ErinMei's year 13 study blog (A*A*A*)
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Original post by clouddbubbles
oh yes thats wonderful!
huge well done to you!
huge well done to you!
Thankyou very much ☺
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Weekly update 08/01/18 - 14/01/18
In inorganic chem we were given some exam questions on the reactions of aqueous ions including writing ligand substitution equations , identifying colours , general transition metal characteristics and there was a couple of Qs on catalysis which we haven't done anything on yet but the mark scheme made sense as it was about opposite charges attracting etc.
In maths we started chapter 2 which is on parametric equations and we finished the entire chapter this week. I didn't have any problems with it apart from forgeting that the limits in integration are in terms of t and not x and that if the area is identical about the x axis you need to multiple the answer by 2 after you have subbed in the limits. I ended up doing most of 2B , 2C , 2D and all of mixed exercise 2E today. I assume we will be starting the binomial expanision chapter next !
In my frees after break on Monday I started the atomic structure exam Qs (part 1)I had made before the holidays and worked on it right up until lunch time.
I was supposed to have biology after lunch but my teacher wasn't here so we were set some AS recap reading as we are starting unit 8 in our next lesson. After lunch I read the chapters on proteins , DNA structure and replication , transciption, translation and base mutations.
At home I finished the atomic structure exam Qs and marked them and wrote a little list of what I had learned and stuff to do to improve (e.g. revise TOF mass spec and hydration/dehydration mechanisms).
In mechanics we did some exam Qs on velocity vectors which proved to be fine after a little refresh of vectors. I think we have a little more to do on vectors and then we have definitely finished M1.
After school I did some more atomic structure exam Qs (part 2) before going to the gym.
In biology on Wednesday we started unit 7 which is also on genetics. We looked at the basics by starting by looking at some definitions of words from last year and some new ones from this unit. We then recapped monohybrid crosses and tried out a few questions in a specific format before looking at Mendel's pea plant experiments and frequencies of phenotypes. On the Friday we continued with this but started to look at dihybrid crosses with multiple genes and their frequencies.
On Wednesday when I came home I also found out that I have an offer from Oxford! I'm happy I managed to get an offer but A*A*A seems quite impossible at the moment. No one at my school was able to get an A* in biology or chemistry last year. Maths seems the most likely if I really focus on C3 and C4 but I'll try work my hardest in bio and chem and see what happens. I think York is going to be my insurance choice but I can't pick my choices yet until I get a reply from St Andrews and who knows how long that will take!
After my emotions had chilled out I started making my notes on blood glucose concentration but I didn't finish them as I went out. Later on I did an M1 paper and managed to get 72/75 without any major problems - just some silly calculator input mistakes and forgetting to convert units. Although this was the easiest M1 paper there has been ( it had one of the highest grade boundaries).
In chemistry on Thursday we started the acids and bases topic but didn't really get too far into it as our teacher made us make an acids and bases timeline to 'appreciate how they were discovered' which took a whole lesson! After that we looked at the definitions of acids and bases (Bronsted-Lowry and Lewis) before attempting some really simple equations and ionic equations of acid reactions. We also looked at dissociation equations and what is monoprotic , diprotic etc.
I also finished the atomic structure exam Qs (part 2) and marked them this week.
I finished my blood glucose concentration notes and flashcards.
In my free on Friday after bio I finished the dihybrid cross questions from the lesson and did the summary questions from the chapter before doing some kinetics exam Qs (part 1) I had printed off on Wednesday.
In chemistry we were still doing the amines topic eventhough I had taught myself the end of the topic in the holidays as it seemed pretty easy as it was just a mixture of AS and some simple concepts. We were given an amines exam Q booklet for homework too.After school I went to the gym.
Today after finishing exercise 2E I started to make my notes on the muscles topic but I didn't have time to make the flashcards as I started some of the muscles exam Qs from one of my booklets (which I haven't finished yet) and I also finished and marked the kinetics exam Qs (part 1).
So my current revision plan is in place as I'm doing AS chem exam Qs throughout the week and I hope to complete all of the chem exam Qs on the system and then I'll move onto biology exam Qs. I'm also making a list of things I still need to do and important wording from markschemes to remember , I have also been reading the examiners reports. I'm still digesting my Oxford offer. I'm happy but I'm also terrified as the content looks so hard and I have no idea how I would be able to handle that step up without having done further maths or physics :/.
I'm excited for next week , I want to start unit 8 in biology ,chapter 3 in maths , finish M1, and start a new organic chem topic !
Unfortunately I have some mocks next week - chemistry mock on Thursday on all content and possibly a biology mock on Wednesday/Friday. I'm not going to bother revising much as I did fine in my mocks before Christmas and I don't want to break my current work plan. I also have parents evening on Thursday!
Posted from TSR Mobile
In inorganic chem we were given some exam questions on the reactions of aqueous ions including writing ligand substitution equations , identifying colours , general transition metal characteristics and there was a couple of Qs on catalysis which we haven't done anything on yet but the mark scheme made sense as it was about opposite charges attracting etc.
