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Still confused about whether you should go for A-level politics or not?
Well, if you belong to that sphere of population that believes that every individual owes something to their state for the better functioning of society, then this is for you.
You might have come across some people who generally have a nonchalant attitude towards politics. But for societies to prosper, one needs an informed public, targeted activism, accountable leaders, and young decision-makers.
So, even if you do not want to be a politician in the future, studying politics will equip you with all the knowledge you need to learn to be an efficient leader in the making.
Answering the popular question: No, A-level politics is not that hard, considering you are putting your full effort into your studies.
I have shared some of the expert techniques for you to get a Grade 9/A* in A-level politics while mapping out the details of this course. Read on!
The goal of A Level Politics is to give students a complete understanding of political systems, ideologies, and institutions. Not only will you study UK politics, but you'll also get into USA and global politics. The course usually talks about many different things, such as how governments work, electoral systems, the role of political parties, and international relations.
The amount of information can be mentally stimulating, but it can also be difficult to understand everything. However, synoptic assessment ties together many parts of the course so that students fully understand all areas of politics and eventually learn more about politics in general. One good thing about A-Level Politics is that it covers a lot of different topics.
To actually get the highest grades in A Level Politics, students are urged to learn things that aren't in their textbooks. For a more complete understanding of political ideas and current events, it is important to read more and study on your own.
If you're wondering if A Level Politics is hard, think about how politics are talked about on sites like the BBC, on social media through outlets like Simple Politics, on TV, and in movies.
As part of A-Level Politics, students will learn how to critically analyze certain complicated political situations and state their opinions. This course is tested by giving students an excerpt or source as data or a story and then presenting arguments and counterarguments.
All in all, the A-level course helps students polish their critical thinking skills. To give a balanced argument, you will learn how to break down arguments, judge evidence, and spot biases in writing. In addition to being useful in politics, this skill can also be used in other A-Level courses and also, in everyday life.
Perhaps the most important prerequisite to studying A-level politics is having an interest in current events since it is highly advantageous to be able to bring to your studies at least some knowledge of political figures and events.
Given how much of today's politics is influenced by historical events and choices, having a basic understanding of history can also be beneficial. Generally speaking, no particular GCSEs are needed. However, you will need to have a strong command of the English language to meet the course's essay-writing requirements.
Consistent opinions: The most common mistake students make while answering essay questions is to change their opinions midway through.
Examiners are searching for students who can effectively communicate their ideas, demonstrate their judgment, and respond to the opening question. A succession of paragraphs that logically and persuasively support that conclusion should make up the remainder of the essay.
Evaluation, which is Assessment Objective 3 (AO3), must be included throughout the entire essay response. Your conclusion should make an apparent reference to your well-supported evaluations throughout.
Memorizing information: Concentrating on memorization of information is another problem. Because politics is the kind of subject that draws those who are naturally interested in it, many A-level politics students are well-versed in the topic. As a result, many students are eager to demonstrate their extensive political knowledge on the exam. But it's also necessary to avoid including too much information and putting insufficient emphasis on analysis.
Schools frequently do not fully cover abilities like analysis and assessment because they focus primarily on teaching the topic.
Thus, how can you ensure that your responses demonstrate analysis and evaluation?
Understand PEEL: Teachers frequently teach the PEEL acronym in lower school, which helps students organize their paragraphs while responding to essay questions. PEEL is an acronym for point, evidence, link, and explanation. Some tutors propose a more sophisticated version of this framework for A-level politics: PEA, which stands for point, evidence, explanation, and application. The application is going back to what the original query asked. This shows the examiner that you have reached AO3 and have consistently made well-supported decisions.
Keeping Up with Current Affairs: It's critical to remain informed because politics is a dynamic field. Investing some time each day to read news from various sources and tune in to political podcasts is a smart approach to accomplish this.
Comprehending Complicated Theories: Political concepts might be difficult to understand. Try utilizing images or diagrams to help make them easier to understand, and seek internet resources that provide straightforward explanations.
Crafting Effective Essays: Writing convincing and easy-to-read essays is essential. Get better by writing on a variety of subjects and soliciting feedback from friends or teachers.
Managing a Huge Amount of Information: A-Level Politics teaches you a lot. You may ensure that you do everything you need to without becoming overly overwhelmed by planning ahead and efficiently allocating your study time.
