Year 12 is a scary and unknown time; you've just passed your GCSE's and suddenly you're shoved into the whirlwind that is A-levels. For me, Year 12 was a confusing and dramatic time in the beginning before slowly working itself out in the end.
At the start of Year 12, I had gotten into one of the best sixth forms in my area, which had some of the best A-level results. I went there for two days, before leaving to look at my current college. It was crowded, unfriendly and there was too much pressure for me too early. The current college I'm at is drab, boring and is full of people I have grown to dislike, but I have also found a supportive friendship group and a way of working that suited me best. Whilst if I had stayed at my original college, I wouldn't have been happy, but also wouldn't have the stresses of poor teaching I have now. As the year went on, A-levels became 'easier' in terms of the jump between A-levels and GCSE's closing.
In light of my first year at college, I have learned many things and the select few I have chosen to talk about I hope will help you in your first year of college too.
1. Go where you know you will work best.
At my current college, the grades you get and the experience out of college are down to you. I find the teaching isn't the best, but I do the work myself and the teachers aren't on your back about revision and extra work. For me, this works best. I can motivate myself and I know this will help me in the future with the university when the work is down to you. However, this might not work for everyone. If you work best with reminders and constant help from teachers then go somewhere where the teaching support is the best you can find. If you prefer to work independently, go somewhere that promotes independent studying and learning.
2. Consistent revision is better than revising only during exam times
One of the biggest things I have learnt is constant revision is better than only revising during exam times. If there are no exams, spend a few hours a day going through notes or flashcards on a topic you did that day or topics you find hard or complicated. This way when it comes to exams and you have to ramp up the amount of revision you're doing, you should find it easier to learn or go over things as you have been constantly going over them and there hasn't been a large gap between that class or week you learned something and the exams. This constant revision doesn't have to be much! For me, it's retyping up my notes from that day's classes and making flashcards on them or going through some old flashcards. As quoted from Tesco's, "every little helps!"
3. Get your homework done as soon as you get it!
Whilst this seems a very obvious thing to know, it's something I massively failed to do in my first year of college. I wasn't only not doing the work, but I would chuck any sheets I was given away and would do essays the night before they were due. As awful as this seems, I was prioritising revision more than anything else. However, looking back I should have done the homework I was given as it would have helped massively with understanding specific topics, especially in Psychology. From this, I now know that keep organised on homework with a planner is essential! Keeping on top of all my homework would have helped massively, even if I did it on the bus (I have a 2-hour bus journey home every night!).
4. Look out for every opportunity!
Going and doing loads of different things at my college has really helped me boost my confidence this year and has taught me a range of different things! The two main opportunities I took this year was my Gold Duke of Edinburgh and going to Poland to see the concentration camps. My DofE has taught me all about teamwork and has boosted my confidence by pushing me to go and do some volunteering and has even helped improve the *look* of my C.V. The Poland trip was both fun and disturbing. I was having fun with my friends when we had free time in the city, but the concentration camps were scary and horrifyingly chilly to walk around. Both of these things were an amazing opportunity and I would have regretted it massively if it didn't take them. Every opportunity is worth it, you never know what it can help you in or what it can teach you!
College is supposed to be fun and daunting. The task of next years exams stresses me out to a point I don't even think it's worth continuing, but in the end, all your hard work and effort will pay off. You won't be left behind if you have worked hard and know your stuff. Have fun at college, work hard and it will pay off.
In the words of my GCSE R.E teacher: "you get the grades you deserve".