In maths we started chapter 2 which is on parametric equations and we finished the entire chapter this week. I didn't have any problems with it apart from forgeting that the limits in integration are in terms of t and not x and that if the area is identical about the x axis you need to multiple the answer by 2 after you have subbed in the limits. I ended up doing most of 2B , 2C , 2D and all of mixed exercise 2E today. I assume we will be starting the binomial expanision chapter next !
In my frees after break on Monday I started the atomic structure exam Qs (part 1)I had made before the holidays and worked on it right up until lunch time.
I was supposed to have biology after lunch but my teacher wasn't here so we were set some AS recap reading as we are starting unit 8 in our next lesson. After lunch I read the chapters on proteins , DNA structure and replication , transciption, translation and base mutations.
At home I finished the atomic structure exam Qs and marked them and wrote a little list of what I had learned and stuff to do to improve (e.g. revise TOF mass spec and hydration/dehydration mechanisms).
In mechanics we did some exam Qs on velocity vectors which proved to be fine after a little refresh of vectors. I think we have a little more to do on vectors and then we have definitely finished M1.
After school I did some more atomic structure exam Qs (part 2) before going to the gym.
In biology on Wednesday we started unit 7 which is also on genetics. We looked at the basics by starting by looking at some definitions of words from last year and some new ones from this unit. We then recapped monohybrid crosses and tried out a few questions in a specific format before looking at Mendel's pea plant experiments and frequencies of phenotypes. On the Friday we continued with this but started to look at dihybrid crosses with multiple genes and their frequencies.
On Wednesday when I came home I also found out that I have an offer from Oxford! I'm happy I managed to get an offer but A*A*A seems quite impossible at the moment. No one at my school was able to get an A* in biology or chemistry last year. Maths seems the most likely if I really focus on C3 and C4 but I'll try work my hardest in bio and chem and see what happens. I think York is going to be my insurance choice but I can't pick my choices yet until I get a reply from St Andrews and who knows how long that will take!
After my emotions had chilled out I started making my notes on blood glucose concentration but I didn't finish them as I went out. Later on I did an M1 paper and managed to get 72/75 without any major problems - just some silly calculator input mistakes and forgetting to convert units. Although this was the easiest M1 paper there has been ( it had one of the highest grade boundaries).
In chemistry on Thursday we started the acids and bases topic but didn't really get too far into it as our teacher made us make an acids and bases timeline to 'appreciate how they were discovered' which took a whole lesson! After that we looked at the definitions of acids and bases (Bronsted-Lowry and Lewis) before attempting some really simple equations and ionic equations of acid reactions. We also looked at dissociation equations and what is monoprotic , diprotic etc.
I also finished the atomic structure exam Qs (part 2) and marked them this week.
I finished my blood glucose concentration notes and flashcards.
In my free on Friday after bio I finished the dihybrid cross questions from the lesson and did the summary questions from the chapter before doing some kinetics exam Qs (part 1) I had printed off on Wednesday.
In chemistry we were still doing the amines topic eventhough I had taught myself the end of the topic in the holidays as it seemed pretty easy as it was just a mixture of AS and some simple concepts. We were given an amines exam Q booklet for homework too.After school I went to the gym.
Today after finishing exercise 2E I started to make my notes on the muscles topic but I didn't have time to make the flashcards as I started some of the muscles exam Qs from one of my booklets (which I haven't finished yet) and I also finished and marked the kinetics exam Qs (part 1).
So my current revision plan is in place as I'm doing AS chem exam Qs throughout the week and I hope to complete all of the chem exam Qs on the system and then I'll move onto biology exam Qs. I'm also making a list of things I still need to do and important wording from markschemes to remember , I have also been reading the examiners reports. I'm still digesting my Oxford offer. I'm happy but I'm also terrified as the content looks so hard and I have no idea how I would be able to handle that step up without having done further maths or physics :/.
I'm excited for next week , I want to start unit 8 in biology ,chapter 3 in maths , finish M1, and start a new organic chem topic !
Unfortunately I have some mocks next week - chemistry mock on Thursday on all content and possibly a biology mock on Wednesday/Friday. I'm not going to bother revising much as I did fine in my mocks before Christmas and I don't want to break my current work plan. I also have parents evening on Thursday!
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(edited 6 years ago)
I got really confused then with the Username change!
Congratulations on the Oxford offer! You deserve it!
Congratulations on the Oxford offer! You deserve it!
Original post by EmilySarah00
I got really confused then with the Username change!
Congratulations on the Oxford offer! You deserve it!
Congratulations on the Oxford offer! You deserve it!
Hahaha woops !
And thankyou very much
! Posted from TSR Mobile
Original post by phosphene
big congrats on the oxf offer! im applying there for bio, could u drop any tips on work experience and extra curricular / super curricular reading n stuff that u did?
Thankyou
I didn't do any work experience related to my subject. I had about one line on extra curricular in my PS which was about me helping younger students in school.
I'd focus on extra reading and stuff. Find books/magazines/ youtube series' or something on a bio topic out of the A level spec and read lots of different stuff until you find a few things that really interest you and then make sure you understand them well enough so you can write about them and explain them well. My PS was pretty much all about my extra reading and chemistry interests outside of school.