The three Politics tests are used at the end of the course to assess students. The test structure for Edexcel, the board that is by far the most popular for politics exams, is given below.
Paper 1: Fundamental Political Concepts and UK Politics
You will have two hours to complete this paper, which consists of two 30-mark essay questions covering UK political issues such as voting behavior, electoral systems, political parties, and democracy and participation. Additionally, you will respond to a 24-point short essay question on socialism, conservatism, or liberalism.
Paper 2: UK Government and Non-core Political Ideas
In this two-hour paper, you will respond to two essay questions worth thirty marks each about various aspects of the UK government, such as the Prime Minister, Parliament, the Constitution, and the Relationships between Political Institutions. You will also respond to a 24-point multiple-choice essay question on a non-core political idea that your center has decided to teach, which could be anarchism, nationalism, feminism, ecology, or multiculturalism.
Paper 3: USA Comparative Politics - USA
This two-hour paper consists of two 12-point comparative questions between US and UK politics and two 30-point essay questions about US politics, such as the Supreme Court and Civil Rights, the Presidency, Congress, the Constitution, and Democracy and Participation.
See More: Activities To Learn More
Follow these tips to get better in politics.
This means that you should read newspapers that reflect a wide range of political opinions, not only those that support your own. The Times, The Telegraph, The Financial Times, The Guardian, and The Independent are examples of quality newspapers. Reading a variety of these will provide you with a wide understanding of the opinions held by commentators on the left and right.
Eliminate the effort of searching for political stories by having them come to you directly. You can sign up for email updates from most newspapers. I can personally attest to the Times RedBox and CoffeeHouse from the Spectator, and I have put a few of the suggestions below.
Newspapers, politicians, other political educators, and commentators are on Twitter. It contains multiple and diverse political commentaries, opinions, and thoughts.
So, why not check Twitter every morning on your way to college or school to stay up to date on all things political?
Relevant Read: Make Boring Subjects Interesting
Choose from a wide variety of politically charged programs on UK television to see which ones you enjoy the best. Question Time and Daily Politics are my favorites. A short list of recommended shows to watch is attached.
You can also watch some political dramas on Amazon or Netflix.
Though some of these may require some artistic license, they can help highlight important ideas and demonstrate how different systems operate.
There are plenty of other political movies available for you to watch as well. Nothing is more enjoyable than curling up with one of these fantastic movies after a demanding week at college.
Your writing will improve the more high-quality works you read; conversely, if you read low-quality pieces, your writing will suffer. Avoid allowing an examiner to penalize you for subpar writing.
With any luck, this will help you become the greatest political science student you can be! Remember that there are a ton more things out there for you to find; this list is by no means comprehensive!
Learn how to think critically about political ideas and events and give fair assessments and arguments. You will need these two skills to have a successful trajectory in your politics course. For this purpose, you can practice reading more and analyzing texts from your coursebooks.
Practice papers are the most important part of your preparation. Regularly work on these test papers to get used to the types of questions and to improve your time management and answer quality.
It depends on what you're interested in, what you're good at, and how you usually study. If you're interested in politics, foreign relations, and power balance, you'll probably find the subject interesting instead of scary. At first, it may seem like there is a lot to learn in this course, but it gives you a full picture of the political world.
A professional politics tutor can help you a lot in this regard. You can hire one and book a free trial lesson today.
Students can be compared to expert jugglers who have to balance a multitude of responsibilities to prioritize their studies and manage their time well for A-level politics. They should create a schedule, break up the work into manageable chunks, and allow ample time for practice questions and review.
A-level politics students can enhance their understanding of political concepts by utilizing scholarly textbooks such as Andrew Heywood's "Politics," online resources like Crash Course Government and Politics, and dependable news sources like The Economist or BBC Politics.
Essay writing techniques such as concise thesis statements, well-organized paragraphs, and arguments backed up by facts will help pupils master the A-level politics test. These strategies provide a coherent and persuasive essay while enhancing critical thinking.
To stay motivated and avoid burnout when studying for A-level politics, students should set up a planned study schedule, cut assignments into small pieces, take regular breaks, use active learning tactics, receive support when needed, and prioritize self-care.
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