You often hear people say that A-levels was the worst time of their life, and for many, that became a reality for them. I mean we are expected to recall and remember the content from day 1 of JC and then apply it to our A-levels papers 2 years later, while simultaneously juggling CCAs, life, extracurriculars and for some, leadership commitments. Even though JC sounds impossible, it’s not and here are some tips
and advice to survive JC.
Managing emotions: JC students tend to be very stressed throughout their school days and methods to relieve stress like taking an off day or sleeping more can be difficult to do. What kept me going was friends. You don’t have to go out every week since it’s costly and you don’t have time for that. But what I mean is to talk to them.
Just simple things like going for recess break together or hanging out before class. Don’t close yourself off when you’re struggling. They are going through this tough period together with you so you might as well go through it with people you love and trust. Do the things you like to do, in moderation of course. If you enjoy watching Netflix, let yourself enjoy one episode after you’ve finished revision or studying for the day. If you enjoy doing sports, put some time aside. It is important to learn to manage your stress and occasionally cut yourself some slack to prevent burnout.
Tips on doing well for A Levels: Study smart. Struggling with a topic is normal.
Explore different resources to grasp the concept. Don’t try to read the same school notes over and over. Sometimes your school notes may not be very comprehensible or your teacher did not do a good job properly explaining a concept. This is where you should use google at your disposal. For me, Youtube videos were a big game changer in helping me understand concepts and theory. If you don’t understand something, no matter how stupid you think it is, ask your friends or set up a consultation with your teacher. Don’t just depend on yourself and hope that you get
it, always clarify with others and use the resources at your disposal. Time management. I don’t find timetables useful but if that’s your cup of tea, go for it.
When planning your time, ask yourself, what eats up most of your time. Try to limit that. It is important to not let yourself spend too much time doing leisure things before doing your work first. It is extremely crucial to be realistic in planning out the work you’re going to do. When each subject paper is about 3 hours, obviously you’re not going to be able to complete more than 3 papers a day, including marking it and
looking through the paper. So be realistic when planning and remember quantity does not determine your results. Pre-A level revision is going to be very hard, you need to plan out your time optimally so give yourself proper time to eat, sleep, rest
and study. Don’t burn the midnight oil to study.
Pitfalls to avoid: You will almost always never do well for blocks and mid-years and it is easy to get discouraged by it. We’re used to scoring well on tests in secondary school, but it’s different in JC. Think of it, not as a reflection of your lack of effort or aptitude, but that the exams are difficult and almost everyone will not do well. When you get back your results after every exam, reflect upon your studying methods and
think about what helped and what didn’t help you. If you start this good habit from the start, you can find a surefire way of studying that suits you the best that can aid you in A-levels.
By: May Phyu Thwe
May is a fan of alternative music that no one else listens to and loves to get hopelessly addicted to trashy tv shows. She spent most of her time studying as a student and was practically glued to her chair.