#a levels
Honestly one of my favourite feelings is finally grasping a concept that you’ve been struggling with for so long. There is nothing better
ppl in year 6 on social media are more motivated for their SATS than I am for my for my a levels rn
4th June ~ 17:06
Oops forgot post these yesterday - nothing like a bit of revision to spice up a birthday…
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31st May ~ 17:56
French grammar revision on this rainiest of summer days. i’m just working through this grammar workbook each day, it helps to make wild language revision more modular and structured & gives me an actual goal to work for
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13th April ~ 15:43
I have been away for such a long time. My productivity & motivation have decreased so much, exams are only getting closer & stress levels only building. I have been so unproductive this Easter: back with a passion to make the most of the time I have left: new regime commences with nailing my Latin set texts
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i made a support group server for anxious teens in education (anyone at all that’s studying can join)! here’s an infinite link, please signal boost! https://discord.gg/bc6vRbz
17/60 dop - 11/5/22
*listens to cygnus x-1 whilst doing astrophysics questions*
I’ve had a rough time for the last few days academia-wise, but I’m back on it now :) it’s crazy to think that not only are A-levels almost here, but I’m almost finished with school altogether
- astro question set 1, 2 & 3 (physics)
- went though flashcards (chem)
17/60 dop - 11/5/22
*listens to cygnus x-1 whilst doing astrophysics questions*
I’ve had a rough time for the last few days academia-wise, but I’m back on it now :) it’s crazy to think that not only are A-levels almost here, but I’m almost finished with school altogether
- astro question set 1, 2 & 3 (physics)
- went though flashcards (chem)
13/60 dop - 7/5/22
- finished paper (maths)
- worked on presentation (physics)
- paper 1 topic summaries (chem)
Pictured: old (orange theme) vs new chemistry summary pages :)
Totem - Rush
13/60 dop - 7/5/22
- finished paper (maths)
- worked on presentation (physics)
- paper 1 topic summaries (chem)
Pictured: old (orange theme) vs new chemistry summary pages :)
Totem - Rush
11/60 dop - 5/5/22
- reviewed improper integrals (FM)
- attempted practise paper (maths)
11/60 dop - 5/5/22
- reviewed improper integrals (FM)
- attempted practise paper (maths)
Monday, 2nd May 2022
Integration drives me slightly nuts because when I know what I’m doing it’s kinda fun, but when I don’t it’s a nightmare… continuing with core pure review today before meeting friends later :)
All The World’s A Stage (Live) Album - Rush
Monday, 2nd May 2022
Integration drives me slightly nuts because when I know what I’m doing it’s kinda fun, but when I don’t it’s a nightmare… continuing with core pure review today before meeting friends later :)
All The World’s A Stage (Live) Album - Rush
Sunday, 1st May 2022
I don’t like the fact that it’s May bc A-levels start this month now… here’s some (slightly chaotic) differential equations revision from this morning :)
Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Pts 1-5) - Pink Floyd
Sunday, 1st May 2022
I don’t like the fact that it’s May bc A-levels start this month now… here’s some (slightly chaotic) differential equations revision from this morning :)
Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Pts 1-5) - Pink Floyd
Turns out they just cancelled UK exams ♀️
A Levels is a lot different than GCSEs and here are some tips from a recent graduate.
- It needs a lot more revision.
The jump from GCSEs/O Levels is enormous.Even though you go from having 8/9 subjects to ¾, much more studying is required. There’s a lot more to cover and all the topics are more elaborated. Overall, everything is just more difficult. Knowing this ahead of time can really be beneficial. Don’t think studying a week before midterms or exams will be a good idea because it won’t be. Your best bet would be to study as you go along.
- Do not skip classes unless absolutely necessary.
The second mistake was skipping classes. So the first time I ditched, I told myself it would only happen again if it was an emergency, but alas, not the case. After my first time ditching, I almost stopped attending Economics classes completely because I thought I could study on my own, because I didn’t like my teacher. I regretted this when we had our mock, where the questions that were given to us had already been gone through in class.
- Don’t waste your free periods.
I had a lot of free periods, and in all of them, I’d chat with friends, walk around the school, do nothing of sustenance, basically. These are ideal for studying or revising because you’re technically already in the right mindset seeing as you’re in school. Also, if you get enough done at school, you’ll end up having to do a lot less at home! I’m not saying do this every single time, but just realize that there’s more to free periods than social gatherings.
- Pick subjects you enjoy.
Every subject is going to be difficult in it’s own way, and you’re going to most likely get fed up of everything. By picking something you enjoy, you may be able to deal with it a lot better and spend more time working on it. I spent the most time in AS on Economics because I loved it and it was so interesting to me, and much less time on Psychology just because it didn’t give me the same excitement. This was blatantly obvious when I got my AS results.
