How to study for A-level Chemistry and Biology.
If you want to succeed at A Level you need to do four things:
- Learn the content
- Learn the skills that go with it, such as problem-solving and drawing graphs
- Learn how to apply all of this to exam questions
- Get yourself organised so that you can cope with the workload and make it through the exams
Most students who work hard at A Level but still get low grades do so because they’ve spent too much time trying to do 1 and not enough time on 2, 3 and 4.
So, the question is, how can you make sure you don’t fall into this trap? Well, you need to start by learning some study skills! Without good study skills, everything you do will be inefficient and ineffective. You’ll spend the whole 2 years getting frustrated and wondering why you’re not getting the grades you need.
The problem is though, it’s rare that someone actually tells you how to study, beyond ‘go home and make notes’, ‘make a revision timetable’, and ‘revise’.
The advice I’m going to give you is far more practical than that. It’s tailored specifically to Chemistry and Biology A Level so as well as general study skills, it will give you advice on how to develop subject-specific skills.
I’ve divided the advice into 30 tips spread across 6 categories:
- Getting into the right mindset
- The right resources
- Using past papers to study for A-level Chemistry and Biology
- Good study habits
- Practical skills and maths skills
- Revision tips
Unfortunately, I’m not going to give you a magic formula that will guarantee you A*s with very little work. There is no such thing. These tips are what I’ve found have worked for myself and my students. The vast majority are backed up by research into how we learn – I don’t just make things up that sound good. But, ultimately, different things work for different people. And while I would recommend that you follow all the tips, you need to find out what works for you. Then, do more of that.
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