Hey, I've have been on a fast track course throughout my GCSE's for AS level geology, but now that it has come to st the modules, and have been looking at past papers, I realise that we haven't covered nearly enough topics for me to get the grade I want (A). So to anyone doing/done AS geology, regardless of what year they're in, how did/are you revise(ing)? I'm doing the OCR exam board by the way if that makes a difference.
Hey, I've have been on a fast track course throughout my GCSE's for AS level geology, but now that it has come to st the modules, and have been looking at past papers, I realise that we haven't covered nearly enough topics for me to get the grade I want (A). So to anyone doing/done AS geology, regardless of what year they're in, how did/are you revise(ing)? I'm doing the OCR exam board by the way if that makes a difference.
Thanks in advance.
I'm doing this with OCR too
I hate this subject with a passion and am dropping it next year, but I'm finding endless tables the best way to revise. Tables of the minerals involved in various rocks, tables of parent and metamorphic rocks, tables of volcano characteristics... I'm also going for an A, and although I don't think it's going to be easy, I'd really recommend using tables. I've also found that it's impossible to remember any of it without understanding it, so make sure you understand at least the key ideas.
Are you taking both exams this summer, or have you already done one? I did the Structure of the Earth etc. one in January and there were some very weird questions, requiring things we hadn't really covered at all, and specific numerical data, so definitely make sure you revise that.
I hate this subject with a passion and am dropping it next year, but I'm finding endless tables the best way to revise. Tables of the minerals involved in various rocks, tables of parent and metamorphic rocks, tables of volcano characteristics... I'm also going for an A, and although I don't think it's going to be easy, I'd really recommend using tables. I've also found that it's impossible to remember any of it without understanding it, so make sure you understand at least the key ideas.
Are you taking both exams this summer, or have you already done one? I did the Structure of the Earth etc. one in January and there were some very weird questions, requiring things we hadn't really covered at all, and specific numerical data, so definitely make sure you revise that.
Thanks, it is a pain and thus far we haven't done any modules and this will be our first with te view to do our second at the start of year 12 (I haven't a clue why it has worked out this way but this is the first year my school has run this course so they don't really know what they're doing!) If it is tables I must, then it is tables I shall. It is turning out to be more difficult than I had first anticipated it being *sigh*
Thanks, it is a pain and thus far we haven't done any modules and this will be our first with te view to do our second at the start of year 12 (I haven't a clue why it has worked out this way but this is the first year my school has run this course so they don't really know what they're doing!) If it is tables I must, then it is tables I shall. It is turning out to be more difficult than I had first anticipated it being *sigh*
Yeah, I'm finding it surprisingly underrated in terms of difficulty... my teacher persuaded me to take it by saying it was a very straightforward science, but really it's quite difficult! Apparently, as the course changed when I started it, lots of the old A2 material has been moved into the AS, making it significantly harder, and a lot of easier topics have been removed.
I hate making tables personally, but sadly it seems to be the only way to learn some of this stuff Have you done/ are you doing Geography? That can help a lot when it comes to tectonics. The real problem I have with Geology is the ludicrous amount of terms you need to learn, with all the names of processes and rock names and mineral names etc., and it's sneakily diverse too, with bits of maths, English skills, elements of the main three sciences etc...
Redrawing diagrams to get them fixed into your head can help too I suppose. Also being able to analyse photos is important, as you often need to be able to talk about features, or do labelled sketches of a provided photo with measurements, angles of dip, a scale etc.
Yeah, I'm finding it surprisingly underrated in terms of difficulty... my teacher persuaded me to take it by saying it was a very straightforward science, but really it's quite difficult! Apparently, as the course changed when I started it, lots of the old A2 material has been moved into the AS, making it significantly harder, and a lot of easier topics have been removed.
I hate making tables personally, but sadly it seems to be the only way to learn some of this stuff Have you done/ are you doing Geography? That can help a lot when it comes to tectonics. The real problem I have with Geology is the ludicrous amount of terms you need to learn, with all the names of processes and rock names and mineral names etc., and it's sneakily diverse too, with bits of maths, English skills, elements of the main three sciences etc...
Redrawing diagrams to get them fixed into your head can help too I suppose. Also being able to analyse photos is important, as you often need to be able to talk about features, or do labelled sketches of a provided photo with measurements, angles of dip, a scale etc.
Fun fun fun :/
Unfortunately it would seem, I didn't take geography as I don't like the tourism side of it. I can see I'm in for a long haul here and underrated it most certainly is! I will be delighted if I manage an A. Plus, as we only have one lesson a week (1 hour) it is impossible to learn them all, and also, we only had textbooks for the subject after a year of studying so only then could we direct our learning towards the syllabus! Bad times. Anyways, thanks for the advice, very much appreciated. Good luck with your exams!
well we had a crap teacher fro geology and i managed to blag my way to a B (i did wjec) i had to get an essay paper remarked but it went up 6 marks
btw the teacher was so bad that i got high levels of help with my coursework and got a D when it was moderated, even though he marked someone's coursework who was worse than mine ot be an A!
I'm doing the same course, my school doesn't run GCSE Geology either so we all totally skip over it. I'm going to see if a can find some tables ready made, only to understand the important parts though (I don't want to learn every characteristic of every rock, not that sort of table).
I also take Geography and there's no tourism side to it, population and migration but not tourism.
Discussion about A Level exams and choosing A Level courses, including VCEs.
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Struggling with AS Geology
Have you done/ are you doing Geography? That can help a lot when it comes to tectonics. The real problem I have with Geology is the ludicrous amount of terms you need to learn, with all the names of processes and rock names and mineral names etc., and it's sneakily diverse too, with bits of maths, English skills, elements of the main three sciences etc... 
