How to self-teach AQA Biology

Basically, my Biology tutor is one of the most incompetent teachers I have had the displeasure of being taught by. She teaches half of the course content, there are huge gaps in course content taught, she expects us to answer homework that contain about 75% of untaught content, she has never taught us a how science works question and most of her lesson consists of talking about her life and occasionally mentioning what we are supposed to be learning. She draws one squiggle of a diagram without explaining it and expects us understand mitosis perfectly. Most of my class is failing miserably.

I'm not an idiot, but I consistently only got about 80 to 90% on my Unit 1 mock papers as How Science Works has never been mentioned in our classroom. I can self-teach content quite easily although it takes up much more of my free-time - but I can't self-teach How Science Works due to little information being available. This is quite scary since my EMPA is in April. How can I self-teach EMPA and HSW questions?

(edited 13 years ago)

Reply 1

Eloades11

17

That doesn't sound too good :frown:

I would recommend reading the specification, there isn't really a lot AQA can test you on apart from enzymes I think(don't rely on what I said here, AQA can test anything you have covered in unit 1/half of unit 2). But thats what was in the mock EMPA. But it will only be on what you have learnt in class(from what you said, this will be what you should have learned in class :tongue:

). There will almost definitely be a question on accuracy in the paper, the keys words are accuracy, precision, validity, controls ect that sort of stuff, here is a link to the AQA site with all the key words you are expected to know across your A-level Biology course :smile:

http://store.aqa.org.uk/qual/gce/pdf/AQA-2410-W-TRB-OGHSW.PDF

Reply 2

dotty_but_good

14

My first reaction, don't do AQA biology it is hell. But that wasn't what you were asking, so not very helpful.

But trust me your text book is your best friend, our teacher was a bit crap so we were very reliant on it and it worked for us.

Reply 3

Eloades11

17

Original post by dotty_but_good

My first reaction, don't do AQA biology it is hell.

I'm not too sure about that, although I agree with you that some of the exam papers are awful and have weird HSW questions, the Edexcel exam board has coursework and apparently even worse HSW questions, everyone complains about the WJEC exam board, not sure why, but I am yet to know whats wrong with the OCR Biology A-level.

I was warned the Biology A-level was the hardest A-level you can possibly do, so at the moment I think I'd prefer the AQA exam board, and wouldn't risk the OCR one :tongue:

Reply 4

dotty_but_good

14

Original post by Eloades11

I'm not too sure about that, although I agree with you that some of the exam papers are awful and have weird HSW questions, the Edexcel exam board has coursework and apparently even worse HSW questions, everyone complains about the WJEC exam board, not sure why, but I am yet to know whats wrong with the OCR Biology A-level.

I was warned the Biology A-level was the hardest A-level you can possibly do, so at the moment I think I'd prefer the AQA exam board, and wouldn't risk the OCR one :tongue:

Problem we suffered (agreed we were first year of a new sylabus) were such things as practice exam papers, written by the chief examiner where the marks schemes, didn't match the papers, or contradicted the questions and such like problems, makes it rather hard to learn from.

The actual exams were not the problem just the process of getting there.

The essay in the A2 exam is a bit of a bummer as well.

Reply 5

tehsponge

11

Sorry, only 80 to 90%? That is close to 100% UMS points (it probably is actually). I hate people like you.

Reply 6

Eloades11

17

Original post by dotty_but_good

Problem we suffered (agreed we were first year of a new sylabus) were such things as practice exam papers, written by the chief examiner where the marks schemes, didn't match the papers, or contradicted the questions and such like problems, makes it rather hard to learn from.

The actual exams were not the problem just the process of getting there.

The essay in the A2 exam is a bit of a bummer as well.

Oh dear, thats never good. We had a couple of past papers which were similar to the actual exam, I think they were the best preparation, I think you must've been unlucky :frown:

Reply 7

tehsponge

11

Also I don't think its possible to get a good teacher for AQA Bio. It's horrible.

Reply 8

dotty_but_good

14

Original post by tehsponge

Also I don't think its possible to get a good teacher for AQA Bio. It's horrible.

We had one good teacher one no so good.

Reply 9

Popey93

Use a text book and be glad you're not on the OCR exam board.

Reply 10

mel3

I also have a very bad Bio teacher. She's is very nice but her knowledge of biology is limited, I dare say. Therefore, I also am self studying HL Biology after doing SL BIO and gaining a 7 in the exam. I would say that you just have to sit down and read through it and study. Write it all down and learn from that.
Biology is mainly memorizing, so there isn't that much a teacher can do for you anyway.

Reply 11

StrawberryLaces

OP

Original post by tehsponge

Sorry, only 80 to 90%? That is close to 100% UMS points (it probably is actually). I hate people like you.

I'm concerned because Unit 1 is probably the easiest and thus I might struggle to get a B or an A in the next units. I wouldn't be really concerned with 80% to 90% across the board- but I can't guarantee that I'll get this in the next units.

How to self-teach AQA Biology

Quick Reply

Related discussions

Latest

Trending

Trending

Articles for you