Posted from TSR Mobile
15/01/18 - 21/01/18
We started learning about redox titrations in inorganic chemistry which I enjoyed. The actual calculations were pretty simple as I feel confident working out half equations and mole calculations etc. We were given a few questions to do for homework and some reading to do from the textbook.
In maths we started the differentiation chapter in C4 , I was hoping we would start the binomial expansion chapter as that seems easier- but I like differentiation so it was ok. We looked at parametric differentiation which was fine as I noticed it was just like the chain rule dy/dt / dx/dt = dy/dx! After that we moved onto implicit differentiation which was also pretty simply - aslong as you remembered to multiply by dy/dx when you differentiate y. The product rule for implicit differentiation was also pretty much the same. We managed to look at differentiating y= a^x too and I found the proof really interesting. So now we only have to look at connected rates of change but I'm not looking forward to it as it looks quite difficult.
In biology we started unit 8 but we didn't really cover anything new as the spec recapped base mutations from AS. We did some AS revision and exam practice. The only new bits we learnt were about translocation , inversion and duplication mutations on DNA. I think next lesson we will be finishing the end of the muscles topic too as we haven't covered it in depth.
In mechanics we finished M1!! And we were given an M1 paper to do for homework which proved to be a little tricky at times but I did it and I think I've picked up some little hints. Now that I've finished M1 im going to make a list of things to remember when I look through all my notes and the textbook and then I'll start doing some more exam practice as I don't feel as confident with M1 as I do with C3. We're starting C4 integration (eek) in my mechanics lessons now.
In biology we started looking at co-dominance and multiple alleles in blood groups, I found the blood transfusion stuff really interesting but im not sure its even on the spec. I finished all of the work early and read ahead to the sex-linkage chapter and it seemed really interesting so I can't wait to do that in class as we couldn't carry on with content on Friday as we had to do another mock. The mock was really nasty too , it had some of the worst questions ever and it was probably one of the worst tests I have ever done. Every question seemed to be application and they even included a speciation question when we haven't even learnt that topic yet. Kidneys questions were also on the paper when we were told they wouldn't be. There was pretty much 0 fact recall so I'm not feeling overly positive about that test.
We also had to sit another mock in my chemistry lesson but that one was a lot easier than the biology one. I think I may have messed up a little on the born-haber cycle but the rest of the paper was fine I think. After the paper we had time left to do some more content so we simply learnt about pH calculations which were easy enough as I'd already done them last year in biology.
In chemistry we started the condensation polymers topic which was pretty straight forward. We were given some exam Qs and some sheets to do for homework.
I did the amines exam Qs , made muscles flashcards and finished the exam Qs. Ive done my kidneys notes but still need to do the flashcards. I started the biology article for bio club but I found some of it quite difficult so I'm going to come back to it. I did a C3 paper and got 71/75 as I forgot how to transform graphs on one of the questions for some reason lol. I finished kinetics part 2 and bonding part 1 exam questions and I've nearly finished part 2 bonding exam questions. I found out my TSA score and it was 59.5 which is actually pretty bad- so I can only assume Oxford didn't care too much about these scores.
I also had my parents evening this week and it went really well. My maths and chem teachers said they think I can definitely get an A*. My bio teachers said I'll definitely get an A but its hard to predict whether I'll get an A* because it depends on how the rest of the country do in the exam. It also turns out they have one of my test scores wrong on the spreadsheet and thats why they sent home a letter saying I was working at a C in biology.
Posted from TSR Mobile
We started learning about redox titrations in inorganic chemistry which I enjoyed. The actual calculations were pretty simple as I feel confident working out half equations and mole calculations etc. We were given a few questions to do for homework and some reading to do from the textbook.
In maths we started the differentiation chapter in C4 , I was hoping we would start the binomial expansion chapter as that seems easier- but I like differentiation so it was ok. We looked at parametric differentiation which was fine as I noticed it was just like the chain rule dy/dt / dx/dt = dy/dx! After that we moved onto implicit differentiation which was also pretty simply - aslong as you remembered to multiply by dy/dx when you differentiate y. The product rule for implicit differentiation was also pretty much the same. We managed to look at differentiating y= a^x too and I found the proof really interesting. So now we only have to look at connected rates of change but I'm not looking forward to it as it looks quite difficult.
In biology we started unit 8 but we didn't really cover anything new as the spec recapped base mutations from AS. We did some AS revision and exam practice. The only new bits we learnt were about translocation , inversion and duplication mutations on DNA. I think next lesson we will be finishing the end of the muscles topic too as we haven't covered it in depth.
In mechanics we finished M1!! And we were given an M1 paper to do for homework which proved to be a little tricky at times but I did it and I think I've picked up some little hints. Now that I've finished M1 im going to make a list of things to remember when I look through all my notes and the textbook and then I'll start doing some more exam practice as I don't feel as confident with M1 as I do with C3. We're starting C4 integration (eek) in my mechanics lessons now.
