S P O T L I G H T
10 Spotlight
Transitioning from IGCSE to AS/A Level by Ilinca Birsan, Year 12 Most students currently studying at IGCSE level have little to no knowledge of the difficulty in transitioning into sixth form. I have just started the AS course myself, and having just finished my first set of mock exams, I have come to a few realisations that I would like to share with younger students curious about the challenges ahead. I thought that the best way of giving some insights into life as a student in the sixth form would be to interview one of my colleagues, Ana Mihaescu.
An Interview with Ana Mihaescu (Year 12) Q: Hi Ana! Before we get started, can you tell everyone a bit about yourself and what you’re planning to study in the future? Ana: Hi everyone! I would like to start by saying I am by nature a very lively and
sociable person, and believe that throughout my years in IBSB these qualities have developed more and more. After taking psychology in the GCSE programme, I realised that I’m really interested in this subject, so decided to take it as one of my subjects for AS. I’m really looking to studying criminal psychology at university, believing that my GCSE and A level courses will help me a lot, especially in my first year at uni. Q: What made you decide on your 4 AS level subjects? Is there anything you would change? Ana: Knowing that I want to do Psychology at university, I was able to look a number of universities for their requirements. I’m currently studying History, Psychology, English Literature, and Biology for AS this year, and I honestly believe that they are the perfect mix of subjects for what I want to do in the future. I picked biology and psychology as my main mandatory subjects to help me apply for uni, and picked the other two because they are subjects that interested me throughout the IGCSE course, and still do. I wouldn’t say I’d change any of them, especially since I’m still not sure about which one to drop for my final year of A level either. Q: Would you say the teachers have a different attitude compared to how they treat you in IGCSE? Ana: I really do believe that teachers have changed the way they act with us, in a positive way. We are clearly being treated as more mature teenagers; we are given much more freedom and are expected to be more independent as
learners, whilst also being taught what is required. Our teachers have some expectations of us that they expect us to achieve, which is perfectly understandable.