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I got an A* in AQA psychology alevel this year (2019), here are my tips!
I made notes all through the two years just briefly on the pages in the AQA textbook as we did them, but then once it reached closer I ended up redoing them all. It really helped my memory.
I found flashcards most useful. Definitions and theories on one side which I could test myself on. Make them colourful, use highlighters and coloured pens (e.g. Word in blue and definition in black). The colour helps stop your eyes sliding off and keeps it interesting (but make sure they are still neat). Spend time making them and thinking about how to lay it out in a way that works best for you, the more you think about it the more you'll remember.
Then move onto practice exams. Do them over and over and be really strict with yourself when marking, if its not almost word for word as the mark scheme dont give yourself the mark, as A) the examiners in the real exam won't, and B) getting frustrated with yourself because you didn't get the mark because of a stupid mistake will help you remember it for next time. Also, many of the questions from previous exams are re-used, just worded slightly differenty. When it comes to the real exam you will recognise many of the questions from previous exams and already know the markscheme.
January winter holidays year of exams I was just doing an hour or two a day, updating my notes. January half term probably 3-4 hours a day. Easter holidays 8-9 hours a day and the half term during exams easily 10 hours + a day. It sounds like a lot but you soon realise its not enough as there is just so much to learn (however all of these hours were spread over my 3 a-level subjects, English lit, biology and psychology, not just psychology).
Tips:
Essays:
- evaluation always fits into one of 5 categories (ethics, practical world application, research support/against, how good the methodology was and anything from the issues and debates section of book 2). If you remember these you can almost make up your evaluation on the spot.
- in each evaluation point (e.g. it was unethical because...) always then add "this supports/ does not support the theory....". That one little sentence at the end or start of each evaluation point gets you a whole extra mark per evaluation point. It adds up quick if you've got 5 evaluation points (5 marks) and then that on the end makes 10 marks instead of 5. (essays makes are either 10 eval / 6 description, or if theres a stem 4 reference to stem/ 6 eval / 4 description as all essays are out of 16)
- if you have a stem (bit of background) then always include at least 2 (preferably 3 -5) direct quotes from the stem. In "quotation marks" if you make a point about that bit of the stem. That gets an instant mark.
General short answer Questions:
- each question has a command word ('describe', 'evaluate' etc). There's a list on the AQA psychology website of what each of these mean, learn them all. You could write about something and be completely spot on right about it, except its not what the question asked so you'll get 0 marks.
- dont write fancy. Literally write like a baby with short direct sentences for each mark/point. Make it as clear as possible so theres no confusion and the examiners dont accidently skip a mark because the sentence was long and they couldn't instantly see what you were saying. They've got 1000's of papers to mark and will want to skim read and get through the paper as fast as possible, they won't appreciate long elegant complicated sentences that have 4 points in the one sentence, and might only give you 2 or 3 because they didn't instantly see it.
- after you finished a question, go back and count each point or idea you've given, and make sure it matches or goes over the marks available for the question.
Send me your email address and ill be happy to send you my notes,
Sorry it was so long, but those are my tips! good luck!
I made notes all through the two years just briefly on the pages in the AQA textbook as we did them, but then once it reached closer I ended up redoing them all. It really helped my memory.
I found flashcards most useful. Definitions and theories on one side which I could test myself on. Make them colourful, use highlighters and coloured pens (e.g. Word in blue and definition in black). The colour helps stop your eyes sliding off and keeps it interesting (but make sure they are still neat). Spend time making them and thinking about how to lay it out in a way that works best for you, the more you think about it the more you'll remember.
Then move onto practice exams. Do them over and over and be really strict with yourself when marking, if its not almost word for word as the mark scheme dont give yourself the mark, as A) the examiners in the real exam won't, and B) getting frustrated with yourself because you didn't get the mark because of a stupid mistake will help you remember it for next time. Also, many of the questions from previous exams are re-used, just worded slightly differenty. When it comes to the real exam you will recognise many of the questions from previous exams and already know the markscheme.
January winter holidays year of exams I was just doing an hour or two a day, updating my notes. January half term probably 3-4 hours a day. Easter holidays 8-9 hours a day and the half term during exams easily 10 hours + a day. It sounds like a lot but you soon realise its not enough as there is just so much to learn (however all of these hours were spread over my 3 a-level subjects, English lit, biology and psychology, not just psychology).
Tips:
Essays:
- evaluation always fits into one of 5 categories (ethics, practical world application, research support/against, how good the methodology was and anything from the issues and debates section of book 2). If you remember these you can almost make up your evaluation on the spot.
- in each evaluation point (e.g. it was unethical because...) always then add "this supports/ does not support the theory....". That one little sentence at the end or start of each evaluation point gets you a whole extra mark per evaluation point. It adds up quick if you've got 5 evaluation points (5 marks) and then that on the end makes 10 marks instead of 5. (essays makes are either 10 eval / 6 description, or if theres a stem 4 reference to stem/ 6 eval / 4 description as all essays are out of 16)
- if you have a stem (bit of background) then always include at least 2 (preferably 3 -5) direct quotes from the stem. In "quotation marks" if you make a point about that bit of the stem. That gets an instant mark.
General short answer Questions:
- each question has a command word ('describe', 'evaluate' etc). There's a list on the AQA psychology website of what each of these mean, learn them all. You could write about something and be completely spot on right about it, except its not what the question asked so you'll get 0 marks.
- dont write fancy. Literally write like a baby with short direct sentences for each mark/point. Make it as clear as possible so theres no confusion and the examiners dont accidently skip a mark because the sentence was long and they couldn't instantly see what you were saying. They've got 1000's of papers to mark and will want to skim read and get through the paper as fast as possible, they won't appreciate long elegant complicated sentences that have 4 points in the one sentence, and might only give you 2 or 3 because they didn't instantly see it.
- after you finished a question, go back and count each point or idea you've given, and make sure it matches or goes over the marks available for the question.
Send me your email address and ill be happy to send you my notes,
Sorry it was so long, but those are my tips! good luck!
(edited 4 years ago)
Hi ,
your article was really informative ,could you send your notes?
Thanks,
Tiana.
your article was really informative ,could you send your notes?
Thanks,
Tiana.
Original post by TheOnlyIzzy
I got an A* in AQA psychology alevel this year (2019), here are my tips!
I made notes all through the two years just briefly on the pages in the AQA textbook as we did them, but then once it reached closer I ended up redoing them all. It really helped my memory.
I found flashcards most useful. Definitions and theories on one side which I could test myself on. Make them colourful, use highlighters and coloured pens (e.g. Word in blue and definition in black). The colour helps stop your eyes sliding off and keeps it interesting (but make sure they are still neat). Spend time making them and thinking about how to lay it out in a way that works best for you, the more you think about it the more you'll remember.
Then move onto practice exams. Do them over and over and be really strict with yourself when marking, if its not almost word for word as the mark scheme dont give yourself the mark, as A) the examiners in the real exam won't, and B) getting frustrated with yourself because you didn't get the mark because of a stupid mistake will help you remember it for next time. Also, many of the questions from previous exams are re-used, just worded slightly differenty. When it comes to the real exam you will recognise many of the questions from previous exams and already know the markscheme.
January winter holidays year of exams I was just doing an hour or two a day, updating my notes. January half term probably 3-4 hours a day. Easter holidays 8-9 hours a day and the half term during exams easily 10 hours + a day. It sounds like a lot but you soon realise its not enough as there is just so much to learn (however all of these hours were spread over my 3 a-level subjects, English lit, biology and psychology, not just psychology).
Tips:
Essays:
- evaluation always fits into one of 5 categories (ethics, practical world application, research support/against, how good the methodology was and anything from the issues and debates section of book 2). If you remember these you can almost make up your evaluation on the spot.
