To be a great geographer, you will need to develop the ability to think synoptically, be able to see the greater overview and how everything we study in geography links together. GCSE Geography will have provided you with a breadth of study, whereas A Level will now enable you to gain a greater depth by exploring topics in greater detail.
We have put together the following Getting Ahead work to help prep you for your course over the summer.
We can’t wait for you to start at College with us soon!
Did you know? Geography is highly valued by universities as an A Level choice and combines well with both arts and science subjects. It can be a facilitating subject – that is a subject most likely to be required or preferred for entry to degree courses.
Read and keep a log of interesting geography-related articles.
This website – Geographical Magazine – is full of fantastic articles that are posted daily on geographical matters.
You will find The Conversation really useful to support many of your A Levels. It provides up to date articles from academics and specialists in the field written in a way that is accessible to all, summarising key points in short but insightful articles.
Each week read articles from these websites and take notes on what they discuss. The more you read, the more the links between human and physical geography will become clear.
Finally, choose one article and write a 500-word summary explaining why this topic is interesting and its links to geography.
Take part in the Royal Geographical Society’s Young Geographer of the Year competition, which celebrates creative geographical thinking. This year’s theme is From Source to Sea, exploring the importance of rivers and the ways they shape our landscapes, environments and communities. Create an eye-catching and informative poster that demonstrates your geographical knowledge, research skills and creativity while responding to the competition theme.
For more info and how to enter, see the page on the Royal Geographical Society site.
Reading widely will give you a broader perspective of the places, issues and people you are studying. You can access a list of great books every geographer should read here. Find a topic that interests you and read at least one of these books.
*This is a representation of your learning space and may not be the exact room you will be using