Numerous students of mine have got As and A*s in A Level Biology - did you have a specific question about this - I am sure I can at least give some advice.
Original post by macpatelgh
Numerous students of mine have got As and A*s in A Level Biology - did you have a specific question about this - I am sure I can at least give some advice.
Thats great! So i wanted to ask how to revise or improve with application/experimental questions because its my weakest point. I would say i know the content but when it comes to exams i get like a D. Do you get better my simply going thorough as many papers as you can or is there a tactic. Also how would you say i plan out my studying and how many cycles of the topics should i do? I just want an A for med school tbh but cant seem to find a way to do it.
Hi young man/lady,
A. TACTICS: Yes partly, doing numerous past exam papers will help; first, look at the Qs, then read up, prepare all you can (books, internet, etc. [mrothery.com is very good], then sit yourself down in a simulated exam situation with mum or dad as invigilator, and do the paper without ref to books, etc and mum/dad timing you strictly.
EXAM TECHNIQUE: This is an acquired skill (mainly); (a) answer the question (nothing else)
(b) think: don't just vomit out what comes to your head; work it out
(c) learn to work out from the Q what the examiner is looking for: then put down exactly that: IMAGINE YOU ARE SAYING TO THE EXAMINER: "Thank you for the Q sir/miss, this is what you were looking for; that is what I have put down; Can I have the two marks that are assigned to this part of Q, please? Thank you!"
(d) (tough as it might seem), be positive/confident stemming out of rock-solid preparation: there is overwhelming evidence that optimistic students are the best achievers.
(e) be fresh/alert/active on exam day: DO NOT work till midnight the night B4: that last minute cramming is useless - the examiner can only see what you put down on paper, and if you are feeling tired, dopey, bored in the exam room, you will not put down much sensible stuff. Go to a film the previous afternoon (or listen to relaxing music ("Santana, Ravi Shankar, etc. [ask Dad!!] or "Work Hard, Pay Hard"!!) or cheerful music [e.g. "Happy" by Pharell Williams], and go to bed latest 9.30/10 a.m.
B. STUDYING:
1. Study at a quiet time . e.g. early morning when you are fresh and everyone else is dozing.
2. Switch off distractions like mobiles, internet, so you can concentrate.
3. Take my Dad's advice: "Change of work is rest" - give yourself variety: if you are getting fed up or getting nowhere with something, switch to a different topic/scenario or even different subject.
4. Look after your general health: nutrition, hydration, exercise, recreation, friends.
5. Find a very good tutor who can oversee/guide you and your progress.
May I ask what other subjects you are doing at AS?
Hope this helps!
Mukesh.
A. TACTICS: Yes partly, doing numerous past exam papers will help; first, look at the Qs, then read up, prepare all you can (books, internet, etc. [mrothery.com is very good], then sit yourself down in a simulated exam situation with mum or dad as invigilator, and do the paper without ref to books, etc and mum/dad timing you strictly.
EXAM TECHNIQUE: This is an acquired skill (mainly); (a) answer the question (nothing else)
(b) think: don't just vomit out what comes to your head; work it out
(c) learn to work out from the Q what the examiner is looking for: then put down exactly that: IMAGINE YOU ARE SAYING TO THE EXAMINER: "Thank you for the Q sir/miss, this is what you were looking for; that is what I have put down; Can I have the two marks that are assigned to this part of Q, please? Thank you!"
(d) (tough as it might seem), be positive/confident stemming out of rock-solid preparation: there is overwhelming evidence that optimistic students are the best achievers.
(e) be fresh/alert/active on exam day: DO NOT work till midnight the night B4: that last minute cramming is useless - the examiner can only see what you put down on paper, and if you are feeling tired, dopey, bored in the exam room, you will not put down much sensible stuff. Go to a film the previous afternoon (or listen to relaxing music ("Santana, Ravi Shankar, etc. [ask Dad!!] or "Work Hard, Pay Hard"!!) or cheerful music [e.g. "Happy" by Pharell Williams], and go to bed latest 9.30/10 a.m.
B. STUDYING:
1. Study at a quiet time . e.g. early morning when you are fresh and everyone else is dozing.
2. Switch off distractions like mobiles, internet, so you can concentrate.
3. Take my Dad's advice: "Change of work is rest" - give yourself variety: if you are getting fed up or getting nowhere with something, switch to a different topic/scenario or even different subject.
4. Look after your general health: nutrition, hydration, exercise, recreation, friends.
5. Find a very good tutor who can oversee/guide you and your progress.
May I ask what other subjects you are doing at AS?
Hope this helps!
Mukesh.
Original post by te.lope
Thats great! So i wanted to ask how to revise or improve with application/experimental questions because its my weakest point. I would say i know the content but when it comes to exams i get like a D. Do you get better my simply going thorough as many papers as you can or is there a tactic. Also how would you say i plan out my studying and how many cycles of the topics should i do? I just want an A for med school tbh but cant seem to find a way to do it.
The clue is in 'experimental' - you need to really 'get' what you're doing when conducting experiments, rather than go through the motions and hope to sort of read it up after you've left the lab. It's much easier to get it into your head there and then.