- in each evaluation point (e.g. it was unethical because...) always then add "this supports/ does not support the theory....". That one little sentence at the end or start of each evaluation point gets you a whole extra mark per evaluation point. It adds up quick if you've got 5 evaluation points (5 marks) and then that on the end makes 10 marks instead of 5. (essays makes are either 10 eval / 6 description, or if theres a stem 4 reference to stem/ 6 eval / 4 description as all essays are out of 16)
- if you have a stem (bit of background) then always include at least 2 (preferably 3 -5) direct quotes from the stem. In "quotation marks" if you make a point about that bit of the stem. That gets an instant mark.
General short answer Questions:
- each question has a command word ('describe', 'evaluate' etc). There's a list on the AQA psychology website of what each of these mean, learn them all. You could write about something and be completely spot on right about it, except its not what the question asked so you'll get 0 marks.
- dont write fancy. Literally write like a baby with short direct sentences for each mark/point. Make it as clear as possible so theres no confusion and the examiners dont accidently skip a mark because the sentence was long and they couldn't instantly see what you were saying. They've got 1000's of papers to mark and will want to skim read and get through the paper as fast as possible, they won't appreciate long elegant complicated sentences that have 4 points in the one sentence, and might only give you 2 or 3 because they didn't instantly see it.
- after you finished a question, go back and count each point or idea you've given, and make sure it matches or goes over the marks available for the question.
Send me your email address and ill be happy to send you my notes,
Sorry it was so long, but those are my tips! good luck!
I made notes all through the two years just briefly on the pages in the AQA textbook as we did them, but then once it reached closer I ended up redoing them all. It really helped my memory.
I found flashcards most useful. Definitions and theories on one side which I could test myself on. Make them colourful, use highlighters and coloured pens (e.g. Word in blue and definition in black). The colour helps stop your eyes sliding off and keeps it interesting (but make sure they are still neat). Spend time making them and thinking about how to lay it out in a way that works best for you, the more you think about it the more you'll remember.
Then move onto practice exams. Do them over and over and be really strict with yourself when marking, if its not almost word for word as the mark scheme dont give yourself the mark, as A) the examiners in the real exam won't, and B) getting frustrated with yourself because you didn't get the mark because of a stupid mistake will help you remember it for next time. Also, many of the questions from previous exams are re-used, just worded slightly differenty. When it comes to the real exam you will recognise many of the questions from previous exams and already know the markscheme.
January winter holidays year of exams I was just doing an hour or two a day, updating my notes. January half term probably 3-4 hours a day. Easter holidays 8-9 hours a day and the half term during exams easily 10 hours + a day. It sounds like a lot but you soon realise its not enough as there is just so much to learn (however all of these hours were spread over my 3 a-level subjects, English lit, biology and psychology, not just psychology).
Tips:
Essays:
- evaluation always fits into one of 5 categories (ethics, practical world application, research support/against, how good the methodology was and anything from the issues and debates section of book 2). If you remember these you can almost make up your evaluation on the spot.
- in each evaluation point (e.g. it was unethical because...) always then add "this supports/ does not support the theory....". That one little sentence at the end or start of each evaluation point gets you a whole extra mark per evaluation point. It adds up quick if you've got 5 evaluation points (5 marks) and then that on the end makes 10 marks instead of 5. (essays makes are either 10 eval / 6 description, or if theres a stem 4 reference to stem/ 6 eval / 4 description as all essays are out of 16)
- if you have a stem (bit of background) then always include at least 2 (preferably 3 -5) direct quotes from the stem. In "quotation marks" if you make a point about that bit of the stem. That gets an instant mark.
General short answer Questions:
- each question has a command word ('describe', 'evaluate' etc). There's a list on the AQA psychology website of what each of these mean, learn them all. You could write about something and be completely spot on right about it, except its not what the question asked so you'll get 0 marks.
- dont write fancy. Literally write like a baby with short direct sentences for each mark/point. Make it as clear as possible so theres no confusion and the examiners dont accidently skip a mark because the sentence was long and they couldn't instantly see what you were saying. They've got 1000's of papers to mark and will want to skim read and get through the paper as fast as possible, they won't appreciate long elegant complicated sentences that have 4 points in the one sentence, and might only give you 2 or 3 because they didn't instantly see it.
- after you finished a question, go back and count each point or idea you've given, and make sure it matches or goes over the marks available for the question.
Send me your email address and ill be happy to send you my notes,
Sorry it was so long, but those are my tips! good luck!
hiya this was really helpful !! can I please get you to send me your notes??
Original post by TheOnlyIzzy
I got an A* in AQA psychology alevel this year (2019), here are my tips!
I made notes all through the two years just briefly on the pages in the AQA textbook as we did them, but then once it reached closer I ended up redoing them all. It really helped my memory.
I found flashcards most useful. Definitions and theories on one side which I could test myself on. Make them colourful, use highlighters and coloured pens (e.g. Word in blue and definition in black). The colour helps stop your eyes sliding off and keeps it interesting (but make sure they are still neat). Spend time making them and thinking about how to lay it out in a way that works best for you, the more you think about it the more you'll remember.
Then move onto practice exams. Do them over and over and be really strict with yourself when marking, if its not almost word for word as the mark scheme dont give yourself the mark, as A) the examiners in the real exam won't, and B) getting frustrated with yourself because you didn't get the mark because of a stupid mistake will help you remember it for next time. Also, many of the questions from previous exams are re-used, just worded slightly differenty. When it comes to the real exam you will recognise many of the questions from previous exams and already know the markscheme.
January winter holidays year of exams I was just doing an hour or two a day, updating my notes. January half term probably 3-4 hours a day. Easter holidays 8-9 hours a day and the half term during exams easily 10 hours + a day. It sounds like a lot but you soon realise its not enough as there is just so much to learn (however all of these hours were spread over my 3 a-level subjects, English lit, biology and psychology, not just psychology).
Tips:
Essays:
- evaluation always fits into one of 5 categories (ethics, practical world application, research support/against, how good the methodology was and anything from the issues and debates section of book 2). If you remember these you can almost make up your evaluation on the spot.
- in each evaluation point (e.g. it was unethical because...) always then add "this supports/ does not support the theory....". That one little sentence at the end or start of each evaluation point gets you a whole extra mark per evaluation point. It adds up quick if you've got 5 evaluation points (5 marks) and then that on the end makes 10 marks instead of 5. (essays makes are either 10 eval / 6 description, or if theres a stem 4 reference to stem/ 6 eval / 4 description as all essays are out of 16)
- if you have a stem (bit of background) then always include at least 2 (preferably 3 -5) direct quotes from the stem. In "quotation marks" if you make a point about that bit of the stem. That gets an instant mark.
General short answer Questions:
- each question has a command word ('describe', 'evaluate' etc). There's a list on the AQA psychology website of what each of these mean, learn them all. You could write about something and be completely spot on right about it, except its not what the question asked so you'll get 0 marks.
- dont write fancy. Literally write like a baby with short direct sentences for each mark/point. Make it as clear as possible so theres no confusion and the examiners dont accidently skip a mark because the sentence was long and they couldn't instantly see what you were saying. They've got 1000's of papers to mark and will want to skim read and get through the paper as fast as possible, they won't appreciate long elegant complicated sentences that have 4 points in the one sentence, and might only give you 2 or 3 because they didn't instantly see it.
- after you finished a question, go back and count each point or idea you've given, and make sure it matches or goes over the marks available for the question.
Send me your email address and ill be happy to send you my notes,
Sorry it was so long, but those are my tips! good luck!
I made notes all through the two years just briefly on the pages in the AQA textbook as we did them, but then once it reached closer I ended up redoing them all. It really helped my memory.
I found flashcards most useful. Definitions and theories on one side which I could test myself on. Make them colourful, use highlighters and coloured pens (e.g. Word in blue and definition in black). The colour helps stop your eyes sliding off and keeps it interesting (but make sure they are still neat). Spend time making them and thinking about how to lay it out in a way that works best for you, the more you think about it the more you'll remember.
