Reflecting back at AS.

Exactly this time 12 months ago, I started my AS levels. Not knowing what to expect, below is the advice I would give out to those who have just started, and regretfully, some of the things I wish I had known before.

1.     A-Levels are HARD.

This is by no means an exaggeration. If you thought that GCSEs were hard, think again. There is a huge gap between GCSE and AS and it will take time to bridge it, possibly weeks maybe even months; so my BIG advice is don’t let the initial fright take hold of you. At first, I found Biology the hardest and within two weeks I was seriously contemplating whether I should get rid of the subject or not. Subjects such as the sciences and mathematics will be big when content is considered; whereas for humanities and English, it’s the essay technique that’s the challenge. So, expect to be thrown into the deep end for the first few weeks, and once you gain strength, you’ll rise once more!

2.     Time Management

Taking A-Levels will test your technique of time management to the limit. With the increased workload, finding your feet could seem like an immense task. So for this, I would strongly encourage drawing up a timetable/schedule. I know I know, this didn’t work for GCSE right? Well I can guarantee that it will help you out by a huge mile for the next 2/3 years because balancing your work will prove quite a challenge. Also, include some BREAKS in your timetable! Don’t bother with three hours of straight revision and not getting anything out of it. Remember, it’s the quality of your revision that counts- not the quantity!

3.       “I got an A* in this subject at GCSE without much effort, that means I’m definitely going to get an A at AS Level.”

NO NO NO! An A* at GCSE does not mean an A at AS Level. In fact an A* is equivalent to a C grade at AS so you can imagine. I remember writing my first History AS essay and I got a C, but if it had been a GCSE essay, it would have been graded an A*. After ripping my hair out during revision sessions and having a nosebleed in the exam- I managed to get an A overall in my AS History…and that came with super hard work. At GCSE you can get away with revising lastminute.com and getting a decent grade. I did that with my RS GCSE, literally highlighted the entire textbook the night before the exam and I managed to achieve the unimagineable (is this even a word?!). You should aim for at least 5 hours per subject per week, and this links to my next point.

4.       Revise consistently.

You need to be revising throughout the entire year, keeping on top of notes etc. Also, I believe that successful revision comes with great organisation. If you are not organised, your revision will be an absolute mess. I will be blogging about my tips for organisation soon, so stay in tuned! The very last thing you want is to be in the exam hall like this:  

So yeah, revise earlier and sleep well  and you'll be a LOT more productive!

5.       Can I get an A* at AS Level?

No. There is no A*grade awarded at AS level; but it’s awarded at A2, provided that you achieve 90% average across your A2 modules (it’s different for Maths so you might want to check this out with your teacher etc) and 80% average across your AS modules (so that’s an A). However, if you get 70% average across your AS modules, you can still get an A*. The highest grade you can get at AS is an A.

6.       For the Sciences and Maths…

PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE. Do every single past paper there is available and do them twice or thrice even. I can only speak for Biology over here, and if you want to scrape at least a C, you really do need to practice answering the questions and strictly abide by the mark scheme.

7.       For the Arts and Humanities…

I follow a simple rule for this: ATDQ. ANSWER THE DAMN QUESTION.  And start practicing the exam technique early (ideally 4 months prior to the exam) and once again, do all past papers and most crucially, under exam conditions. By doing this, you’ll get used to the pressure imposed on you in the exam.

Best of luck AS-Levellers! :D