Higher Geography 2009 & POST EXAM DISCUSSION

do you think it will be the map question because mre prelim had a hydrosphere map question as question one??
i really hope the biosphere question is sanddunes because i really depise soils =/

I would really advise knowing your soils better in that case, it's more likely to come up than succession!

i do know them

its just that they are well boring.

I think hydrographs are more than likely to come up! Also i gave a question. Will we get a choice between answering a rural or urban question? The first four are compulsory, right? atmosphere, lithosphere, hydrosphere and biosphere. Then choice between rural, urban and industry and population? I haven't studied the layout well!

Nope there's 8 topics in total (lithosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere, biosphere, rural, urban, industry and population).The choice can be between any of these (varies year to year), but it will be one human choice of 2, and one physical choice of 2. Last year choice was rural or industry (human) and atmosphere or hydrosphere (physical), so there's a good choice some of these will be compulsory. The other 4 topics are compulsory.


As for general things that are likely/ not likely to come up:
-Hydrographs and the global hydrological cycle were there last year; most likely to be feature explanation this year and hydrosphere likely to be compulsory
-It will most likely be soils not succession cos there was a long compulsory question last year on succession
-Glaciation was not in either paper last year (caused some controversy ) so will almost definitely appear somewhere
-Map reading was on coasts so will be something different (my guess glaciation/rivers)
-I think heavy industry came up last year so possibly modern this year

Very similar questions come up every year on population, urban and rural.

Ok thanks! So that means lithosphere, biosphere, population and urban are compulsory always or likely to be this year? Ahhh! I hate soils so much! Glaciation, as in corries, u-shaped valley etc? Do you map work for coasts will come up again? Maybe ask formation of headlands and bays? I hate rural too! Don't get that shifting cultivation stuff. I need an A in this though. Any tips on how to ace it?

...Any tips on how to ace it?

I would say do lots of past paper questions if you have the past papers. There is only so much they can ask really and it is likely the questions that will come up will be very similar to those in recent years.

Thanks. Fingers crossed! I really need that A! And the night before, what should i look over? There are so many notes! For paper 2, which one: Yorkshire Dales, Dorset or Cairngorms?

Yeah there is so much to know! I'm not sure what I'd suggest you look over the night before. Maybe just read over the notes on the things you think you're weakest at - I think you mentioned rural so just making sure you know the key points etc. Maybe also go through each question in past papers just saying in your head (or to someone else) what you would do to answer it.

For your second question, you should know all the features (ie. glaciation, limestone, coastal) as you could be asked on any of these. However, for the environmental problems/conflicts and economic/social opportunities question (if it comes up) I expect we will be given a choice of any named upland area studied, this has been the case in recent years. I will be focusing on the Cairngorms for that question.

Hope this helps. At least its got got me thinking about the exam.. hopefully I've not been spending to much time on physics these last few days!

Oh man, don't remind me about physics - makes me cry. I worked really hard for it and actually found it interesting. But Edinburgh aren't bothered about what grade i get in that. They want me to get an A in any higher. But i want to do well in physics too! I guess that's just how it goes...

Ps are you saying that we should revise all three for paper 2?! And do you think we'll have a choice to do malaria in the development and health topic (paper 2)?

According to my teacher malaria is always there.
Well its a choice of like 3 diseases but the only one we studied was malaria.

Oh man, don't remind me about physics - makes me cry. I worked really hard for it and actually found it interesting. But Edinburgh aren't bothered about what grade i get in that. They want me to get an A in any higher. But i want to do well in physics too! I guess that's just how it goes...

Ps are you saying that we should revise all three for paper 2?! And do you think we'll have a choice to do malaria in the development and health topic (paper 2)?

All three what sorry?

And yeah as someone said, it is extremely likely that we'll have a choice. I'll only be revising malaria so I better be right about that!