Then move onto practice exams. Do them over and over and be really strict with yourself when marking, if its not almost word for word as the mark scheme dont give yourself the mark, as A) the examiners in the real exam won't, and B) getting frustrated with yourself because you didn't get the mark because of a stupid mistake will help you remember it for next time. Also, many of the questions from previous exams are re-used, just worded slightly differenty. When it comes to the real exam you will recognise many of the questions from previous exams and already know the markscheme.
January winter holidays year of exams I was just doing an hour or two a day, updating my notes. January half term probably 3-4 hours a day. Easter holidays 8-9 hours a day and the half term during exams easily 10 hours + a day. It sounds like a lot but you soon realise its not enough as there is just so much to learn (however all of these hours were spread over my 3 a-level subjects, English lit, biology and psychology, not just psychology).
Tips:
Essays:
- evaluation always fits into one of 5 categories (ethics, practical world application, research support/against, how good the methodology was and anything from the issues and debates section of book 2). If you remember these you can almost make up your evaluation on the spot.
- in each evaluation point (e.g. it was unethical because...) always then add "this supports/ does not support the theory....". That one little sentence at the end or start of each evaluation point gets you a whole extra mark per evaluation point. It adds up quick if you've got 5 evaluation points (5 marks) and then that on the end makes 10 marks instead of 5. (essays makes are either 10 eval / 6 description, or if theres a stem 4 reference to stem/ 6 eval / 4 description as all essays are out of 16)
- if you have a stem (bit of background) then always include at least 2 (preferably 3 -5) direct quotes from the stem. In "quotation marks" if you make a point about that bit of the stem. That gets an instant mark.
General short answer Questions:
- each question has a command word ('describe', 'evaluate' etc). There's a list on the AQA psychology website of what each of these mean, learn them all. You could write about something and be completely spot on right about it, except its not what the question asked so you'll get 0 marks.
- dont write fancy. Literally write like a baby with short direct sentences for each mark/point. Make it as clear as possible so theres no confusion and the examiners dont accidently skip a mark because the sentence was long and they couldn't instantly see what you were saying. They've got 1000's of papers to mark and will want to skim read and get through the paper as fast as possible, they won't appreciate long elegant complicated sentences that have 4 points in the one sentence, and might only give you 2 or 3 because they didn't instantly see it.
- after you finished a question, go back and count each point or idea you've given, and make sure it matches or goes over the marks available for the question.
Send me your email address and ill be happy to send you my notes,
Sorry it was so long, but those are my tips! good luck!
Hi that was really really helpful can I be cheeky and ask for you to send your notes : )
Original post by TheOnlyIzzy
I got an A* in AQA psychology alevel this year (2019), here are my tips!
I made notes all through the two years just briefly on the pages in the AQA textbook as we did them, but then once it reached closer I ended up redoing them all. It really helped my memory.
I found flashcards most useful. Definitions and theories on one side which I could test myself on. Make them colourful, use highlighters and coloured pens (e.g. Word in blue and definition in black). The colour helps stop your eyes sliding off and keeps it interesting (but make sure they are still neat). Spend time making them and thinking about how to lay it out in a way that works best for you, the more you think about it the more you'll remember.
Then move onto practice exams. Do them over and over and be really strict with yourself when marking, if its not almost word for word as the mark scheme dont give yourself the mark, as A) the examiners in the real exam won't, and B) getting frustrated with yourself because you didn't get the mark because of a stupid mistake will help you remember it for next time. Also, many of the questions from previous exams are re-used, just worded slightly differenty. When it comes to the real exam you will recognise many of the questions from previous exams and already know the markscheme.
January winter holidays year of exams I was just doing an hour or two a day, updating my notes. January half term probably 3-4 hours a day. Easter holidays 8-9 hours a day and the half term during exams easily 10 hours + a day. It sounds like a lot but you soon realise its not enough as there is just so much to learn (however all of these hours were spread over my 3 a-level subjects, English lit, biology and psychology, not just psychology).
Tips:
Essays:
- evaluation always fits into one of 5 categories (ethics, practical world application, research support/against, how good the methodology was and anything from the issues and debates section of book 2). If you remember these you can almost make up your evaluation on the spot.
- in each evaluation point (e.g. it was unethical because...) always then add "this supports/ does not support the theory....". That one little sentence at the end or start of each evaluation point gets you a whole extra mark per evaluation point. It adds up quick if you've got 5 evaluation points (5 marks) and then that on the end makes 10 marks instead of 5. (essays makes are either 10 eval / 6 description, or if theres a stem 4 reference to stem/ 6 eval / 4 description as all essays are out of 16)
- if you have a stem (bit of background) then always include at least 2 (preferably 3 -5) direct quotes from the stem. In "quotation marks" if you make a point about that bit of the stem. That gets an instant mark.
General short answer Questions:
- each question has a command word ('describe', 'evaluate' etc). There's a list on the AQA psychology website of what each of these mean, learn them all. You could write about something and be completely spot on right about it, except its not what the question asked so you'll get 0 marks.
- dont write fancy. Literally write like a baby with short direct sentences for each mark/point. Make it as clear as possible so theres no confusion and the examiners dont accidently skip a mark because the sentence was long and they couldn't instantly see what you were saying. They've got 1000's of papers to mark and will want to skim read and get through the paper as fast as possible, they won't appreciate long elegant complicated sentences that have 4 points in the one sentence, and might only give you 2 or 3 because they didn't instantly see it.
- after you finished a question, go back and count each point or idea you've given, and make sure it matches or goes over the marks available for the question.
Send me your email address and ill be happy to send you my notes,
Sorry it was so long, but those are my tips! good luck!
I made notes all through the two years just briefly on the pages in the AQA textbook as we did them, but then once it reached closer I ended up redoing them all. It really helped my memory.
I found flashcards most useful. Definitions and theories on one side which I could test myself on. Make them colourful, use highlighters and coloured pens (e.g. Word in blue and definition in black). The colour helps stop your eyes sliding off and keeps it interesting (but make sure they are still neat). Spend time making them and thinking about how to lay it out in a way that works best for you, the more you think about it the more you'll remember.
Then move onto practice exams. Do them over and over and be really strict with yourself when marking, if its not almost word for word as the mark scheme dont give yourself the mark, as A) the examiners in the real exam won't, and B) getting frustrated with yourself because you didn't get the mark because of a stupid mistake will help you remember it for next time. Also, many of the questions from previous exams are re-used, just worded slightly differenty. When it comes to the real exam you will recognise many of the questions from previous exams and already know the markscheme.
January winter holidays year of exams I was just doing an hour or two a day, updating my notes. January half term probably 3-4 hours a day. Easter holidays 8-9 hours a day and the half term during exams easily 10 hours + a day. It sounds like a lot but you soon realise its not enough as there is just so much to learn (however all of these hours were spread over my 3 a-level subjects, English lit, biology and psychology, not just psychology).
Tips:
Essays:
- evaluation always fits into one of 5 categories (ethics, practical world application, research support/against, how good the methodology was and anything from the issues and debates section of book 2). If you remember these you can almost make up your evaluation on the spot.
- in each evaluation point (e.g. it was unethical because...) always then add "this supports/ does not support the theory....". That one little sentence at the end or start of each evaluation point gets you a whole extra mark per evaluation point. It adds up quick if you've got 5 evaluation points (5 marks) and then that on the end makes 10 marks instead of 5. (essays makes are either 10 eval / 6 description, or if theres a stem 4 reference to stem/ 6 eval / 4 description as all essays are out of 16)
- if you have a stem (bit of background) then always include at least 2 (preferably 3 -5) direct quotes from the stem. In "quotation marks" if you make a point about that bit of the stem. That gets an instant mark.