- Your friend group will change,
I thought I’d be friends with the same people all throughout it. I was wrong. Over just two years, I lost a lot of people I considered to be close friends, but I also made so many new friendships. Friend groups change and it doesn’t have to be due to drama or whatever, it kind of happens naturally. Don’t be alarmed if this happens, because you’ll meet so many new people over the course of your A Levels.
- Ask questions.
Don’t be afraid to raise your hand and clear your concepts if you’re confused. That’s literally what your teacher is there for! If you don’t want to ask in front of your class, ask in their office hours! It’s better to have accurate information than flipping through different books a week before the exam trying to make sense of it.
- Join extracurricular activities and clubs
A Levels isn’t going to be fun if all you do is stay locked up studying. To make new friends, meet new people, just have a better time, you can join a club or an activity or something sports related! I joined like three clubs in AS and ran my own in A2, and let me tell you, it was amazing. I met people I would’ve never been friends with if it weren’t for the clubs. Yes grades are important, but some universities may prefer it if you seem like an all rounder.
If anyone has any other tips on starting A Levels please mention them!
I’m stressed and nervous and terrified and if I were granted one single wish now, it would be to skip forward until midday tomorrow so it would all be over with in a blink. I’m just saying this now because it’s perfectly natural to be stressed, and it’s good to be aware of stress and not discount it. After all, there is a lot riding on what happens tomorrow, and it’s perfectly natural to worry about it.
This post is going to be a bit different from the other Results Day wind-up posts, because it’s also going to tackle different kinds of self-care in relation to your studying (which you can use more generally), but if you follow the natural progression of these steps, it might help you get through today, because by tomorrow it’s going to be all over, but you need to get through today.
1) The Long-Term Self-Care (useful for the morning and afternoon)
This is the kind of stuff I was talking about in my Month Before Results Day post: it’s the exercising, eating balanced meals, taking care of your mind and your body, planning ahead. It’s green smoothies and early mornings and drinking water and it’s fantastic for your daily living, especially when you’re under intense mental and physical stress. If you’re like me and you have a holiday job, then you’ll be at least distracted. If you don’t have one or are lucky enough not to need one, then pick out elements of this type of self-care over the course of your day: go for a hike with your family, or go for a run on your own, or do something that gets you on your feet and doing things. Even if you don’t like exercising, at least it will help you sleep better.
2) Self-Care in Distraction (useful for a couple of hours in the day)
As I said, it’s good to have a job to engage and distract you, but there are plenty of other kinds of distractions. This self-care is getting lost in a new book (or an old favourite), going shopping with friends, going to see a movie, binge-watching a series on Netflix or YouTube or wherever, or learning to play or sing something new. It could be exercise, but it doesn’t have to be. Spend a couple of hours today doing something you really love that you haven’t done in a while. It’s a means of taking care of yourself by removing yourself from the stress, even for a little bit.
3) Self-Care in Self-Indulgence
Sometimes, it’s hard to tell the difference between self-care and indulgence or vanity. On days like this, it’s perfectly fine to treat yourself. This self-care is ordering a pizza with your favourite toppings and extra cheese, binge-watching (as a distraction but also as a treat), making yourself a hot chocolate with marshmallows, buying new socks, or new makeup, or something you really want. It’s all about spoiling yourself, and whilst this isn’t a normal practise for day-to-day self-care, it’s a way of making yourself feel special and important. Because you are. Don’t be consumed by your stress. You are not defined by what comes. You define the situation for yourself. You deserve to be spoiled.
4) The Relaxed Evening Self-Care
This is having a long bath with a bath bomb and a face mask, having a cup of loose-leaf tea, meditating, praying (if you are so inclined), curling up under blankets and watching things on Netflix that don’t require too much concentration (even if you’re not a huge fan of romcoms I would recommend them on this occasion). This kind of self-care is about calming down, finding balance and relaxation, getting yourself into a situation where you will be able to sleep better. If you think it will help, try a natural melatonin supplement to help you sleep (non-prescription and non-addictive). Take deep breaths. Watch the sun go down. Do some yoga/stretch whatever feels tight. Unclench your jaw; relax your shoulders; breathe out.
You’ve got this.
