How I went from a D to an A* in my A Levels (From a retake student)
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 4 เม.ย. 2021
- In this video I talk about everything I did to help me achieve A*’s in my A Levels after I failed them back in 2019.
I know A levels have been cancelled for summer 2021 but I’m hoping people can still take something from this video and maybe even use some of these tips to help them with those mini exams that might take place instead.
Keep an eye out for future videos on A levels and revision tips.
Time stamps
02:22 - Study space
03:04 - Specification
03:59 - Planning
06:08 - Revision techniques
09:37 - Past papers
11:18 - Distractions
12:43 - Mindset
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dude A levels sound stressful (glad we don't have them in canada) but that growth is awesome - ALSO 100% agree on the mindset. study hacks won't work unless ur internally motivated
Lowkey wished my parents moved to Canada 😭 and thank you!!
True.
Honestly best study advice. No ballshit or silly little quirky shit just straight to the facts and honest pieces of information. I appreciate it very much thank you.
Haha you’re welcome 👍🏻
Reminder note for me so i dont forget when rewatching this
Never prepare in last month
Just revise and papers
Dont go too much in depth like he said, onlu enough related to specifications.
Dont read the extra bits for now as not much time
Be ahead of your schedule
Try to cover long term monthly goals asap and then
Meet teacher for discussions and revise all once with him with tips on papers
Also keep in mind in your plan days when you inderperform so realistic expectations as there will be days if sick or if some other issue
Do more say less
Watching these vids is only 0.2% of the process.
It shows the path you have to follow ie specification
The rest is study(hardwork and putting it in brain and practicing it) which is the main 99.8%
Sure watch these in free times but never sacrifice ever for this
Dont try to attain perfection. Only go for great prep. Perfection is jusr an illusiom
Mistakes this time: perfection so tired mentally as never achieved it
Online and kashan experience so never approached teacher and ruined prep
Perfection drained me up mentally so much that never could actually accomplish alot
Priority studues and workout to keep me sane
Always try to stay ahead of schedule so you have free time
Dont stop in middle stop at the end~kobe
His methods
Teaching himself and mind maps as active recall
Corrected his mind map by trial and error and textbook to make sure not missed out any imp detail from using speicifixation
Not rewrite notes
2-4 solid not pomedoro
2 hours break
Everyone diff so se ewhat works for you
Past papers
Do a paper and put aside
Wrong
Studied mark scheme and revised those questions
And also(my edit put in your mind maps)
Mark scheme: extra points benefit for your other questions
A* study with mark schemes
And use properly pst papers
But only after completeing syllavus
-manage distractions not restrict
Need relief for stress
-Use phone outside when free
What worked for him
Or someone else or apps(others)
-mindset and attitude to revision
No way to get slide away
Out in work
And potential
@@ahsansarhandi9916 shukria brother.
Currently doing A levels and I'm definitely going to have to retake 😭
yh man icl i fucked myself over
I feel the same, if I fail I’m not going to a shit uni so that’s the only way
Did you sit
@@prodtooliay bro it’s not just only you. we will make it out one way or another
same
Small set back major comeback let’s gooooooooo
thank you..am really inspired by this! you were really focused.
Proud of you 👏🏼
This was very helpful, you are very eloquent.
Fantastic video, i’ll deffo be using these tips for my A levels😁
Glad you found it helpful👍🏻👍🏻
Great video, keep them coming 👍🏼
Mashallah amazing grades
Keep it up bro
Smashed it 👏🏻👏🏻
Smashed it🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼
Mashallah amazing video, that’s so good sharing your experience help others InshAllah.
Jazakallah, glad you found it insightful 👍🏻
Hey! Thank you so much for this very inspirational and positive! I was wondering what you said in your personal statement about failing and retaking that led u to get offers from UCL?Like how did u say this in a positive light?? Also your reference what did that say? Also sorry too many qs when u resat did u do it privately yourself and revise at home for full year or what? Thank you so much again for this just really stressed out 🙏🙏 gave me goosebumps watching ur vid on moving out to ucl! Hopefully it all goes well!!
Can you make another video on retaking but individually on each subject maths bio and chem please, I like your videos!
