Not sure how best to revise for Maths A-Level? Or what you can be doing to boost your progress and learn more quickly? Chanel Wong gives us so many actionable tips below that you can apply to your revision routine straight away!
Hi, I’m Chanel! I’m in Year 13 and I am currently studying Maths, Further Maths, Physics and French at A-Level. Of course, taking some of the most challenging subjects at A-Level is not a walk in the park and there will be tough hurdles that everyone faces. I’ll be sharing some of my top tips on how to survive Maths A-Level.
TIP #1: ORGANISATION FOR YOUR PREPARATION
You will make tend to make lots of notes and complete maths assignments for your teachers throughout your Maths A-Level studies. It is important that you keep these somewhere safe so you can go back to them for revision. You don’t even have to go overboard with how you organise your notes and homework. Simply putting them in a folder or a filing cabinet that you can easily locate is enough. Being consistent with your organisation skills can be really beneficial towards exam season when you don’t have to worry about finding loose sheets of paper and you can easily find your notes to revise from.
TIP #2: IT’S OKAY TO NOT BE OKAY
Teachers want the best for you; don’t be afraid to ask for help or to ask the teacher to repeat what they said – you could be helping out another classmate. What I also found really helpful was discussing solutions to the classwork with my other maths peers. Having someone near you to discuss tackling a maths problem engages your brain to think of a solution as you are dictating it out loud. This also helps you learn better as someone is not just telling you the answer. By talking through a problem with a classmate, you are both helping each other and learning something new at the same time.
TIP #3: REVISE YOUR REVISION
There are many ways people revise. Everyone is different so the way you revise may be different to someone else who does Maths A-Level. How are you revising? Are you satisfied with your test results you receive in class? Whether it be revising with a group, doing practise papers, making flash cards, or making mind maps (the list goes on!) you should establish a revision technique that is most suitable for you without having to compare yourself to others.
TIP #4: PRACTISE MAKES PERFECT
If I could give only one tip to summarise Maths A-Level, this would be it. Maths is like any other skill; whether it be learning how to play football or learning a new language, the only way to improve your maths skills is by doing more practise. Of course, it will not be easy at first, you will make mistakes along the way but that’s part of growing and improving. As Albert Einstein once said, a person who’s never made a mistake is a person who has never learnt anything new.
TIP #5: CLAIM THAT REWARD
I would consider maths to be more of a rewarding journey than an easy-going one. One thing that I know for sure is that your hard work will pay off. Remember that your health comes first, and it is important not to overwork yourself. Maintain a good balance between maths practise and doing the things you love. Take breaks in between study sessions, go watch that TV show, eat that snack. These are just a few great ways to reward yourself and in turn, increase your motivation.
Of course, this is not an exhaustive list and these tips can even be applied for other subjects as well. I hope this has helped you in some way and remember that you are not alone. We all go through the same struggles and speaking up about them can not only benefit yourself, but also someone else :) .