How I went from D’s to A*AAA in A levels (The Full Guide)
TLDRIn this educational video, Ali, a recent graduate from the London School of Economics and Political Science, shares his journey and strategies for transitioning from GCSEs to A-levels. He offers five key tips to help students excel academically, emphasizing the importance of understanding the syllabus, creating a study plan, setting the right intentions, finding personal study methods, and memorizing effectively. Ali's personal anecdotes and practical advice aim to guide students in adapting to the rigorous demands of A-levels and achieving top grades.
Takeaways
- 📚 Adapt to the increased workload: A-Levels involve a significant jump in difficulty and independent study compared to GCSEs.
- 📈 Get to grips with the syllabus: Understand the breadth of content expected for each subject and utilize study guides effectively.
- 🗓 Create a study plan: Establish a structured schedule to manage the fast-paced nature of A-Levels and ensure adequate preparation time.
- 🔍 Set the right intention: Recognize the importance of A-Levels for future opportunities and develop a strong motivation to succeed.
- 📱 Limit distractions: Consider drastic measures like using a basic phone to minimize social media and stay focused on studies.
- 🤔 Engage in self-talk and contemplation: Regularly reflect on the significance of A-Levels and reinforce your commitment to excel.
- 📝 Develop personalized revision notes: Summarize lengthy chapters into concise, revisable notes to enhance understanding and efficiency.
- 📉 Test your knowledge actively: Participate in class discussions, answer end-of-chapter questions, and use past papers to gauge understanding.
- 📋 Make and memorize essay plans: Prepare for exams by creating detailed plans for potential essay questions and memorize them thoroughly.
- 🧠 Read around the topics: Ensure flexibility in exams by reading broadly around the subjects to adapt to unexpected question variations.
- 🏞️ Find the right study environment: Identify the study setting that best supports your focus and productivity, which may change over time.
Q & A
What is the main challenge that Ali mentions students often face when transitioning from GCSEs to A-Levels?
-Ali mentions that students often face a big shock when transitioning from GCSEs to A-Levels due to the increased difficulty and the requirement to read dense study guides and study independently, often feeling like they are being left behind, especially in the first few weeks.
What is Ali's educational background according to the video script?
-Ali is a recent graduate from the London School of Economics and Political Science and is a future lawyer at a global commercial law firm.
What are the five key tips Ali provides to help students succeed in their A-Levels?
-Ali provides five key tips: 1) Get to grips with the content expected to learn, 2) Create a study plan, 3) Set the right intention, 4) Find out what study method works for the individual, and 5) Memorize and be prepared to adapt in exams.
Why does Ali suggest that understanding the breadth of content for A-Levels is important?
-Understanding the breadth of content is important because it helps students to know what they are expected to learn and to prepare adequately, which is crucial since the content at university level is usually more dense and there is no clear guide like the A-Level syllabus.
What does Ali recommend doing to ensure the study guide is sufficient for achieving the desired grade?
-Ali recommends asking the teacher if the given study guide is enough and if not, to inquire about additional sources that should be used to secure the desired grade.
How does Ali describe the importance of creating a study plan for A-Level students?
-Ali emphasizes the importance of a study plan because A-Levels are fast-paced, and having a plan helps students manage their time effectively, set deadlines, and ensure they understand and memorize the content before class.
What drastic measure did Ali take to set the right intention for his A-Level studies?
-Ali got rid of his iPhone and bought a Nokia brick phone, which he refers to as a 'trap phone', to minimize distractions and stay off social media.
Why is it crucial for A-Level students to find out what study method works for them according to Ali?
-It's crucial because the wrong study method can waste valuable time, which students cannot afford in the limited duration of one academic year.
What does Ali suggest for creating effective essay plans during A-Level revision?
-Ali suggests using past papers and mark schemes to plan for every possible exam question, ensuring coverage for all topics in the syllabus.
How does Ali recommend students prepare for memorization and flexibility during exams?
-Ali recommends memorizing essay plans as if their life depended on it, but also reading around the content to be flexible enough to answer questions that may be asked in unexpected ways.
What advice does Ali give regarding finding the right study environment?