Well done bro inspiring story 👍
Thank you 👊🏻
Hey Sarmad! I came across your a level grades on twitter and biggest congratulations for getting such amazing grades. I needed some advice about what to do as I am in a similar position to you right now. I didnt get the grades I needed in August 2021 and I am contemplating whether to sit the ones in october or summer. I only have a month left to raise my grades from two Cs to two As and I dont know if its better just to wait until summer. Thanks for your advice! Best of luck!
Well done bro inspiring story but what were your GCSE grades before alevels ?
Superb stuff 👌🏼
❤️
How did you get in to UCL with retakes? I thought they don't accept retakes, What course do you do?
Hi, I got to Ds and a C in a level first year, can I do resits to improve them ? If yes how ? Please 🙏 can any one explain to me how
Where and how did you retake ? How much did it cost for each subject ?
Mashallah great video 🙂
Thank you for this bro
You’re welcome 👍🏻
Hy
Please kindly share the best biology and chemistry revision resources and techniques
when did you start revising for your retake exam after the results ?
Did u give cambridge a levels?? Or any other board?
Is it a bad thing if I retake my o levels, physics and chemistry
i just got the same grades as you🤪 retakes here i come
Here before 1 million views 👏
In sha allah😂❤️
Not doing A levels but re sitting my GCSE maths due to a big error in gradings, and about the mark scheme, i struggle to study it because they don't clearly show the method but just stuff like one mark for this one mark for that, so i don't get it when i use past papers
Pls upload more ur sooo helpful.
Thank you! Will be uploading more videos very soon 💪🏻
ACD same subjects let's see what I get at end of next year
mashallah brother 🕊️
Jazakallah bro
Is it possible to do 2 A levels and then to do another subject later
hi :) great video. i was wondering if i could resit only one of my papers for a subject? eg i did well in p1 for chemistry but i messed up p2 so could i just repeat only one paper? or do i have to repeat the whole subject?
whole sub
Hi sarmad thanks so much for the advice I also wanted to ask is it bad if you retake 3 years later and go to university 3 years later to get into a good uni
you made me proud today
❤️❤️
How many hours per day per subject did u study?
Did you use the same personal statement and your job experience for your retaking?
I’m currently doing btech at college and I’m privately sitting A level maths does it automatically update on my ucas?
about to do my resit year (y12)
I got an A in biology and a D in chem (from a U after resit (went up from straight U's the whole year in about 3 weeks)))
I was lazy and I dropped maths early on, now I'm currently revising my gcse maths and start of c1 a level
Hopefully I can aim for AAA for next year (maths bio and chem) (no A* in as levels)
hey you did great. i am also in the same situation. If you dont mind me asking you brought ur U's to an A by studying for 3 weeks?
@@tektagetachew161 my chem grades went from a U to a D
doesnt sound as impressive 😔 (high d though)
MashAllah brother great video 😃
Jazakallah 👊🏻👊🏻
I 100% agree with you. Pomodoro technique has never been useful for me either.
I am writing this so i can look back on how much I've improved.
Just for some background:
I started to get very and i mean VERY weak in acadmeics since year 8 my average being less than 70%. I was always that person that would ace their exams without even trying, keeping my percentages between 80-90% but since highschool has started, i have dropped alot. I initially failed my gcses and decided to retake them privately where i went from a D to B. I have started my alevels now and starting from day 1, i was revising everything, keeping track of my work and paying all attention i could but just after my recent class tests, my motivation is dying down. I got all below 60% and its eating my brain up because i genuinely tried hard but i feel like my academics are just not improving, i am in a constant brain fog and even if i reach for help, the advice just passes over my head. It has gotten to a point where i cant even solve the most basic questions and this is making me feel extremely stupid and the stress is just causing me to feel lethargic all the time but i am not going to give up and ill use this comment as a way to track my upcoming tests/exams.
