Surviving Sixth Form: The mega-guide to bossing Year 12 and beyond...

Hi. If you don't already know me, I'm Lily, and I'm currently in Year 12, soon to be Year 13. I found Sixth Form very daunting when I first started and would have loved a guide that told me everything I needed to know, so I decided to compile a list of all my advice and tips for those of you starting Sixth Form, or are currently in Year 12/13, in the hopes of helping out anyone who maybe feels a bit like I felt when I first started.

First off, I will just describe my school situation quickly, as I'm aware that there are different types of Sixth Form. My school is an 11-18 college, meaning you can remain there from years 7-13 should you wish, which I chose to do - it made a lot of sense, as I already knew the school and was comfortable, as well as already knowing all the teachers and having friends there. So I'm afraid I can't really offer advice to those who are also starting a new school when they start Sixth Form. Anyway, I'm currently doing A-levels in English, Design and Technology, and Biology, and am thinking of taking English at uni.

Organisation

First and foremost, organisation. This is pretty much key to any Sixth Form student. You need to be organised. I'm talking getting homework in on time (and preferably earlier than the deadline if possible), preparing for lessons by reading around the subject beforehand, always having the appropriate materials and equipment for lessons (please don't be the 'can I borrow a pen?' guy). I would advise getting a planner, or alternatively using a monthly calendar (you can find some really pretty free calendar printables online) or a weekly whiteboard planner. Whatever works for you. You just need to make sure that you write down homework as soon as you get it (if you don't you will forget about it) and then transfer the homework deadline to your planner/calendar as soon as you get home. And then check your planner before you leave for school every day. If you do this, it is pretty much foolproof. Start your homework as soon as you get it - the sooner you finish it, the sooner you can tick it off your list. Handing your homework in early is a great way to show teachers that you are a committed student, and, trust me, gaining respect from your teachers is a very useful thing. It means that when you do slip up and forget your homework or something, they are much more likely to be lenient with you. Some might say that this is a little eager, but if you want to achieve in your A-levels this is the kind of dedication you need. I mean, you can't always be perfect, but as long as you are putting all your effort in then you should be fine.

Stationery-wise, there are a few things you will need. Pens and pencils obviously, highlighters are good for making pretty notes and colour coding things if that is what you are into, and most importantly you will need some binders or some other form of filing system. Some people use notebooks at A-level, but I think it is much easier to write your in-class notes in a refill pad and then transfer these notes to your binders when you get home from school. It allows you to organise your notes much more efficiently and means you don't have to haul three notebooks around school every day (your back will thank you, trust me). I would also advise a small day folder, to bring notes and handouts to school with you from previous days that you may need for lessons that day. Post-it notes are also great, especially if you do English, like me, as it allows you to make more in-depth notes in your texts. A hole-punch is pretty important to allow you to put handouts in your binder/day folder.

Teachers

Teachers are a mixed bag. You could love them or you could hate them, but either way, you need to get on with them. A good relationship with your teacher will benefit you in the long run. As I said before if they respect they will more lenient. 

The relationship you will have with your teachers is different from GCSE. They will start to treat you like an adult, which is mostly a good promotion, but it also means you have a lot more responsibility and you have to be much more self-disciplined. 

The most important thing to remember with teachers is that they are there to help and support you. If you are confused about something, ask. If you are struggling with an essay, get some help. If you get a bad grade, see if you can see them at lunchtime or during a free and get them to talk through where you went wrong and how you can improve. I know it can seem daunting, especially at the beginning, but they won't (and if they do they are a bad teacher! If this happens, try and find another teacher who could help you out or ask a classmate or student in the year above for help) as it is their job to support you.

Ultimately, the main step up from GCSE is that they aren't going to hold your hand through anything anymore. The learning is a lot more independent and if you don't put the work in, they aren't going to pester you about it. It is your responsibility - you are there because you chose to be there, unlike GCSE. 