Correct Reality, but these days there is no Practical Exam in A level Biology, only coursework - on top of that, yes, principles of experiments can be learnt from school labs, but in the A level exams, questions are theoretical, based on experiments and NEW DIFFERENT ONES every year, so you need to understand general experimental technique, planning, design and mostly importantly, INTERPRETATION OF RESULTS and EXTRAPOLATION, as well as application to health and disease.
Original post by macpatelgh
Numerous students of mine have got As and A*s in A Level Biology - did you have a specific question about this - I am sure I can at least give some advice.
Hi, do you have any advice for the new spec in ocr a chemistry?
Sorry, do not know the syllabus/exam format of curent OCR Chemistry, but will try and find out and then help you out: I should hopefully say something useful (!); after all, I did not get 94% to break 150-year chemistry record at a leading public school, at a time when 80% was almost impossible - sorry about the bragging (!) - in the meantime, listen to your song: "Sunshine Day" by Ossibisa (ask Dad (!) - even b4 my time!!)
Original post by macpatelgh
Hi young man/lady,
A. TACTICS: Yes partly, doing numerous past exam papers will help; first, look at the Qs, then read up, prepare all you can (books, internet, etc. [mrothery.com is very good], then sit yourself down in a simulated exam situation with mum or dad as invigilator, and do the paper without ref to books, etc and mum/dad timing you strictly.
EXAM TECHNIQUE: This is an acquired skill (mainly); (a) answer the question (nothing else)
(b) think: don't just vomit out what comes to your head; work it out
(c) learn to work out from the Q what the examiner is looking for: then put down exactly that: IMAGINE YOU ARE SAYING TO THE EXAMINER: "Thank you for the Q sir/miss, this is what you were looking for; that is what I have put down; Can I have the two marks that are assigned to this part of Q, please? Thank you!"
(d) (tough as it might seem), be positive/confident stemming out of rock-solid preparation: there is overwhelming evidence that optimistic students are the best achievers.
(e) be fresh/alert/active on exam day: DO NOT work till midnight the night B4: that last minute cramming is useless - the examiner can only see what you put down on paper, and if you are feeling tired, dopey, bored in the exam room, you will not put down much sensible stuff. Go to a film the previous afternoon (or listen to relaxing music ("Santana, Ravi Shankar, etc. [ask Dad!!] or "Work Hard, Pay Hard"!!) or cheerful music [e.g. "Happy" by Pharell Williams], and go to bed latest 9.30/10 a.m.
B. STUDYING:
1. Study at a quiet time . e.g. early morning when you are fresh and everyone else is dozing.
2. Switch off distractions like mobiles, internet, so you can concentrate.
3. Take my Dad's advice: "Change of work is rest" - give yourself variety: if you are getting fed up or getting nowhere with something, switch to a different topic/scenario or even different subject.
4. Look after your general health: nutrition, hydration, exercise, recreation, friends.
5. Find a very good tutor who can oversee/guide you and your progress.
May I ask what other subjects you are doing at AS?
Hope this helps!
Mukesh.
A. TACTICS: Yes partly, doing numerous past exam papers will help; first, look at the Qs, then read up, prepare all you can (books, internet, etc. [mrothery.com is very good], then sit yourself down in a simulated exam situation with mum or dad as invigilator, and do the paper without ref to books, etc and mum/dad timing you strictly.
EXAM TECHNIQUE: This is an acquired skill (mainly); (a) answer the question (nothing else)
(b) think: don't just vomit out what comes to your head; work it out
(c) learn to work out from the Q what the examiner is looking for: then put down exactly that: IMAGINE YOU ARE SAYING TO THE EXAMINER: "Thank you for the Q sir/miss, this is what you were looking for; that is what I have put down; Can I have the two marks that are assigned to this part of Q, please? Thank you!"
(d) (tough as it might seem), be positive/confident stemming out of rock-solid preparation: there is overwhelming evidence that optimistic students are the best achievers.
(e) be fresh/alert/active on exam day: DO NOT work till midnight the night B4: that last minute cramming is useless - the examiner can only see what you put down on paper, and if you are feeling tired, dopey, bored in the exam room, you will not put down much sensible stuff. Go to a film the previous afternoon (or listen to relaxing music ("Santana, Ravi Shankar, etc. [ask Dad!!] or "Work Hard, Pay Hard"!!) or cheerful music [e.g. "Happy" by Pharell Williams], and go to bed latest 9.30/10 a.m.
B. STUDYING:
1. Study at a quiet time . e.g. early morning when you are fresh and everyone else is dozing.
2. Switch off distractions like mobiles, internet, so you can concentrate.
3. Take my Dad's advice: "Change of work is rest" - give yourself variety: if you are getting fed up or getting nowhere with something, switch to a different topic/scenario or even different subject.
4. Look after your general health: nutrition, hydration, exercise, recreation, friends.
5. Find a very good tutor who can oversee/guide you and your progress.
May I ask what other subjects you are doing at AS?
Hope this helps!
Mukesh.
Thank you for your advice. I am currently in year 13 but i only did one AS level which is maths and i got a C. My A2 subjects are biology chemistry and physics
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