General short answer Questions:
- each question has a command word ('describe', 'evaluate' etc). There's a list on the AQA psychology website of what each of these mean, learn them all. You could write about something and be completely spot on right about it, except its not what the question asked so you'll get 0 marks.
- dont write fancy. Literally write like a baby with short direct sentences for each mark/point. Make it as clear as possible so theres no confusion and the examiners dont accidently skip a mark because the sentence was long and they couldn't instantly see what you were saying. They've got 1000's of papers to mark and will want to skim read and get through the paper as fast as possible, they won't appreciate long elegant complicated sentences that have 4 points in the one sentence, and might only give you 2 or 3 because they didn't instantly see it.
- after you finished a question, go back and count each point or idea you've given, and make sure it matches or goes over the marks available for the question.
Send me your email address and ill be happy to send you my notes,
Sorry it was so long, but those are my tips! good luck!
Hello, i feel rude but is there any chance you can please send me your notes too. Sorry
Original post by Katie.Ann.
Hello, i feel rude but is there any chance you can please send me your notes too. Sorry
No worries send me your email address
Original post by TheOnlyIzzy
I got an A* in AQA psychology alevel this year (2019), here are my tips!
I made notes all through the two years just briefly on the pages in the AQA textbook as we did them, but then once it reached closer I ended up redoing them all. It really helped my memory.
I found flashcards most useful. Definitions and theories on one side which I could test myself on. Make them colourful, use highlighters and coloured pens (e.g. Word in blue and definition in black). The colour helps stop your eyes sliding off and keeps it interesting (but make sure they are still neat). Spend time making them and thinking about how to lay it out in a way that works best for you, the more you think about it the more you'll remember.
Then move onto practice exams. Do them over and over and be really strict with yourself when marking, if its not almost word for word as the mark scheme dont give yourself the mark, as A) the examiners in the real exam won't, and B) getting frustrated with yourself because you didn't get the mark because of a stupid mistake will help you remember it for next time. Also, many of the questions from previous exams are re-used, just worded slightly differenty. When it comes to the real exam you will recognise many of the questions from previous exams and already know the markscheme.
January winter holidays year of exams I was just doing an hour or two a day, updating my notes. January half term probably 3-4 hours a day. Easter holidays 8-9 hours a day and the half term during exams easily 10 hours + a day. It sounds like a lot but you soon realise its not enough as there is just so much to learn (however all of these hours were spread over my 3 a-level subjects, English lit, biology and psychology, not just psychology).
Tips:
Essays:
- evaluation always fits into one of 5 categories (ethics, practical world application, research support/against, how good the methodology was and anything from the issues and debates section of book 2). If you remember these you can almost make up your evaluation on the spot.
- in each evaluation point (e.g. it was unethical because...) always then add "this supports/ does not support the theory....". That one little sentence at the end or start of each evaluation point gets you a whole extra mark per evaluation point. It adds up quick if you've got 5 evaluation points (5 marks) and then that on the end makes 10 marks instead of 5. (essays makes are either 10 eval / 6 description, or if theres a stem 4 reference to stem/ 6 eval / 4 description as all essays are out of 16)
- if you have a stem (bit of background) then always include at least 2 (preferably 3 -5) direct quotes from the stem. In "quotation marks" if you make a point about that bit of the stem. That gets an instant mark.
General short answer Questions:
- each question has a command word ('describe', 'evaluate' etc). There's a list on the AQA psychology website of what each of these mean, learn them all. You could write about something and be completely spot on right about it, except its not what the question asked so you'll get 0 marks.
- dont write fancy. Literally write like a baby with short direct sentences for each mark/point. Make it as clear as possible so theres no confusion and the examiners dont accidently skip a mark because the sentence was long and they couldn't instantly see what you were saying. They've got 1000's of papers to mark and will want to skim read and get through the paper as fast as possible, they won't appreciate long elegant complicated sentences that have 4 points in the one sentence, and might only give you 2 or 3 because they didn't instantly see it.
- after you finished a question, go back and count each point or idea you've given, and make sure it matches or goes over the marks available for the question.
Send me your email address and ill be happy to send you my notes,
Sorry it was so long, but those are my tips! good luck!
I made notes all through the two years just briefly on the pages in the AQA textbook as we did them, but then once it reached closer I ended up redoing them all. It really helped my memory.
I found flashcards most useful. Definitions and theories on one side which I could test myself on. Make them colourful, use highlighters and coloured pens (e.g. Word in blue and definition in black). The colour helps stop your eyes sliding off and keeps it interesting (but make sure they are still neat). Spend time making them and thinking about how to lay it out in a way that works best for you, the more you think about it the more you'll remember.
Then move onto practice exams. Do them over and over and be really strict with yourself when marking, if its not almost word for word as the mark scheme dont give yourself the mark, as A) the examiners in the real exam won't, and B) getting frustrated with yourself because you didn't get the mark because of a stupid mistake will help you remember it for next time. Also, many of the questions from previous exams are re-used, just worded slightly differenty. When it comes to the real exam you will recognise many of the questions from previous exams and already know the markscheme.
January winter holidays year of exams I was just doing an hour or two a day, updating my notes. January half term probably 3-4 hours a day. Easter holidays 8-9 hours a day and the half term during exams easily 10 hours + a day. It sounds like a lot but you soon realise its not enough as there is just so much to learn (however all of these hours were spread over my 3 a-level subjects, English lit, biology and psychology, not just psychology).
Tips:
Essays:
- evaluation always fits into one of 5 categories (ethics, practical world application, research support/against, how good the methodology was and anything from the issues and debates section of book 2). If you remember these you can almost make up your evaluation on the spot.
- in each evaluation point (e.g. it was unethical because...) always then add "this supports/ does not support the theory....". That one little sentence at the end or start of each evaluation point gets you a whole extra mark per evaluation point. It adds up quick if you've got 5 evaluation points (5 marks) and then that on the end makes 10 marks instead of 5. (essays makes are either 10 eval / 6 description, or if theres a stem 4 reference to stem/ 6 eval / 4 description as all essays are out of 16)
- if you have a stem (bit of background) then always include at least 2 (preferably 3 -5) direct quotes from the stem. In "quotation marks" if you make a point about that bit of the stem. That gets an instant mark.
General short answer Questions:
- each question has a command word ('describe', 'evaluate' etc). There's a list on the AQA psychology website of what each of these mean, learn them all. You could write about something and be completely spot on right about it, except its not what the question asked so you'll get 0 marks.
- dont write fancy. Literally write like a baby with short direct sentences for each mark/point. Make it as clear as possible so theres no confusion and the examiners dont accidently skip a mark because the sentence was long and they couldn't instantly see what you were saying. They've got 1000's of papers to mark and will want to skim read and get through the paper as fast as possible, they won't appreciate long elegant complicated sentences that have 4 points in the one sentence, and might only give you 2 or 3 because they didn't instantly see it.
- after you finished a question, go back and count each point or idea you've given, and make sure it matches or goes over the marks available for the question.
Send me your email address and ill be happy to send you my notes,
Sorry it was so long, but those are my tips! good luck!
hi that actually makes me feel a bit confident about psychology now, if you don't mind can you send me the notes please?
thank you soooo much!Original post by jessiethebigone
hi that actually makes me feel a bit confident about psychology now, if you don't mind can you send me the notes please? thank you soooo much!
thank you soooo much!Of course, pm me your email
(edited 4 years ago)
Original post by TheOnlyIzzy
I got an A* in AQA psychology alevel this year (2019), here are my tips!
I made notes all through the two years just briefly on the pages in the AQA textbook as we did them, but then once it reached closer I ended up redoing them all. It really helped my memory.
