Life lessons

Year 3 Sustainability and Environmental Management Student

I would tell my younger self that I am proud of you for juggling 9 GCSE subjects at once and doing your very best to balance them without letting one slip! I know how easy it is for you to only want to study the subjects you love (at the time, for me, it was English Literature and Drama), but put the work into the subjects you aren’t so confident with (Biology and Maths were not my strong points).  

During your GCSE exams, you are going to want to put down your pen halfway through an exam, thinking you aren’t good enough or you aren’t smart enough to finish the exam paper. But don’t let those thoughts prevent you from thinking you can get to the end of the exam. Make sure to utilise all the revision tools and techniques you have been using throughout the revision period!  

After navigating through GCSEs in Saudi Arabia and then moving to the UK to complete my A Levels in Nottingham, I needed to adjust to a different culture and way of living, as well as learning new material to try and gain the best grades possible. I remember staying at college for an extra couple of hours each day to do revision a few months before my A Level exams, and although there were some days I just wanted to go home and relax, I knew the effort was worth it. I am happy I went through the extra hard work to gain the grades I did. 

When I got my results, I was so scared to open the email link and see how all those years of studying had translated in my final three grades. If I could go back in time, I would shake the shoulders of my younger self and tell her that she should be proud of all the work she put in through the past 2 years. How I didn’t just finish my A Level exams, but I also learnt more about myself, my interests, the things that make me happy and the skills I gained. I would’ve shown her a portal to the future so she could see where she is now and that everything that is waiting for her on the other side.  

Year 3 Psychology Student

Workload definitely increases moving into A Levels from GCSEs, and it comes down to how determined you are the get the grades you want. If you work smart and effectively then there is no reason why you could not get the necessary grades for your chosen university.

I would tell my younger self not to worry so much about how hard A Levels are going to be, just to work as best you can. I would also tell myself that A Level results day is not as scary as it sounds.  Even if you do not secure your place at university, don’t worry about it. I know it seems trivial to say that, but many of my friends were not placed at their first choice universities and absolutely love their insurance choices! Now, they could not imagine being at any other university.