In biology we started looking at co-dominance and multiple alleles in blood groups, I found the blood transfusion stuff really interesting but im not sure its even on the spec. I finished all of the work early and read ahead to the sex-linkage chapter and it seemed really interesting so I can't wait to do that in class as we couldn't carry on with content on Friday as we had to do another mock. The mock was really nasty too , it had some of the worst questions ever and it was probably one of the worst tests I have ever done. Every question seemed to be application and they even included a speciation question when we haven't even learnt that topic yet. Kidneys questions were also on the paper when we were told they wouldn't be. There was pretty much 0 fact recall so I'm not feeling overly positive about that test.
We also had to sit another mock in my chemistry lesson but that one was a lot easier than the biology one. I think I may have messed up a little on the born-haber cycle but the rest of the paper was fine I think. After the paper we had time left to do some more content so we simply learnt about pH calculations which were easy enough as I'd already done them last year in biology.
In chemistry we started the condensation polymers topic which was pretty straight forward. We were given some exam Qs and some sheets to do for homework.
I did the amines exam Qs , made muscles flashcards and finished the exam Qs. Ive done my kidneys notes but still need to do the flashcards. I started the biology article for bio club but I found some of it quite difficult so I'm going to come back to it. I did a C3 paper and got 71/75 as I forgot how to transform graphs on one of the questions for some reason lol. I finished kinetics part 2 and bonding part 1 exam questions and I've nearly finished part 2 bonding exam questions. I found out my TSA score and it was 59.5 which is actually pretty bad- so I can only assume Oxford didn't care too much about these scores.
I also had my parents evening this week and it went really well. My maths and chem teachers said they think I can definitely get an A*. My bio teachers said I'll definitely get an A but its hard to predict whether I'll get an A* because it depends on how the rest of the country do in the exam. It also turns out they have one of my test scores wrong on the spreadsheet and thats why they sent home a letter saying I was working at a C in biology.
Posted from TSR Mobile
(edited 6 years ago)
22/01/18-28/01/18
In inorganic chem we carried out a redox titration which involved the same skills as a simple acid-base titration. The only problem was my titration didn't work- I used an entire burette full of KMnO4 and my iron solution still didn't turn pink- not even slightly. Everybody elses did however- and I couldn't understand why as I got my chemicals from the same bottles as them. It didn't matter though as it wasn't a required practical or anything.
In maths we looked at connecting rates of change and coming up with differential equations in context- which weren't as bad as I thought but I have a feeling I may need to revise how to work out volumes of certain shapes! We did exercise 4D and 4E and on Friday we did mixed exercise 4F which barely involved any context based questions - it was mostly implicit and parametric differentiation. I didn't have any major problems with it so I'm feeling quite confident about C4 differentiation now. We are starting the binomial expansion chapter on Monday.
In biology we started learning about stem cells which wasn't too difficult but it got pretty boring towards the end of the lesson when we started discussing the pros and cons and the ethics of it. We found out we have a test on nervous coordination and muscles on Monday so we were given an exam question pack to do to revise which I did today and I didn't have any major problems with that either but before I sleep I'll revise my flashcards I think.
We started C4 integration in maths and we looked at standard integrals ,the reverse chain rule and integrating using partial fractions. I enjoyed it quite a lot but I kept using the normal chain rule by accident and forgetting to check for improper fractions when I was finishing off the exercises at home. Unfortunately, the C4 mock exam is supposed to be in March so I think my teachers are going to try and rush the content but I don't like the idea of rushing integration or vectors. Next week we are looking at integrating using trig identities.
I made my kidney flashcards after school on Tuesday before I went to the gym.
In biology we looked at sex-linked genes and pedigree charts which were really interesting but the wording of the answers to some genetic questions is quite difficult. We looked at epistasis on Friday which also seemed okay but it wasn't as interesting. We were given some epistasis exam Qs and some pedigree charts exam Qs.
In chemistry I got my mock back and I got 94%. I knew I messed up the Born Haber cycle Q and I dropped one other mark for not putting that heat was required for the base hydrolysis of an ester.
After we went through the mock a little and did a quick bit of synthesis revision we carried on with acids and bases and looked at finding the Ka constant and pKa- it was pretty simple just some maths and abit of Kc really. I'm enjoying acids and bases but I hope we do some of the more challenging parts like buffers soon because it feels like its taking us ages to get through it.
In my other chemistry lesson I thought we would be starting amino acids as it was the next topic along and I was excited as it seemed like it would be quite easy after having done it in biology last year. However, it turned out we were doing the proton NMR and we haven't even done the carbon NMR yet. I was really tired and found the lesson quite difficult as I couldn't initially grasp how to know how many environments a molecule has so it really stressed me out. However, after going over it today and doing some more questions I feel a lot more confident with it so next lesson should be fine and then hopefully the carbon NMR will be a lot simpler!
I also managed to understand the bio article for bio club so I could ask and answer questions about the article while I was there. We were given another article on allergies which is due in two weeks time.
I started some M1 revision notes but only got round to making ones for the kinematics topic due to lack of free time - hopefully I'll finish them off soon.