My weaknesses:
•i often over look the questions
• i mix up statements
• need to practice more past papers
• be more confident in myself
I can relate a lot to you breezed thro gcses revising the day before got a 9 geog 777 bio chem maths 6 physics etc. sat first exam test a level end of topic got a c kept trying harder and harder after each test and am still on c so improve I got to find a way to memorise info and go through past papers hopefully it goes well for u
How many months did you revise for this drastic improvement?
what did you get at gcse
I’m not sure if I should keep going over past topics because I really don’t have time to r going over things I learned 3 months ago but Idk if I should
You should slowly start to move away from going over old topics to instead doing lots of past paper questions on old topics. This will serve both as revision and good exam practice 👍🏻. Whenever you get a question wrong you can go back to that section of your notes and have another read.
do you think Maths spec is helpful
Sarmad bhai, I'm exactly at the stage where you were at in the past. I got decent grades in o levels, Ifor which I only studied the last month else throughout the year I stood at Es & Ds. Came with the same attitude. in the last month I realised the syllabus was not joke. Ended up getting U's. previous year I shifted to other city which I currently am in. Again appearing for As levels without studying. I feel worst, specially bc Cambridge assessment fee combined with tuition fee is massive. I feel bad for all the stress I've put over my parents.
Inshallah this year would be revolutionary, & I'd firmly act upon your suggestions.
All the guys reading this pray for me.
I'm wishing you the best 🤲🏼, you got this!
Goy BBC and it sucks, i still got into uni but it meant I didn't get into the one I wanted. So whilst in my undergrad doing compsci, we learn descion maths so I'm gonna do fm alevel and normal maghs alevek and retake them this summer.
Girl how did it go? I remember seeing u on mr bicens comments i hope it went well girl
Hi! Thanks for the video. I’m thinking of resitting two of my a levels next year in June so this is very helpful. Could you please tell me how many hours you revised for and when you started hard core revision?
Thank you
The amount of hours honestly depends on how long you have until your exams. If you’re thinking of sitting them in June 2022 then Id say an hour or two or day consistently will put you in a good position.
@@sarmadkhan4139 Thank you very much! Congratulations on your grades
Hi Anna , Can I ask whether you retook y13 at your school to resit the exams ? Or whether you took a gap year and resat the exams as a private candidate. The reason I ask this is because if you took a gap year and are doing the exams as a private candidate, how do you get predicted grades and references to put into your UCAS application. Thanks
@@faz4605 Hi,
Sorry for the late reply. I did my A Level exams as a private candidate at a college just to sit them (I hadn’t studied there before). I took a gap year to retake 2 A Levels but I already had a place at Uni as I had deferred my entry so didn’t need predicted grades.
@@faz4605 i think you just ask your school to do your reference and put down what grades you have achieved for your a-levels instead of predicted grades.
Such a nice boi!!
did you self study or have a tutor?
Does it cost money to retake when ur in year 13?
Where are you from
Quick question, if you've already passed all the practicals already in your science, will you have to do them again or can i get my school to send over my practical results?
Yeah your practical results can be sent over you don’t need to retake them if you’ve passed
Did you go to a college/sixth form again to study or did you study at home for the a levels and did you get a tutor.
Good question
Did you go to school or study at home
Where can you find the specification?
Go onto the exam board website OCR, AQA, Pearson etc and look for the course. It will be available to view and download.
How can i get the AS level biology specification ?
which exam board?
Biology is a bit random for their specs
where did you get your desk from
Argos
hi, im just wondering if my as results matter as much as my a2 ?? i slacked off during my as exams but i’ve started to really study for a2. should i resit my as or can i apply to top universities with just my a2 results ??
as result matter for predicted grade and are used for applying to university for example if you apply for UCL whose grade requirement is A*AA and your prediction is AAA you will be rejected. you can ask your school to change your predictions or retake exam. also if you get offer which are mostly conditional like get AAA and you get Abb in a2 you will lose your offer. Both as and a2 exam matter but i would say a2 is more important and you should try to get good grades in it. if you have other question feel free to ask.
Hey, I was just wondering how did you manage to find a centre to retake your a-levels and get all of that sorted out???
hey i got the same question too can you help me
@@notey1806ask the college you attended if you can retake as an external candidate, or ask other colleges in your area if you can.
As a private candidate, how do you get references and predicted grades to put into UCAS
Did you find out?
Your school will give you them if you ask them.
You think I can do very well if I dedicate a good month to revision, since my exams are literally in a month from now. I generally believe I can make drastic improvements given the space fo, and I was getting Ds in Chemistry in Y12 and am now consistently gettinf A*s.
