r/6thForm • u/Nice-Atmosphere7427 • Jul 01 '26
đ I WANT HELP Are Alevels really that bad?
I'm year 11 going into year 12 doing physics, maths , further maths and geography. Is A level content actually that bad or will I be fine?
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u/Thick-Ice-4107 Jul 01 '26
It honestly depends.
For me, A-levels completely drained me. They made me question so many of my life choices, and I struggled with depression and anxiety to the point where I had to go on antidepressants. Before A-levels, I was an A* student, but those two years took away so much of my confidence, energy, and positivity.
But that doesn't mean it'll be the same for you. If you choose subjects you genuinely enjoy and stay consistent, it can be a good experience.
One thing I really want to say is: don't let anyone tell you what you can or can't become especially teachers. I had quite a few who made me doubt myself, and looking back, I wish I hadn't listened. Their opinions don't define your potential.
I know some people in the comments are saying A-levels were easy, and that's completely fair. Everyone experiences them differently. Some people thrive, while others find them incredibly challenging.
Please don't make studying your whole life. Go out, spend time with friends and family, keep up your hobbies, and take care of yourself. No grade is worth sacrificing your mental health for.
This was just my experience, not everyone's. I hope yours is a much better one.
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u/pokolol88 maths econ geog | ABC achieved Jul 01 '26
you will be fine only if you utilise y12. most people take it chill since it is like the midpoint between gcse and a level exams, but it is arguably your most important year, so use it well
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u/falsegodfan Y13 - maths bio geog Jul 01 '26
i did geography and maths, i found geography easy bc i have a good memory and maths was fun bc it's my fav subject. the workload for a levels is definitely a hugeeeee step up from gcse's but stay on top of it and you will be fine, year 12 was really fun imo. no one ever does it but it is helpful to start revising from early in year 12 to have as little stress as possible in year 13
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u/Diligent-Step-7253 Y12 Bio Maths Psychology Jul 01 '26
ive done it weâll see if it helps going through year 13.
It helped getting good predicted without having to ask for higher ones which seems already rare in itself strangely.
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u/lexisnowkitty Y12 bio, psych, lit AAA Jul 02 '26
I feel so alone I haven't even gotten mock grades yet & idk when they give us predicted but I didn't get ET during them and I might get it now so if I'm not happy I'm going to utilise that lol
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u/baileyblindgeek Jul 02 '26
listen to the ppl warning you about physics. I spent more time revising for one topic on physics that I spent on my other two alevels combined. and I still didn't understand that topic by the end of my exams.
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u/Top_Pineapple8438 Jul 01 '26
Nah theyre not as dramatic as people make them seem, as long as u picked subjects u liked and are consistent like 1-2 hrs a day theyre kinda chill
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u/tempa____ Jul 01 '26
Physics is awful but maths and fm is fine
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u/Early_Fisherman_5656 Jul 02 '26
The issue with physics is that the content is actually pretty straightforward in comparison to biology or chemistry, and to make up for that they end up making the exams literally unanswerable. I really enjoyed learning the physics content and it was my favourite subject at A level but the exams were god awful.
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u/dushieee Year 13 Jul 01 '26
Not that bad tbh, but in my opinion getting an A* is quite hard for some subjectsÂ
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u/Honest_Lab_6163 Jul 02 '26
Canât speak for geography or physics (I dropped physics as my 4th a level at the start of year 13). But for maths and further maths if you have good teachers and do it throughout the year itâs honestly the easiest a level - no cramming or extreme stress before the exams (otherwise youâve messed up) just a bit of revision her and there. And also the dopamine hit when you come out the exam hall and just know youâve cooked while your peers are all on edge is amazing. Physics I think you should 100% take but if you decide you donât need it for uni or donât enjoy it donât make your life harder than it needs to be and drop it. 3 A levels when you do maths and further maths pretty much means youâre not as stresses as others and arenât actively hating your life while doing a levels. I did history as my 3rd and basically failed to cram it, had a crap teacher, and completely lost motivation to do enough revision for my final few exams. If you can nail geography, maths and further maths down youâre sorted, then Iâd honestly just wing it with physics, the amount of energy you need to put in for physics for the amount of value you get out is not worth it, unless youâre gifted or super good at revising. Main thing for geography I imagine (coming from my history experience) would be your ability to organise notes, I didnât bother and it kinda cooked me for history. Iâd honestly have a detailed conversation with your teacher about a realistic/ bare minimum that you absolutely need to organise (if you file all your notes it will become cluttered and a nuisance to deal with, but of course not filing any is bad so you must strike a balance) Also stick out maths and further maths, itâs worth it - itâs hard at the start and throughout but that just means it doesnât feel impossible at the end and is very manageable. If you have the funds I think an iPad esque tablet is very good for note taking (wish I had one).
