How to Get All A*s in Your A Levels With Just ONE Month Left

Summary

In this video, the speaker shares seven powerful tips to help students excel in their exams, even with just one or two months left to prepare. The advice includes focusing primarily on past papers, analyzing frequently tested topics, and avoiding distractions. Additional tips cover making concise cheat sheets, mastering topics through practice, and creating a detailed study plan. Emphasizing efficient use of study time and strategic revision, the speaker's experience in achieving top grades in A-Levels serves as proof that it's never too late to start studying seriously. These tips aim to boost confidence and help students aim for top marks.

Takeaways

• 😀 Focus 95% of your efforts on doing past papers under timed conditions to simulate exam day.
• 😀 Don’t just do past papers once; redo them to reinforce your knowledge and aim for perfection.
• 😀 Make use of past papers from different exam boards to maximize your practice material.
• 😀 Analyze past papers to identify the most common topics and focus your study on them.
• 😀 Don’t waste time on easy questions; they are for building up foundational knowledge for harder questions.
• 😀 Create concise cheat sheets with only the most difficult-to-remember information to quickly refresh before exams.
• 😀 Ensure full mastery of a topic by repeatedly doing practice questions until they become repetitive and boring.
• 😀 Plan your revision by the hour, scheduling specific topics each day to keep yourself on track.
• 😀 Remove distractions from your study environment, like your phone and unnecessary tabs, to maintain focus.
• 😀 Study for about 5-6 hours a day, but adjust based on your personal comfort and focus levels for maximum productivity.

Q & A

Why is focusing on past papers crucial for exam success?

Focusing on past papers is crucial because they help you practice under exam conditions, allowing you to familiarize yourself with the exam's format and timing. Additionally, redoing past papers helps reinforce your understanding and memory of key topics, making it easier to recall information during the actual exam.

What is the benefit of redoing the same past papers over time?

Redoing past papers helps reinforce your knowledge and ensures you're fully comfortable with the material. Even if you remember the answers, focusing on the questions you found difficult will strengthen your weaknesses, making it easier to tackle them in future attempts or during the actual exam.

How can you maximize the value of past papers effectively?

To maximize the value of past papers, make sure to attempt them under timed conditions with no distractions, mimicking the actual exam environment. Additionally, analyze which topics appear most frequently and focus on mastering those. Redo papers until you feel confident with all the questions, especially the challenging ones.

How should you analyze past papers to focus on the right topics?

After completing a past paper, analyze which topics had the most marks. Identify the common topics that are repeatedly tested, and ensure that you're familiar with those areas. Pay attention to foundational topics that, while not explicitly tested, form the basis for more complex questions.

Why should you avoid wasting time on easy questions during revision?

Easy questions serve as a way to reinforce basic knowledge and get into the rhythm of applying techniques. However, the harder questions are more valuable because they challenge you to think critically and are often the differentiating factor between an A and an A*.

What is the purpose of making cheat sheets during revision?

Cheat sheets help you consolidate key information that you struggle to remember. They act as a quick reference guide for last-minute review before the exam. The cheat sheets should be concise, covering only the most difficult concepts, and should be no longer than one or two A4 pages per subject.

How can you tell when you have fully mastered a topic?

You can tell you've mastered a topic when completing practice questions feels repetitive, and you become bored of answering the same types of questions. This indicates that the information is ingrained in your memory and you're ready for more challenging material.

What is the importance of planning your revision schedule?

Planning your revision schedule is important because it helps ensure that you cover all necessary topics in a structured and timely manner. By blocking out specific hours for study, you maximize your productivity and avoid procrastination, helping you stay focused and on track.

How many hours a day should you ideally study during intense revision periods?

During intense revision periods, studying around 5 to 6 hours a day is optimal. Studying more than this may lead to diminishing returns, as fatigue can decrease productivity. Focus on quality, structured study time rather than long, ineffective study sessions.

How can you remove distractions during study sessions?

To remove distractions, put your phone away and close unnecessary tabs on your computer. Create a dedicated, quiet space for studying and focus solely on the task at hand. By minimizing distractions, you'll be able to maintain concentration and maximize the effectiveness of your study time.