OCR B Physics AS level.

Has anyone taken this course and how did they find it.

The text book made for this course is bacially a history book as i have found, not really making it clear what we have to know and what is really irrelevant but just for our knowledge.

A CD is also given with the book, however the endless questions on the CD for each chapter are nothing like what you would get in your exams.

I find this course quite challenging and interesting, however the way they go about it, is not my cup of tea. ALso my teacher probably knows about 30% more physics than all of us in our physics group since she is never sure about what she is talking about, and mumbles to herself while trying to work out some equation on the board, in the porcess getting all of us confused!

Reply 1

4Ed

15

Missy B

Has anyone taken this course and how did they find it.

The text book made for this course is bacially a history book as i have found, not really making it clear what we have to know and what is really irrelevant but just for our knowledge.

A CD is also given with the book, however the endless questions on the CD for each chapter are nothing like what you would get in your exams.

I find this course quite challenging and interesting, however the way they go about it, is not my cup of tea. ALso my teacher probably knows about 30% more physics than all of us in our physics group since she is never sure about what she is talking about, and mumbles to herself while trying to work out some equation on the board, in the porcess getting all of us confused!

The course is also known as Advancing Physics.... as far as I can remember (we've had a thread similar to this on here before), everyone hates the course.

I took it myself, and there's not enough maths in there to back up the (little) physics they teach you - it's all hand waving and a lot of history, like you said. The CD isn't useful either. But stick through it, and you will learn some good dinner-time discussion topics... that's about all the course is useful for :biggrin:

Reply 2

currency_westlake

Hi,

I can relate to everything you're saying! The advancing textbook is absolutely shit, no other way to describe it. Also, I have a Physics teacher who I swear knows less than half of the class!

But the Understanding Processes AS paper is very good (if you like Mechanics).....and Rise and Fall of the Clockwork Universe for A2 is also a good paper........Unfortunetly too much coursework, some boring topics (Physics in Action), and crap teachers put a lot of people off.

The way to suceed (I have an A) is through past papers, and finding one teacher who can tell you how to answer the Section C questions.

Once you have that, it's fine...

Tom

Reply 3

chrisbphd

2

I don't think that you get the idea here. The Advancing Physics course is supposed to teach by experimentation, which in my mind is a much better way of learning than reading from a book. The idea of the CD is to get people who are not interested in reading to look at course material. It also gives the chance to use computer modelling for physics problems (very important).

I found the OCR B course very good, and I feel that my grounding in Physics is not disadvantaged in any way as a result of taking it. If anything, I feel that the extra experimental experience it has given me puts me at somewhat of an advantage when doing university practicals and write ups.

Reply 4

Sue!

I HATE this course!
Especially the coursework which I'm supposed to be researching on the net right now. The text book is useless as is the CD (actually this does have uses - drinks coaster, frisbee etc.).
To make sure you get a good mark all you have to do is: (i) Follow the mark scheme for the coursework, and (ii) read through the student checklist on the CD when revising - it will tell you exactly what you need to know and will tell what to learn for section C of the AS papers (just choose one example for each point that you need to know).

Whenever I get really fed up with this course I just look at the exam paper to remind myself how easy the questions are.

Reply 5

Lemovitch

I found it a very easy course compared to my other subjects, just read the book. About 40% of the marks seem to account for plugging data into formula that are giving in the data book, if you can do basic maths you'll be fine.

Reply 6

powerball

The course is the dumbest thing I ever seen with questions like "use this formula to show that the answer is...." Absolute joke.

Anyone know what unit 6 (synoptic assessment) is like though?

OCR B Physics AS level.

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