Advanced Higher Biology 2020/21

Poll

Which unit are you most looking forward to in Advanced Higher Biology?

Thought I’d start a forum for those taking Advanced Higher Biology and doing their exam in 2021 as many of you may be starting 6th year soon. How is everyone feeling about the course, any future aspirations? Has anyone started to prepare during lockdown?

Reply 1

chubchubbs

11

Original post by oliver coutts

Thought I’d start a forum for those taking Advanced Higher Biology and doing their exam in 2021 as many of you may be starting 6th year soon. How is everyone feeling about the course, any future aspirations? Has anyone started to prepare during lockdown?

Currently using my sister's advanced higher bio books and resources :biggrin:

It's difficult to remember all the terminology but the concepts are fairly simple enough
Hopefully, I will be accepted to a uni to study a medicine/biology-related subject.

Reply 2

nicolebarbara

8

Original post by oliver coutts

Thought I’d start a forum for those taking Advanced Higher Biology and doing their exam in 2021 as many of you may be starting 6th year soon. How is everyone feeling about the course, any future aspirations? Has anyone started to prepare during lockdown?

Just replied to your chemistry one! Hopefully these will be very helpful with questions this year. Anyway, feeling okay about the course, borrowed a textbook from school before lockdown and I’ve just been making some Flashcards from it - nothing fancy. :smile:

Reply 3

oliver coutts

OP

9

Original post by nicolebarbara

Just replied to your chemistry one! Hopefully these will be very helpful with questions this year. Anyway, feeling okay about the course, borrowed a textbook from school before lockdown and I’ve just been making some Flashcards from it - nothing fancy. :smile:

I’ve done the same but our school only has old edition textbooks so I’ve had to buy the new edition. I think I’m gonna find chemistry more conceptually difficult, however biology seems to have way more content to cover.

Reply 4

oliver coutts

OP

9

Original post by chubchubbs

Currently using my sister's advanced higher bio books and resources :biggrin:

It's difficult to remember all the terminology but the concepts are fairly simple enough
Hopefully, I will be accepted to a uni to study a medicine/biology-related subject.

Yeh it looks like a completely new language to learn but it should be very interesting. I want to go into a biomedical or pharmacy related degree so not dissimilar to you.

Reply 5

nicolebarbara

8

Original post by oliver coutts

I’ve done the same but our school only has old edition textbooks so I’ve had to buy the new edition. I think I’m gonna find chemistry more conceptually difficult, however biology seems to have way more content to cover.

Yeah, I agree, the biology course spec is so long - I ran out of paper twice when I was printing it. 😅 How many adv. highers are you taking this year?

Reply 6

oliver coutts

OP

9

Original post by nicolebarbara

Yeah, I agree, the biology course spec is so long - I ran out of paper twice when I was printing it. 😅 How many adv. highers are you taking this year?

i’m taking 2 adv highers - biology and chemistry. i’m also doing higher music and national 5 lab science (bit of a filler subject tbh but it should help).

Reply 7

ROC10

18

Original post by oliver coutts

i’m taking 2 adv highers - biology and chemistry. i’m also doing higher music and national 5 lab science (bit of a filler subject tbh but it should help).

What are your plans for after school? Just thinking that another Higher would probably be better than N5 Lab Science. If you're looking to go into science you might even be better doing the 2AHs plus just one other AH/Higher like Physics or Maths. But if you're doing your 5 Highers this year and are on track to do well then you'll probably be fine unless you're aiming for an English uni or direct entry to second year. Just because I know Lab Science probably won't be looked upon particular favourably by universities and I've heard bad stories about it (but that's obviously not going to the case for everyone or at every school!).

(edited 4 years ago)

Reply 8

nicolebarbara

8

Original post by oliver coutts

i’m taking 2 adv highers - biology and chemistry. i’m also doing higher music and national 5 lab science (bit of a filler subject tbh but it should help).

Sounds good - my friend loved lab science this year as she most of it you know from higher chem anyway. Good luck!