I did another C3 paper for homework and I got 74/75 ! I dropped a mark for not putting my exponential decay graph in context of the question.
I finished all of the bonding exam Qs and started the energetics exam Qs which I am about half way through so I will be onto equilibrium very soon.
Posted from TSR Mobile
In inorganic chem we carried out a redox titration which involved the same skills as a simple acid-base titration. The only problem was my titration didn't work- I used an entire burette full of KMnO4 and my iron solution still didn't turn pink- not even slightly. Everybody elses did however- and I couldn't understand why as I got my chemicals from the same bottles as them. It didn't matter though as it wasn't a required practical or anything.
In maths we looked at connecting rates of change and coming up with differential equations in context- which weren't as bad as I thought but I have a feeling I may need to revise how to work out volumes of certain shapes! We did exercise 4D and 4E and on Friday we did mixed exercise 4F which barely involved any context based questions - it was mostly implicit and parametric differentiation. I didn't have any major problems with it so I'm feeling quite confident about C4 differentiation now. We are starting the binomial expansion chapter on Monday.
In biology we started learning about stem cells which wasn't too difficult but it got pretty boring towards the end of the lesson when we started discussing the pros and cons and the ethics of it. We found out we have a test on nervous coordination and muscles on Monday so we were given an exam question pack to do to revise which I did today and I didn't have any major problems with that either but before I sleep I'll revise my flashcards I think.
We started C4 integration in maths and we looked at standard integrals ,the reverse chain rule and integrating using partial fractions. I enjoyed it quite a lot but I kept using the normal chain rule by accident and forgetting to check for improper fractions when I was finishing off the exercises at home. Unfortunately, the C4 mock exam is supposed to be in March so I think my teachers are going to try and rush the content but I don't like the idea of rushing integration or vectors. Next week we are looking at integrating using trig identities.
I made my kidney flashcards after school on Tuesday before I went to the gym.
In biology we looked at sex-linked genes and pedigree charts which were really interesting but the wording of the answers to some genetic questions is quite difficult. We looked at epistasis on Friday which also seemed okay but it wasn't as interesting. We were given some epistasis exam Qs and some pedigree charts exam Qs.
In chemistry I got my mock back and I got 94%
. I knew I messed up the Born Haber cycle Q and I dropped one other mark for not putting that heat was required for the base hydrolysis of an ester. After we went through the mock a little and did a quick bit of synthesis revision we carried on with acids and bases and looked at finding the Ka constant and pKa- it was pretty simple just some maths and abit of Kc really. I'm enjoying acids and bases but I hope we do some of the more challenging parts like buffers soon because it feels like its taking us ages to get through it.
In my other chemistry lesson I thought we would be starting amino acids as it was the next topic along and I was excited as it seemed like it would be quite easy after having done it in biology last year. However, it turned out we were doing the proton NMR and we haven't even done the carbon NMR yet. I was really tired and found the lesson quite difficult as I couldn't initially grasp how to know how many environments a molecule has so it really stressed me out. However, after going over it today and doing some more questions I feel a lot more confident with it so next lesson should be fine and then hopefully the carbon NMR will be a lot simpler!
I also managed to understand the bio article for bio club so I could ask and answer questions about the article while I was there. We were given another article on allergies which is due in two weeks time.
I started some M1 revision notes but only got round to making ones for the kinematics topic due to lack of free time - hopefully I'll finish them off soon.
I did another C3 paper for homework and I got 74/75 ! I dropped a mark for not putting my exponential decay graph in context of the question.
I finished all of the bonding exam Qs and started the energetics exam Qs which I am about half way through so I will be onto equilibrium very soon.
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Still waiting for an update... 21 days and counting... lool... seems like you've forgotten about this...
How do you revise for biology? Out of all the subjects I do it’s by far the hardest for me to get the highest marks on. However I see you are comfortably getting in the 80-90% range.
Original post by chelseafc141
How do you revise for biology? Out of all the subjects I do it’s by far the hardest for me to get the highest marks on. However I see you are comfortably getting in the 80-90% range.
Make sure you learn the specification for biology. Biology is application based. However it is illegal for them to ask you something that isn't on the spec. So when your stuck on a question try to relate it to the spec points for that topic. Then you can just write down the process and answers you've memorised from doing loads of exam questions on that topic!
I'm also studying A level Biology AQA and I was just wondering what you used to revise for AS Biology, as I am struggling to find resources.
Original post by Lilith2400
22/01/18-28/01/18
In inorganic chem we carried out a redox titration which involved the same skills as a simple acid-base titration. The only problem was my titration didn't work- I used an entire burette full of KMnO4 and my iron solution still didn't turn pink- not even slightly. Everybody elses did however- and I couldn't understand why as I got my chemicals from the same bottles as them. It didn't matter though as it wasn't a required practical or anything.
In maths we looked at connecting rates of change and coming up with differential equations in context- which weren't as bad as I thought but I have a feeling I may need to revise how to work out volumes of certain shapes! We did exercise 4D and 4E and on Friday we did mixed exercise 4F which barely involved any context based questions - it was mostly implicit and parametric differentiation. I didn't have any major problems with it so I'm feeling quite confident about C4 differentiation now. We are starting the binomial expansion chapter on Monday.
