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Psychology AQA AS Exam...

username124534

In 41 days...

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Memory

•

Attachments

•

Stress

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Abnormality

Anyone else taking this, and feel overwhelmed by the amount of work? I really am not very confident on these modules at ALL, and I didn't do too well in the first exam either... although I was predicted a really high mark, I totally fluffed it :/

I'm so nervous about this exam - I've been trying to revise but there just seems to be so MUCH, and I'm not sure what I need to know and what I don't...

I'd blame unclear teaching, but it generally just seems like a hard exam I guess...

Revision tips anyone?
Anyone else feel this helpless, faced with THIS MUCH TO LEARN?

Reply 1

oh_eight

Yep. I know I'm going to fail, but I really can't be bothered with it (not the best attitude, I know :P). I've been taught through video conferencing and it sucks. I've had to do most of the work on my own, without a properly qualified teacher. Ugh. I just hope I get into college so I can retake AS, woop! :biggrin:

And yeah, I agree that it is a lot of stuff to remember/revise, although I find memory and attachment somewhat easy. Good luck! :yy:

Reply 2

Shokz

i have to agree , the amount of information there is to revise is shocking for this upcoming exam , theres just too much information and well 40 days :s-smilie:

, its like while u revise a topic the other one is history it means nothing , we just end up cramping the information in our mind try to work with it , sooner or later its gone :eek:

, lolz yup need sum revision tips :wink:

Reply 3

explosiive

Are you retaking memory and attachments then?

Reply 4

username124534

explosiive

Are you retaking memory and attachments then?

No, we're being tested on it all in the same day?

Reply 5

Untitled1

I have Stress and Abnormality, but then I'm doing Research Methods and Social Influence :smile:

We've a different order because the Memory and Attachments subject is longer to study for, and a bit more complex in terms of Key Studies, but is quite simple as a starter for Year 12 apparently.

Anyway, the Memory and Attachments exam was very easy to me. I had panicked about the exam for ages before, and despite my 30+ pages of revision I was worried I didn't know it - especially the Maternal Deprivation Hypothesis. But when I got into the exam, everything came flooding back to me and the exam questions were rather pleasant :smile:

But seriously...you think you don't know it, but you do :smile:

And the next thing...I missed out a 6 mark question due to time limits. And I rambled on about nonsense, or so I believed anyway. I even felt like I didn't include everything I could have in my exam. Yet I got a very strong A - 92% :smile:

So you may be pleasantly surprised too :smile:

I don't feel too bogged down by the work, though if I was in your situation, I probably would. There's an awful lot of key studies with memory and attachments.

Anyway, Revision Tips :smile:

Here's what I did:

1. DO NOT focus on the names/dates of the researchers/key studies. You DON'T get any marks for saying their names. If you cannot remember them, just put "A psychologist". You won't be marked down :smile:

2. Type out all of your notes and whilst you're typing them, read them over and say them outloud to yourself. I find this approaches all three types of learning; kinaesthetic (through typing), visual and auditory :smile:

3. I don't know how you're Key Studies are presented to you, but I find it easier to keep them separate from your main revision notes and have them set out as APFCC. This way, especially if you're a visual learner, you'll have them organised and when it asks for specific sections, you can recall them easier. I'd say that Key Studies for memory should be more of a focus for revision - the majority of questions are on these Key Studies I find :smile:

4. The Multi Store Model and Levels of Processing/Working Memory are all revision musts! You need to know these - description and evaluation - because they're often the 18 mark questions at the end.

5. Practice past exam papers. If you go to the AQA website or go here: http://www.aqa.org.uk/admin/qp-ms_gce.php, then there's a full section. I'm not sure if you're A or B...I'm taking A and it seems as though you are too. You need to especially practice the 18 markers and the timing off it - a mark a minute :smile:

This really helps.

6. Even if you don't answer the past exam questions, at least analyse the mark schemes. They often have little snippets of information that you might not know which you could then write in your exam too :smile:

If it's from AQA themselves, then it's got to be right :smile:

You'll find that when you look at the mark scheme and questions, they are often very similar in every exam, just phrased differently. I find there's an awful lot of Outline and Evaluation...if you're trying to proof a point by using key studies too (such as evidence for MSM) only include the aims, findings and conclusions. Don't rattle on about the procedure like a lot of people do.

In the exam:
1. 18 markers: 6 marks are awarded for description (AO1) so don't make this too detailed - just enough. Evaluation is worth 12 marks instead, so make this the proportion of your essay. Do a quick plan of the question perhaps - introduction (make it brief, 4-5 lines max), main body (perhaps a description and then evaluations if outline and evaluate) and then a brief conclusion. And most important - always refer back to the question and make your points relevant to it :smile:

2. Spend a couple of minutes reading over the questions. Always look at the 18 mark questions and decide which to answer based on that rather than the smaller marks because the essay is the bulk of the marks. Read the question carefully - so many people muck up on this bit because they skim read the question...

3. On the 3 markers - always include an example :smile:

E.g. if you describing a definition of abnormality, such as Statistical Infrequency, you're third mark would be stating an example e.g. IQ <2.2% of the population have an IQ of less than 70 points - they're therefore regarded as statistically abnormal due to having abnormally low IQs.

4. Prioritise. If you've got a 6 marker and an 18 marker, but only 20 minutes to go...get that 18 marker done. Although it's not recommended that you skip questions, it's more important to focus on the most marks. It didn't hurt my result afterall...

5. Don't forget, you CAN include bulletpoints if you're struggling for time at the end - you will get awarded for what you write, not necessarily in the form. This shouldn't be done throughout though.

But most of all, don't panic and certainly don't go into the exam feeling like you're going to fail :smile:

You need to be somewhere in the middle - I have the ability to do this if I put in the effort :smile:

Also, if you come out of the exam thinking, I've not done well - don't worry. You tend to have done worse if you come out thinking "That was a great exam!".

Finally: Here's the link to a really good website containing links to other Psychology websites - http://www.psychade.net/Links.html. One thing you've got to learn at A level is that you cannot just be taught and that's it - you have to do background reading and your own research :smile:

If there's something you've not been taught, it's more than likely that you don't need it...

I hope all of this has helped you :smile:

Good Luck in the exam, you'll be fine :smile:

Reply 6

Falcon_2007

Ummm does any one know the question that came up in Jan 2008 for PYA2 ?

Reply 7

Untitled1

Falcon_2007 - it doesn't matter either way. Psychology is different than other subjects - the questions asked as typically the same on every exam, with just slight variations instead. You can't focus on one aspect, but all.