Reply 9

ROC10

18

Original post by oliver coutts

I’m doing five highers this year and got all A’s in my prelims. I am looking to do Biomedical science which has no requirement for Higher/AH Physics and I already take Higher Maths. The unis I have looked to go to don’t have any requirements for me to do two more highers in 6th year considering I am already doing two advanced highers next year and have five highers with all required subjects from this year. I can actually go into 2nd year uni with the two Advanced Highers they need (bio and chem) but I’m only applying for 1st year, so I’m already ahead in that aspect. I’m not quite sure how it’s going to hinder my application at all by taking a subject that my teachers have recommended to me, please tell me about the bad experiences you know about people who took the subject. Quite frankly I don’t have enough time next year because I have a part time job, a few extracurricular activities and am doing two music exams at Grade 8, as well as learning to drive. Also my school don’t offer any highers that would be beneficial to my application in the free columns. I also want to enjoy my 6th year and focus on my mental health and there aren’t any other highers that I know I’d enjoy that I haven’t already taken, even so another higher after the stresses of 5th year in which I worked my ass off would be too much imo, cos everyone has different work ethics. Additionally, I also personally know three people who applied to Biomedical Sciences or a similar degree at Edinburgh/Glasgow etc, who had also taken Lab science in 6th year, and got offered places. Furthermore, my application this year won’t even include my 6th year results yet, only my 5th year, so I think I’m fine, I just would like to know how taking lab science would hurt, so I can bring it up with my teachers. Thanks

I just wanted to check that you’d considered everything but it certainly seems you have so that’s great! Also you’re right in that your S5 results will be most important and it looks like you’ll do well so I’d imagine you’ll probably get unconditionals (obviously no guarantee though). I was just thinking maybe even doing three subjects (3xAH or 2xAH & 1xH) would be better/easier than four but I understand that your school may require you to do four. Good luck with it and hopefully you’ll get to enjoy your sixth year!

Reply 10

username4250206

17

I just had a quick look at the specification this morning. I did Human Biology last year so I think the cells unit shouldn't be too bad but the other one about evolution looks a bit boring ngl.
The week before Easter holidays we got given like a little bit of homework for Unit 3, it is really weird as it isn't Biology more just general science stuff. It isn't too bad, I asked my teacher a couple of questions about it and she said she is going to be putting up some videos to help us.
I'm thinking I might do supplementary scholar work to try and actually to learn Unit 3 a little bit.

Reply 11

ROC10

18

Original post by Valeriex

I just had a quick look at the specification this morning. I did Human Biology last year so I think the cells unit shouldn't be too bad but the other one about evolution looks a bit boring ngl.
The week before Easter holidays we got given like a little bit of homework for Unit 3, it is really weird as it isn't Biology more just general science stuff. It isn't too bad, I asked my teacher a couple of questions about it and she said she is going to be putting up some videos to help us.
I'm thinking I might do supplementary scholar work to try and actually to learn Unit 3 a little bit.

Your school seems to be very much on the ball having you start your courses for next year already! It makes sense though as you may as well use this time to get a head start.

Reply 12

oliver coutts

OP

9

Original post by Valeriex

I just had a quick look at the specification this morning. I did Human Biology last year so I think the cells unit shouldn't be too bad but the other one about evolution looks a bit boring ngl.
The week before Easter holidays we got given like a little bit of homework for Unit 3, it is really weird as it isn't Biology more just general science stuff. It isn't too bad, I asked my teacher a couple of questions about it and she said she is going to be putting up some videos to help us.
I'm thinking I might do supplementary scholar work to try and actually to learn Unit 3 a little bit.

I would've liked to take Human Biology instead of Biology at Higher as I want to do immunology or biomedical sciences at uni, however, my school doesn't offer it. I guess it worked out nicely though because I wouldn't have had much of a clue for the organisms and evolution unit as that doesn't feature much in Human Biology. I think our school is starting in a few weeks so that's good, I've started making some quizlets for the course to save time throughout the year.

For anyone who hasn't decided what to do for your project yet, the RZSS let you do your project at either Edinburgh Zoo or Highland Wildlife Park. Applications close 14th September!

https://www.rzss.org.uk/rzss-education/advanced-higher-biology-investigations/

Reply 14

_simba_1234

3

Hi, I’m taking advanced higher biology this year. I am wanting to apply for veterinary medicine this year however I got a B in higher chemistry which I was really disappointed about and knew I would have gotten an A if I had sat the final exam. I got an A in higher human biology and all my other subjects were A’s. I’m currently studying advanced bio, chem, crashing higher physics and nat 5 cake craft. Let me know if you’re similar to me!