Teachers are so important with Bio specifically I think. At GCSE I was awful at it, then I re sat at a different school and even went on to do it for AS. it’s mad how teachers can affect your subjects so much.
Emma Jane I know! I was getting 2s in RE in my old school and I absolutely HATED it (loved the teacher but I couldn’t learn with her). Now I have a new teacher at a new school and I’m getting straight 9s because I love her teaching method, and I’m taking it as an a level next year and I’ll probably be a university lecturer in religion, theology and philosophy when I’m older :)
IKR? I'd left KS2 primary school with a level 6 [National Curriculum, not GCSE. It's equivalent to a grade 3] in both english and maths. The teacher in english [years 7-9] was CRAP I'm telling you! He just likened my struggle with coming up with ideas to write with being 'bad' at english, and he'd always send me to my head of year's office for things like smiling or getting slightly restless. From years 7-9 I was stuck at a grade 2-3. But after getting my teacher changed in late/mid year 9, I was instantly surrounded by enthusiastic kids as well as a fun and helpful new teacher. After my first unit test in that class, I got a grade 6. And in year 10, in another unit test, got an 8. Teachers affect your EVERYTHING when it comes to school but I hate how the system would still blame it all on you even if your teacher never lets you stay in class.
The people who say Biology is the easiest subject are in for a shock! I completely agree with what you have said Jade, only 4 weeks into Y13 and I am already thinking I miss AS x
Oh my GOSH I feel you with the glycerol, glucagon, glycogen, glucose, glycerides, etc. And just remembering like monosaccharides, polysaccharides, disaccharides, then like what makes up what like sucrose, maltose, galactose, fructose etc like what ones of those are poly, di, mono. And all of the processes to make and break those😳 so much stress in the first topic damn! I’m finding it a lot easier now tho!
sabiha iqbal hahah I’m past it all now! I did carbohydrates, lipids then proteins and I’m now on enzymes and structure and my teacher said proteins was hardest yet I still find carbs/saccharides the hardest!! You’ll do amazingly(:
@@gachadrop6728 no go for it still! It’s always going to be hard work but it’s worth it! I’m in year 2 of A level biology which is crazy, I thought I was going to leave science behind in gcse but I love it so much. It’s my hardest subject but the content is interesting. If you want it, go for it!
@@lilythepink9036 you were going to leave science behind? Why is that? I am also thinking of doing that and switching to commerce but I'm not sure... what was your experience?
I started A Level biology this year and so far it's not too bad - then again, I'm comparing it to the jump between GCSE and A Level maths, which has been considerable for me since we started with my weakest parts in maths 😅 I'm sure the jump will get bigger once I have more lessons aha
Phantom R Very true. I finished A-levels in the summer and sat the same exams as Jade. I can say that AS biology was extremely easy. A2 is much harder! It all worked out in the end though, just keep trying and ask for extra help.
@@phantomr277 I agree - personally, the jump from GCSE to AS-level maths was negligible, but the jump to A-level is much more apparent (I do A-level maths and AS-level further maths).
Kezia Lucas I’m doing maths, bio too. tbh AS biology doesn’t seem too much yet - I’ve done monosaccharides, polysaccharides, lipids, phosphate lipids etc I’m Also doing maths, were just building on GCSE such so far we have learnt things like polynomials but they’re basic :)
1. Revise 2. Flashcards 3. Blurting revision 4. Someone to help u - friend/teacher 5. Need chapter before lesson - u have q and gaps u will fill in the sess Understand well
please do one of these for a level maths because I'm really considering it for a-level because maths is my favourite subject so I'd like an honest review of what it's really like
Maths is great as long as you keep up with the content. The content itself isn’t too hard, but you have to keep going back over what you’ve learnt because they move on quite quickly. So far I haven’t had anything that I don’t understand at all. If you like maths, definitely go for it :)
I just joined a level maths . Personally I would say that if you get a 7 and above you should deffo try maths , however only do it if you want to and you really need it . Truth be told it’s difficult . But with practice it definitely gets better
I can't express how accurate you are on every point! I knew the content inside out but even though I left an ok amount of time for past paper revision I wish I did it more intensely as I went along like I did with my notes. That's something I'm keeping in mind at university (even though the assessment system's different)
Doing the flash cards after each lesson is so useful, other wise they pile up till you just can't get through all of it! Thanks Jade for this video I really appreciate the tips!💕 Could you please do a maths video aswell please?
Biology is actually very hard. I'm going to give my A level exams on October. A lot of revision and its very interesting content but very hard. Plus, my teachers are not that good so I have to understand most of it by myself.
Im in my 2nd year Biology currently, the whole course becomes connected together in second year and there is a lot of reference back to first year content
@@annie4005 i’m doing bio, psychology and english language! it’s definitely my hardest subject, i really hated it at first and i failed my first ever assessments in november i think but it was mostly a case of me not understanding a-level questions and not using specific terminology. it is a great subject to take and the content is really interesting and when i put in the independent work it’s a lot easier to do - i enjoy it now!
Same! Im doing biology chemistry physics and math with AS english language. 🤡 everyones questioning my choices 😅 but fingers crossed i do well. Any advice?
