The beginning...

Hi! Welcome to my blog.

I have just finished my two-year Advanced Level course and I have decided to make a blog to help others who will be doing A Levels. I have a passion for science and most of the help I intend to give will be based on science subjects (specifically Biology and Chemistry). I do not like Mathematics or Physics and so I do not feel confident in giving advice in these fields. I'm no expert either. I am going to start university this fall and I really hope that I have a wonderful time there!

All my subjects were taken through the Edexcel examining body and so most of the content I post here will reflect that. I am in no way affiliated with Edexcel. I do not own anything that is of the 'Edexcel name'. I am simply a 'tutor' who intends to share information on two specifications created by said exam board.

There are many resources on the internet for A Level subjects. I particular find The Student Room to be very helpful. As time progresses, I will post links to more useful websites. The A Level section of 'TSR' will be of most interest to you if you wish to primarily utilise the website for academic reasons. I do suggest that you create an account there as you will gain access to a plethora of resources! You will find many helpful notes and recent past papers and markschemes there. I will keep you posted with what's relevant to your Biology and Chemistry specifications.

Enough about that. You probably just finished your GCSE or O Level subjects and you are now planning to take the big A Levels! You will be thinking about which Sixth Form Colleges you may want to attend and which and how many subjects you want to study. Do not be overwhelmed! It's all a simple process. Most people take A Levels before going to university. Many will use their A Level grades to gain entrance in universities in the UK and Europe. Keep in mind that you can still study at the Advanced Level and then attend college/university in the USA.

Which Sixth Form College you decide to attend is primarily up to you! Think about location, social scene (if it applies to you), work load and of course finances. Most people would not have a problem in picking a college.

Subjects! The usual number of subjects taken is four at the Advanced Subsidiary (AS) Level. I've seen people take more subjects. I've never really seen anyone taking two AS subjects, but I'm sure the possibility exists. People may opt to 'drop' one of their AS subjects when they reach the A2 (2nd year) Level. I did Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics with Mechanics and Physics at the AS and A2 levels. You will decide if you want to drop anything after or during the course of your AS studies.

It is best to think carefully about which subjects you want to do and why you want to do those subjects. You should definitely NOT do subjects to impress anyone or to 'look smart'. It's A Levels! Do subjects that you need and want to do. Most people continue with subjects they took at GCSE and some pick up new ones. Science A Levels build on previous GCSE knowledge. You may not like Physics but you might need it to get into the university program of your choice. Plan ahead! Think about what you want to do after A Levels. Don't pressure yourself too much though.

A Levels are a big jump from GCSE. The subjects have more depth and the questions are more demanding. At GCSE Biology you would have learnt about cell organelles and their basic functions. At AS Biology you study these organelles in some bit of detail. The practical aspect of the science subjects is more emphasized at the A Level. International students taking Edexcel science subjects are required to take written alternative to coursework/practicals. I will expand on this at a later date.

A Level Biology is notorious for the amount of content included in the specifications. Chemistry has a lot of content as well but it's less memorising and more application of basic principles.

In the next post, I will focus on the structure of the Biology and Chemistry specifications. I will explain the various units involved.

If you have any questions or doubts and you need advice you are always welcome to contact me :)

Good luck!