I found flashcards most useful. Definitions and theories on one side which I could test myself on. Make them colourful, use highlighters and coloured pens (e.g. Word in blue and definition in black). The colour helps stop your eyes sliding off and keeps it interesting (but make sure they are still neat). Spend time making them and thinking about how to lay it out in a way that works best for you, the more you think about it the more you'll remember.
Then move onto practice exams. Do them over and over and be really strict with yourself when marking, if its not almost word for word as the mark scheme dont give yourself the mark, as A) the examiners in the real exam won't, and B) getting frustrated with yourself because you didn't get the mark because of a stupid mistake will help you remember it for next time. Also, many of the questions from previous exams are re-used, just worded slightly differenty. When it comes to the real exam you will recognise many of the questions from previous exams and already know the markscheme.
January winter holidays year of exams I was just doing an hour or two a day, updating my notes. January half term probably 3-4 hours a day. Easter holidays 8-9 hours a day and the half term during exams easily 10 hours + a day. It sounds like a lot but you soon realise its not enough as there is just so much to learn (however all of these hours were spread over my 3 a-level subjects, English lit, biology and psychology, not just psychology).
Tips:
Essays:
- evaluation always fits into one of 5 categories (ethics, practical world application, research support/against, how good the methodology was and anything from the issues and debates section of book 2). If you remember these you can almost make up your evaluation on the spot.
- in each evaluation point (e.g. it was unethical because...) always then add "this supports/ does not support the theory....". That one little sentence at the end or start of each evaluation point gets you a whole extra mark per evaluation point. It adds up quick if you've got 5 evaluation points (5 marks) and then that on the end makes 10 marks instead of 5. (essays makes are either 10 eval / 6 description, or if theres a stem 4 reference to stem/ 6 eval / 4 description as all essays are out of 16)
- if you have a stem (bit of background) then always include at least 2 (preferably 3 -5) direct quotes from the stem. In "quotation marks" if you make a point about that bit of the stem. That gets an instant mark.
General short answer Questions:
- each question has a command word ('describe', 'evaluate' etc). There's a list on the AQA psychology website of what each of these mean, learn them all. You could write about something and be completely spot on right about it, except its not what the question asked so you'll get 0 marks.
- dont write fancy. Literally write like a baby with short direct sentences for each mark/point. Make it as clear as possible so theres no confusion and the examiners dont accidently skip a mark because the sentence was long and they couldn't instantly see what you were saying. They've got 1000's of papers to mark and will want to skim read and get through the paper as fast as possible, they won't appreciate long elegant complicated sentences that have 4 points in the one sentence, and might only give you 2 or 3 because they didn't instantly see it.
- after you finished a question, go back and count each point or idea you've given, and make sure it matches or goes over the marks available for the question.
Send me your email address and ill be happy to send you my notes,
Sorry it was so long, but those are my tips! good luck!
I made notes all through the two years just briefly on the pages in the AQA textbook as we did them, but then once it reached closer I ended up redoing them all. It really helped my memory.
I found flashcards most useful. Definitions and theories on one side which I could test myself on. Make them colourful, use highlighters and coloured pens (e.g. Word in blue and definition in black). The colour helps stop your eyes sliding off and keeps it interesting (but make sure they are still neat). Spend time making them and thinking about how to lay it out in a way that works best for you, the more you think about it the more you'll remember.
Then move onto practice exams. Do them over and over and be really strict with yourself when marking, if its not almost word for word as the mark scheme dont give yourself the mark, as A) the examiners in the real exam won't, and B) getting frustrated with yourself because you didn't get the mark because of a stupid mistake will help you remember it for next time. Also, many of the questions from previous exams are re-used, just worded slightly differenty. When it comes to the real exam you will recognise many of the questions from previous exams and already know the markscheme.
January winter holidays year of exams I was just doing an hour or two a day, updating my notes. January half term probably 3-4 hours a day. Easter holidays 8-9 hours a day and the half term during exams easily 10 hours + a day. It sounds like a lot but you soon realise its not enough as there is just so much to learn (however all of these hours were spread over my 3 a-level subjects, English lit, biology and psychology, not just psychology).
Tips:
Essays:
- evaluation always fits into one of 5 categories (ethics, practical world application, research support/against, how good the methodology was and anything from the issues and debates section of book 2). If you remember these you can almost make up your evaluation on the spot.
- in each evaluation point (e.g. it was unethical because...) always then add "this supports/ does not support the theory....". That one little sentence at the end or start of each evaluation point gets you a whole extra mark per evaluation point. It adds up quick if you've got 5 evaluation points (5 marks) and then that on the end makes 10 marks instead of 5. (essays makes are either 10 eval / 6 description, or if theres a stem 4 reference to stem/ 6 eval / 4 description as all essays are out of 16)
- if you have a stem (bit of background) then always include at least 2 (preferably 3 -5) direct quotes from the stem. In "quotation marks" if you make a point about that bit of the stem. That gets an instant mark.
General short answer Questions:
- each question has a command word ('describe', 'evaluate' etc). There's a list on the AQA psychology website of what each of these mean, learn them all. You could write about something and be completely spot on right about it, except its not what the question asked so you'll get 0 marks.
- dont write fancy. Literally write like a baby with short direct sentences for each mark/point. Make it as clear as possible so theres no confusion and the examiners dont accidently skip a mark because the sentence was long and they couldn't instantly see what you were saying. They've got 1000's of papers to mark and will want to skim read and get through the paper as fast as possible, they won't appreciate long elegant complicated sentences that have 4 points in the one sentence, and might only give you 2 or 3 because they didn't instantly see it.
- after you finished a question, go back and count each point or idea you've given, and make sure it matches or goes over the marks available for the question.
Send me your email address and ill be happy to send you my notes,
Sorry it was so long, but those are my tips! good luck!
Thank you soo much for these tips!! I was wondering if you could send me your notes?? it would be really helpful! xx
Original post by TheOnlyIzzy
I got an A* in AQA psychology alevel this year (2019), here are my tips!
I made notes all through the two years just briefly on the pages in the AQA textbook as we did them, but then once it reached closer I ended up redoing them all. It really helped my memory.
I found flashcards most useful. Definitions and theories on one side which I could test myself on. Make them colourful, use highlighters and coloured pens (e.g. Word in blue and definition in black). The colour helps stop your eyes sliding off and keeps it interesting (but make sure they are still neat). Spend time making them and thinking about how to lay it out in a way that works best for you, the more you think about it the more you'll remember.
Then move onto practice exams. Do them over and over and be really strict with yourself when marking, if its not almost word for word as the mark scheme dont give yourself the mark, as A) the examiners in the real exam won't, and B) getting frustrated with yourself because you didn't get the mark because of a stupid mistake will help you remember it for next time. Also, many of the questions from previous exams are re-used, just worded slightly differenty. When it comes to the real exam you will recognise many of the questions from previous exams and already know the markscheme.
January winter holidays year of exams I was just doing an hour or two a day, updating my notes. January half term probably 3-4 hours a day. Easter holidays 8-9 hours a day and the half term during exams easily 10 hours + a day. It sounds like a lot but you soon realise its not enough as there is just so much to learn (however all of these hours were spread over my 3 a-level subjects, English lit, biology and psychology, not just psychology).
Tips:
Essays:
- evaluation always fits into one of 5 categories (ethics, practical world application, research support/against, how good the methodology was and anything from the issues and debates section of book 2). If you remember these you can almost make up your evaluation on the spot.
- in each evaluation point (e.g. it was unethical because...) always then add "this supports/ does not support the theory....". That one little sentence at the end or start of each evaluation point gets you a whole extra mark per evaluation point. It adds up quick if you've got 5 evaluation points (5 marks) and then that on the end makes 10 marks instead of 5. (essays makes are either 10 eval / 6 description, or if theres a stem 4 reference to stem/ 6 eval / 4 description as all essays are out of 16)
- if you have a stem (bit of background) then always include at least 2 (preferably 3 -5) direct quotes from the stem. In "quotation marks" if you make a point about that bit of the stem. That gets an instant mark.