In biology we started learning about stem cells which wasn't too difficult but it got pretty boring towards the end of the lesson when we started discussing the pros and cons and the ethics of it. We found out we have a test on nervous coordination and muscles on Monday so we were given an exam question pack to do to revise which I did today and I didn't have any major problems with that either but before I sleep I'll revise my flashcards I think.
We started C4 integration in maths and we looked at standard integrals ,the reverse chain rule and integrating using partial fractions. I enjoyed it quite a lot but I kept using the normal chain rule by accident and forgetting to check for improper fractions when I was finishing off the exercises at home. Unfortunately, the C4 mock exam is supposed to be in March so I think my teachers are going to try and rush the content but I don't like the idea of rushing integration or vectors. Next week we are looking at integrating using trig identities.
I made my kidney flashcards after school on Tuesday before I went to the gym.
In biology we looked at sex-linked genes and pedigree charts which were really interesting but the wording of the answers to some genetic questions is quite difficult. We looked at epistasis on Friday which also seemed okay but it wasn't as interesting. We were given some epistasis exam Qs and some pedigree charts exam Qs.
In chemistry I got my mock back and I got 94%. I knew I messed up the Born Haber cycle Q and I dropped one other mark for not putting that heat was required for the base hydrolysis of an ester.
After we went through the mock a little and did a quick bit of synthesis revision we carried on with acids and bases and looked at finding the Ka constant and pKa- it was pretty simple just some maths and abit of Kc really. I'm enjoying acids and bases but I hope we do some of the more challenging parts like buffers soon because it feels like its taking us ages to get through it.
In my other chemistry lesson I thought we would be starting amino acids as it was the next topic along and I was excited as it seemed like it would be quite easy after having done it in biology last year. However, it turned out we were doing the proton NMR and we haven't even done the carbon NMR yet. I was really tired and found the lesson quite difficult as I couldn't initially grasp how to know how many environments a molecule has so it really stressed me out. However, after going over it today and doing some more questions I feel a lot more confident with it so next lesson should be fine and then hopefully the carbon NMR will be a lot simpler!
I also managed to understand the bio article for bio club so I could ask and answer questions about the article while I was there. We were given another article on allergies which is due in two weeks time.
I started some M1 revision notes but only got round to making ones for the kinematics topic due to lack of free time - hopefully I'll finish them off soon.
I did another C3 paper for homework and I got 74/75 ! I dropped a mark for not putting my exponential decay graph in context of the question.
I finished all of the bonding exam Qs and started the energetics exam Qs which I am about half way through so I will be onto equilibrium very soon.
Posted from TSR Mobile
In inorganic chem we carried out a redox titration which involved the same skills as a simple acid-base titration. The only problem was my titration didn't work- I used an entire burette full of KMnO4 and my iron solution still didn't turn pink- not even slightly. Everybody elses did however- and I couldn't understand why as I got my chemicals from the same bottles as them. It didn't matter though as it wasn't a required practical or anything.
In maths we looked at connecting rates of change and coming up with differential equations in context- which weren't as bad as I thought but I have a feeling I may need to revise how to work out volumes of certain shapes! We did exercise 4D and 4E and on Friday we did mixed exercise 4F which barely involved any context based questions - it was mostly implicit and parametric differentiation. I didn't have any major problems with it so I'm feeling quite confident about C4 differentiation now. We are starting the binomial expansion chapter on Monday.
In biology we started learning about stem cells which wasn't too difficult but it got pretty boring towards the end of the lesson when we started discussing the pros and cons and the ethics of it. We found out we have a test on nervous coordination and muscles on Monday so we were given an exam question pack to do to revise which I did today and I didn't have any major problems with that either but before I sleep I'll revise my flashcards I think.
We started C4 integration in maths and we looked at standard integrals ,the reverse chain rule and integrating using partial fractions. I enjoyed it quite a lot but I kept using the normal chain rule by accident and forgetting to check for improper fractions when I was finishing off the exercises at home. Unfortunately, the C4 mock exam is supposed to be in March so I think my teachers are going to try and rush the content but I don't like the idea of rushing integration or vectors. Next week we are looking at integrating using trig identities.
I made my kidney flashcards after school on Tuesday before I went to the gym.
In biology we looked at sex-linked genes and pedigree charts which were really interesting but the wording of the answers to some genetic questions is quite difficult. We looked at epistasis on Friday which also seemed okay but it wasn't as interesting. We were given some epistasis exam Qs and some pedigree charts exam Qs.
In chemistry I got my mock back and I got 94%
. I knew I messed up the Born Haber cycle Q and I dropped one other mark for not putting that heat was required for the base hydrolysis of an ester. After we went through the mock a little and did a quick bit of synthesis revision we carried on with acids and bases and looked at finding the Ka constant and pKa- it was pretty simple just some maths and abit of Kc really. I'm enjoying acids and bases but I hope we do some of the more challenging parts like buffers soon because it feels like its taking us ages to get through it.