Hey guys, it’s me- I know today is not the most fun of days, and is arguably worse than actual results day, and I just wanna redistribute this and also, as someone who’s made it out the other side, want to remind you that no matter what happens, you are going to be ok and things will work out one way or another. It may not be according to the plan that you’ve laid out, but that’s ok. You’ve got this. I promise ♥
things I wish I had known when starting a studyblr - study-like-you-mean-it
It’s been a looong time since I made this studyblr; I started it in Easter 2016, which means it’s over 3 years old now (which doesn’t seem like a lot but going from GCSEs to having finished the first year of university is a long journey). I thought I’d share a couple of things I’ve learned along the way, through trial and error (mostly error), and hopefully this will help some of you out! :)
- Experiment with your look: It’s great if you settle into an aesthetic straight away and want to stick with it for the whole time you have your blog, and if that works for you, that’s great! If like me you want to keep trying out different styles, go with that (I still haven’t settled on an aesthetic and that’s chill)- most of the time, people will see your posts in isolation anyway so don’t put too much pressure on finding aesthetic cohesiveness
- Don’t think you have to buy all the stationery: You’ll see a bunch of brand names popping up over and over again in people’s posts, and whilst brands like MUJI and mildliners may work for some, you absolutely do not need to buy all of these things in order to keep up a certain ideal aesthetic. I, for one, have strayed from mildliners and use stabilo pastel highlighters now, as they are cheaper and last longer. My go-to writing pen when I work is a BIC biro, which I bought in bulk so it costs 24p per pen. I do have MUJI pens for working on my bullet journal and the B4 notebooks for taking to lectures, but it’s really not necessary to cash out on all the kit in order to be a “legit” studyblr. All you need is a phone camera, a pen, and a piece of paper.
- You don’t need the “studyblr” handwriting: Scrolling through the myriad of studyblr posts, it’s easy to become convinced that you need this stereotypical ultra-neat “studyblr” handwriting, and whilst it does look nice, it’s not the only handwriting that looks nice. I used to take ages to try and write my study notes out so that they conformed to this aesthetic, and it ended up slowing down my studying to the point that I never finished the notes or the material I wanted to cover in a given day. I also ended up making notes for the sake of studyblr posts that ended up not being an effective way for me to study (I learned this the hard way). I’m quite lucky in that my regular handwriting is quite consistent, but to be honest, the overall aesthetic of a post is more important, and sometimes this studyblr handwriting fits into the aesthetic, but I can guarantee it’s not a necessity and you don’t need to spend your time on it if your handwriting doesn’t look like that.
- Composition and lighting are most important: Long story short, you can’t take a good photo of your notes if the composition and lighting aren’t there. Take a look through the most popular photo posts and you’ll see what I mean: it doesn’t matter what the actual content of the photo is, just that it looks nice overall. Again, this is a case of what kind of a look you’re going for: some posts will have this super clean, neat look with no shadows, and other will tactfully play with the shadows for a different kind of image. However, if the shadows in the picture don’t match the aesthetic you’re going for, or you try and edit them out after taking the photos, I can guarantee this is a recipe for disaster.
- Edit, but don’t overedit: Everyone with a studyblr edits their photos. I personally use a combination of VCSO and Snapseed, and have been doing this for a while, but even then I often make errors in judgement about filter strength and editing, and sometimes my photos end up looking overprocessed and frankly unattractive. I have 11.5k followers, and even now I get posts with 0 reblogs because my photo editing has been so bad. It happens (and the posts get deleted once I realise), and that’s just something you just gotta keep trying at.
- Be inspired by others: See something that you like that someone else is doing? There’s no harm in trying to recreate something similar yourself, as long as you’re not plagiarising or downright stealing.
- Regularity is important, but you are more important: Obviously, uploading and/or reblogging content regularly is important to your blog. However, it’s a studyblr, and if you find that it’s getting in the way of doing actual work, there’s no harm in taking a break. I rarely upload during term time, or even in the holidays, because I’m so busy trying to get my actual life sorted and enjoying my university experience. For me, I worked the most on my studyblr last summer after I finished my A-Levels, and that’s when I experienced the most growth through very regular uploads (and since everyone else was also on their summer break, they had more time to spend on tumblr and see my content). From there, it’s just been growing by itself, and it’s almost 10x as big as it was in January of 2018. Don’t feel pressured to dedicate loads of time to producing content if you simply don’t have the time. If you’re a studyblr who reblogs rather than produces content, it’s always possible to just queue up stuff so it’s released regularly whilst you are working.
- Stick at it: It took me over two years to experience any real growth, and by that time I’d poured many hours of work into it. Growth doesn’t come overnight, and no matter how hard you work, you’ve gotta keep working. My first text posts got 10k notes and that did almost nothing to my follower count. Keep going and it will happen, and when this happens, you’ll be able to reach out to more people, directly and indirectly, and it becomes an even more rewarding experience.
I hope this helps some of you, and as always, you can access my Redbubble store here, and if you think what I’m doing is kind of cool (and want to request content that becomes top of my priority list/support what I do), you can find my ko-fi link here (it’s like patreon but they don’t take commission).
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