Year 12s: How to survive A-Levels through quarantine.

It's true: the current Year 13 and Year 11 students are, frankly, living the dream. Predicted grades are being thrown around like graduation hats, and instead of being in the pits of exam preparation, we are basking in the sunshine binging Brooklyn 99. No awkward Zoom meetings for us, although I have to say I'll miss the tweets and the "Hitler hates *insert exam 2020 here*" after exams.

But that's kind of missing the point, isn't it? Year 10s and Year 12s are missing out on months of content - and all they have to fall back on is hastily-prepared, online lessons being delivered by teachers who are tipsy on their kitchen gin. They're not great with technology at the best of times ("Sir, it's frozen," springs to mind), so god knows they're not teaching to their best ability from their living room.

With this in mind, I'd like to help out the Year 12s in particular. I've been though the stress of it all: getting used to the specification; rewriting essays and still failing; trying to pull together all your notes. So here's my best advice, and I give it with a sympathetic bow of my head, because pulling through this may almost kill you.

#1: The homework your psycho teachers are setting you takes priority.

I know first hand what it's like to have a list of revision you need to do - you know, the stuff that will actually help you come exam season - on top of the homework your teachers are setting you. Which, let's be honest, feels pretty useless half the time, and you resent doing.

But because the world hates students, you still have to do the work if you want a decent predicted grade. Now is not the time to be getting on your teacher's nerves by not completing work, because when you eventually get back in the classroom, they'll remember everything you missed. And then not only will you have missed half a year of school, but the one person you can fall back on won't be so enthusiastic to support you.

Write a list. Get it done. Repeat.

Coffee will become your new best friend.

#2: Find the time to make notes, but don't obsess.

Listen to me, Year 12. Listen to me carefully.

Those pastel-highlighed notes you just made, the ones that are now proudly tucked away in your folder ....

You will never look at them again.

You have enough to worry about during quarantine, so do not force yourself to take comprehensive notes... there's no point. That's why you have textbooks and youtube videos. When you come to exam time, you'll find yourself too stressed to flick through random parts of your folders, hoping to find half-decent notes.

Of course, I know there's an advantage to consolidating knowledge, and I also know that writing content out helps get it into your head. But instead of writing sheets of notes, you might as well try something useful. I.e:

1. - Mindmaps. Pretty ones, that you'll actually see again one day.
2. - Revision cards: question and answer style. These are invaluable for mocks.
3. - Index cards, for notes that you want to consolidate. These are really useful for last minute exam panic, when you don't want to read your entire text book again but need to get your facts straight.

Do not let anyone convince you that notes will get you an A* - no teacher should be forcing you to write up every single lesson. But create revision material as if it were the cure for Coronavirus and you were the only manufacturer.

#3: Modern Languages students, this one is for you.

I cannot stress this next tip enough. Seriously, if I could vaporise in front of you and tell you one thing, this would be it.

Learn your vocab.

You're already behind on it, aren't you? Ha. I know the feeling.

Don't worry. Take it from a Year 13: you still have time to learn it all. It will help you for your oral exam so much, not just your reading exam. Quizlet is great and so is Memrise - although I'm sure you already know that. But if your school has access to Kerboodle, I recommend using the 'other resources' section of the online resources. At the end of each chapter, they have interactive activities to help you learn it.

Believe me, when you hit January of Year 13, you do not want to realise there are 1000 words (literally) that you never learned. Why? Because it's no use knowing grammar if you have no words to string it together.

#4: Create yourself a banging playlist for after you finish lessons for the day.

Cardi B, anyone? Imagine Dragons? Maybe a throwback to Disney for nights you're feeling particularly fragile?

Look: this might seem like a feeble top-tip, but do not underestimate the power of 'you' time. You are absorbing so much information every day (even if you don't feel like it), and not only that, you are dealing with the frustrations of global pandemic. Go you. I say we rename 'Class of 2021' to 'Class of superheros.'

Because of this, you need your 'you' time. Make sure it's in the evening when you don't have to feel guilty for neglecting work, and when hopefully your household has calmed down a bit. Put your work out of sight and watch some movies. Pretend A Levels aren't a thing anymore.

One day when this is over, you will be like this everyday. Just like after GCSEs, you'll get a wonderfully long break. And you can rest in peace, knowing you conquered A Levels and a deadly virus.

#5: You are allowed to panic.

Panic away, it's a free country. This situation is new to everyone, and I think a few mental breakdowns are perfectly acceptable - in fact, I would be concerned if you weren't panicking. I was panicking in Year 12 and I was living an ordinary life.

If your teachers are setting too much work, you need to speak to someone - be that your actual teacher or another member of staff. Emails are a wonderful, less awkward form of communication, and you are blessed with the excuse to use them all the time at the moment. Hold your teachers accountable if they aren't being helpful or aren't marking work. Remember: it looks bad on them if you fail all your A Levels as well.

But you won't fail. We all say we will, but few of us actually end up failing (and even if you do, that doesn't mean you can't be a millionaire someday.) Let's be honest, loads of rich people never received higher education, that's why they're full of their own opinions and not much else.

But you aren't going to be one of those people: this time next year, you will be in that exam hall, knowing you've done your best.

Because let's face it: if Corona can't kill you off, A-Levels don't stand a chance of doing the same, do they?