Year 13 can be a very daunting time for all students. You are forced to juggle the twin difficulties of revising for you upcoming A-Level exams whilst thinking about your future, which for many will involve the University application process. If you don’t stay on top of your workload you can get left behind as the assignment deadlines begin to build up.
How should you then split up your time to ensure you reach your full potential?
To simplify split your time up into 3 areas
- Study (revision and coursework)
- University planning (open days / personal statement / interview prep)
- Free time (all the things in between like eating, sleeping, socialising etc.)
Remember that it is still important to maintain some sort of work/ life balance, provided you are using your revision time productively. However the use of your free periods for anything other than revision should stop. Revision means reviewing things you have studied before and trying to commit as much of it to memory as possible. Using websites such as https://revisionworld.com should help with this. Remember revision is not productive if you are simply reading your notes whilst second screening on Netflix.
Remember to talk to your teachers throughout the year about how they would recommend you balance your time between your study time and your free time. They will have seen many students before you go through the trials of year 13 so should be able to advise you on what you should prioritise and your own personal areas of weakness within the specific A-Level subjects you are studying.
On the plus side you will only have to live through this year of your life once and you will be glad you managed your time well if you get the exam results you need to bag your place at your desired University.
