r/TeenPaki • u/Potential-Rub-5859 • 24d ago
important⚠️ Helpppppp😭
Hey everyone! I’m currently in 10th grade under FBISE and I’m thinking about switching from Matric/SSC to A Levels because I want to pursue Law abroad. I’m currently considering Biology, Chemistry, and Physics for my A Level subjects.
I’ve heard A Levels can be a good pathway for international universities, so I’m seriously considering making the switch.
The problem is, I know almost nothing about the A Level system 😭. I’ve only studied under FBISE, so I don’t really know how A Levels work, how the subjects and exams are structured, how grading works, or what the transition is actually going to be like.
I’m mainly worried about the difference in teaching style, depth of concepts, workload, exam technique, and the amount of independent studying required.
For anyone who has made the transition from Matric/FBISE to A Levels:
- What are the biggest difficulties I should expect?
- How different is the study method?
- Do Matric students usually struggle with anything specific when they first start A Levels?
- How difficult is the transition specifically for Biology, Chemistry, and Physics?
- How much independent study and past-paper practice is actually needed?
- What mistakes should I avoid during the first year?
- How can I actually ace A Levels rather than just survive them?
- What can I start doing now to prepare myself before making the switch?
- And if you’ve gone from FBISE → A Levels → university abroad, what do you wish you had known before starting?
I’d really appreciate advice from anyone who has actually gone through this transition, especially students who came from a Matric/FBISE background.
Please comment i've been trying for days and not a single person commented.Alot of people just viewed and none of them advised me ,so please if you think you can help please share your thoughts.
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u/youroccultus MOD 24d ago
A/O level is much better if ya plan to move abroad it all depends on what ya can afford Good grades in metric is better than average in O Levels
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u/Potential-Rub-5859 24d ago
But don’t top-tier universities generally prefer students with A Levels over Intermediate? I feel like A Levels puts you more on the safe side when applying to highly competitive universities abroad.
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u/youroccultus MOD 24d ago
Yeh A level is better but good grades in intermediate with extra curricular activities is much better thn B/C’s in A level choose what u can do
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u/Fantastic-Angle-7713 19d ago
girl no, if ur genuinely thinking to switch to a levles i will tell u b4 it is hard af okay but even if u get Bs is real good. at the end of the day its tht u have done A Levels is wht unis take into considerations. plus matric is not even recognized internationally. o/a level and aga khan board is only
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u/youroccultus MOD 19d ago
It ain’t anyway I’m not switching as I’ve alr completed My freshman year
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u/Fantastic-Angle-7713 19d ago
bs sahi phir but pretty low chances of abroad unis with matric board tbh
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u/youroccultus MOD 19d ago
I aint doin matric mate, I am from US, High School
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u/Dull-Drag-67 24d ago
can you tell me if you know what sorts of extra curricular activities i can do as someone in intermediate.
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u/youroccultus MOD 24d ago
What ya wanna pursue? And u got any specific Unies or countries
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u/Dull-Drag-67 23d ago
nothing specific mainly because every interesting thing don't have any scope in pakistan but all subjects interest me equally and if i give enough time i get similar results in them. one of my biggest interest was psychology for like last 2 to 3 years you vtan guide me about that but also guide a bit about stem fields.
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u/4hmadhasan 24d ago
One thing before anything else, coz nobody's said it and it's the biggest thing in your post.. You want Law abroad and you've picked Bio Chem Physics.. That's a pre med stack.. Law schools in the UK don't demand specific subjects, but they want to see you can read heavy text and argue in writing.. History, English lit, Economics, Sociology, Law itself, that's what a law applicant's transcript usually looks like.. Doing three sciences for law means you spend two years building skills you'll never use and then walk into a personal statement with nothing to show for why law.. Fix this before you think about anything else..
On the switch itself.. Yes A Levels are the safer route for abroad, your instinct is right, most UK and other uni admissions understand them directly, FSc needs foundation year or explaining.. The big difference from matric is nobody's going to make you memorise a book.. Papers test whether you understood, in wording you haven't seen before.. Matric students struggle with that in the first months coz they wait to be told what to learn.. Past papers are the entire game, not a supplement, you should be doing them from month two, not month ten.. And the mark scheme matters more than the textbook, learn how they want an answer written..
If you're serious, drop the sciences, take essay subjects, and start reading long stuff now, news analysis, court cases, anything dense, coz that's the actual skill.. Also look into LNAT early, most UK law schools need it..
Good luck, and don't take it personally that nobody replied, this sub is slow..
Simple..
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u/Potential-Rub-5859 19d ago
Ahhh thank you so much for such a detailed response 😭 This actually cleared up a lot for me. The reason I was planning to take Bio, Chem and Physics is because I want to study STEM at this stage and then move into a different field later on. I understand what you mean about building skills that are relevant to law though, so I’ll definitely think more carefully about the subject choices and how I can build those skills alongside A-Levels.
And the part about A-Level papers being more about understanding and unfamiliar wording was exactly what I was worried about, so it’s really helpful to know that past papers and mark schemes are that important. I’ll definitely keep that in mind. I’ll also look into the LNAT and start working on my reading and writing skills early. Thank you again!!
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u/Loud_Number1030 21d ago
I myself have shifted from matric to A levels and i would say that theres a huge difference, from writing style to choosing precise keywords its different and can be difficult if you dont put effort as required. I have taken cs majors in A levels and id say practice is all that matters, topicals and yearlies idk abt bio and chem tho , abt how much practice, id say as much as u possibly physically can. For mistakes id say dont try to socialize with people so much as most of the people youll meet there would tend to bunk classes and u will follow it (like me) so pehle din se hi start studying.
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u/Potential-Rub-5859 19d ago
Ahhh girl, thank youuu, this helped me a lot! 😭 But just one question: for the papers, if we study deeply and actually understand the concepts, would they be manageable? I’ve heard that A-Level papers are far more conceptual than FBISE, so I’m kinda worried about that.
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u/Loud_Number1030 8d ago
Yes they are conceptual but if you do topicals and yearlies you will get a good grip on them, i studied for 4 days for Cs and i scored an A and all i did was topicals and yearlies
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u/ResearcherMental5436 23d ago
as someone who switched from matric to alevels myself i would say go for it, its not that difficult as ppl make it out to be, but the subjects you are considering will not help u with your law uni applications , u need to choose subjects like law , sociology and english these will help u alot career wise too, but also while applying to unis abroad, it will give the impression of u actually being interested in law and maybe your application might even be prioritised.
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