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Starting year 12 ? Get back into gear ..

If you are just about to start out on an A level course - now is the time to start getting your brain back in gear. In this post, the tutors at Goldhill Education offer a pre-term checklist to help you hit the ground running.

Before anything else, preparation is the key to success
Alexander Graham Bell

Your GCSE studies will seem like a distant memory to you now. By now, you will probably be signed up for three (or four) subjects at A level.

Taking these four steps will help you to get ready for the big STEP UP TO A LEVEL

1. Consolidate your Core (Chemistry and Biology) building blocks

Biology and Chemistry share a lot of core concepts. The vocabulary underpinning both subjects includes words like ATOMS, MOLECULES , ELEMENTS, COMPOUNDS . As a student you need to be FLUENT in this language.

It is often really helpful to be able to VISUALISE these concepts rather than just using words to define them. The QUIZLET below will help you to refresh your vocabulary and help with VISUALISATION.

Elements and compounds

An explanation of the structure of Elements and compounds

https://www.goldhilleducation.co.uk/index.php/principles-of-chemistry-2/elements-compounds-and-mixtures/elements-and-compounds

2. Get your (Maths) Motor running..

Remember the equation for a straight line? If you haven't already met it get to know Desmos

Have a play with Desmos below.

Rotate to give a Landscape view
Click the link to the bottom right to edit the graph in Desmos
See if you can use it to draw two concentric circles?
Send us your result.

Desmos | Beautiful, Free Math

Desmos offers best-in-class calculators, digital math activities, and curriculum to help every student love math and love learning math.

https://www.desmos.com/

3. Get properly organised

You are about to embark on a two year project to get yourself some A levels. You need to set yourself up properly. You will need to get used to working on your own . Private STUDY is essential for A level. INVEST some time now to organise your:

study space
files
computer desktop and directories

This will help you KEEP UP with your studies from the outset.

4. Check your foundations!!

All your science and maths A level specifications have been written to follow on from successful completion of a GCSE, IGCSE (or equivalent) course in that subject.

Find out from your school or college which specification(s) you will be following IN EACH SUBJECT( the website should tell you).
Visit the relevant exam board website . See links below.
Download a pdf copy of the specification now for each of your subjects. ( caution - very large documents)
Save the documents in an obvious place in your directories on your computer.
Do not try reading the specifications from cover to cover !!!
DO TRY - finding your way around the document in your favourite pdf reader.
Practice annotating the PDF .

MAKE FRIENDS WITH YOUR SPECIFICATIONS Get to know them bit by bit.

MAKE SURE YOU KNOW WHICH ONES APPLY TO YOU:

OCR - awarding body for A Levels, GCSEs, Cambridge Nationals, Cambridge Technicals and other qualifications

OCR is a leading UK awarding body, providing qualifications for learners of all ages at school, college, in work or through part-time learning programmes.

https://www.ocr.org.uk/

Eduqas Home

Eduqas are one the largest providers of qualifications for schools, academies, sixth form and further education colleges across England, offering valued qualifications to suit a range of abilities. Each and every one of our qualifications is carefully designed to stimulate students and to equip them for the next stage of their lives.

https://www.eduqas.co.uk/

AQA – education charity providing GCSEs, A-levels and support

AQA provides qualifications that enable students to progress to the next stage in their lives. We also support teachers to develop their professional skills.

https://www.aqa.org.uk/

Pearson qualifications | Edexcel, BTEC, LCCI and EDI | Pearson qualifications

Pearson is the UK's largest awarding organisation offering academic, vocational and work-based learning qualifications, including BTEC, Edexcel and LCCI.

https://qualifications.pearson.com/en/home.html