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AQA BIOL5 ~ 17th June 2013 ~ A2 Biology

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Original post by BobTheBuilder94
I meant the bit after that in the Nelson T textbook, just after transcription translation but before totipotency.
But great resource anyways I cant remember the cycle!


Oh right, lol off the mark there then i guess. :P
Reply 341
Avatar for king101
king101
3
Really need some advice here.
Okay so for me to get an overall A in biology which is my aim..I have to get just bang on an A in this final unit. However it's the synoptic ESSAY that is killing me!. I just cannot handle it!. I have forgotten EVERYTHING I say in Biology Unit 1 and 2 apart from stuff like Osmosis/Diffusion and AT. Everything else gone out of my memory. So whats the best way to approach this? Re-revise the full textbook which will take A LONG TIME...since I have crap teachers and self teach my complete self and I cannot skim read like some do it just won't stick, I have to read in detail :/.

Anyone can help me out? Like whats the best thing I should do? Anyone?
Reply 342
Avatar for JoshL123
JoshL123
2
Original post by king101
Really need some advice here.
Okay so for me to get an overall A in biology which is my aim..I have to get just bang on an A in this final unit. However it's the synoptic ESSAY that is killing me!. I just cannot handle it!. I have forgotten EVERYTHING I say in Biology Unit 1 and 2 apart from stuff like Osmosis/Diffusion and AT. Everything else gone out of my memory. So whats the best way to approach this? Re-revise the full textbook which will take A LONG TIME...since I have crap teachers and self teach my complete self and I cannot skim read like some do it just won't stick, I have to read in detail :/.

Anyone can help me out? Like whats the best thing I should do? Anyone?


I was advised not to actually go through the whole of unit 1,2,4 etc. Apparently the point of the essay is to test your understanding of linking. Its not to do with the very fine points of detal you would have covered in unit 1 and 2. Maybe make a mind map?
Original post by JoshL123
I was advised not to actually go through the whole of unit 1,2,4 etc. Apparently the point of the essay is to test your understanding of linking. Its not to do with the very fine points of detal you would have covered in unit 1 and 2. Maybe make a mind map?


Our teachers said that aswell but it was wrong. You only get 3 marks for breadth of knowledge, which is how well you link in different points. You get majority of the marks for scientific content so you have to know the points you make in detail

Hate to say it but you do need to know the whole a level course. Just read through it and make a few notes, I found it all came flooding back
Original post by Beth_L_G
Our teachers said that aswell but it was wrong. You only get 3 marks for breadth of knowledge, which is how well you link in different points. You get majority of the marks for scientific content so you have to know the points you make in detail

Hate to say it but you do need to know the whole a level course. Just read through it and make a few notes, I found it all came flooding back


Do you know what they look for in scientific content?
Original post by master y
Do you know what they look for in scientific content?


It's a mixture of covering all the points they think you should have linked in, that will get you half the marks, and the other half you get for covering those points in detail. For example mentioning the sliding filament mechanism would be worth 1 mark, describing every step of it would get you 2
Reply 346
Avatar for JoshL123
JoshL123
2
Original post by Beth_L_G
Our teachers said that aswell but it was wrong. You only get 3 marks for breadth of knowledge, which is how well you link in different points. You get majority of the marks for scientific content so you have to know the points you make in detail

Hate to say it but you do need to know the whole a level course. Just read through it and make a few notes, I found it all came flooding back


Thank you! How about if looked at possible essays and started making notes from there. I.e an essay on proteins and there structure in relation to their function?
Original post by master y
Do you know what they look for in scientific content?


One thing I will say though. The essay is only worth 25% and only 25% of that will you need to write about AS. Don't waste too much time refamiliarising your self with AS
Original post by king101
Really need some advice here.
Okay so for me to get an overall A in biology which is my aim..I have to get just bang on an A in this final unit. However it's the synoptic ESSAY that is killing me!. I just cannot handle it!. I have forgotten EVERYTHING I say in Biology Unit 1 and 2 apart from stuff like Osmosis/Diffusion and AT. Everything else gone out of my memory. So whats the best way to approach this? Re-revise the full textbook which will take A LONG TIME...since I have crap teachers and self teach my complete self and I cannot skim read like some do it just won't stick, I have to read in detail :/.

