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F215 - Revision thread 13th June 2011

Hello, everybody :smile: This may seem a bit early, but for the more eager student's this could be a beneficial time to share important revision technique's and any additional information you would like to share.

I know for me, I need a B in biology! And Im scared I won't get it to so have started revising. On ecosystem's at the moment.

Im sure many of you have started revision, so lets share the misery :cool:

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Reply 1
Anyone?
Reply 2
anyone?
Reply 3
Original post by slacker07906

Original post by slacker07906
anyone?


Hi!

I'm also sitting this exam in the summer, but haven't started revision yet as we are nowhere near finished being taught it, besides I'm also resitting the other 3 Biology exams so I'm revising for those to get the best possible grade. Need a B though. God help me!!! LOL

Well done on starting revision already-good luck!
Is this for OCR on genetics and stuff? I'm pleased to see a revision thread this early :smile: I've started casual revision but I think I need to crank it up after easter. How are you guys finding the content so far?
Reply 5
Original post by fortunecookie

Original post by fortunecookie
Is this for OCR on genetics and stuff? I'm pleased to see a revision thread this early :smile: I've started casual revision but I think I need to crank it up after easter. How are you guys finding the content so far?


Ive actually found it really hard. Definitely the hardest unit so far. Im glad you are happy to see a revision thread, I hoped the more eager student's would appreciate it. And yes OCR :smile:
I will say something that the examiners who were at the PhilipAllan Conference

The textbook will only get you as far a C grade overall and the past papers will certainly enable you to gain at least a B

However, one point they kept stressing was the Synoptic nature of Biology. Cell Signalling is in AS, but it can be tested in A2 as well. Also remember A2 has alot of Synoptic content, especially this one.

How is everybody else feeling about the Summer exams...after the Plants and Biodiversity AS exams?
Reply 7
Original post by intellectual1

Original post by intellectual1
I will say something that the examiners who were at the PhilipAllan Conference

The textbook will only get you as far a C grade overall and the past papers will certainly enable you to gain at least a B

However, one point they kept stressing was the Synoptic nature of Biology. Cell Signalling is in AS, but it can be tested in A2 as well. Also remember A2 has alot of Synoptic content, especially this one.

How is everybody else feeling about the Summer exams...after the Plants and Biodiversity AS exams?


Hi. Thats very helpful information, thankyou very much :smile: Im finding the content really hard and so am not very confident for the summer exam, dreading it to be honest. Just the world "synoptic" scares me. What are you going to do for the synoptic part, are you going to revise AS aswell, or just scan over AS work?
Original post by slacker07906
Ive actually found it really hard. Definitely the hardest unit so far. Im glad you are happy to see a revision thread, I hoped the more eager student's would appreciate it. And yes OCR :smile:


Same, I HATE HATE HATE the environment stuff. I really can't get on with it at all, but much prefer the human stuff like the muscles and things. It seems to make more sense. I think I prefer human biology a lot more.

Last summer we did some exam questions and asking questions on msn. Maybe we could so that abit closer to the exam?
Original post by intellectual1
I will say something that the examiners who were at the PhilipAllan Conference

The textbook will only get you as far a C grade overall and the past papers will certainly enable you to gain at least a B

However, one point they kept stressing was the Synoptic nature of Biology. Cell Signalling is in AS, but it can be tested in A2 as well. Also remember A2 has alot of Synoptic content, especially this one.

How is everybody else feeling about the Summer exams...after the Plants and Biodiversity AS exams?


Thats nonsense, the text book will get one up to a B, past Papers an A, and understanding what your learning- for synoptic stuff will get one to an A*.
Original post by fortunecookie

Original post by fortunecookie
Same, I HATE HATE HATE the environment stuff. I really can't get on with it at all, but much prefer the human stuff like the muscles and things. It seems to make more sense. I think I prefer human biology a lot more.

Last summer we did some exam questions and asking questions on msn. Maybe we could so that abit closer to the exam?


Yes definitely lol. Although my msn is very embarrassing haha :P Im not going to start full on revision yet, just scanning over notes etc...then going to attempt to actually remember some of the info lol! :smile:
Original post by slacker07906
Hi. Thats very helpful information, thankyou very much :smile: Im finding the content really hard and so am not very confident for the summer exam, dreading it to be honest. Just the world "synoptic" scares me. What are you going to do for the synoptic part, are you going to revise AS aswell, or just scan over AS work?


When they held the Unit 4 Revision Conference...it was quite interesting because...

The examiners kept stressing the importance to recognise that AS topics can feature in A2 units, especially in Unit 5 which is almost a third Synoptic.

All Synoptic means is to know the specification inside out, be able to make links between all the topics.

They can literally test us on anything that the Specification lists.

On OCR they give marks for definitions, so it is very wise to know your definitions.

Given that AS was on Plants and Biodiversity the two hardest topics ever, one can only wonder how horrid the Summer AS papers will be? :eek:

I would just advise everybody to known everything in the textbook as it does seem as though understanding is more important than anything

Do past papers, but don't rely on past papers alone, as it is quite clear the examiners are now more concerned with testing our knowledge in unfamiliar contexts...

I'm revising every topic, the AS content certainly does feature in the A2 papers, afterall that is what Synoptic is all about! :smile:
Original post by rtzj00
Thats nonsense, the text book will get one up to a B, past Papers an A, and understanding what your learning- for synoptic stuff will get one to an A*.


I think the examiners at the PhilipAllan conference spoke about the overall grade.

Although he did mention that wider reading and understanding would be advantageous for the A*.

The textbook is very well written, however not everything is wthin the textbook, similarly examiners can present us with newer style of questions as we saw in the January 2011 AS papers...they tested the two topics most of us don't like much plants and biodiversity....:rolleyes:
Sooooo scared! Only a few weeks left. Atleast F215 is interesting...
no its not! its morbid :O
Reply 15
yay! im joining this thread, i think that this paper is v.hard, esp the genetic tech stuff !
Good luck to you all. I did it in jan and ended up with an A :smile:
Original post by ibysaiyan
Good luck to you all. I did it in jan and ended up with an A :smile:


Do you have any question papers and mark schemes please?

What advice would you give in preparing for the A grade?

Any topics(s) in particular one should focus on?
Going to do some f215 revision today. Just concentrated on nitrogen cycle yesterday! Think I may have forgotten It!
Hmm let's see..Nitrogen gas from the atmosphere is used by rhizobium bacteria. These bacteria living in the nodules of the legume sopecies, convert nitrogen gas into ammonia and then into amine compounds. These compounds are transported by the plant to make amino acid then proteins. The rhizobium gains carbohydrates from the plant so is described as a mutualism as both species benefit. Plants support food websn throughout which excretion, production of faeces and death takes place. This is of benefit to the ecosystem, but first decomposition by saprophytic bacteria must take place. A waste product of this process is ammonia. Ammonia is needed by nitrosomonas bacteria for a special type of nutrition (chemo-autotroph). As a result another waste product, nitrite is formed. Nitrite is needed by nitrobacter bacteria for again, a special type of nutrition. The waste product from this is nitrate, which is vital for the growth of the plant and they absorb large quantities via roots. Nitrogen gas is returned to the atmosphere by denitrifying bacteria such as pseudomonas. Actually...
Any additional info would be helpful :smile:

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