There are no "secrets" or shortcuts to success in your studies.
All you need to succeed is the right mindset and the right techniques.
These are what you will learn here...
Anoushka Bucktowar
General Tips
Manage your time wisely, make a practical schedule for your revision and try to stick to it as far as possible. Work consistently from the start, and do not leave any major topics for learning at the last moment when the exams are approaching.
Practise as many past papers as you can, and always verify your answers using the marking scheme, to know what exactly the examiners expect. Start practising past papers within time limits as early as you can.
For each past paper that you practise, note down any mistake that you made, try to understand why you made that mistake and what the correct answer should actually have been. Go through your mistakes once again during your final revision.
For the scientific subjects, try to understand the basis of concepts rather than cramming the answers because this will allow you to answer a wide range of questions rather than only the ones you encountered before. For understanding concepts, CIE textbooks can be very helpful because they contain relevant information that you will be assessed on.
Always clarify any doubt that you may have. Seek help from your teachers and friends when you have not understood a topic/question clearly.
Subject-SpecificTips
General Paper
Work out an essay on a weekly basis as far as possible. Practise numerous comprehension and data response passages, and use the marking scheme to get an idea about how to pertinently answer questions. Read several good model essays. Start writing essays within the word limit as soon as you can. Be updated about the latest national and international news and write down important statistics and facts that you can go through before your final exams.
Mathematics
Practise as many past exam papers as possible. Learn from your mistakes and correct them. Keep a list of formulae where you write down all the important formulae that you encounter and use for Maths, such that you can easily refer to them.
Chemistry
Start working hard as from the beginning of your studies. Keeping a summary notebook for Organic Chemistry can be very helpful for revision. Go through the Cambridge syllabus to ensure you have covered and understood all the learning outcomes. Make the most out of your practical sessions. If you have any doubt in comprehending a topic or a concept, seek help from your teachers and your peers.
Physics
Understand the logic and reasoning behind the different topics. Do not ignore the harder questions whilst focusing solely on the easier ones. Try to answer the questions that you find hard and verify your answers using the marking scheme. Go through the Cambridge syllabus to ensure you have covered and understood all the learning outcomes. Always use the marking scheme to ensure that your answers will be accepted by the examination board.
Biology Sub
Although you will most likely finish the AS level syllabus earlier than that for the A level subjects, keep on regularly practising past papers, and revising your notes till the final exams. Do not grow out of touch with it. Verify your answers using the marking scheme and use the CIE examiner reports as an adjunct. Be steady and consistent with your biology practical sessions.