Anyone can help me out? Like whats the best thing I should do? Anyone?


Try not to panic about the essays as this detracts from the sound knowledge base you more than likely possess. With a friend, try some free form essay planning; just blasting ideas down on bits of paper. Don’t make any value judgements to start with, simply generating ideas will help reduce your stress levels.

Between you, start to ranking the ideas and before you know it a structure will start to suggest itself. Some points may end up being relegated or completely dumped but I bet you’ll be pleasantly surprised at what you can achieve.

Good luck
(edited 11 years ago)
Reply 349
Avatar for 785695
785695
1
i'm revising Skeletal Muscles at 4:15 in the morning - gotta love the life associated with A2 Biology :dance:
Reply 350
Avatar for AcePower
AcePower
Hi,
Yeah I understand but the problem is when there is a question like for example; about diseases. Now disease has NOTHING to do with unit 5 so I'm just stuck :frown:. And if I do start revising unit 1, i would have to revise everything in textbook again (teachers are crap)

Posted from TSR Mobile
Reply 351
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erniiee
13
Original post by JoshL123
I was advised not to actually go through the whole of unit 1,2,4 etc. Apparently the point of the essay is to test your understanding of linking. Its not to do with the very fine points of detal you would have covered in unit 1 and 2. Maybe make a mind map?


Yea this is what my teacher said as well - you need to have breadth so cover all units, but go into fine detail with the A2 units rather than AS units, and link any details from A2 briefly to AS content you can remember.
Is anyone doing any extra reading for the essay? outside of the spec?
Reply 353
Avatar for Anjna
Anjna
9
how would you reccomend revising for the essay?
Original post by Beth_L_G
Is anyone doing any extra reading for the essay? outside of the spec?


Im wondering this too. My teacher said to get the full 25 out of 25. You'd need to have 2 paragraphs outside the specification. Anybody know if this is true?

She said without outside spec info the max you can get is 21?
Original post by AcePower
Hi,
Yeah I understand but the problem is when there is a question like for example; about diseases. Now disease has NOTHING to do with unit 5 so I'm just stuck :frown:. And if I do start revising unit 1, i would have to revise everything in textbook again (teachers are crap)

Posted from TSR Mobile


yes there is disease in unit 5, eg. gene therapy in CF, how mutations can lead to disease... etc
Original post by Richyp22
Im wondering this too. My teacher said to get the full 25 out of 25. You'd need to have 2 paragraphs outside the specification. Anybody know if this is true?

She said without outside spec info the max you can get is 21?


Nah she's having you on Bredda, get back to revision


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Original post by Richyp22
Im wondering this too. My teacher said to get the full 25 out of 25. You'd need to have 2 paragraphs outside the specification. Anybody know if this is true?

She said without outside spec info the max you can get is 21?


That's not technically true, if you cover every single point from the spec they want you to in extreme detail you can still get the full marks, but this is very unlikely, so it's best to have a few little bits from outside the spec to add in. Aim for 1 paragraph outside the spec rather than 2, and make sure it is relevant
Original post by Beth_L_G
That's not technically true, if you cover every single point from the spec they want you to in extreme detail you can still get the full marks, but this is very unlikely, so it's best to have a few little bits from outside the spec to add in. Aim for 1 paragraph outside the spec rather than 2, and make sure it is relevant


Ok thanks, but is it really neccasary to use anything outside the spec if you can do 6 paragrahs from the spec in detail?
Original post by Richyp22
Ok thanks, but is it really neccasary to use anything outside the spec if you can do 6 paragrahs from the spec in detail?


If you're really looking for a top grade I would learn just the odd little fact to fit in here and there, just to show the examiner that you're a top student

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