That’s amazing to hear bro 👍🏻 and definitely! If you prioritise your revision and make it your main focus for this month then nothing is stopping you from getting those A*’s.
How help meee
5:13 Revise 3 hours chemistrtry, and 4 hours of math in one day 7 hours of rev?? on top of school? im so confused. How much revision per day on top of school do you think we should be doing?
Depends on how early you are starting your revision and how much content you have to cover. Don’t base your revision for the day on set timings. Instead make a good timetable to help you understand how many topics you need to cover daily and spend however long each day until these are completed.
I am currently enrolled on A levels online in 3 subjects, chemistry, biology and marine science. I have never seen anything about chemistry or marine science ever in my life, biology just a little bit. the A levels online didn't require anything to get in and now I'm in a situation where I don't know anything and they are just telling me to do assignments while I don't know anything on this topic, I try to revise and read but I can't just get it into my mind, I need someone to explain it properly. I don't really know what to do and I had an option where I could go to classes presential and get into that but my dad preferred A levels online because of our financial situation. if you could give me any advice or anything I can do right now or if you want me to explain please let me know. I need help
You can do it there are plenty of online resources for you to use i suggest ray amjad youtube channel he has a video where he says how he also had a struggle with his financial situtaion but ended up in cambridge he also gives good study tips for chemistry so yeah good luck!
@@RahimaO Okay, I’ll check on it. Thank you very much!
What are u studying at uni?
Philosophy, Politics and Economics
I am planning to resit in June 2022 but I can’t find any information on how to apply for A level exams as a private candidate. How did you apply for resits?
Which exam tho
@@Abandonfixated837 Maths, Physics and Chemistry
@@user-ue7fb7et8q you need to contact your college/6th form bro. I think the deadlines for private candidates is early January so you have some time but call your school earlier to atleast make them aware
@@SF17111 Thanks
@@SF17111 my school said to me they aren't accepting re sit candidates for 2022 😓
What other options do I have? Thank you.
wowwww
Assalamu alaykum, I need some advice if you would kindly give me
I failed my alevels and my re sits in October 2021.
With regards to re sits. What is the cheapest and best option. How much did you pay for your retakes and how did you apply to do them.
Did everything work out?
I want to resit 2 of my A levels but do you know how much it costs?
I'm resitting too! It depends on the college, one that I'm considering is £250 a subject :O
@@cloudylie is that for a 1 year re sit for one subject or?
Does it include exmaniation fees?
I was looking at some prices for re taking ALevels for 2 years for biology with exams and practicals included and it coated about 3000 pounds. So expensive considering I have to retake 3 ALevels it's gonna cost me 10 thousand to do them all.
Any advice for me?
@@weshouldsaveourselves6780 check for any discount that they may have. I was able to go from 3000 to 2000 and i know 1k is the only difference but it makes so much difference
@@chiderajudenkem8585 yeah thanks
how much did it cost?
Sarmad Abdaal
😂😂😂😂
U got lucky with threshold
This is pure fact
3 A*’s with luck??? I think not
Ngl mate 2020-2021 A Levels don’t really count 😭
I sat actual exams not CAGS loool ???????
Hello, I am really sorry to bother, I am currently in year 13 and think I may have to retake, but does it put you at a disadvantage for university applications? Also, do I just apply next year, for 2024 intake with predicted grades or with my current exam grades? If it is with predictions, can they still see my current exam grades if I don't put them on UCAS?
Thanks a lot,
Georgi.
same i feel like i might have to retake it
@@szdigi I just had my first exam and I defo have to retake 😭
im retaking mine but my african parents just scolded me earlier and now i feel worthless
@@teevee7678just know you’re not alone in this, and be proud that you’re not just giving up. Prove them wrong and do well!
@@rubiksworld2170 thank you so much!!!!!!!!!!! this really means alot🥲im thriving with past paper questions, but still got to push harder
😭😭😭😭😭😭
can pls ask you for favour and help advice my daughter she Just in year 12 pls I have you email she is think A level is joke.Thanks
I have some personal questions I want to ask do you have any social media so I could message you privately 🤧
Socials can be found at the end of the vid
Thank you. Some resources in my channel can help as well.
Mashallah bro by the way my name is also sarmad khan 🤗