbyQ

Dr Clay (YT channel): https://m.youtube.com/@DocClay1978ALevelChemistry/videos

Dr Clay (Website): https://drclays-alevelchemistry.com

Eliot Rintoul: https://m.youtube.com/@MrERintoul

PMT: https://www.physicsandmathstutor.com/chemistry-revision/a-level-aqa/

StudyMind: https://studymind.co.uk/revision-notes/aqa-alevel-chemistry/

Davies A level chemistry is not only an AQA-oriented channel, but it has past paper walkthroughs that will prove invaluable where the mark schemes are of little help.

Chris Clay and Eliot Rintoul have provided excellent resources explaining important concepts in chemistry in a digestible format with very little waffle and always getting straight to the point.

PMT is perhaps your best resource, however. In addition to past papers, notes and questions organised by topic, you also have free, pre-made flashcards and definitions. This is perhaps your best means of learning how to best use the active recall methods that are necessary for you to memorise all the facts, colours, trends etc that you are expected to know and recite on command.

If you want other means of active recall, I would suggest giving Quizlet and Sporcle a look to see whether they have anything useful.
Original post by zak.sa1
Hi i've just started A levels bio and chemistry and i'm finding them quite hard it's been about a week. Is it common to find especially chemsitry hard at this point because I'm worried now I may stuggle in it and not get the A that I need in 2 years time


It is difficult the first few weeks but if you go home and pin point the exact topic your stuck on and target them at the start instead of waiting for it to click, you'll start to get the hang of it. Good luck x
Reply 5
Original post by TypicalNerd
AQA chemistry has a lot of resources, which puts you in an excellent position to study outside of school. I have attached some of the better resources I have come across and previously recommended to my former AQA students back in the day:
Davies A level chemistry: https://m.youtube.com/channel/UCjnvQEEejEGQrPT4JVJgbyQ
Dr Clay (YT channel): https://m.youtube.com/@DocClay1978ALevelChemistry/videos
Dr Clay (Website): https://drclays-alevelchemistry.com
Eliot Rintoul: https://m.youtube.com/@MrERintoul
PMT: https://www.physicsandmathstutor.com/chemistry-revision/a-level-aqa/
StudyMind: https://studymind.co.uk/revision-notes/aqa-alevel-chemistry/
Davies A level chemistry is not only an AQA-oriented channel, but it has past paper walkthroughs that will prove invaluable where the mark schemes are of little help.
Chris Clay and Eliot Rintoul have provided excellent resources explaining important concepts in chemistry in a digestible format with very little waffle and always getting straight to the point.
PMT is perhaps your best resource, however. In addition to past papers, notes and questions organised by topic, you also have free, pre-made flashcards and definitions. This is perhaps your best means of learning how to best use the active recall methods that are necessary for you to memorise all the facts, colours, trends etc that you are expected to know and recite on command.
If you want other means of active recall, I would suggest giving Quizlet and Sporcle a look to see whether they have anything useful.

thanks for this
Reply 6
Original post by unharmed-profess
It is difficult the first few weeks but if you go home and pin point the exact topic your stuck on and target them at the start instead of waiting for it to click, you'll start to get the hang of it. Good luck x

That's great Ive heard most people struggle with the first couple of weeks as it's a lot harder than GCSE. It's only my first week so I'll see how it goes.

I was so stressed before I was tempted to drop the subject completely

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