Starting sixth form or college is a time of many changes - new friends, new teachers and of course, a set of brand new courses. I know when I started A-level I was more worried about what I was going to wear each day than the massive jump up that was ahead of me.
I was not prepared at all!
Here I tell you all about the 3 things I wish I knew when I started A-level - so that you don’t make the same mistakes!
1. A-level is sooo much harder than GCSE
There is a definite false sense of security in A-levels. You are studying fewer subjects and they are likely the subjects you enjoy the most and have always done well at - therefore this is going the be a breeze, right?
Wrong!
A-level has significantly more content than GCSE, and that content is all brand new. It is going to come at you thick and fast and, unless you are on the ball from day one it is quite likely you by the time you first few class tests come you will get a shock. It is common for students to get Ds, Es and Us in the first year of A-level.
SOLUTION - To avoid this I want you to start your courses with your eyes open and try to keep up to date through the year to avoid playing catch up.
2. Cramming No Longer Works
At GCSE I think if you are naturally able you can coast from to exam time. A little cramming and bang - top grades in your GCSEs. I was always in the top sets at school and so I didn’t find GCSEs too challenging (though I certainly could have done better if I worked harder).
The problem with this is I never developed any proper study skills and relied on cramming. The content at A-level is significantly greater and significantly more challenging - your brain will no longer be able to process the quantity of information in the same way.
Cramming will lead to you underperforming and again opening you up to those Ds, Es and Us - something we really want to avoid!
SOLUTION - Study throughout the year Make flashcards as you go that you can regularly revisit. Practice exam questions throughout the year.
3. You Have To Do Past Papers All Year Long
This is going to make me sound ancient, but when I studied for my A-levels you weren’t able to access past papers online. Besides the work that your teachers gave you, the only way to get them was to contact the exam board directly and get them to post them to you!
Now this was something only the most ambitious students did (at least it was at my school) - those aiming to study Medicine and go to Oxbridge. The rest of us simply didn’t have this resource, or understand its value.
Now we have such an enormous range of past papers you can do them through each year and not run out.
It is absolutely vital to study exam papers.
You will not get the grade you are worthy of without doing these!
SOLUTION - I recommend that you start by doing exam questions by topic through the year as you study the topics and then move onto whole papers later in the year. Make sure you mark these and focus on topics you struggled with the most.
Are you starting to study A-level Maths? My A-level Maths Membership will provide you with the community (and so much more you need).
Click the button above to find out more !!
Charlotte xx