Doing (OCR A) A-level Biology at year 12 atm, and I approve. I've skimmed through the spec and there's a distinct difference between GCSE and A-level Bio. GCSE Bio is a joke compared to that of A-level's. Learning it is quite easy (to me at least), but as Jade said the sheer size of it is the problem. Too much content needs to be covered and memorization plays a key role. Overall, it's very interesting but challenging. Welp, thanks for scaring us Jade!
In year 13 rn and I totally agree with you! this advice is so great (apart from making notes after EVERY lesson which isn’t realistic for me aha) it’s okay if you don’t get it straight away though, as long as you’re motivated enough to go to the teacher after class or learn through Khan academy or whatever
Yass. Biology is HARD!! 😭I suck at biology. Thank you so much for this video. ❤ Also, I have to struggle more bc I'm not lucky enough like you to have a good bio teacher.
YO I TOOK BIOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY AND PSYCHOLOGY. This made my life and made me feel happier in my a levels and more confident. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU xxx
I’m not even taking biology but of course I’m still watching this!! lots of the people in my physics class who also take biology always say that it’s often underestimated just how difficult it is and although physics is notorious for being hard, they find biology much more challenging to get good grades in xx
I'm in year 13 currently just finishing biology, chemistry, and geography spec. I 100% agree with all of this it's so difficult to apply and analyse and explain things and for very few marks. A grade C is currently about 48% and a grade B is around 55% and its hard to even get to this level. Half my chem class failed their June mocks and most of my geog class don't get 3/4 marks on essays cause A levels are so hard. My bio teacher said in my first lesson in year 13, it's called advanced level for a reason. Everything is relevant. The bio text book is 500 pages in tiny print. It's killing everyone. Only take it if you need it as a particular subject for your uni course. Don't take it as a side quest.
Im from malaysia and im currently studying for my foundation level. U really motivate me a lot! Thanks for ur advices. Keep spreading good vibes Jade :)
Great advice and video! I did Biology with English Lit, History and French and have to agree that it would be easier with maths and chemistry. I still got an A*, so it's definitely possible to do well without having maths and chemistry, but I think you have to be willing to put in a little more effort to understand some of the maths stuff - like the t-tests and chi squared. Also I feel like one of the best pieces of advice I was ever given on answering biology exam papers was to not be afraid to state the obvious. So often on the questions using graphs and tables, you can lose marks by not pointing out what seems too glaringly obvious and easy to merit a mention.
Thank you for the great video!!! I started WJEC biology A-Level this year, and so far I’ve been reeally enjoying it, and your tips and advice will surely be useful!! Xxxx
Brilliant video Jade! ❤️ I'm in year 11 and I've been thinking about my A level options. I've always wanted to take Biology but after watching this is feel a bit weary about the mathematical part of the A level. Just this year I've been moved up to top set in maths so I'm doing the higher paper and it is quite different to the foundation tier.
Thank you for making this! I’m 2/3 weeks into year 12 and I’ve decided to swap one of my subjects to biology so this is super helpful! I really love your videos 😊🌼
The key to doing well in A level biology is not taking anything for granted. Make sure you start even before you start preparing even before you enter sixth form school. That way, when you start officially, you are able to work at your pace because things get crazy very first. Also, ensure you have a target of finishing the syllabus at least two months before the actual exam. Practise as many questions as possible and study the techniques used in answering questions. Good luck to all you newbies.
Wonderful video Jade! Just wondering how you quickened up the flashcards-making process? It takes me hours to make a set, which is frankly overwhelming
YES JADE MAKE A VIDEO ON THIS PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!! I HAVE to use colours and pics in my flshcards else I can't remember them b/c they'd be black and white with the same handwriting
I'm an A-level biology teacher in Shanghai. This is a very concise and thorough insight into A-level Bio, and definitely clued me in to what my students have gone through this year. Some very good tips to pass on, especially as they go into A2 next year!
I loved the video! I'm thinking about doing Maths, Chemistry, Biology and Further Maths for A levels, but it's a horrendous workload, and the video gave me a lot of information to think about :)
Warwick Wagner 4 is honestly stressful, (I started with Maths, Further Maths, Economics and History) and although the workload is manageable. It led me to have to be working 24/7 which is not what I want. So therefore I dropped one (history). I’ve also heard that further maths isn’t really needed for medicine/science related courses, but obviously if you want to go into maths then it is essential
Thanks for the advice - Annoyingly I don't know whether I want to go into Maths or science at uni, so that makes the decision harder. Also I heard that for top universities Further Maths is an advantage (but never a requirement) for sciences, but I might be wrong.
