How to Do Well in Your A Levels.

How to Do Well in Your A Levels


 Transitioning from O Level to A Level is actually quite difficult for a lot of people. A levels demand that you put in more work, more time and more thought into your academics. It can all be very overwhelming - it was for me. In fact, I didn't even perform well in As at all but with these tips that I'm about to give you, I managed to improve my grades in A2.

🌿 Know Your Syllabus ðŸŒ¿
The biggest help for me was when I stopped relying on teachers as my only source of guidance. Using the CIE syllabus for each subject I was able to understand what Cambridge expected their students to know and understand. Your syllabus will contain sub-topics of larger topics with point-by-point descriptions of what the student should know. Everything that the examiners test you on comes directly from your syllabus. In addition, read you subject's learner guide. It'll break down what each component of your exam is testing and this will help you get into the right frame of mind when attempting that component in your papers. I can't stress enough how much this is the reason my grades improved.
🌿 Past Papers, Past Papers, Past Papers ðŸŒ¿
In all honesty, the more past papers you do the more you improve your chances of a better result. Practice tests help you apply the knowledge from your course in way that nothing else can. Some of the past papers, especially for physics, can become repetitive once you do enough of them. You've got nothing to lose when it comes to past paper practise, so stop wasting your time studying your course over and over again and start applying your knowledge. Furthermore, if you can complete topical questions from the past papers after every topic you complete in school, it'll give you a serious head-start from other students who leave past papers until the end of the year.
BONUS TIP: Keep a notebook for all the questions you get wrong. Write down the question and the answer to it into your notebook and frequently review them to avoid making the same mistake twice. If you get a question wrong make sure you understand why you got it wrong. Try to understand the concept it's based on and revise the section of the course that it came from, if necessary. See where you went wrong in your answer and try to avoid making that mistake again. 

 🌿 Understand What You Learn ðŸŒ¿
In your A levels you really can't get away with not understanding the core principles of what it is that you're learning. Questions get tougher every year and the only way to prepare for them is to truly understand what you're being taught. If you have trouble understanding any concept don't be afraid to ask a teacher or friend from help. In fact, you can even use online resources to help you understand something your teacher can't explain to you in a satisfactory way. 

🌿 Hard Work ðŸŒ¿
There is no magic secret I can tell you. The only thing that produces results is hard work. It doesn't matter if you don't think you're smart enough or if you think you don't have enough time. The only way to quell these is by putting in good old, honest hard work. You don't have to have some above average intelligence to do well. So stop beating around the bush and start working!
Bonus tip: Read the examiner's report! In that they'll tell you what kind of answers are A* worthy and which ones aren't. The examiners explain where and why students go wrong. By knowing what not to do in an exam, you can increase your chances of getting the grade that you're aiming for.

 To conclude, I'm going to leave you some links to websites that I've used to help me study A level science.

 For Chemistry: http://www.chemguideforcie.co.uk/   (this one will save your life)
                        https://www.youtube.com/user/MrERintoul   (mix o and a level chem videos)

 For Physics:     https://www.youtube.com/user/DrPhysicsA/videos  (physics videos)
                        http://physics-ref.blogspot.com/    (all your physics past paper MCQs can be found here with answers and explanations - for the CIE course)

 For Biology:     http://www.sparknotes.com/biology/  (not CIE but science is science no matter the course)
                        http://biology4alevel.blogspot.com/  (the best place for CIE bio notes)
                        https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2yOqKblASJzqMZfRL0DbYA/videos  (a Godsend of A level bio videos)

 Get cracking! 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

How to Study Effectively

Image
Sometimes when we study we don't realise we're on auto-pilot and not actually absorbing as much as we could be. Other times we're not using our time as efficiently. Whatever your problem is when it comes to studying, this post will discuss how you can get the most out of your studying sessions. 🌻 Eliminate All Distractions  🌻 Put your phone away! Don't just keep it on silent, put it in a drawer or another room to discourage you from reaching for it too easily. If you have to use your computer while you study make sure you block access to distracting websites with apps like Cold Turkey    https://getcoldturkey.com/  with which you can block any website for a certain amount of time. In addition, get all necessary items for your study sessions to avoid getting distracted by getting up to retrieve them. 🌻 Set a Timer  🌻 To use your time well, set a task for yourself to complete in a given amount of time. Once you decide how long you want to f...
Read more

Motivation and Studying

Image
How to Stay Motivated in the Long Term Sometimes the hardest part about studying is actually getting started. Once you get started you might start wondering how you're going to stay motivated enough to continue. The truth about motivation is that it comes and goes and that's why in the long term, you can't rely on motivation alone. So, how should you deal with this? 1. Write down your reasons for studying Ask yourself why you're doing this. What do you hope to achieve? Will studying help you achieve your dream? Are you studying to make someone proud? What do you love about studying the subject that you're currently studying? Remembering why you started studying can really motivate you. 2. Break it down Take everything you have to do and break it into smaller, more manageable tasks. Keep a list of all these tasks you have to do and as you tick off a task each time you complete it, you'll feel more accomplished and more motivated to keep goin...
Read more

Time Management: Academics

Image
Time Management Have you ever gotten into a rut where you've got so much going on that you can't sit down to study? What you need to do is develop your time management skills. Here I'll discuss a few steps you can take to manage your time better and make room for your academics. 🌾 Evaluate  🌾 Step back and look at where your time goes. What do you invest your time in? Do you waste time between/after classes? Do you waste time talking excessively with friends/family? Is your commute to and from school/uni too long? Find out where most of your time goes. 🌾 Prioritise  🌾 Now that you know where most of your time goes, you need to prioritise. What do have to do? What can you put aside/sacrifice? During your academic year, you will have to give up some hobbies that aren't contributing to your academics. Breaks are necessary but don't let a break from your work turn into hours of wasted time. Prioritise. 🌾 Make a Schedule  🌾 Once you ...
Read more