Top Tips for Sixth Form Students

College staff and it is therefore important that students organise their activity properly and participate responsibly e.g. that they have been fully inducted as part of their gym membership or can swim unaided if participating. It is also important that students are reliable and do not let down organisations that agree to support them. Students will participate in the timetabled General R.E. programme run by the College each alternate Wednesday. Again some of the activities may require students to leave the College premises unsupervised. Prior to students starting the enrichment programme all students must: 1. Advise Head or Deputy Head of Sixth Form of the programme they intend to participate in with proof e.g. photocopy of gym membership or in the case of the work experience or community work – contact details of the person with whom this has been organised. 2. Complete the Consent Form parental consent form at the back of this information booklet.

1. Keep Organised

The key to being a successful student is being organised. Some people are naturally good at staying organised and do not even need a diary or a planner to keep at the top of their game. Most of us, however, do need to keep some kind of notes on what it is that we are and should be working on. We will provide you with a student planner specifically for your Sixth Form studies - that way you can note down all of your classes, all of your assignments, or any other memos, and keep them in a single place. You will always know where to go whenever you are looking for any of your deadlines or exam dates.

It is also useful to separate all your subjects from one another. You will be provided with subject specific exercise books which should be available in all lessons. It would be a good idea to purchase an A4 file to store your extra reading materials, that way it is easy to access any information you might possibly need during or after your classes to complete assignments. It is also useful in the long-run, when you are preparing for exams - you will want to have all of your related information as close together as possible. You should also buy a USB drive, but do not rely solely on this. All of your work should be backed up on the College system. Losing your USB or it being damaged, can cause you unnecessary stress often resulting in hours of work being lost.

2. Don’t Be Afraid to Ask Questions

It is very helpful to ask questions whenever you are stuck on anything. Are you struggling with your assignment? Go ahead and ask your friends about it, they might have very helpful tips on how to carry on with it. Or you can ask your teachers, they are very helpful and will appreciate it if you are interested in their subject enough to try to make your assignments perfect. Remember, there is no such thing as a bad question! And successful A Level students ask a lot of questions!

3. Pick Your Subjects Wisely

When it comes to BTEC/A Levels, it is really important to pick your subjects wisely. Not only because certain universities have subject specific requirements. It is also important because your success is in large part determined by how good you are in your subjects and by how much you actually enjoy them. It is important that you pick subjects that you enjoy, because that way you will actually feel happy when you are working on your subject specific work, and you will also feel a lot more motivated in your work. If your chosen university subject has in its requirements a subject that you inherently do not enjoy or are not excited about, you might want to reconsider your university degree choice. This is because your chosen degree is likely to build upon the material in your A Level subjects, and if you do not enjoy those subjects, it is unlikely that you will not enjoy the degree you have chosen.