In my other chemistry lesson I thought we would be starting amino acids as it was the next topic along and I was excited as it seemed like it would be quite easy after having done it in biology last year. However, it turned out we were doing the proton NMR and we haven't even done the carbon NMR yet. I was really tired and found the lesson quite difficult as I couldn't initially grasp how to know how many environments a molecule has so it really stressed me out. However, after going over it today and doing some more questions I feel a lot more confident with it so next lesson should be fine and then hopefully the carbon NMR will be a lot simpler!
I also managed to understand the bio article for bio club so I could ask and answer questions about the article while I was there. We were given another article on allergies which is due in two weeks time.
I started some M1 revision notes but only got round to making ones for the kinematics topic due to lack of free time - hopefully I'll finish them off soon.
I did another C3 paper for homework and I got 74/75 ! I dropped a mark for not putting my exponential decay graph in context of the question.
I finished all of the bonding exam Qs and started the energetics exam Qs which I am about half way through so I will be onto equilibrium very soon.
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Omggg my titration using KMnO4 didn't turn pink either!!!! It was so pissing off hahah I tried like 4 times!
Also I'm finding organic synthesis and buffer calculations quite difficult (we're done with our syllabus in all our subjects now). Do u have effective ways of revising these?
Original post by _leahtimms
I'm also studying A level Biology AQA and I was just wondering what you used to revise for AS Biology, as I am struggling to find resources.
Original post by chelseafc141
How do you revise for biology? Out of all the subjects I do it’s by far the hardest for me to get the highest marks on. However I see you are comfortably getting in the 80-90% range.
Hi,
I have also found that there aren't many resources available for biology online. The only things I use for biology are my teachers, the big AQA textbook and occasionally the CGP revision guide. I also have access to exampro for past paper questions but I don't normally choose to do many questions for revision and I'll normally only do past paper questions if it's for my homework or if I'm doing a test. This is mainly because I find the new specification markschemes fit more to the wording of the big textbook and the specification itself rather than the old markschemes.Also, I find the new spec exam Qs to have a different 'feel' to them. Although any exam questions are good for practice and some parts of the new spec are the same as the old spec, it just depends on the topic. I think practicing old spec application questions is probably the most useful as the A level papers have so many application questions in them! But for knowledge based stuff I would stick to using the textbook unless you are struggling with a topic and want some practice.
I also find Biology to be the subject I find hardest to revise for and do well in. The tests I normally do quite well in are ones that have lots of knowledge based questions in them. I tend to fall down on some of the application questions. So, I think the most important things for biology are : understand all the content very well as this will enable you to apply it more easily and make the application questions more manageable. For this I read the specification very thoroughly - read each point over and over again and make sure you understand absolutely every part of the sentence and the words in it and also remember the specific words they use in the spec as your teacher might use an alternate word ( for example my teachers say ' electron transport chain' but the spec calls it 'electron transfer chain'). Ask yourself if you can talk at length about the point- if not revise it (notes and flashcards until you can recite it without looking). If a point on the spec doesn't make much sense to you look up the word you don't understand online or use the AQA textbook to look over it and then come back to it and try again. In the second column of the spec on the right of the page there are things that students can do to expand their knowledge. Look at this too as it gives examples of what the exam questions could be based on etc and sometimes the AQA textbook will have a box to go along with these points too - once you feel confident with the content you should attempt all the green and purple boxes in the textbook. Do not forget about the required practicals too. I think they are probably the hardest to revise so I would say you should revise all the methods, look at what the spec says, take note of new spec markschemes for these questions, read the practical handbook online if you're really unsure and I also think the CGP revision guide covers the practicals. Paper 1 and paper 2 will not ask much on practicals but I'm not sure about paper 3...
I recently sat last years paper 1 and it definitely was a lot harder than any old spec questions but actually knowing the spec very well and knowing the AQA textbook very well helped me out a lot as I could ask myself : what part of the spec is this? think of all the points on this section and try to apply this. You need to be so specific in your wording and know lots of detail.
Another important point is exam technique - understand how to answer describe, explain, contrast, compare and evaluate questions.
And don't forget about statistical tests and how you word your answers talking about them ( talk about probability it is due to chance, significance etc)- they come up a lot in data analysis.
Maths skills are also important - they tend to throw in a lot of unit conversion, percentage increase/decrease , ratio , uncertainties, areas, volumes, logs etc.
go through the entire spec until you know all the points and can explain them off by heart, practice application questions, do the specimen papers, do last years paper, add to your knowledge from the markschemes, redo questions you got wrong when you've forgotten them.
Good luck!
Original post by Lilith2400
Hello,
as this is my last year in school I thought I'd have a go at making a study blog ! I had a brief thread when I was taking my GCSEs, but it wasn't very detailed at all. Halfway through year 12 I came across other GYGs forums and It inspired to do one myself. So here I am
.