Free Periods

Another big change in Sixth Form is that you now get free periods - which, unless used wisely, could ultimately be your downfall. The main mistake people make is that a "free period" is for relaxing and socialising with friends, rather than working. Wrong. Free periods are for studying. Obviously, if you have a free last period on a Friday then you can loosen the reins a little, but predominantly your frees should be spent doing homework and revising. Sometimes I see people sitting on their phones for their entire free in the common room, and it makes no sense to me - why would you have your leisure time in the sweaty, noisy common room and have to do your work when you get home from school, rather than the other way round. I would rather finish my work at school and relax in the comfort of my own living room, where I can watch TV and lie on the sofa.

And for this reason, try to avoid study areas where these people reside - you will just end up getting distracted too. Instead, go somewhere quiet, like the library, to study in peace. Trust me, you will be a lot more productive.

After School Study

Although you can get a lot of your work done during your free periods, you will also have to study at home too. Try and leave plenty of time to relax and have hobbies too, though. I usually try to do two hours of work when I get home if I'm feeling productive (this increases when I start revising for exams). Sometimes it can be less if I'm being lazy. That still leaves me with about three hours of downtime. I highly advise creating revision materials as you go along throughout the year (e.g summary mindmaps and flashcards) - you will be SO GRATEFUL when exam season comes around and you can get straight into revising without having to faff around making them.

Also, try and consolidate your learning after each lesson. Test yourself, try and remember everything you learnt in the lesson that day (get yourself a mini whiteboard - these are fantastic for revision and testing how much you know on a topic) and review everything you didn't remember.

Revision

I have a few tips to help you revise, either during your frees or after school. Firstly, make sure you aren't surrounded by distractions. I can guarantee that if your phone is within reaching distance whilst you are studying, you will probably get distracted by it (at least I always do). If you are at home, put it away in a drawer somewhere until you have finished studying, or if you are at school leave it in your school bag. Secondly, make sure that you know exactly what revision you will be doing before you start your study session. I find it very difficult to start studying if I sit down and then have to decide what to study, but if I have already planned what I will be doing I can get straight into it. In the evenings, take a second to plan what work you will be doing/what you will be revising in your frees the following day. That way, you can also make sure you take all the materials you need for studying into school with you.

University

Although it may seem a while away when you start Year 12, the earlier you start researching universities the better. It just means that come Year 13, you will have less to worry about and the pressure will be eased a bit. Most university open days happen around September - November time, and June - August, although they do occur throughout the year. Try to go to as many of these as possible during Year 12 (particular towards the end of Year 12) so that going into Year 13 you have an idea of which universities you would like to go to.

Year 12 is also a good time to do things that, come Year 13, you can add to your uni application/personal statement. In your application, universities are looking for students that go above and beyond their A-level course, and further their interest in the subject outside of lessons, so start doing things early on. For example, I want to study English at uni, so this year I started a Year 12 book club, became the editor of the Sixth Form blog, and started doing some wider reading.

Workload

As you have probably already heard, there is a big jump between GCSE and A-levels. Don't let this put you off though! Yes, the workload does increase, but it is manageable if you use your common sense and use your time wisely. You also hopefully have a passion for the A-level subjects that you choose, meaning that you will actually want to learn and study these subjects.

Also, always follow the golden rule: catch up on any work if you miss a lesson. It is so easy to fall behind if you don't do this, and playing catch up isn't fun. It also means you will end up with gaps in your knowledge that, come exam season, will cause a problem and just give you extra work to do. If you miss a lesson, email the teacher or speak to them at lunch to get the work that you missed, and make sure to ask for help if you don't understand it.

Exams

Although my school don't do AS levels anymore, we still do exams at the end of the year that helps teachers to determine our predicted grades (so they are still pretty important!) under the same exam conditions as AS's. These are great practice for the real thing in Year 13. Make sure you revise well for these exams. Put the time and work in and you will reap good results. Exam season can be stressful so make sure you look after yourself! Always have some downtime planned into a day, even if it is just watching an episode of your favourite Netflix series. The night before an exam, keep studying to a minimum and try to relax. The best tip I can give for the night before an exam is to have an early night. You will feel refreshed and ready for your exam - there is nothing worse than walking into an exam feeling exhausted and drained.

Enjoy It!

Lastly, enjoy it! Sixth Form, although it can be very hard work at times, will also probably be the most rewarding years of your school life. I hope this article helps (let me know in the comments if it did!), and good luck!