Warwick Wagner you're right about further maths not being a requirement; it just often means that the grade requirements are slightly lower for maths courses. for example, for my uni (uni of leeds) the normal requirements are AAA, but they are AAB/A*BB if you have a further maths A level or an A in further maths AS level. i haven't researched these unis but some of the really high unis like oxbridge might require it, but if you're not aiming as high as that, you should be fine not doing further maths. everything covered in further maths is gone through at university where necessary to put everyone on the same level, and same with statistics and mechanics because not everyone has done those either
I am doing my masters in biology in germany at the moment and am so happy that i made it through the bachelor! It was pretty hard, but work ethic and interest in the subject are the most important things that will keep you motivated. AND don't beat yourself up about bad marks, they happen!! As long as you can make your masters afterwards, your bachelor mark does not matter, so just keep on going! Not the smartest stayed until the end, but the grittiest! If you have any questions, please ask below, i may make a video about it too 😊❤️❤️❤️
Wow so much I wanna say! Okay let me get started xD.. You are litterally one of the most amazing YTers out their.. You motivate & inspire me everyday. Your positivity is contagious and automatically improves my day. Your academia really helps me with school because there is very little support for me at my school. Your love for your fans is so precious & I really hope ypu know how much you mean to all of us!I wanna wish you the best of luck for your tttravels, your going to be amazed by the impact you have on so many peoples lives! . Thanks for being you xxxx
This helped so much. I've just started biology and I'm not sure what to think about it! There is a lot of content to learn so your revision videos and study videos have definitely come in handy!! Great video :))
Doing IB HL Biology (much much harder than A-Level Biology!!) and loving it so far. You're totally right, IT IS SO DENSE! Your videos are actually saving me Jade
just started as level biology and so far i’m loving it, this has really given me the advice i needed of how to really revise as i’m doing chemistry and biology and both are very different i’ve been trying to work out how to actually consolidate my knowledge, this helped so so much, thank you jade!!!
I do A-level biology and I watch Khan Academy videos it’s a very useful.. and she is right biology is way harder than maths and chemistry and you have to do lots of past papers to get high grades. Good luck everyone 💜
loved this video. Even though our systems are different i too have taken bio, maths, chem and phy and Bio is my favourite one. I will be taking it at Uni.
I actually could not have described a-level biology better myself. Everything u said is exactly right. Ur vid has confirmed what I’m doing it right. 👍🏻👍🏻
I LOVE YOUR VIDEOS, THEY ARE ALWAYS SO USEFUL, (AND YOU HAVE HELPED MY GRADES IN BIOLOGY)! Can you do a "tips for handling many subjects at once video" or something along those lines. XXX ❤❤❤much appreciated
It’s like talking to an older sister even though I’m not from England and my educational system is not the same :) I’m studying Pharmacy at the University of Barcelona and it’s the best desicion i’ve ever made 😍
I find myself in biology feeling really fidgety because I’m getting so excited about the content and how amazing biology is. Particular at the beginning of year 12 I can now control it 😂. Lots of love Jade
Thank you. I’ve just enrolled onto a level biology for year 13 as I switched travel for it since travel was getting me nowhere. I am going to stay for 3 years at my college. My other subjects are statistics and forensic science.
I can’t believe how accurate this video was. I’m from New Zealand and am currently doing NCEA Level 3 and it is so wild to me how that this video is so relevant to completely different systems! But especially Mark schemes, oh my lord. Love writing a page and a half for a question and getting 0 points and failing the question because I didn’t mention like 3 specific words 😭
I’m doing IAL, and our AS is in May, I’m doing Chem, phy and bio. This was a really helpful video. I literally am like, in shock, girl you must’ve worked like hell, To be getting those 3 A*s congrats!! 😭♥️
Loved this video, wish I had seen it before taking biology! Having such a dilema at the moment, im in year 13 at the moment and really struggling with biology! so much content and markschemes are vile! I work so hard for it but aren't really getting the grades I want (normally Ds and Cs). I know the grades really aren't awful or anything but im also just not happy cause I just feel constantly confused, and am only scraping passes in tests beacuse I spend all my time revising and learning the content (i struggle with the application of knowledge)! This week I have been heavily considering restarting year 12 with different subjects but i need some advice cause I know its a massive decision but I need to make it soon and not feeling too happy with my subjects (chem and geog), especially biology!
Omdss I'm acc so scared about doing A level biology this september and I keep on hearing everywhere that its a big jump from Gcses...Love Ur videos btw❤
I'm a biology teacher and I think your advice is spot on! Thank you. Biology is fab !!! but you really have to work at it. It isn't the "easy" science - as you so rightly said.
Annabel Rogers personally I thought the subject entailed was quite boring and not necessarily something I would enjoy. I do psychology and there is some overlaps so I chose sociology to drop out of the 2 xx
Annabel Rogers I only stayed in the lesson for a week so I can’t really comment on it, maybe speak to so,done at your school or wherever you’re considering studying the subject
I’m doing both sociology and biology and I understand what you mean, sociology doesn’t have particularly exciting content. But I find it interesting and it goes nicely with my other subjects and I have an amazing teacher who makes it as fun as possible!
I'm about to start my AS level to go onto my A levels😭😭 And woahh we're doing the same subjects! I just hope I don't have too much breakdowns ;-; Thanks a lot for this vid!
Yay! I've been looking forward to watching this video! Thank so much- I'm deciding whether to take biology as an a-level next year and this was so helpful!! Do you think you'll be doing another meet and greet in the near future?! Possibly in Bristol or Cheltenham? Lots of Love Lauren xx