alvls result reveal, tips
heyyy zesties, been really inactive lately cuz I'm actually really busy. Who would hv thought that post alvls life is just as busy as during alvls. so for my expectation for alvls, I had not much of it. knew I could do really badly and screw it up or get 70rp. I never go and physically collect cuz I had internship. ofc since I was in a low tier jc, I was ofc v scared on the easiness of prelim exam compared to alvls and the comparison with the other students in elite jc.
so when I opened the slip right, I was feeling really happy cuz that would be one of the best case scenario. I got 66.25rp so I think it's p good. did ask ard my JC also and heard that the mean was Abt 55rp so yea I was p glad.
what I wish I had known:
1. be consistent, never get complacent
- even heard of pple saying "study effectively for 2hrs a day instead of 10hrs and get top grades". well I didn't listen and was studying btw 6-10hrs in the last few months. but I did a lot of past year papers and I aimed to finish 2-3 prelim papers (2024 ones) a week through Jan-sept. Funny enough, I finished all 2024 prelim papers for all the sch for my H2 subj lol.
- on the pt of studying effectively, at first I copied the notes (my low tier jc notes r messy and not concise) so I'll rewrite it into a mindmap but copy everything almost word for word (esp chem where it's like word specific marking. e.g giant ionic lattice structure). I mean it did help me familiarize myself w the topic but was time-consuming and I felt that there was btr ways to have done that.
2. some subjs r content/practice specifics so
content means flashcards and memory work (e.g. chem)
practice means spamming of qns (e.g. math)
- I think I'll elab on my next post on how I boosted my math and chem from Ds and Ss to A and B resp.
- was a lot btr in pure math topics and absolutely hated and sucked at stats. still hv no idea what was gg on during alvls but still managed the A. ain't no secret but I'll share next post
3. remove all distractions
- I think my phone was the biggest distraction: cuz I kept checking my phone if anyone whatsapped me or update their insta lol
- to mitigate that, I poweroff my phone so I only hv my ipad or com to study. esp useful when I'm outside and I turn off my phone so I'm cut off from internet and only rely on my downloaded files to revise
- I got back to using yeolpumpta like in the last few months where it locks my phone from other apps which forces me to lock in
4. ngl ur lifestyle affects ur study
- in JC I ran like twice a week which helped me like destress then when I came back I could study better and also felt like less tired
- I get food coma super easily so I think what u eat will affect how much or little u study. so I usually ate q little in school and cut on carbs which helped me focus in class and lock in during break
- plus I had uneven meal timings which caused stomach problems and in turn also affected my study
5. make use of all ur time
- study during breaks, study on the transport back like reviewing flashcards or reciting what you've memorized in ur head
- I had NSG and extra training sess so need to make use of pre and post training sess time to also catch up with the pilling hw.
6. trust the process
- there are so many times where I doubted myself through jc like when I kept scoring D/E for chem and I will be worried for the next exam or worried that I wouldn't do well for As
- figure out what r u doing wrongly, like for chem which marks on keywords, what words are u missing. Or what topics are u still unsure of.
- I rmb chatgpting and constantly texting my tchers to clarify on certain topics like org chem or stats lol. found it super helpful for my tests.
7. short and q effective point, find when and where do u study best
- library vs cafe vs at home
- day or night
- music or no music
- lighting
- I felt that bright lighted rooms with spacious tables (like Starbucks) helps me study best, keeping me motivated throughout. I work well early in the morn and I get fatigue in the afternoon. and rocking to music keeps me awake even though sometimes I get distracted
yea I think that's all I have thought off. jc ain't for the weak so good luck to my juniors in JC. study hard and get the dream degree!
Reflecting on my own experience with ALevels, especially when facing biology exams, I realized that self-criticism can be a powerful tool for improvement. For subjects like biology that demand memorization and understanding, acknowledging areas where I didn’t recite or read seriously was key to identifying what I needed to change. One thing I found helpful was setting specific goals for daily memorization, such as dedicating time to flashcards and actively reciting key concepts aloud. This made the information stick better than just passive reading. Also, I made it a habit to review my mistakes immediately after practice questions to avoid repeating them. Another important lesson was cherishing the learning process instead of just focusing on grades. When I stopped seeing studying as a chore and started appreciating the knowledge, my motivation and retention improved. For those struggling to write self-criticisms on poor exam performance, I suggest being honest but constructive—identify exactly which habits or misunderstandings led to low scores, and then map out clear actions to fix them. Lastly, integrating regular breaks, balanced nutrition, and physical activity helped sharpen my focus during study sessions. Trusting this holistic approach made a significant difference in both my mindset and results.
Honestly good job! I got 62.5 personally and had nightmares of getting bbc/a for some rzn lol