Starting A levels can be a really daunting and exciting experience. I asked you all on Instagram to send in whatever questions you wanted answering about starting Sixth form. You guys definitely came through, so I’m going to be answering 14 burning questions about starting Sixth form!
By the end of this post, you will feel more prepared, and confident. Also feeling ready to start Sixth form and take this new challenge by storm!
You guys have told me how much you enjoyed part I! I am so excited to be bringing you part II of my answers to your questions about starting Sixth form! There is so much I want to share with you to get you off to the best start!
If you haven’t already, here is part I! There are some real gems in there, so give it a read!
So let’s dive into the questions…
How much harder are A levels than GCSEs?
I will be honest, there is definitely a jump in difficulty from the content of GCSEs to that of A-level. However, most of the “jump” between the two is to do with the examination and learning style, independent and much more contextual ( you need to know more than just what is in the book.)
You will need to become a much more independent learner, meaning you should take pride in your work and make sure it is quality.
It’s difficult to quantify how much harder A levels are because they are mainly just very different. Generally, I would say that they are harder but not impossible. You will be eased into the work very slowly when starting A levels. You probably won’t realise too much the difficulty increasing!
Did you feel an impact on your mental health when starting A levels?
Yes.
That is the short answer, but don’t worry or stress about it! Most of my issues with mental health came from a lack of organisation and feeling stressed.
Hopefully, this blog will assist you in managing some of these things, so you won’t make the same mistakes as I did when starting A levels!
However, it is important to recognise the support that is out there for you if you are struggling with mental health during sixth form.
Here are a few places you can reach out for help:
CAMHS– Here is another great resource ” young minds” explaining how you can use this service.
Your GP
A friend or parent
Your school councelleor ( this really helped me ).
Silvercloud– Online cognitive behavioural therapy, you can refer yourself if you need some more structured support! Shout out to Em Moore at bds.mentalhealth for this one.
Mind– a charity for mental health
Apps:
Stay alive, headspace and Journey are great apps but should be used alongside other support.
Starting A levels at sixth form will have positive impacts on your mental health too! Making friends, having more freedom and being able to study things you enjoy is really great.
What mistakes would you rather have made when starting A levels than now?
I will answer this in more depth in my next blog post about “what I wish I knew before starting sixth form”.
However, in hindsight there are a few things I would do differently:
- Decide on a way of making revision resources early on and stick to it!
Gahhh this is one of my biggest issues now, I like having complete sets of resources all in the same format. However, clever me kept switching back and forward, leaving gaps and shallow areas of my revision!
- I also wish I had started asking questions of my teachers and really paying attention in lessons right from the start – trust me it will help later on…
Try your best to do these things and I promise you will actually fly!
Did you work [a job] at the same time as Sixth form? How did you balance it out?
This is an excellent question.
Yes, I did work during year 12, I had a few different “jobs” throughout the year that I did to earn money. I’ll start by telling you what I did and then how you should manage:
The first one is netball umpiring, this is a perfect job for sixth form! If you do a sport, learning to referee or umpire matches is a great way to earn money.
I can choose when I want to work and one match is only an hour of my time on the weekends. You will earn less than a full job but the time you save is definitely worth it.
I also had a “ job” as an ambassador for a company.
I won’t get into this too much, but in hindsight other than a learning experience, this wasn’t the best choice I had made as I actually didn’t get paid anything at all.
Please be very careful where you invest your time, skills and energy. You are a student, but you have worth and remember you deserve to be paid that worth.
The last thing I did was my first proper job. I worked at a fragrance counter in a shopping centre, this was a Christmas job and I am really glad I did it!
Christmas jobs/ temporary jobs are perfect for students because there are no ties holding you there afterwards.
So, do I think it is possible to manage a job alongside sixth form?
Yes of course, lots of my friends have proper jobs that they work in cafes and retail during term time and they are very happy there!
I will say that I think you should try to avoid working on weekdays, this is probably too much of a push once school work picks up a bit. I think anywhere below 8-10 hours a week is achievable.
That said, if you have a job, you will need to make good use of free periods and extra time you have, your school work needs to be the priority.
Be careful where you apply though, some places are known for being difficult to work with (hours and pay etc).
So, what now?!
Thats the end of this blog post and my two-fold post answering your questions!
I have really enjoyed interacting with you all, and would love to do more things like this!
Make sure you follow me on Instagram for extra tips, tricks and medical insight!
Let me know in the comments if you have any more questions or suggestions and do sign up to my email list!
My emails are only ever about helpful content, as this entire blog is to help and benefit you! To get the most out of this blog you really should join the team!
Thanks for reading guys and best of luck in this new school year!
-Zoe xx