Would these books help me get a high grade on PSYA3 and PSYA4?

My teacher was saying how I'm writing too much,

So if I used these books only would they get me a high A?

The complete/exam/mini companion books for AQA and http://www.amazon.co.uk/Psychology-A2-AQA-Jean-Marc-Lawton/dp/144412336X/ref=pd_sim_b_6

thanks!

Reply 1

KerryF94

Original post by shybrowngirl

Only using a book won't get you an A. You need so much more! The books may have every bit of information but if you just replicate that in the exam the examiner will know that you haven't put your own writing style into it. I used the actual textbook and the study guide and made loads of notes and formed my own essays. The book won't get you an A. You have to get that yourself.

Reply 2

shybrowngirl

Original post by KerryF94

thanks, that's what i did and I got my teacher to mark it, then she got annoyed that they were too long like 7 pages and told me to shorten my essays. but i don't know how to shorten it :frown:

Reply 3

KerryF94

Original post by shybrowngirl

thanks, that's what i did and I got my teacher to mark it, then she got annoyed that they were too long like 7 pages and told me to shorten my essays. but i don't know how to shorten it :frown:

I was the same! You need to think realistically! The essays, you get about 30mins to write each, so what can you physically write in 30 mins? For most people in my class it was two sides of a page and half. I don't know how you structure your essays but I did an 8 mark A01 (3/4 OF A PAGE) then I did the research and evaluated it and then I did a big paragraph on my I.D.A (Issues, debates, approaches)
I don't know if that makes any sense because my teacher is probably different to yours, but everyone in my class did that layout and I got an A :smile:

If you don't understand this I do have some copies of my essays you could have a look at if you want! :smile:

Reply 4

shybrowngirl

Original post by KerryF94

If you don't understand this I do have some copies of my essays you could have a look at if you want! :smile:

I'm so glad I'm not the only with the same problem! I was panicking since 16 marks is for AO2 and wrote about 10 studies :O so if AO1 is 8 marks - do i just include 8 points? it makes sence and sounds like a better structure :smile:

mine also marks AO3 out of 4 marks. yes please! thank you so much :smile:

Reply 5

KerryF94

Original post by shybrowngirl

mine also marks AO3 out of 4 marks. yes please! thank you so much :smile:

Yeah your AO3 is like your analysis of the IDA and research :smile:

Well if you do four points and you write them well you could get your 8 marks.
I don't know what topics you do, but I did Sleep, Relationships and Eating Behaviour for Unit 3 and then depression addictive behaviour and research methods for unit 4! :smile:

I think if you just explain them properly and all the strands of them for the A01 it should cover it! I went through all my notes and lifted out the main points that I could easily explain and then put it into the 3/4 length of a page paragraph :smile:

I only ever did 2-3 research studies! No wonder its 7 pages! haha, imagine in the exam writing, analysing and evaluation 10 research studies! If you can do 2 or 3 well then youll get the marks easily for it!
I used to pick one study that would prove the point then to evaluate it i would put in maybe 2 lines about someone who conflicted it on a small scale. Then id do a second research study that conflicts it so i can explain it more. That way you're evaluating and making sure you have time to properly analyse :smile:

I hope that helps and doesn't sound like a waffle!

Reply 6

shybrowngirl

Original post by KerryF94

Yeah your AO3 is like your analysis of the IDA and research :smile:

I hope that helps and doesn't sound like a waffle!

wow you are amazing! seriously you don't know how much you've helped me :biggrin:

thanks, I'm going to try that structure, oh do you when you talk about a study do you just write the name/date and what they found out? or do you have to talk about the procedure of the studies and all? :confused:

because I got a low A and reallly need to get a high one.

Reply 7

Heather1993

A book helps however try and find them in the library instead of buying them brand new. I had a textbook for psychology and it was helpful, it depends on your learning style

Reply 8

KerryF94

Original post by shybrowngirl

wow you are amazing! seriously you don't know how much you've helped me :biggrin:

because I got a low A and reallly need to get a high one.

I never wrote the date, I wrote their name and what they were studying, how they did the study (thats were you will get easy evaluation stuff, for instance, there was a study about the Rocky Road Newspaper, which had a questionnaire to find out how attachment affected later life, by mentioning that you can evaluate how it was a limited sample and how questionnaires are not falsifiable and are open to misinterpretation)
Then I went into the findings and what that meant, then went into the evaluation of that study and how its findings may not be able to be replicated :smile:

Reply 9

shybrowngirl