General short answer Questions:
- each question has a command word ('describe', 'evaluate' etc). There's a list on the AQA psychology website of what each of these mean, learn them all. You could write about something and be completely spot on right about it, except its not what the question asked so you'll get 0 marks.
- dont write fancy. Literally write like a baby with short direct sentences for each mark/point. Make it as clear as possible so theres no confusion and the examiners dont accidently skip a mark because the sentence was long and they couldn't instantly see what you were saying. They've got 1000's of papers to mark and will want to skim read and get through the paper as fast as possible, they won't appreciate long elegant complicated sentences that have 4 points in the one sentence, and might only give you 2 or 3 because they didn't instantly see it.
- after you finished a question, go back and count each point or idea you've given, and make sure it matches or goes over the marks available for the question.
Send me your email address and ill be happy to send you my notes,
Sorry it was so long, but those are my tips! good luck!
I made notes all through the two years just briefly on the pages in the AQA textbook as we did them, but then once it reached closer I ended up redoing them all. It really helped my memory.
I found flashcards most useful. Definitions and theories on one side which I could test myself on. Make them colourful, use highlighters and coloured pens (e.g. Word in blue and definition in black). The colour helps stop your eyes sliding off and keeps it interesting (but make sure they are still neat). Spend time making them and thinking about how to lay it out in a way that works best for you, the more you think about it the more you'll remember.
Then move onto practice exams. Do them over and over and be really strict with yourself when marking, if its not almost word for word as the mark scheme dont give yourself the mark, as A) the examiners in the real exam won't, and B) getting frustrated with yourself because you didn't get the mark because of a stupid mistake will help you remember it for next time. Also, many of the questions from previous exams are re-used, just worded slightly differenty. When it comes to the real exam you will recognise many of the questions from previous exams and already know the markscheme.
January winter holidays year of exams I was just doing an hour or two a day, updating my notes. January half term probably 3-4 hours a day. Easter holidays 8-9 hours a day and the half term during exams easily 10 hours + a day. It sounds like a lot but you soon realise its not enough as there is just so much to learn (however all of these hours were spread over my 3 a-level subjects, English lit, biology and psychology, not just psychology).
Tips:
Essays:
- evaluation always fits into one of 5 categories (ethics, practical world application, research support/against, how good the methodology was and anything from the issues and debates section of book 2). If you remember these you can almost make up your evaluation on the spot.
- in each evaluation point (e.g. it was unethical because...) always then add "this supports/ does not support the theory....". That one little sentence at the end or start of each evaluation point gets you a whole extra mark per evaluation point. It adds up quick if you've got 5 evaluation points (5 marks) and then that on the end makes 10 marks instead of 5. (essays makes are either 10 eval / 6 description, or if theres a stem 4 reference to stem/ 6 eval / 4 description as all essays are out of 16)
- if you have a stem (bit of background) then always include at least 2 (preferably 3 -5) direct quotes from the stem. In "quotation marks" if you make a point about that bit of the stem. That gets an instant mark.
General short answer Questions:
- each question has a command word ('describe', 'evaluate' etc). There's a list on the AQA psychology website of what each of these mean, learn them all. You could write about something and be completely spot on right about it, except its not what the question asked so you'll get 0 marks.
- dont write fancy. Literally write like a baby with short direct sentences for each mark/point. Make it as clear as possible so theres no confusion and the examiners dont accidently skip a mark because the sentence was long and they couldn't instantly see what you were saying. They've got 1000's of papers to mark and will want to skim read and get through the paper as fast as possible, they won't appreciate long elegant complicated sentences that have 4 points in the one sentence, and might only give you 2 or 3 because they didn't instantly see it.
- after you finished a question, go back and count each point or idea you've given, and make sure it matches or goes over the marks available for the question.
Send me your email address and ill be happy to send you my notes,
Sorry it was so long, but those are my tips! good luck!
Thank you soo much for these tips!! I was wondering if you could send me your notes?? It would be really helpful! xx
Original post by Neuromegha
Thank you soo much for these tips!! I was wondering if you could send me your notes?? it would be really helpful! xx
Sure, pm me your address
Hey there again! I've been getting A LOT of people asking me and messaging me for my notes or tips, so I thought I'd add a few more! (again, if anyone wants the notes, just ask! im more than happy to share). Here are some tips for learning the content!
- Those notes I did ? I ended up redoing them 3 times, whether it was because I didn't like the way I laid it out the first way or thought it wasn't clear enough, but doing that made it stay in my memory because I went over it so many times. Putting things in tables, graphs or smart art in word helped me think it about it in new ways that suddenly made it click. It would advise you do the same, when it comes closer to exams you should make your own (type them up so you can edit it change it later). I found for each page spread (2 A4 sides) of the textbook it took me originally 45 minutes, so definitely start early (January time before exams). Get creative with it, make it into diagrams and stuff, think about the ways it could be laid out and why (e.g. is there emphasis on the type of theory, or the way it was experimented compared to other theories). Get creative.
- Also with my computer notes, I wrote them out on paper the way I wanted it to be laid out on Word first, and then copied that up on my laptop. So each spread would go write out on paper, copy up. Next spread, write out on paper, copy up on word, etc and so on. It is very time consuming but it really helps you remember as you go over the material a few times. Dont be afraid to be colourful and take your time, I would advise get a set of colourful pens and highlighters, if its all black you won't be able to concentrate (this is also why ive used bold and italics so much in my notes, it helps you stay focused on it as it isn't all monotonous and the same exact print).
- Before I even did the paper notes and word document notes, I highlighted what I thought was important in the textbook. ive attached an example picture of my own textbook. so actually the pattern was more 1. highlight in textbook. 2. write out on paper. 3. copy onto word. Again, the idea is you've gone over it so many times it will stick.
- if you look at my notes (if you've seen them, if not, do what ive said here in your own) you'll see there are lots of lists of 2 or 3 items (e.g. 1. compliance, 2. identification and 3. conformity on the first page of social influence). I put these on a flash card with the header (e.g.) "types of conformity" with those three listed below. keep it simple and not crowded. Then I could test myself by covering up the card except the header at the top and name the 3 types. You'll see these short lists a lot in my notes, as these are easy to learn and memorise, and very important content in the exam. For the 'approaches' section of book 2, on the flash card I would write the name of the approach at the top, and then 3-4 very short bullet points of what I thought were the main features of that approach, you get the idea.
- You know how at the end of each chapter theres a summary page? those are your friends. They really help you see what are the main points of each page and help you see what was most important about each bit, very useful for the flashcards method I mentioned above.
- dont try and go really deep all at once. Learn the 'top layer' of basic information first (e.g. common definitions) . Once you've got those down, learn a little more detail, and then more, and so on. Dont try and learn it super in depth from the very start because you'll forget it and you won't have time for the rest. Go in layers of how complicated you think it is over the months. Also, in your first year of A-level, things won't click so much as they will in the second year, so dont try and cram because you'll find as you get closer to the exam period things will make sense more and more, dont stress out about it and the fine details so much in the first year.
- In evaluation and essays btw, you dont have to use the ones from the book. If you look at the mark scheme, at the bottom of essays or questions involving AO3 (evaluation), it will say 'credit other relevant information'. What that means is if your evaluation idea is valid, then sure you get the marks! its not limited to what is in the evaluation in the textbook. If you think of other points that arnt in the book but actually you understand them and they make sense, shove that in! be creative, theres so much you can evaluate on, the textbook only gives you a few examples to get you going!
Good luck everyone!
