social sciences - a-level

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I found the Tutor2u revision blast videos helpful when revising. I used to put them on while getting ready or when I was walking to school. I found these nice to listen to 😊

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It may be worth seeing if AQA have any pre-made revision materials. This might take some digging but I've found some assessment resources and some teaching resources which might be helpful to you😊

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It's also worth seeing if teachers have any recommendations for videos or have any revision books/materials already prepared. Exam boards sometimes share these with teachers, at least when I was studying at A-level 3 years ago they did, so this may be worth speaking to teachers about 😊

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I found the WJEC revision books helpful when preparing for the exams and longer unit assessments. I used the Criminology Illuminate publishing books/revision guides. These are a bit pricey new, but can be picked up cheaper second hand online- which is what I did!😊

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There are some great resources by WJEC here which might be helpful to you. There are knowledge organisers, exam walk-throughs and revision activities on there.

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Remembering all those names, theories, examples etc is a tough! My method for remembering them was a bit boring but it helped me a lot, and I've used this method during university too. I make mini definition/theory/case cards and just keep going over them to try and remember them. I'll cut up small (post-it size) pieces of paper and have a definition, theory, name, or example on one side, and then a very brief description on the other. For example for Criminology- recidivism=repeat offender, or Amanda Knox= brief description of the case, Right realist approach to crime=touch on crime and the causes of crime. You can make bigger or prettier flash cards if this is something that works for you, or you can make quick (but less pretty) ones like me🤭

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For Criminology I used the revision books a lot! I used to use one A4 piece of paper and make a poster with key information, evaluations, and definitions on. I used the revision book information and any extra given in class for this.

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These Knowledge organisers by WJEC for Criminology are pretty good from what I have looked at. You could print a few of these or keep them digitally, and add to them etc. Using already made resources saves a lot of time and can be added to as well. This is another method I used.

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Practicing questions is super helpful too! I used to try and do a few practice questions a week leading up to my exams. This helps to familiarise yourself with the paper, practice timekeeping and check to see what examiners are looking for on the mark schemes. I'd always recommend trying those longer answer questions too, not just the short answer😊

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My revision techniques are a bit boring! I took Psychology (AQA), Sociology (WJEC), and Criminology (WJEC) and made a lot of small definition cards and A4 posters for each of my subjects. I also read and read and tested myself on them a lot. A bit boring! but this worked for me😊

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I have heard of some really fun revision techniques, for example, an app where when you revise you can feed your digital cat! Finding the right methods for you is a bit of trial and error, but try some of mine or friends or teachers suggestions out, and I'm sure you'll find some which will work for you😊

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During my first year of Sixth Form I didn't even think about going to university. However, I really began to enjoy my subjects (Psychology, Sociology, Criminology) and wanted to study them further.

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I also wasn't sure what I wanted to study- I couldn't choose between all three subjects- so I decided to study Social Science which is a combination of all three subjects.

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I knew someone who had studied Social Science at Kent, and we loved the same sorts of subjects, so after visiting on an open day, I knew Social Sciences is what I wanted to do😊

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During my time at uni I've studied Psychology, Sociology, and Criminology, but I've also studied a bit of History, Social Policy, Geography, and Politics which I've really loved. Social Science has given me such a broad understanding of Society which I've really enjoyed.

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I would say that my A-Levels gave me a good foundation to studying Social Science. Some of the content, such as the approaches to explaining and tackling crime, and some of the theorists like Marx in Sociology are present at university. However, I would say that the level of understanding deepens at university, as well as critically evaluating theories. The structure of assessments is also quite different, as well as finding sources/references. All in all I'd say that Sociology, Psychology and Criminology A-levels provide a great basis for studying Social Science.

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You don't have to study all of the Social Sciences like me. If you're not too keen on Psychology for example, you can choose to study Criminology and Sociology or Criminology and Criminal Justice as some of my friends do. They have had the option to choose some Psychology modules, and some of the modules I have taken in Social Policy and Politics too, so there is definitely a broad range of topics to choose from😊

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Try to attend open days or virtual open days to see if the course/university is right for you🙂

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Make sure to check out the optional and compulsory modules to make sure you will be interested in all of them!

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Do your research and ask lots of questions where you can. Talk to current students on Unibuddy for example to see what it's like to study where they are! You can talk to parents, carers, or teachers too!😊

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Don't panic! Choosing the right university and course is a tough choice to make! There will be lots of students feeling the same way as you! My advice would be to study a subject/s you are most interested in, and which might lead you to your future career😊