Going from DDD to an AAA in late jan to early may

I am currently in year 13, today is the 24th jan and a sudden fear instilled in me about my actual a levels. I am at grade DDC, for A-level, biology, chemistry and psychology, i have been predicted BBC due to my prior yr 12 grades + mocks, helping me apply for pharmacy at unis.

I want to get an AAA in the real thing, i want to ask if this is still possible if i start revising seriously now?

My issue is procrastination, to tackle this, i have created a timetable and due to my other dedications, such as an Islamic course (Ilm) in person classes that keep me occupied from 7:45pm to 10:35pm from Mon-Fri. I know this may sound strange but i at no cost am willing to drop this class as i am now in my 5th year (continued with it even during my GCSEs even if the exam was the next day and ended up getting good grades despite the lack of timing, i know this is not the case with A-levels). Btw, this class will extend to 6 days after ramadan in feb and i am scared i may not have sufficient time to learn the content in depth + exam q'.

Like doing 5.5 hrs on weekdays and doing 11 hrs each day on weekend. with a mixture of mechanisms, calculations, exam q's, application q's and essay plans.

plus on weekdays, i wake up early, 6:45 to 7:50, to revise.

Will this be sufficient enough, i mainly use blurting, flashcards and past papers as my main tools of revision.

I am dedicated to making my future self proud

Please tell me if this is doable.

Reply 1

thegeek888

Drop the Islamic course as it is 3 hours of revision time.

Reply 2

UoNstudents

Official Rep

Original post

by Liane~

I am currently in year 13, today is the 24th jan and a sudden fear instilled in me about my actual a levels. I am at grade DDC, for A-level, biology, chemistry and psychology, i have been predicted BBC due to my prior yr 12 grades + mocks, helping me apply for pharmacy at unis.
I want to get an AAA in the real thing, i want to ask if this is still possible if i start revising seriously now?
My issue is procrastination, to tackle this, i have created a timetable and due to my other dedications, such as an Islamic course (Ilm) in person classes that keep me occupied from 7:45pm to 10:35pm from Mon-Fri. I know this may sound strange but i at no cost am willing to drop this class as i am now in my 5th year (continued with it even during my GCSEs even if the exam was the next day and ended up getting good grades despite the lack of timing, i know this is not the case with A-levels). Btw, this class will extend to 6 days after ramadan in feb and i am scared i may not have sufficient time to learn the content in depth + exam q'.
Like doing 5.5 hrs on weekdays and doing 11 hrs each day on weekend. with a mixture of mechanisms, calculations, exam q's, application q's and essay plans.
plus on weekdays, i wake up early, 6:45 to 7:50, to revise.
Will this be sufficient enough, i mainly use blurting, flashcards and past papers as my main tools of revision.
I am dedicated to making my future self proud
Please tell me if this is doable.

Hi there!

Throughout sixth form I was on Ds for biology, even getting a D in my March mocks (3 months before my actual a level!). I started revising properly in April though, and managed to get a B. You starting in January/February will give you the extra boost in knowledge that could take you up a few grades if you are dedicated!

For psychology I was really passionate about it and so I achieved high grades; I think if you enjoy the subjects they are easier to revise for sure. Are there some aspects of any you enjoy doing? Once you revise these and nail these you have some fallback so you can spend time revising for the other topics.

Blurting, practice tests and mind maps were my favourite methods to revise, and still are- I use them in my third year university exams :smile:

. 11 hours a day is quite a lot! Please make sure to take reasonable breaks as this will prevent burnout. Timetabling is a fantastic way to not procrastinate as you see what you have to do right in front of you.

Revision in the evenings for me personally aren't my thing as I like to have a longer break post dinner to myself after a days revision, so your class from 7;45 sounds like a good past time.

Remember to take breaks, revise content spaced out and come back to it!

Aimee, UoN Official Student Rep #UoN

If you have any more questions, let me know!

Reply 3

Whatswhat

Sorry but it’s hugely unrealistic to expect to move from DDC to AAA, even BBC as you are predicted will be a stretch…. If you have never been an A grade student what do you think will change at this late stage? To expect yourself to manage 22 hrs of revision a weekend between now and the exams is also unrealistic. Set yourself realistic goals and plan a timetable that you can sustain and you will hopefully do better and meet your predicted grades. Triple A is lovely to have but at this stage you want to get onto your uni course.

Reply 4

Kingston Eve

Official Rep

Original post

by Liane~

I am currently in year 13, today is the 24th jan and a sudden fear instilled in me about my actual a levels. I am at grade DDC, for A-level, biology, chemistry and psychology, i have been predicted BBC due to my prior yr 12 grades + mocks, helping me apply for pharmacy at unis.
I want to get an AAA in the real thing, i want to ask if this is still possible if i start revising seriously now?
My issue is procrastination, to tackle this, i have created a timetable and due to my other dedications, such as an Islamic course (Ilm) in person classes that keep me occupied from 7:45pm to 10:35pm from Mon-Fri. I know this may sound strange but i at no cost am willing to drop this class as i am now in my 5th year (continued with it even during my GCSEs even if the exam was the next day and ended up getting good grades despite the lack of timing, i know this is not the case with A-levels). Btw, this class will extend to 6 days after ramadan in feb and i am scared i may not have sufficient time to learn the content in depth + exam q'.
Like doing 5.5 hrs on weekdays and doing 11 hrs each day on weekend. with a mixture of mechanisms, calculations, exam q's, application q's and essay plans.
plus on weekdays, i wake up early, 6:45 to 7:50, to revise.
Will this be sufficient enough, i mainly use blurting, flashcards and past papers as my main tools of revision.
I am dedicated to making my future self proud
Please tell me if this is doable.

Hey,

I understand and applaud your commitment to your Islamic course, but I would explore if there was any way to take a temporary break from it here and there - even a week or two off during exams could make a huge difference to your A-Level revision.

Whilst moving from DDC to AAA is possible (especially if you've previously achieved the BBC mark), I think it's important to remember that more revision doesn't always equal better revision. 11 hours of revision on Saturdays and Sundays will quickly cause burn-out and may lead to further procrastination. 5.5 hours on weekdays - on top of school and your other commitments - will also be difficult to achieve. What grades do you need to meet your Pharmacy offers?

Go through each of your specifications and identify the topics you struggle most with. Start from there using the techniques you've already mentioned (blurting, flashcards, past papers). Take regular breaks and set aside time for hobbies. 🙂

Best of luck with your revision,
Eve (Kingston Rep).