- Those notes I did ? I ended up redoing them 3 times, whether it was because I didn't like the way I laid it out the first way or thought it wasn't clear enough, but doing that made it stay in my memory because I went over it so many times. Putting things in tables, graphs or smart art in word helped me think it about it in new ways that suddenly made it click. It would advise you do the same, when it comes closer to exams you should make your own (type them up so you can edit it change it later). I found for each page spread (2 A4 sides) of the textbook it took me originally 45 minutes, so definitely start early (January time before exams). Get creative with it, make it into diagrams and stuff, think about the ways it could be laid out and why (e.g. is there emphasis on the type of theory, or the way it was experimented compared to other theories). Get creative.
- Also with my computer notes, I wrote them out on paper the way I wanted it to be laid out on Word first, and then copied that up on my laptop. So each spread would go write out on paper, copy up. Next spread, write out on paper, copy up on word, etc and so on. It is very time consuming but it really helps you remember as you go over the material a few times. Dont be afraid to be colourful and take your time, I would advise get a set of colourful pens and highlighters, if its all black you won't be able to concentrate (this is also why ive used bold and italics so much in my notes, it helps you stay focused on it as it isn't all monotonous and the same exact print).
- Before I even did the paper notes and word document notes, I highlighted what I thought was important in the textbook. ive attached an example picture of my own textbook. so actually the pattern was more 1. highlight in textbook. 2. write out on paper. 3. copy onto word. Again, the idea is you've gone over it so many times it will stick.
- if you look at my notes (if you've seen them, if not, do what ive said here in your own) you'll see there are lots of lists of 2 or 3 items (e.g. 1. compliance, 2. identification and 3. conformity on the first page of social influence). I put these on a flash card with the header (e.g.) "types of conformity" with those three listed below. keep it simple and not crowded. Then I could test myself by covering up the card except the header at the top and name the 3 types. You'll see these short lists a lot in my notes, as these are easy to learn and memorise, and very important content in the exam. For the 'approaches' section of book 2, on the flash card I would write the name of the approach at the top, and then 3-4 very short bullet points of what I thought were the main features of that approach, you get the idea.
- You know how at the end of each chapter theres a summary page? those are your friends. They really help you see what are the main points of each page and help you see what was most important about each bit, very useful for the flashcards method I mentioned above.
- dont try and go really deep all at once. Learn the 'top layer' of basic information first (e.g. common definitions) . Once you've got those down, learn a little more detail, and then more, and so on. Dont try and learn it super in depth from the very start because you'll forget it and you won't have time for the rest. Go in layers of how complicated you think it is over the months. Also, in your first year of A-level, things won't click so much as they will in the second year, so dont try and cram because you'll find as you get closer to the exam period things will make sense more and more, dont stress out about it and the fine details so much in the first year.
- In evaluation and essays btw, you dont have to use the ones from the book. If you look at the mark scheme, at the bottom of essays or questions involving AO3 (evaluation), it will say 'credit other relevant information'. What that means is if your evaluation idea is valid, then sure you get the marks! its not limited to what is in the evaluation in the textbook. If you think of other points that arnt in the book but actually you understand them and they make sense, shove that in! be creative, theres so much you can evaluate on, the textbook only gives you a few examples to get you going!
Good luck everyone!
(edited 4 years ago)
Original post by TheOnlyIzzy
Hey there again! I've been getting A LOT of people asking me and messaging me for my notes or tips, so I thought I'd add a few more! (again, if anyone wants the notes, just ask! im more than happy to share)
- Those notes I did ? I ended up redoing them 3 times, whether it was because I didn't like the way I laid it out the first way or thought it wasn't clear enough, but doing that made it stay in my memory because I went over it so many times. Putting things in tables, graphs or smart art in word helped me think it about it in new ways that suddenly made it click. It would advise you do the same, when it comes closer to exams you should make your own (type them up so you can edit it change it later). I found for each page spread (2 A4 sides) of the textbook it took me originally 45 minutes, so definitely start early (January time before exams). Get creative with it, make it into diagrams and stuff, think about the ways it could be laid out and why (e.g. is there emphasis on the type of theory, or the way it was experimented compared to other theories). Get creative.
- Also with my computer notes, I wrote them out on paper the way I wanted it to be laid out on Word first, and then copied that up on my laptop. So each spread would go write out on paper, copy up. Next spread, write out on paper, copy up on word, etc and so on. It is very time consuming but it really helps you remember as you go over the material a few times. Dont be afraid to be colourful and take your time, I would advise get a set of colourful pens and highlighters, if its all black you won't be able to concentrate (this is also why ive used bold and italics so much in my notes, it helps you stay focused on it as it isn't all monotonous and the same exact print).
- Before I even did the paper notes and word document notes, I highlighted what I thought was important in the textbook. ive attached an example picture of my own textbook. so actually the pattern was more 1. highlight in textbook. 2. write out on paper. 3. copy onto word. Again, the idea is you've gone over it so many times it will stick.
- if you look at my notes (if you've seen them, if not, do what ive said here in your own) you'll see there are lots of lists of 2 or 3 items (e.g. 1. compliance, 2. identification and 3. conformity on the first page of social influence). I put these on a flash card with the header (e.g.) "types of conformity" with those three listed below. keep it simple and not crowded. Then I could test myself by covering up the card except the header at the top and name the 3 types. You'll see these short lists a lot in my notes, as these are easy to learn and memorise, and very important content in the exam. For the 'approaches' section of book 2, on the flash card I would write the name of the approach at the top, and then 3-4 very short bullet points of what I thought were the main features of that approach, you get the idea.
- You know how at the end of each chapter theres a summary page? those are your friends. They really help you see what are the main points of each page and help you see what was most important about each bit, very useful for the flashcards method I mentioned above.
- dont try and go really deep all at once. Learn the 'top layer' of basic information first (e.g. common definitions) . Once you've got those down, learn a little more detail, and then more, and so on. Dont try and learn it super in depth from the very start because you'll forget it and you won't have time for the rest. Go in layers of how complicated you think it is over the months. Also, in your first year of A-level, things won't click so much as they will in the second year, so dont try and cram because you'll find as you get closer to the exam period things will make sense more and more, dont stress out about it and the fine details so much in the first year.
- In evaluation and essays btw, you dont have to use the ones from the book. If you look at the mark scheme, at the bottom of essays or questions involving AO3 (evaluation), it will say 'credit other relevant information'. What that means is if your evaluation idea is valid, then sure you get the marks! its not limited to what is in the evaluation in the textbook. If you think of other points that arnt in the book but actually you understand them and they make sense, shove that in! be creative, theres so much you can evaluate on, the textbook only gives you a few examples to get you going!
Good luck everyone!
- Those notes I did ? I ended up redoing them 3 times, whether it was because I didn't like the way I laid it out the first way or thought it wasn't clear enough, but doing that made it stay in my memory because I went over it so many times. Putting things in tables, graphs or smart art in word helped me think it about it in new ways that suddenly made it click. It would advise you do the same, when it comes closer to exams you should make your own (type them up so you can edit it change it later). I found for each page spread (2 A4 sides) of the textbook it took me originally 45 minutes, so definitely start early (January time before exams). Get creative with it, make it into diagrams and stuff, think about the ways it could be laid out and why (e.g. is there emphasis on the type of theory, or the way it was experimented compared to other theories). Get creative.
- Also with my computer notes, I wrote them out on paper the way I wanted it to be laid out on Word first, and then copied that up on my laptop. So each spread would go write out on paper, copy up. Next spread, write out on paper, copy up on word, etc and so on. It is very time consuming but it really helps you remember as you go over the material a few times. Dont be afraid to be colourful and take your time, I would advise get a set of colourful pens and highlighters, if its all black you won't be able to concentrate (this is also why ive used bold and italics so much in my notes, it helps you stay focused on it as it isn't all monotonous and the same exact print).
- Before I even did the paper notes and word document notes, I highlighted what I thought was important in the textbook. ive attached an example picture of my own textbook. so actually the pattern was more 1. highlight in textbook. 2. write out on paper. 3. copy onto word. Again, the idea is you've gone over it so many times it will stick.