-Ali advises students to trial and error different environments to see which one best improves their focus and to stick to the one that works best for them.
Outlines
📚 Adjusting to A-Level Challenges and Study Strategies
The speaker, Ali, a recent graduate from the London School of Economics and Political Science, introduces the video aimed at helping students transition from GCSEs to A-Levels. He shares his personal journey from struggling with GCSEs to achieving top grades in A-Levels and outlines five key tips for academic success. The first tip is to understand the breadth of content required for A-Levels, which is generally less dense than university material but still requires careful study. Ali emphasizes the importance of consulting with teachers about study guides and additional resources, using his own experience with the AQA core guide for sociology as an example. He also shares a humorous anecdote about his teacher's lack of credentials in politics, highlighting the need for self-reliance in learning.
🗓️ Creating a Study Plan and Setting the Right Intention
Ali continues with his second tip, which is to create a study plan to manage the fast-paced nature of A-Levels. He recounts his personal method of using a large whiteboard to schedule study sessions according to his class timetable. This approach helped him stay ahead of the coursework and allowed for sufficient time to understand complex concepts and memorize necessary information. The third tip is about setting the right intention, acknowledging the difficulty of A-Levels and the importance of self-motivation. Ali shares his personal strategies, such as switching to a basic phone to minimize distractions and engaging in self-talk to reinforce the significance of doing well in A-Levels for his future and family situation.
🔍 Discovering Personal Study Methods and Essay Planning
In the third paragraph, Ali discusses the importance of finding a study method that works for the individual, as the wrong approach can waste valuable time. He provides a detailed account of his own study process, which includes summarizing textbook chapters into concise, revisable notes, and using color-coding to aid memorization. Ali then explains the fourth tip: creating essay plans based on past papers and mark schemes to prepare for exams. He suggests that planning for every possible question can be an effective revision strategy, as it helps in understanding the content deeply and being ready to adapt to different exam questions.
🧠 Memorization Techniques and Adapting to Changes in Study Environment
The final paragraph focuses on memorization techniques, where Ali emphasizes the importance of memorizing essay plans thoroughly. He also advises reading around the topics to maintain flexibility during exams. Ali shares a personal anecdote about a sociology exam where an unlikely question appeared, and his preparedness paid off. He also touches on the importance of finding the right study environment, which can change over time due to psychological factors. Ali encourages viewers to experiment with different study settings to find what works best for them and to engage in discussions about effective study environments.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡A-Levels
💡Study Guides
💡Independent Study
💡Syllabus
💡Study Plan
💡Intention
💡Revision
💡Essay Plans
💡Memorization
💡Study Environment
💡Qualifications
Highlights
A-Levels can be a significant shock, transitioning from GCSEs to a more independent and dense study environment.
Ali, a LSE graduate and future lawyer, shares personal strategies for adapting to and excelling in A-Levels.
Understanding the breadth of A-Level content is crucial, as it is less dense than university but still extensive.
Study guides for A-Levels are often sufficient, but students should ask teachers for additional resources if needed.
Creating a study plan with a whiteboard can help manage the fast-paced nature of A-Levels.
Setting clear study deadlines and understanding the syllabus are foundational for effective A-Level preparation.
The importance of setting the right intention for A-Levels, including getting rid of distractions like smartphones.
Self-talk and contemplation are essential for maintaining motivation and understanding the importance of A-Levels.
Finding the right study method can save time and improve efficiency in A-Level preparation.
Recreating study guides into concise revision notes can enhance understanding and ease the revision process.
Testing knowledge through end-of-chapter questions or class participation is a key part of the learning process.
Making and memorizing essay plans based on past papers and mark schemes is an effective revision strategy.
Memorizing essay plans is crucial, but flexibility in exams requires reading around the content.
The unpredictability of exam questions requires comprehensive preparation, even for unlikely topics.
Seeking teacher feedback on essay plans can refine revision strategies, but the quality of feedback may vary.
Finding the right study environment is highly individual and can significantly impact focus and productivity.
Encouragement to engage with the community by sharing study tips and discussing effective strategies.
Transcripts
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