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I feel like I should be doing more.

Im in year 12, aiming for Oxbridge, my mocks are in Jan and I’ve only really revised for topics tests so far but barely because I’m not that motivated but I seem to be remembering the content fine like nothing is difficult atm. For English lit I haven’t revised at all, like we’ve just been annotating our first play and writing down occasional notes and for sciences I’ve just been flicking through notes. I don’t have any supercurriculars yet and I feel like I’m missing out on all the deadlines. I don’t know, should I be doing more, because I see so many people locking in online and mentioning things that you should be doing rn to get into these top unis and it’s honestly so overwhelming. Anyone who goes to Oxbridge or does/ did bio, chem and English lit, what were you doing at this time in year 12? Do I have to be doing lots and what are the actual important stuff so i don’t feel overwhelmed with information lol.

Reply 1

Original post
by Emilia Brown
Im in year 12, aiming for Oxbridge, my mocks are in Jan and I’ve only really revised for topics tests so far but barely because I’m not that motivated but I seem to be remembering the content fine like nothing is difficult atm. For English lit I haven’t revised at all, like we’ve just been annotating our first play and writing down occasional notes and for sciences I’ve just been flicking through notes. I don’t have any supercurriculars yet and I feel like I’m missing out on all the deadlines. I don’t know, should I be doing more, because I see so many people locking in online and mentioning things that you should be doing rn to get into these top unis and it’s honestly so overwhelming. Anyone who goes to Oxbridge or does/ did bio, chem and English lit, what were you doing at this time in year 12? Do I have to be doing lots and what are the actual important stuff so i don’t feel overwhelmed with information lol.


Hi,

I did A-level Biology and Chemistry, so I know how overwhelming it can feel.

For your subjects, active recall is key. Use flashcards, mind maps, or blurting from memory to really remember the content. For sciences, complete topic-by-topic questions first, and only move on to full past papers once you feel confident with all the content. For English Literature, practice timed essays and get them marked with feedback from your teachers to improve exam technique. Quality over quantity is really important here. It’s better to revise effectively than to try to do everything at once and risk burnout.

Make sure your AS resources are all made and organised so revision is easier later on during exams. Focus on a few supercurricular activities that genuinely interest you if you have the time.

For your personal statement, try to get most of it done over the summer. The UCAS deadline for Oxbridge is in October, so you’ll have time to send drafts and get feedback from your teachers this way.

Hope this helps, good luck with your studies!

Tayba
Student Rep

Reply 2

Original post
by Emilia Brown
Im in year 12, aiming for Oxbridge, my mocks are in Jan and I’ve only really revised for topics tests so far but barely because I’m not that motivated but I seem to be remembering the content fine like nothing is difficult atm. For English lit I haven’t revised at all, like we’ve just been annotating our first play and writing down occasional notes and for sciences I’ve just been flicking through notes. I don’t have any supercurriculars yet and I feel like I’m missing out on all the deadlines. I don’t know, should I be doing more, because I see so many people locking in online and mentioning things that you should be doing rn to get into these top unis and it’s honestly so overwhelming. Anyone who goes to Oxbridge or does/ did bio, chem and English lit, what were you doing at this time in year 12? Do I have to be doing lots and what are the actual important stuff so i don’t feel overwhelmed with information lol.

Best thing you can be doing now is figuring out how you study best and then making resources which fits that method, it’ll take a lot of pressure off later if you do this 🙂

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