I can't get good grades.
- Thread starter flibbage0
- Start date
You, Swifty and Castiel have got to stop this, its getting old.
I suppose it can depend on how determined you are, yes, but I imagine she did a lot of work to become a pharmacist and/or applied as a mature student or did a foundation course?
Meh, I've just hit the point of no return with my beer so I'm no use in coherent conversation now :/
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I'm an oldie who has gone back to do some more A levels for the fun of it; already have 3 and a degree but was bored and decided to do some more. They are not necessarily easier than they used to be but one thing which is easier is that they tell you what you need to know to pass them.
Go to the AQA of whatever your exam body is and read the syllabus carefully it will tell you exactly what you are to be marked on and what you need to know about each subject. The most important thing to note is that it will give you grades marking scheme.
For example I am doing english language; to paraphrase, it will tell me that I will get most marks if I can describe items in terms of clause and sentence structure, below that if you can describe things in terms of word class etc etc. The thing to take from this is if you know you have no idea or do not understand clause structure either learn more about it or focus on getting top marks on the level beneath. There should also be a section saying something like of the 60 marks available in your exam 40% will be for technical accuracy 30% for context and 30% for originality etc etc. Which means when you are doing your exam you should spend an appropriate amount of time on fulfilling the above requirements.
It's all very contrived nowadays but that seems to be the way we are assessed.
Go to the AQA of whatever your exam body is and read the syllabus carefully it will tell you exactly what you are to be marked on and what you need to know about each subject. The most important thing to note is that it will give you grades marking scheme.
For example I am doing english language; to paraphrase, it will tell me that I will get most marks if I can describe items in terms of clause and sentence structure, below that if you can describe things in terms of word class etc etc. The thing to take from this is if you know you have no idea or do not understand clause structure either learn more about it or focus on getting top marks on the level beneath. There should also be a section saying something like of the 60 marks available in your exam 40% will be for technical accuracy 30% for context and 30% for originality etc etc. Which means when you are doing your exam you should spend an appropriate amount of time on fulfilling the above requirements.
It's all very contrived nowadays but that seems to be the way we are assessed.
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This. Saying that it took me 3-4 years to realise it.
Also. Check out the learning outcomes teachers set in the module books - questions can be set from these!
Soldato
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Learn to take the exams. When I was doing my A Levels you could apply to the exam board and request up to 5 years past exam papers with example answers and the grade they obtained. Most exam questions are just recycled/reworded year after year. If you learn the questions you pass the exam.
This.
I got reasonable GCSE results but flunked my A2 year (AS was ok for Physics and Chemistry, Maths I was just poo at). However I did just manage to get into uni with the grades I got (DDE) and after moving courses graduated jusst missing a first. I'm now doing a Masters and contemplating a PhD. I think A-Levels are the hardest part of the whole system (and we were told this at the beginning of 6th form). That said I work a hell of a lot harder now than I did for my A-Levels, but then the work isn't harder, there's just a lot more to do.
On the other hand there are still a few companies out there that I can't apply to because in their wisdom they take A-Level grades as more important than a masters degree from a good uni in a specific subject. Luckily they are the ones i'm not interested in anyway.
Two of my old teachers (both with 20-30 years experience) said the same thing. People of the 70s and 80s just learned different things to us, that's all. We now use calculators in all exams when they had to use lookup tables, it now means questions can be a lot harder mathmatically as we can just type it in and get an answer.
FP1? Is that what used to be called P4?
Ahh the good oldd days when Pure maths was pure and you had to skip whole sections of the book to finish in time for the exam...
Makes me feel old having done P1, P2, P3, M1, M2 and S1. It is a good idea them changing the P1,2 and 3 to 4 seperate modules though. There really wasn't enough time to actually learn each module in time once they added the AS exam.
M2 is really easy, but then I also did physics so covered it twice essentially. Pure after P1 was a *******.
If he wants to be a pharmacist he will need a degree in pharmacology, there is no other way in.
I was never great with exams in school, originally got a D in maths at GSCE.
I did however find when I was resitting my maths at college, the whole learning experience was just more laid back and it suited me just fine. Got a B in the resit.
Handy thing was I got into a class which had a few people from another course I was in, so the weekly weatherspoons trips were always a plus.
Teachers in colleges i found try harder to help you understand as opposed to school where if you didnt pick it up at first you got left behind.
I did however find when I was resitting my maths at college, the whole learning experience was just more laid back and it suited me just fine. Got a B in the resit.
Handy thing was I got into a class which had a few people from another course I was in, so the weekly weatherspoons trips were always a plus.
Teachers in colleges i found try harder to help you understand as opposed to school where if you didnt pick it up at first you got left behind.
Errrm, no. Pharmacy and pharmacology are two separate degrees. You will have pharmacology modules in a pharmacy degree but you don't apply for a pharmacology degree and then move on to a pharmacy degree. I lived with 2 pharmacists & a medic, a fellow neuroscientist and a pharmacologist. There is a joke in there somewhere.
Where I went to uni they had course in Pharmcy (to become a Pharmacist) and Pharmacology so I don't think your statement it entirely correct....
Soldato
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Draw a picture!
I don't care how simple the problem is, draw a picture of how you think you see the problem. Even if it's as simple as y=mx+c draw the picture. Even if it's a coordinate question and you think you know it, draw a picture! Even if it's the most difficult problem you'll ever come across, draw a picture of how you think you see the problem!
You'll soon realise your problems will get much easier.
I don't care how simple the problem is, draw a picture of how you think you see the problem. Even if it's as simple as y=mx+c draw the picture. Even if it's a coordinate question and you think you know it, draw a picture! Even if it's the most difficult problem you'll ever come across, draw a picture of how you think you see the problem!
You'll soon realise your problems will get much easier.
