Taught myself one topic in a day? (PSYA4)

Since I'm aiming for an A in psychology, I decided to begin my revision for the PSYA4 exam yesterday. I've had terrible attendance all year (like 20%) so knew very little about any of the topics I'm supposedly meant to have studied - Depression, Media Psychology and Research Methods. In one day, though, I've read and taken notes on the depression section in my text book and think I basically know everything there is to know (on the spec) but can this really be the case? Surely it can't be this easy to scrape an A Level but in lessons all we ever do is read through the text book anyway, so I don't know what else anybody could possibly to do to be more prepared than I am now.

Reply 1

Genocidal

19

The question is will you remember it come the exam?

Reply 2

Subcutaneous

19

......lol

Go on love, show us all laziness can outwin hardwork.....Not being funny, but even though i did my psychology a-level years ago, I do remember it's not about 'knowing' things but about critical appraisal...So good luck with that.

Reply 3

Abby :)

8

Its quite easy to remember the content, what is more important is your essay technique. ;D Get past essays and do some, give them for your teacher to mark.

Reply 4

The_TSR_Dunce

9

omg really, you must be so clever, i wish i could learn that module in a day, i scraped a c and i revised for weeks..................is that what you were looking for

Reply 5

AnonymousRules!

Original post by chloeee!

Since I'm aiming for an A in psychology, I decided to begin my revision for the PSYA4 exam yesterday. I've had terrible attendance all year (like 20%) so knew very little about any of the topics I'm supposedly meant to have studied - Depression, Media Psychology and Research Methods. In one day, though, I've read and taken notes on the depression section in my text book and think I basically know everything there is to know (on the spec) but can this really be the case? Surely it can't be this easy to scrape an A Level but in lessons all we ever do is read through the text book anyway, so I don't know what else anybody could possibly to do to be more prepared than I am now.

Well done, I suppose and why do you have terrible attendance? You probably have a photographic memory. Revise a topic a day or every two days and review yourself at the end of the week or fortnight to see if you actually remember it. If you do well done and do it a month or so before the exam and you'll ace it.

Too bad, I don't have a photographic memory or else I'd be the same as you. Also, listen to the people who say do past papers and look at mark schemes and mark your own work and get your teacher to mark it afterward to check accurately.

Good luck!

Reply 6

chloeee!

OP

10

Er dunno why people have been rude... yes I do think you can 'scrape' a psychology A level. People are so tetchy. I'm sorry you found something so easy so difficult.

Reply 7

ily_em

17

Why are people so harsh to the OP? She's just looking for advice on what else she can do to do well in the topic.

(Sorry I don't know, not having done psychology).

Reply 8

Howbeit

19

Original post by chloeee!

Since I'm aiming for an A in psychology, I decided to begin my revision for the PSYA4 exam yesterday. I've had terrible attendance all year (like 20%) so knew very little about any of the topics I'm supposedly meant to have studied - Depression, Media Psychology and Research Methods. In one day, though, I've read and taken notes on the depression section in my text book and think I basically know everything there is to know (on the spec) but can this really be the case? Surely it can't be this easy to scrape an A Level but in lessons all we ever do is read through the text book anyway, so I don't know what else anybody could possibly to do to be more prepared than I am now.

I don't think you know it in enough detail. I scored 100% in the last exam and I knew literally everything there is to know, including over 70 scholars and their work, my marks were only 65/85 for that. To achieve an A you REALLY need to know your stuff. You need to think to yourself do you really know it all? Can you recite it from the top of your head? Can you argue your points precisely and accurately? Can you remember the specific facts? Just generally knowing a topic isn't enough.

(edited 13 years ago)

Reply 9

chloeee!

OP

10

Original post by Abby :)

Its quite easy to remember the content, what is more important is your essay technique. ;D Get past essays and do some, give them for your teacher to mark.

Yeah but Unit 4 isn't really essay-based, is it? It's made up of like 2 mark questions, maybe a few 5's. I think there is an essay element in the Research Methods but it's definitely not like Unit 3.

Reply 10

Howbeit

19

Original post by chloeee!

Yeah but Unit 4 isn't really essay-based, is it? It's made up of like 2 mark questions, maybe a few 5's. I think there is an essay element in the Research Methods but it's definitely not like Unit 3.

No, PSA4 is composed of 5 markers (normally only one), there are always 25 markers in a few sections and many, many 10-15 markers. In Research methods you'll find anything from 1-15 markers.

Reply 11

GodspeedGehenna

3

I can sense everyone in this thread is hoping for OP to crash and burn.

Reply 12

xfirekittyx

14

Well I can't comment on A2 but I'm doing the AS this year...I do distance learning (basically they give you a text book to read and mark an assigment per approach) - started in feb, took an absence when I did my english coursework, resulting in doing a section from scratch a week. I got 100 percent in my last assignment and am predicted an A so I'm sure you can do it too - it's not how many hours of study you put in but the quality of those hours :smile:

My trouble is going to be remembering all these studies :/ But that's where Mnemonics from the cognitive section come into play! Do a pastpaper and mark it, if you get a good mark surely you know it? Doing questions is the only way to discover if you really know something IMO :smile:

Reply 13

Jonerez

2

Knowing the information is one thing, but learning how to apply it to develop a successful exam technique is another. Focus on your exam technique and make sure you're prepared for any question they will throw at you!

Reply 14

chloeee!

OP

10

Original post by Jonerez

Knowing the information is one thing, but learning how to apply it to develop a successful exam technique is another. Focus on your exam technique and make sure you're prepared for any question they will throw at you!

What exactly is 'exam technique' when it comes to psychology?

Reply 15

Jonerez

2

Original post by chloeee!

What exactly is 'exam technique' when it comes to psychology?

The mark scheme is quite specific. You have to learn exactly what a question wants from you because they can be quite vague. Also, for the essays, you have to have a certain method of structure and communication to score full marks.

It's a ball ache, but once you learn it, it's fine :smile:

Reply 16

username533239

17

Original post by chloeee!

Since I'm aiming for an A in psychology, I decided to begin my revision for the PSYA4 exam yesterday. I've had terrible attendance all year (like 20%) so knew very little about any of the topics I'm supposedly meant to have studied - Depression, Media Psychology and Research Methods. In one day, though, I've read and taken notes on the depression section in my text book and think I basically know everything there is to know (on the spec) but can this really be the case? Surely it can't be this easy to scrape an A Level but in lessons all we ever do is read through the text book anyway, so I don't know what else anybody could possibly to do to be more prepared than I am now.

And that is why it is a soft A-Level.

Reply 17

Melting Sugar.

14

Original post by chloeee!

Yeah but Unit 4 isn't really essay-based, is it? It's made up of like 2 mark questions, maybe a few 5's. I think there is an essay element in the Research Methods but it's definitely not like Unit 3.

Can't. Tell. If. Serious.

Unit 4 is the most essay based unit, you're going to need a lot of AO3/4 to get the top marks and by the sounds of it you've only got the basics of AO1.

Taught myself one topic in a day? (PSYA4)

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