Posts Tagged ‘A-levels’

Transitioning from GCSEs to A-levels

Tuesday, September 14th, 2010

The move from Year 11 to sixth form is really significant. For many pupils, this is the first time that they will be treated like an adult: no more school uniform and a greater degree of freedom. With this freedom of course comes extra responsibility and pressure. These tips can help your child prepare for the change:

1. A-levels involve a huge amount of work, especially if your child is starting with four or more AS levels. Help your child by providing them with clear space to work on, access to a computer and room for their files and books.

2. The move to sixth form can be very stressful. Keep the channels of communication with your child open at all times and make sure they feel able to chat to you about their worries.

3. A-levels involve more self-study and in-depth work than GCSEs. If you child isn’t sure how to work in this way, a few sessions with a study skills tutor or subject-specific tutor can really help.

4. Unfortunately A-levels happen at a time when teenagers want to party as much as possible. Set some boundaries with your child: it’s important to have some rest and relaxation, but not at the cost of their studies.

5. Start researching universities and degree programmes as soon as sixth form starts. When your child can contextualise their studies and see what they can lead to, they can become more motivated and hard-working.

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Preparing your child for A-levels

Friday, August 27th, 2010

With competition for university places getting steeper, the pressure on A-level students is more intense than ever before. So how can you prepare your child for sixth form without stressing them out? Here are a few of our top tips:

1. Your child may have mixed feelings about their A-levels before they’ve even started them. Assure your child that with the right discipline, they have as much chance as anybody else of attending a good university.

2. Unfortunately sixth form coincides with a very busy social time for teenagers. Explain to your child that if they do well in their A-levels they can socialise all they want at university. It’s worth keeping social activities to a sensible minimum for two years to secure a bright future.

3. Check that your child is happy with their choice of A-level subjects and that their choices are accepted by their target universities. The top institutions are very fussy about what they accept. If they’re not happy, they must tackle this and change subjects as early on as possible. Better to change and do some catching-up than to suffer later on.

4. Make sure that your child feels organised, happy and on top of things generally. Check in with them on a regular basis and reassure them that they can discuss any problems or issues with you – you’re there to help.

5. Encourage your child to supplement their studies with some well-chosen activities. Not only will these help to refresh and recharge their brains, but they’ll also look good on their UCAS forms. It’s often these activities which help candidates to stand out. Visiting old people’s homes, learning an instrument and taking the Duke of Edinburgh awards are good examples.

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Choose your A-levels wisely

Tuesday, August 17th, 2010

As A-level results day looms near, news this week reveals that some students might not be offered a place at university – not because of their A-level results, but because of the A-levels themselves that they studied.

David Willetts, the minister for universities and science, stated this week that many pupils were studying A-levels that were unsuitable for their intended degree. He said: “There are people who do stay on for A-levels but they are doing PE, religious studies and geography, and they say they want to be an engineer.”

Mr Willetts has called for better careers advice to pupils in Years 10 and 11 and more carefully considered input from teachers in order to help them select the A-level subjects that university admissions tutors would actively seek out.

Worryingly, he also said that “perhaps a quarter” of all A-levels studied by young people were “not valued” by most universities.

Although representatives from teaching unions have denied the claims, these are striking  comments and that younger pupils should take on board. The lesson here? It’s so important to research university admissions requirements properly when choosing which A-levels to study. If your child doesn’t know what degree subject to study when they choose their A-levels, then they should find out which subjects are generally well-regarded by the institutions that they might apply to.

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Nerves of steel

Tuesday, May 4th, 2010

This week, we continue our revision tips and tricks series with a look at how to control something that can potentially ruin all of your good work – exam nerves!

If you’ve ever seen X Factor, you’ll know that even the most talented of performers can let nerves overtake their auditions. When the pressure is on and the whole world is watching, it’s understandable that nerves can get to people that much – but too many nerves can get in the way of a performance.

Consider your own exam nerves. True, exams don’t involve standing in front of thousands of people on live TV, but they are still understandably nerve-wracking. You feel as though this is your one chance to improve your future and that you need to get high grades. No wonder you feel nervous.

A few nerves on the day of your GCSE or A-level exams are fine and natural. However, you don’t want too many nerves on the day as they will block your ability to think. Here are some tips to help you calm down as your exams approach:

•    Practise exam questions to time so that you get used to working quickly without getting flustered.

•    Eat regular, healthy meals and drink lots of water. If you can avoid caffeine, then do, as it will only increase your jitters.

•    Identify the subjects or topics that make you feel the most nervous. Devote more time to these in your revision.

•    If you really are feeling nervous and unable to cope, talk to a parent, guardian or teacher. You don’t need to suffer alone.

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How to use practice papers for your exams

Tuesday, April 6th, 2010

One of the most important and invaluable ways to practise for your exams is to use practice papers. This is a key exam revision technique, whether you are studying for your SATs, GCSEs, A-Levels or even your degree.

You can get hold of practice papers through the websites of qualification awarding bodies as well as (ahem!) via the First Tutors Resources section.

This is an important way to revise because passing exams is as much about practising your technique as it is about how much you know. You need to practise answering questions in the same time limit that you’ll have on the day. If you don’t you may well end up panicking in your exams, or devoting too much time to one question and not enough to the others.

Go through the exam paper first of all using your notes and books. This will help you to identify any gaps in your knowledge or understanding. It’s vital you do this before you start testing your timing. If there are gaps, then take a day or two to reinforce your knowledge.

Then you can give yourself a test exam. Be really strict about giving yourself exam conditions. Time yourself properly and make sure you’re somewhere quiet where you won’t be disturbed (and where you can’t cheat by looking anything up). Notice how you tackle essay questions and cope with the time restraints: make note of anything that worries you so that you can work on this before your real exam.