- if you look at my notes (if you've seen them, if not, do what ive said here in your own) you'll see there are lots of lists of 2 or 3 items (e.g. 1. compliance, 2. identification and 3. conformity on the first page of social influence). I put these on a flash card with the header (e.g.) "types of conformity" with those three listed below. keep it simple and not crowded. Then I could test myself by covering up the card except the header at the top and name the 3 types. You'll see these short lists a lot in my notes, as these are easy to learn and memorise, and very important content in the exam. For the 'approaches' section of book 2, on the flash card I would write the name of the approach at the top, and then 3-4 very short bullet points of what I thought were the main features of that approach, you get the idea.
- You know how at the end of each chapter theres a summary page? those are your friends. They really help you see what are the main points of each page and help you see what was most important about each bit, very useful for the flashcards method I mentioned above.
- dont try and go really deep all at once. Learn the 'top layer' of basic information first (e.g. common definitions) . Once you've got those down, learn a little more detail, and then more, and so on. Dont try and learn it super in depth from the very start because you'll forget it and you won't have time for the rest. Go in layers of how complicated you think it is over the months. Also, in your first year of A-level, things won't click so much as they will in the second year, so dont try and cram because you'll find as you get closer to the exam period things will make sense more and more, dont stress out about it and the fine details so much in the first year.
- In evaluation and essays btw, you dont have to use the ones from the book. If you look at the mark scheme, at the bottom of essays or questions involving AO3 (evaluation), it will say 'credit other relevant information'. What that means is if your evaluation idea is valid, then sure you get the marks! its not limited to what is in the evaluation in the textbook. If you think of other points that arnt in the book but actually you understand them and they make sense, shove that in! be creative, theres so much you can evaluate on, the textbook only gives you a few examples to get you going!
Good luck everyone!
Hi,
Just wanted to ask what is the difference between biological reductionism and biological determinism they both seem like the same thing to me as explaining behaviour due to genes but my teacher says they are different but can't explain it
Biological determinism is the extent to which behaviour is caused by genes and the nervous system and we have no free-will.
Biological reductionism is the view that we can explain behaviour by breaking it down to its component genetic parts rather than a whole.
They are very very similar, and Its tricky to explain, but essentially they both say behaviour is caused by biology and genes.
I would say the main difference is Determinism is whether or not our behaviour is Free-Will Or Not (biological determinism says its not, its biology), but Reductionism is for when you've ALREADY decided its Not free will, and so, what exactly it is and HOW we should explain it (biological/enviromental determinism OR Holism (we can't explain behaviour by breaking it down, but by viewing it as a mix of everything). Which one you would use largely depends on the wording of the question:
"how much of behaviour is free-will, or can it be explained as due to internal/external forces?": Biological Determinism
"Should behaviour be viewed as being explained by combined experiences that can't be explained by separating it into individual forces, or can it be broken down into components, and if so, what?" : Biological Reductionism
Does that help?
Biological reductionism is the view that we can explain behaviour by breaking it down to its component genetic parts rather than a whole.
They are very very similar, and Its tricky to explain, but essentially they both say behaviour is caused by biology and genes.
I would say the main difference is Determinism is whether or not our behaviour is Free-Will Or Not (biological determinism says its not, its biology), but Reductionism is for when you've ALREADY decided its Not free will, and so, what exactly it is and HOW we should explain it (biological/enviromental determinism OR Holism (we can't explain behaviour by breaking it down, but by viewing it as a mix of everything). Which one you would use largely depends on the wording of the question:
"how much of behaviour is free-will, or can it be explained as due to internal/external forces?": Biological Determinism
"Should behaviour be viewed as being explained by combined experiences that can't be explained by separating it into individual forces, or can it be broken down into components, and if so, what?" : Biological Reductionism
Does that help?
(edited 4 years ago)
Original post by TheOnlyIzzy
Biological determinism is the extent to which behaviour is caused by genes and the nervous system and we have no free-will.
Biological reductionism is the view that we can explain behaviour by breaking it down to its component genetic parts rather than a whole.
They are very very similar, and Its tricky to explain, but essentially they both say behaviour is caused by biology and genes.
I would say the main difference is Determinism is whether or not our behaviour is Free-Will Or Not (biological determinism says its not, its biology), but Reductionism is for when you've ALREADY decided its Not free will, and so, what exactly it is and HOW we should explain it (biological/enviromental determinism OR Holism (we can't explain behaviour by breaking it down, but by viewing it as a mix of everything). Which one you would use largely depends on the wording of the question:
"how much of behaviour is free-will, or can it be explained as due to internal/external forces?": Biological Determinism
"Should behaviour be viewed as being explained by combined experiences that can't be explained by separating it into individual forces, or can it be broken down into components, and if so, what?" : Biological Reductionism
Does that help?
Biological reductionism is the view that we can explain behaviour by breaking it down to its component genetic parts rather than a whole.
They are very very similar, and Its tricky to explain, but essentially they both say behaviour is caused by biology and genes.
I would say the main difference is Determinism is whether or not our behaviour is Free-Will Or Not (biological determinism says its not, its biology), but Reductionism is for when you've ALREADY decided its Not free will, and so, what exactly it is and HOW we should explain it (biological/enviromental determinism OR Holism (we can't explain behaviour by breaking it down, but by viewing it as a mix of everything). Which one you would use largely depends on the wording of the question:
"how much of behaviour is free-will, or can it be explained as due to internal/external forces?": Biological Determinism
"Should behaviour be viewed as being explained by combined experiences that can't be explained by separating it into individual forces, or can it be broken down into components, and if so, what?" : Biological Reductionism
Does that help?
PRSOM ☺️
Yes thankyou I was just wondering if there was a comparison question between the two however I think it would he unlikely
Original post by AmberDalia
PRSOM ☺️
Yes thankyou I was just wondering if there was a comparison question between the two however I think it would he unlikely
Yes thankyou I was just wondering if there was a comparison question between the two however I think it would he unlikely
PRSOM? I’m unsure what this stands for 😂 however I think your right, ive done every aqa psychology paper to date and I’ve never come across a question asking that. It’s very unlikely they would and it would be worth at max 2 marks. What’s more likely is a question asking about determinism vs free will, or reductionism vs holism, so just make sure you get the definitions clear!
One final piece of advice guys! Whilst you should always revise all of the content, theres a girl called Chloe Crellin on YouTube who posts predictions for the exam questions based on previous questions, examiner reports and statistics, and is far more accurate than any other person doing predictions that ive seen. She got the questions for last years papers almost spot on and I would highly recommend extra-revising anything she suggests.
If you want to make sure for yourself, watch her videos and check against previous past papers. Remember, its important to revise it ALL but a little nudge towards what will likely come up is always helpful to know.
https://www.youtube.com/user/dogfan4eva
If you want to make sure for yourself, watch her videos and check against previous past papers. Remember, its important to revise it ALL but a little nudge towards what will likely come up is always helpful to know.
https://www.youtube.com/user/dogfan4eva
Original post by TheOnlyIzzy
PRSOM? I’m unsure what this stands for 😂 however I think your right, ive done every aqa psychology paper to date and I’ve never come across a question asking that. It’s very unlikely they would and it would be worth at max 2 marks. What’s more likely is a question asking about determinism vs free will, or reductionism vs holism, so just make sure you get the definitions clear!
I was trying to rep you but it said Please rep some other member first (PRSOM) because I already gave u a rep.
& thankyou for the YouTube recommendation.
When did you finish content and you said you've done every single exam paper. When did u start practicing?
Also what's ur biggest tip for grade improvement as my teacher doesn't mark any additional essays i do due to her having other marking, currently averaging a B
N/A
(edited 4 years ago)
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