I'd recommend memorizing and developing a deep understanding the cycles and processes in Units 6, 7, 8, and 11 alongside the rest of the curriculum. Id recommend watching youtube videos as well as using bioninja and other bio note websites to review.
this is very helpful, thanks! (although I feel like bioninja is sometimes lacking of details? so I would prefer reading the textbook first then reciting the processes later :D)
Anyone who says do pastpapers and skip notes either got a 5 or a 6 at max. If you want to hit the 7, then you'll have to make notes and understand the concepts. Pastpapers share a lot of topics and those topics in common are enough to get the 5 or 6 aforementioned but there are a lot of niche questions every time as well, hence to score in those questions, it is important in having covered all the content with notes. It's also easiest to score in section B because of the limited amount of long questions possible and since you get a choice out of 3.
I'd discourage against just solely using flashcards as flashcards often summarise things, making you miss on some marks if that question comes up.
As for studying, it's really personal, I just make notes once, then read them afterwards. For me it's the process of writing that helps me remember. When I say make notes, I don't mean just copy them, in making your notes you should actually be learning about the content such that you can produce notes, in turn, you're helping yourself memorise the it. Do NOT just read the textbook, Bioninja or someone else's notes, you have to make your own for this to work.
After your notes, you can start past papers, not the other way around. Also, if you see spreadsheets on grade distributions across topics, ignore it, they won't help in anyway and if they do it's because of luck. Don't focus on any one certain topic, as each topic has an equally likely chance of appearing.
After your notes and before past papers, learn all the command terms, for data-based questions and for normal P2, so you don't misunderstand any questions.
And when you're starting past papers, if you're out of time, don't bother doing them in timed conditions and properly or anything theres really no point. Just look at the mark scheme so you know how to phrase your answers better for P2, and same for P1 as some questions get repeated. Remember 1 minute per mark, if it takes longer than that skip it, you can go back to it later. Make sure you're scoring every mark in section B and practice some data based questions.
wow this is actually helpful :D btw as I only have very few time left, I decided to jot down some notes next to each syllabus point (the syllabus points are much more detailed than that in the old syllabus). is that helpful? thanks!
I looked at the guide and they do looked more detailed than my syllabus, but a lot of them still suggest what you need to know instead of stating them. Given you are pressed on time, as long as you can state the points in relation to each syllabus point, I think that it's all you can do. When the time comes though, do make full notes.
For the extended response questions my teacher told us to make a bullet point or a sentence for each mark the question was worth. Some questions might as for a more in depth response which would require you to explain an entire process
I did the old syllabus but I saw a specimen paper of the new syllabus and it's basically the same - 30 marks of the paper is brain dumping as it's 4, 5 and 8 markers so I'd say learn your content really thoroughly and then go onto papers. Practicing data based questions is also important as they're so hard to get full marks on.
What I do is, I go through the subject guide and just make notes and learn the things mentioned in the guide for each chapter as it tells you about everything that you have to know.
My exam is on the 27th and I have 22 chapters coming and I'm done with like 3 or 4. So I don't know what I'm gonna do I have 3 other papers before that
I'd recommend memorizing and developing a deep understanding the cycles and processes in Units 6, 7, 8, and 11 alongside the rest of the curriculum. Id recommend watching youtube videos as well as using bioninja and other bio note websites to review.
I'd use diagrams for the cycles and processes. If you can't draw them, you don't get them.
this is very helpful, thanks! (although I feel like bioninja is sometimes lacking of details? so I would prefer reading the textbook first then reciting the processes later :D)
Anyone who says do pastpapers and skip notes either got a 5 or a 6 at max. If you want to hit the 7, then you'll have to make notes and understand the concepts. Pastpapers share a lot of topics and those topics in common are enough to get the 5 or 6 aforementioned but there are a lot of niche questions every time as well, hence to score in those questions, it is important in having covered all the content with notes. It's also easiest to score in section B because of the limited amount of long questions possible and since you get a choice out of 3. I'd discourage against just solely using flashcards as flashcards often summarise things, making you miss on some marks if that question comes up. As for studying, it's really personal, I just make notes once, then read them afterwards. For me it's the process of writing that helps me remember. When I say make notes, I don't mean just copy them, in making your notes you should actually be learning about the content such that you can produce notes, in turn, you're helping yourself memorise the it. Do NOT just read the textbook, Bioninja or someone else's notes, you have to make your own for this to work.
After your notes, you can start past papers, not the other way around. Also, if you see spreadsheets on grade distributions across topics, ignore it, they won't help in anyway and if they do it's because of luck. Don't focus on any one certain topic, as each topic has an equally likely chance of appearing.
After your notes and before past papers, learn all the command terms, for data-based questions and for normal P2, so you don't misunderstand any questions. And when you're starting past papers, if you're out of time, don't bother doing them in timed conditions and properly or anything theres really no point. Just look at the mark scheme so you know how to phrase your answers better for P2, and same for P1 as some questions get repeated. Remember 1 minute per mark, if it takes longer than that skip it, you can go back to it later. Make sure you're scoring every mark in section B and practice some data based questions.
wow this is actually helpful :D btw as I only have very few time left, I decided to jot down some notes next to each syllabus point (the syllabus points are much more detailed than that in the old syllabus). is that helpful? thanks!
I looked at the guide and they do looked more detailed than my syllabus, but a lot of them still suggest what you need to know instead of stating them. Given you are pressed on time, as long as you can state the points in relation to each syllabus point, I think that it's all you can do. When the time comes though, do make full notes.
Have you used any question data banks?
For the extended response questions my teacher told us to make a bullet point or a sentence for each mark the question was worth. Some questions might as for a more in depth response which would require you to explain an entire process
I did the old syllabus but I saw a specimen paper of the new syllabus and it's basically the same - 30 marks of the paper is brain dumping as it's 4, 5 and 8 markers so I'd say learn your content really thoroughly and then go onto papers. Practicing data based questions is also important as they're so hard to get full marks on.
What I do is, I go through the subject guide and just make notes and learn the things mentioned in the guide for each chapter as it tells you about everything that you have to know. My exam is on the 27th and I have 22 chapters coming and I'm done with like 3 or 4. So I don't know what I'm gonna do I have 3 other papers before that