A-Level is graded from E to A*, with A* (90% and above) being the highest. If you are gifted in academics and didn't work hard, it wouldn't be hard for you to get an A. But, you will need to put in a lot of effort to get an A*. Note: This is a generalization, not everyone fit into this categorization.
After a lot of hard work, I managed to score 4A* and I will be sharing some tips on studying for A-Level.
1. Understanding
This is more of a studying tip. I am personally not for studying for the sake of studying (which is very common when the course is 100% exam-based). Although it is possible to score your A-Level with memorizing all the facts, it would be more beneficial for you, in the long run, to understand the topic. A-Level offers a solid foundation to its subject so take advantage of it. If you are taking subjects that you have never study before, don't worry, AS focuses on the basics, and you could definitely do well if you attempt to understand the course.
Always ask your lecturer if you do not understand certain topics, they would be glad to answer your questions.
I'm not sure what I don't know and at this point, I'm too afraid to ask
If this happens, just tell your lecturer you have no idea at all. Be frank about your situation, they will know how to guide you. I would always ask my lecturer to repeat the explanation if I don't understand.
I'm not sure what I don't know and at this point, I'm too afraid to ask
If this happens, just tell your lecturer you have no idea at all. Be frank about your situation, they will know how to guide you. I would always ask my lecturer to repeat the explanation if I don't understand.
You can always ask your friends on topics that you don't understand. My class had a WhatsApp group, and we usually take pictures of question we don't know how to answer hoping someone could help out. And guess what? They do! My friends would even include an explanation of the solution. Although I was the one who asked the question, everyone else in the group benefited. #winwin
2. Consultation / Peer Tutor
Now, I am not sure if your school offers this, but if they do, take advantage of it. A consultation is an after-class class where teachers (not necessarily those who taught you officially) teaches you in the allocated time slot. If your school does not offer this, you can always ask if the lecturer has any free period that you can approach them to ask questions.
Another thing you could take advantage of is peer tutoring.
Peer tutoring in my school pairs up students so that you can be taught by your friends on selected subjects. It is like one-on-one tuition lesson, just that it is free and your peer is your tutor. I did sign up as a peer tutor in my school for math at the beginning of the semester. However, the school paired me up with a student from the 18-months program (I was taking the 24-months program), and I wasn't notified by the office about the pairing, so I wasn't even aware that I became a peer tutor.
So, what happened was that she only contacted me a day before our math exam to help her out. Only then did we realized that our exam scope is different so I technically can't be her tutor. In the end, I could only help her out in Math P1 although she had issues with P6 too.
If you want to go for peer tutoring, make sure to approach your tutor very early in the semester. This would avoid a lot of pairing issues that might arise, and you could know your tutor better too.
3. Notes
Your lecturer might hand them out, or maybe not. I would make my notes for every subject even if the lecturer did hand them out. The thing I like about making notes is that you can add your method of understanding at the side of the notes. I would recommend you to do your notes the way you like it. For me, I have rules for note-taking:
- Red and Black ball-point pens only;
- Yellow highlighter only;
- No highlighter on non-white papers.
I prefer the traditional writing way of taking notes, it helps with remembering the content. But of course, you could always just take a picture of the slides.
I actually started A-Level writing all my notes. However, I switched this strategy after my AS because A2 has much more content and it is really hard to find the time to write everything down.
Some people find it easy to study with sticking short notes on the wall (some of my friends does that). My advice would be: do whatever that works for you.
Nonetheless, at the end of your A-Level, you would find piles of notes around you.
4. Past Year Papers
Easily one of the most important thing in A-Level: Past Year Papers (PYP). These are the papers that would let you familiarize yourself with the exam method, the sequence of the topic, how questions are phrased.
One reason PYP is so important is that you can practice applying your knowledge on paper. "Practice makes perfect" exists for a reason. Some of the lecturers also used PYP as our assignments.
Some of the popular PYP website out there are Maxpaper and Xtremepapers. You can also find some of the PYP on the CIE official site. PYP are often separated into the papers and the marking schemes. Some even include the examiner's note for you to see what are their comments on the student's answers.
In the end, studying is a personal pursuit. Find the way that you can study best and enjoy the process!
