Nearing the End of MOD 1: My Tips for Starting Ground School

As I get closer to finishing MOD 1, I wanted to share a few thoughts for anyone about to start ATPL ground school. It’s been a proper challenge — long days, late nights, and a ridiculous amount of content to get through — but I’ve actually really enjoyed it.

Being surrounded by like-minded people who all want the same thing definitely helps. It creates a bit of a buzz that keeps you motivated, even when the days get heavy.

So if you’re about to start ground school, or just want to know what it’s really like, here are my honest thoughts and a few tips that helped me survive (and stay sane) during MOD 1.

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⚠️ The Workload Builds Fast

The biggest shock? How quickly things ramp up. You won’t get a slow start — you’re straight in from Day 1. And after a full day of learning, there’s cooking, life admin, and then trying to find time to revise. Evenings suddenly feel very short.

It’s easy to fall behind without even realising it. My best advice? Treat this like a full-time job from day one. Get into a routine quickly, and don’t put off things thinking you’ll catch up later — that gap grows fast.

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🧠 Study Tools I Swear By

Everyone has their own study style, but here’s what worked best for me:

• Flashcards (Anki)
  I’ve used Anki since GCSEs and honestly, it’s my go-to. The spaced repetition is absolutely invaluable, especially with how dense ATPL content can get. I try to add new cards daily and review consistently — even if it’s just for 20–30 minutes.

• ATPL Class
  A solid platform with a good structure. Helps break down topics so you don’t get overwhelmed trying to do it all yourself.

• ATPLQ
  Brilliant for question practice. It gives you a feel for the wording and logic behind the actual exam questions, which can sometimes be the trickiest part.

• (Optional) PadPilot
  Some people really rate it — I dipped into it a bit, but found I leaned more on my flashcards and class notes.

If I could give just one tip: start your flashcards early. Even if you’re not 100% sure what to include, you’ll build it up as you go. And future-you will seriously thank you when revision kicks in.

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🧮 What to Do Before You Start

If you’re still waiting to start ground school, here are a few things I wish I’d done a bit more of beforehand:

• Get confident with mental maths
  Fast mental arithmetic saves you loads of time — especially for KSA.

• Brush up on GCSE Physics
  Honestly, a lot of the principles in subjects like Principles of Flight, Engines and Meteorology link back to stuff you probably learned in school. A quick refresher gives you a nice head start.

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🤯 Things That Caught Me Off Guard

• The pace — You’ll hear this a lot, but it’s true. It’s fast. Like, “how is it already week three?” fast.
• Evening time disappears — After cooking, cleaning, and just trying to have a breather, you’re left with maybe an few hours to study. Use it wisely.
• You won’t always “get it” on the first try — And that’s okay. Some subjects take time to click. Just stay consistent and don’t panic.

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💡 Final Thoughts

Ground school isn’t easy — and it’s not supposed to be. But if you go in with the right mindset, stay on top of your study habits, and surround yourself with people who want it as badly as you do, you’ll find your rhythm.

I’ll share more once MOD 1 is officially done (and the exams are behind me), but for now, good luck to anyone just starting out. You’ve got this ✈️

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Got any questions about starting ATPL ground school? Or want to share your own study tips? Send me and Email — I’m always up for helping fellow cadets.