Hello everyone, long time no see, as you might have gathered I have been really busy with exams and extracurriculars that I just had no time for myself for the last 4 months. However, now it’s summer and I have a lot of ideas for posts to make. Stay tuned!
I have just finished Year 12 in England (penultimate year of secondary school) and have spent the last 10 months solely studying Maths, Physics and Chemistry. I will get into my specific subject advice in another post because I want this to be more general. It would be fair to say that this year has not been easy but in many ways, it has improved from lower years. Let’s go on a journey on how the school has been, starting from September.
Unlike most students my age, I decided to change schools for sixth form because my previous school wasn’t the most pleasant time for me both socially and academically. I moved to a school that was actually closer to me, and luckily I knew a lot of people so I didn’t feel like I was going to be completely isolated. Although it took the first term for me to settle in and find a good friendship group, I think that it was the best decision for me to make as I wouldn’t be nearly as happy at my old school. Looking at other’s advice on switching schools many people don’t realise that in some cases it can actually be better for you if you know you have grown out of your old school. I would recommend attending any induction/open days to make sure that the place is a good fit for you, as, after all, you are going to be spending the two most important years of your life in this place.
One of the things that I love about sixth form are the free periods, it really allows you to take charge of your time effectively, that is if you use them effectively. I would say that around 75% of the time I used my free periods to work in, but there are some days in which you just can’t look at a book without wanting to cry. The rule that I lived by was that I would use my free periods to do work that was mandatory (such as homework, lab write-ups, preparation/pre-reading etc.) and the work at home would be extra stuff (summary notes, flashcards, further qs etc.). This way I would never be too stressed about meeting deadlines and if I had any questions I would be able to go see my teachers. If you want to do well in your A-Levels, please, please, please, please, PLEASE use your free periods. They are made for you to do work in and honestly you can get away with just working at school during low points during the year. I might make a separate post about how to use your free periods effectively because it is a learning curve, but when it comes to exam season it becomes much easier to work during those lessons because you have associated that time for studying.
Let’s move onto the academic side of things. I actually started off the year doing four subjects (Economics as my fourth) and I would say if your fourth subject isn’t Further Maths then it is honestly not worth it. My school had all the timetables set out for people doing 3 subjects, which meant for each week I had about 4 free periods which if you ask any sixth former you would know that it is not enough. I am not telling you not to take four subjects, however, if you don’t need the subject, most people around you are doing 3 subjects and your school doesn’t do AS exams then I would advise against it. My workload was much more manageable when I dropped Economics, and I couldn’t imagine exam season going as well as it did if I was doing all four subjects.
I am not going to lie to you, A-Levels are tough but if you put the work in you will improve I promise. Everyone has one of their subjects that they struggle the most with and wish that they did not take, and for me that was Physics. I started off the year with a D and ended up with an A, and I ensure you that this did not happen overnight because it was a struggle but it was so worth it when I got my final back and saw my grade. Your grade will not magically shift if you just give up, try new methods of revising, find new resources, see your teacher literally anything that will make you more comfortable with the material.
This felt very cathartic to write, I’m sorry if it seems to all over the place but I guess that it parallels the next two years of your school life. Please don’t be scared about starting Year 12, in may ways the independence and specialism allow for a more fun learning experience. I ensure you that if you just put the work in you will reap the rewards.
Until next time xx
Studytheist 