Year 12s: what will be the first way you research your future options? >>

AQA PSYA1 Unit 1 Psychology 10th January 2012

Thought I'd create a thread for this exam..

How's the revision going?
What are your target grades...

Anyone know what the possible 12 mark essay could be based on..

Please discuss.

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Reply 1

hhh123

Original post by geekinthemaking

Thought I'd create a thread for this exam..

How's the revision going?
What are your target grades...

Anyone know what the possible 12 mark essay could be based on..

Please discuss.

There's already a thread for this exam :-)

Reply 2

Mephestic

This paper is easy in comparison to what lays ahead-im ****tin myself on paper 3 right now.

My advice is make sure you do well on these first two trust me you will need to.

Its not hard just put in time every day and do lots of practice questions and past papers.

Reply 3

username714290

I'm really finding it hard to remember all the researchers names and dates, I'm actually making the names and dates up when we're doing practice questions :frown:

Research methods :angry:

Reply 4

hhh123

Original post by Mephestic

I'm not sure I agree. I am doing PSYA4 at the moment, alongside resitting PSAY1, and I actually prefer PSYA4 formatting!

Reply 5

Mephestic

Original post by iLoveRobSwire<3

I'm really finding it hard to remember all the researchers names and dates, I'm actually making the names and dates up when we're doing practice questions :frown:

Research methods :angry:

The way I remembered them was with acronyms that would stand for their names and thus trigger my memory on their study.

So for example for eye witness testimonies I remembered WHRSM

Each letter stood for a researcher although I can't remember who now but I still remember the acronym!

You have to rehearse it over and over but then it will stay.

Hope it helps.

Reply 6

Mephestic

Original post by hhh123

I'm not sure I agree. I am doing PSYA4 at the moment, alongside resitting PSAY1, and I actually prefer PSYA4 formatting!

How did you do for psya3?

Im struggling to remember all the researchers! How did you do it?

I found paper 1 much easier as it was in smaller easy to digest pieces...paper 3 is overkill on content..

Reply 7

username714290

Original post by Mephestic

Ahh I might try that, thank you!

Reply 8

hhh123

Original post by Mephestic

How did you do for psya3?

Im struggling to remember all the researchers! How did you do it?

I found paper 1 much easier as it was in smaller easy to digest pieces...paper 3 is overkill on content..

I haven't done PSYA3 yet.
My college is making us do PSYA4 in Jan instead because it's the hardest so we will be able to resit in it June if we don't do so good.
Yeah I see what you mean, but I'm more of an essays person!

Reply 9

geekinthemaking

Can I ask how the exam paper looks like I have seen one with two sections, Cognitive and developmental...each section has a choice of two questions with 3 subquestions worth 30 marks in total and there are 18 mark questions

Is the layout different now? Because on the AQA site the paper looks a lot different from the ones from 2008 and 2007.

Yeah i think in 2009 the layout and stuff changed.. It is in two sections :smile:

Reply 10

hhh123

Please could somebody make a list of all of the KEY studies which we should learn?? :smile:

Reply 11

cdoyle

I decided to do both unit 1 and 2 in May. I did both my Business Studies A2 exams in June last year for the first time and I believe I wouldnt have done better if I had of done Unit 3 in January and repeated if necessary. Havent started revising yet as I am at University as well and have those exams and coursework to do. I think attachment is a huge topic. you know Ainsworth and the strange situation. I'm hoping attachment isnt the essay in May.

Reply 12

goss

Hey guys,

Just wondering whether you guys are just using a core book for this course or supplementing it with revision guides or other books...also has anyone completed all research methods, attachment and memory? As we have only finished attachment and are only minimal way into both other subjects!! EEK!

Reply 13

Mephestic

If anyone wants any advice feel free to ask;

I did this while working full-time as well as paper 2 and managed two A's with only 3 months revision for both.

They way I did it was firstly I went to the AQA website and printed off the specification - in there it tells you everything you need to revise.

Then print off the last 4-5 papers and see what the 12 markers were on and depending on that you can hedge your bets on what is likely to come up.
Most 12 markers have been asked - I reckon the Multi-store memory model is possible as if i recall when I was revising for May 25th exam - that hadnt come up for a while?

Eitherway ; best tactics I found was to write write write and re-write everything non-stop.

I would sit for hours re-writing things until I knew it - I recited it to myself in my sleep and while I had a shower.

Eventually you become a demon and can recall everything.

As for memorising numerous studies; Use acronyms

For example WHRSM was related to daycare and I simply memorised this acronym - every letter relates to a researchers name and it will trigger your memory if you remember it enough.

I memorised about 3-4 sets of these which game me about 20 researchers - its easy once you keep re-writing them.

Also do past papers over and over and compare your answers to the mark schemes as I was writing answers the first few times and thinking they were right for certain - but when comparing to the mark scheme they werent enough for full marks!

The mark scheme tells you how they want you to answer things and all answers need to be expanded in a particular way. Read the markschemes and they will show you.

Its time consuming yes and requires patience but believe me it pays off in the end.

Any questions feel free to ask.

I am just bricking it for paper 3 right now - its a bloody nightmere..

-Meph

Reply 14

goss

Which book did you revise from and did you use a revision guide? I'm trying to figure out which books to use as i have heard that the one im using at school isnt much cop...

Reply 15

Mephestic

Original post by goss

Which book did you revise from and did you use a revision guide? I'm trying to figure out which books to use as i have heard that the one im using at school isnt much cop...

Oddly enough the books I used were supplementary books and I combined that with a lot of googling when looking at the specification.

This is the book i used -

http://www.amazon.co.uk/AQA-Psychology-Cognitive-Develpmental-Research/dp/0340966726/ref=sr_1_17?ie=UTF8&qid=1322302331&sr=8-17

Its not a hard core in depth book but ut has what you need to know in basic terms and easy to digest.

Reply 16

Jemine1

I hate how specific AQA gets with the mark scheme! :This is the exam i'm most afraid of for January (and I guess maths)

Reply 17

Kim-x

The first exam in this format was Jan 2009. There are two sections with research methods built in, in comparison to three topic area sections in PSYA2. PSYA2 does touch on research methods though.

Reply 18

Kim-x

Original post by goss

Which book did you revise from and did you use a revision guide? I'm trying to figure out which books to use as i have heard that the one im using at school isnt much cop...