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How to deal with exam stress

Monday, March 29th, 2010

It doesn’t matter how old you are or whether you’re taking SATs, GCSEs or A-levels – exam stress can affect everybody. It is completely natural and understandable that you would suffer from stress: after all, there’s a lot of work to be done, and your exam results can have a huge bearing on your future.

At the same time, there are some things you can do to reduce your stress levels. It’s so important to keep a healthy mind and healthy body during exam time, so try these stress-busters out for size. If you’re a private tutor, pass these tips along to your student(s) to help them feel more confident about their forthcoming exams.

Ask for assistance

If you’re stuck on a topic, or unsure about any of your exam content, don’t struggle alone. It sounds obvious, but your school teachers and home tutors are there to help you. Ask them to schedule some time to go over any material you don’t understand.

Excellent exercise

Exercise helps to reduce stress levels and create endorphins, your body’s “happy hormones”. Make time for 30 minutes of exercise at least three times a week, even if it’s just a walk round the block and through the park. It will help to refresh your head too.

Organise to revise

Trying to work in a clutter – both physically and mentally – will make you super stressed. Create a workspace that will help you to revise in a calm and happy manner – clean and tidy your desk, file your papers and make sure you start and end the day on a tidy note.

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Tutoring students for private exam entry

Wednesday, November 4th, 2009

There are many reasons why a student may choose to take exams privately. They may feel they are not reaching their full potential and need extra one-on-one support; they may wish to expand their studies beyond the set curriculum; or, in some cases, they may feel ready to take certain GCSEs or A-levels ahead of their peers. Whatever the reason, they’ll need a private tutor, so how do you help a student who needs to undertake intensive exam revision?

The responsibility for administration relating to the exam, such as paying entry fees and finding a location to take the exam remains with the student and their guardian, so your focus will be on helping them achieve their potential academically. Familiarise yourself with the full exam syllabus as soon as possible and make sure that the teaching schedule allows proportionate time for each topic, with ample wiggle room to accommodate a student’s weak spots.

As well as taking note of the essential knowledge the exam demands, think also about the core skills required and how you can help your student develop them. Does the subject have a strong literary or oral element? Does it require the ability to think literally or strategically? Identifying these key areas will not only give your students confidence on exam day, but will also enable you to make their home tuition sessions more focused and engaging.

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A-Level resit revision techniques

Tuesday, October 13th, 2009

If your child is set to resit their A-Levels in January, there are a number of tried and tested techniques they can incorporate into their studies to make life that little bit easier for them.

First of all, the key to successful revision is organisation: make sure your child’s revision notes are arranged in a usable format and they have easy access to any books or external sources they may need. This can save countless hours of frantic searching for last month’s History essay or the Science workbook that was last seen “somewhere downstairs” a week ago.

In the event that your child is taking extra classes – or is working with a private tutor – for their upcoming A-level resits, encourage them to  go back over all their notes shortly after the class has finished, so they know exactly what was covered and precisely what was said. Also, make sure they review the same notes before the start of their next lesson in that subject, and to draw up a list of any questions they need to ask their tutor or teacher.

Regular breaks are crucial when studying for A-Level resits, otherwise burn-out is a very real possibility. Set fixed times for your child to study so they don’t feel it’s an all-consuming task. Work with your child’s teacher or tutor to set revision goals (small ones as well as large) and make sure you reward your child when those goals are reached.

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University applications – how to help your child choose

Thursday, September 3rd, 2009

If your child is heading back to school for their final year of A-levels, they will soon have to decide whether to apply to university. If they can be reasonably confident of gaining three or more passes at A-level, your child has every chance of securing a conditional offer from a UK university, so how can you help them choose which courses and institutions to apply for?

Choosing the right university is an incredibly hard decision to make. You and your child need to spend some time researching various universities and courses. An English degree at one university can be quite different from an English degree somewhere else. Teaching methods, projects and course content vary widely so take your child to as many open days as possible in order to give them a better idea as to what life at the university will be like. They can meet lecturers and other students and find out all they need to know about the courses on offer.

Your child should also consider the location of the university – how far away it is, and whether it is based in a city or in the countryside. The cost of living is important too: find out what sort of budget you’ll need to put aside for accommodation and travel costs.

A university with a good track record is imperative, and you should try to find out the proportion of graduates that actually find employment after they complete their courses. All these facts and figures can be obtained from the university and will aid them in making their decision.

Once your child has made their decision, support them as much as possible. Moving to university can be an intimidating experience for many young people, but with your help they should take to their new student life quickly and easily.

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Pupils in Northern Ireland start receiving GCSE results

Wednesday, August 26th, 2009

GCSE pupils in Northern Ireland started receiving their results yesterday but will not know their complete set of grades until Thursday. Two thirds of NI GCSEs are set and marked by the local CCEA board, and those results are already making their way into students’ hands. Pupils will have to wait until tomorrow, however, to receive the results of the remaining one third of exam papers that are set and marked by English and Welsh exam boards.

Schools in NI have successfully lobbied exam boards to bring forward next year’s GCSE results by two days so that students will receive all of their results on 24th August 2010. Teachers say the late arrival of GCSE results is an administrative nightmare, especially as some NI schools are re-opening this week and will have to decide very quickly whether to accept or reject pupils who want to study A-levels.

School uniform suppliers in Northern Ireland say that some parents have ordered new blazers, skirts and trousers prior to the full publication of GCSE results, hopeful that their children will receive good enough GCSE results tomorrow to progress to A-level study.

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