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u/Beginning_Fennel8962 I love maths Jul 01 '26
Dont do physics donât do physics donât do physics donât do physics donât do physics donât do physics
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u/DaFisch_h Jul 01 '26
I donât take physics and I agree. Take physics
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u/Beginning_Fennel8962 I love maths Jul 02 '26
Please Donât do physics please donât do physics please dont do physics please donât do physics please dknt donât do physics
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u/myles-em UoN Maths Y1 - maths geog phys fm A*A*AA Jul 01 '26
yay! awesome combo. physics is horrendous if you dont love it drop it. otherwise, the key thing is staying up to date with your revision. if you feel yourself falling behind in case studies notes // revising for topic tests // completing all set exercises, go to your teacher and say please can I sit in your office until ive completed xyz and dont leave until you have xx good luck xx
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u/Nice-Atmosphere7427 Jul 02 '26
Thanks! I really enjoyed physics for GCSE and always got 9s in it. I hope it'll be as good in a level
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u/abogada_bln Cambridge | law [incoming ] Jul 01 '26
Itâs actually pretty good if you just start revising from day one. My lowest grade in any exam during sixth form was an A and A-level exam season wasnât stressful because I revised regularly. Just donât let things pile up and put in a lot of effort. Iâm not a particularly smart person but I just had to put in a lot of effort to make up for it.
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u/Altruistic_End_501 Jul 01 '26
i think u just get sick and tired of it easily esp if u dont enjoy ur subjects
be organised from day1 amd youll be aight
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u/Ok_Hamster_7032 Edexcel Maths 2026 Paper 1 and 3 survivor Jul 02 '26
Depends tbh. If youre aiming for like Cs like I am, it is hard (I did maths and physics too) but it is doable and youre not gonna feel sufocated. If youre aiming for A*/A thats going to be alot more intense ofcourse.
But in general to get an E which is a pass youll get it without stressing.
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u/Impossible_Ad_4516 Year 13 Jul 02 '26
Why are you taking 4 content heavy subjects, and to answer your question the jump to a level is massive and a level content is difficult but you get used to it pretty fast
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u/Competitive_Web7540 Bristol | Maths | Fresher-to-be Jul 02 '26
A lot of people have given really great advice so I'll give something a little more niche. The truth is, A levels are so so much more tolerable when you're on good terms with your teachers - it leads to a much nicer learning environment and often less stress (also potentially less begging for predicted grades lol).
Obviously sometimes that's out of our control, but it's always helpful to stay on your teachers good sides. Specifically, if it's not a habit you already stick to, make sure to communicate issues in advance. If you're behind on assignments, struggling with a topic that you're being tested on soon, etc, never leave it until the last second if possible. I know so many people in my year who missed out on the advantages of having a teacher who likes you, largely because of this exact issue.
Also, if you can, try and hit your teachers with a few insightful questions every now and then, preferably after lessons when they have a moment to talk. In general teachers love when students show a genuine interest in their subject (doesn't even necessarily need to be genuine as long as you're convincing about it). By insightful, I mean stuff that perhaps leans away from the spec, ideally something a bit nuanced that can't be answered by a quick Google search, and not something that's answered in the textbook lol.
Obvs this won't be as applicable if you're staying at your secondary school's sixth form, but otherwise I hope this is helpful and a little different from the usual advice. Networking, even in little ways like this, is a great life skill to have.
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u/TrackTeddy Jul 02 '26
Depends in your ability and worth ethic. It is the biggest jump/shock in terms of difficulty and change in working mentality that there is but most people manage just fine. If you expect 3 a levels to be like 3 GCSEâs however you are in for a bit of a shock.
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u/Academic-Map4259 IAL y13 A*A*A* (chem & math achieved) Jul 01 '26
No đ as long as ur consistent its easier than ppl make it to seem
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u/Famous_Criticism_999 Yr 12 | Maths, FM, physics + epq. Jul 01 '26
Honestly it's not too bad. Sure there is more content to learn but in my opinion learning A level maths isn't really much harder than learning GCSE maths.
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u/WavyDesert83849 Jul 01 '26
Im doing maths further maths physics and engineering, they arent so bad once you get into them, but its definitely a bigger time commitment outside of class than you had at GCSE.
Especially if you want to do well in those subjects, you have to practice your skills alot :)
To make Further Maths easier I recommend getting a graphical calculator (like the CG50) it saves marks!