About me:
I'm a year 13 student who is taking mathematics (Edexcel), chemistry (AQA) and biology (AQA). I want to study chemistry at university. My goal university is currently Oxford, however, actually receiving an offer seems a little far-fetched. My other favourite universities are Durham and York. My goal for this year is to achieve A*A*A* ,which will secure me a place at a university to study chemistry and it will give me something to be very proud of. I go to a state school and I don't come from a very privileged background.
GCSEs:
In total I have 1 A^ 6 A*s 4 As :
Further mathematics (AQA) : A^
Mathematics (Edexcel) : A*
Biology (AQA) : A*
Chemistry (AQA) : A*
Physics (AQA) : A*
Religious studies (Edexcel) : A*
History (AQA) : A*
English language (CIE) : A
English literature (WJEC) : A
Media studies (AQA) : A
French (Edexcel) : A
AS results:
Even though the new specifications for chemistry and biology mean I cannot keep my AS grade if I continue these subjects on at A2, my school still entered us for all our external AS exams. I found this very helpful as I now know how to revise and it challenged me to work under exam pressures. I think it has prepared me for year 13.
Biology (AQA) : A
Chemistry (AQA) : A
Mathematics (Edexcel) : A ( C1: 95 , C2: 95, S1: 100)
Sociology (AQA) : A ( which I have dropped so I can keep this AS grade )
A2 predicted grades :
Biology (AQA) : A*
Chemistry (AQA) : A*
Mathematics (Edexcel) : A*
University choices :
Oxford - chemistry (prospective firm) (A*A*A) OFFER RECEIVED 10/01/18
Durham- chemistry (prospective firm) (AAA) OFFER RECEIVED 16/11/17
York - chemistry (AAB) (prospective firm/insurance)
OFFER RECEIVED 10/11/17
St Andrews - chemistry (AAB) ( the least realistic option as the uni is just so far away from me, so it's a little scary, but prospective firm) OFFER RECEIVED 01/02/18
Leeds - chemistry (prospective insurance) (ABB) - OFFER RECEIVED 08/11/17
Assessments/mocks :
Photosynthesis and respiration assessment 74% B
Energy transfers in ecosystems and nutrient cycles assessment 79% B
Isomerism, carbonyls and aromatic chemistry assessment 93% A*
Responses and the nervous system assessment 85% A
C3 mock (without differentiation) 88% A
AS biology mock 80% A
M1 mock (without moments and harder vectors) 93% A
A2 chemistry mock (rate equations and Kp) 88% A
AS chemistry mock 90% A*
A2 biology mock (unit 5&6) 84% A
Electrochemical cells assessment 90% A*
Second chemistry mock on any topics 94% A*
Acids and bases assessment ?
I'm planning to update this as regularly as I can so if you're interested in how the next year will unfold for me , please stick around
Thankyou!
as this is my last year in school I thought I'd have a go at making a study blog ! I had a brief thread when I was taking my GCSEs, but it wasn't very detailed at all. Halfway through year 12 I came across other GYGs forums and It inspired to do one myself. So here I am
.About me:
I'm a year 13 student who is taking mathematics (Edexcel), chemistry (AQA) and biology (AQA). I want to study chemistry at university. My goal university is currently Oxford, however, actually receiving an offer seems a little far-fetched. My other favourite universities are Durham and York. My goal for this year is to achieve A*A*A* ,which will secure me a place at a university to study chemistry and it will give me something to be very proud of. I go to a state school and I don't come from a very privileged background.
GCSEs:
In total I have 1 A^ 6 A*s 4 As :
Further mathematics (AQA) : A^
Mathematics (Edexcel) : A*
Biology (AQA) : A*
Chemistry (AQA) : A*
Physics (AQA) : A*
Religious studies (Edexcel) : A*
History (AQA) : A*
English language (CIE) : A
English literature (WJEC) : A
Media studies (AQA) : A
French (Edexcel) : A
AS results:
Even though the new specifications for chemistry and biology mean I cannot keep my AS grade if I continue these subjects on at A2, my school still entered us for all our external AS exams. I found this very helpful as I now know how to revise and it challenged me to work under exam pressures. I think it has prepared me for year 13.
Biology (AQA) : A
Chemistry (AQA) : A
Mathematics (Edexcel) : A ( C1: 95 , C2: 95, S1: 100)
Sociology (AQA) : A ( which I have dropped so I can keep this AS grade )
A2 predicted grades :
Biology (AQA) : A*
Chemistry (AQA) : A*
Mathematics (Edexcel) : A*
University choices :
Oxford - chemistry (prospective firm) (A*A*A) OFFER RECEIVED 10/01/18
Durham- chemistry (prospective firm) (AAA) OFFER RECEIVED 16/11/17
York - chemistry (AAB) (prospective firm/insurance)
OFFER RECEIVED 10/11/17
St Andrews - chemistry (AAB) ( the least realistic option as the uni is just so far away from me, so it's a little scary, but prospective firm) OFFER RECEIVED 01/02/18
Leeds - chemistry (prospective insurance) (ABB) - OFFER RECEIVED 08/11/17
Assessments/mocks :
Photosynthesis and respiration assessment 74% B
Energy transfers in ecosystems and nutrient cycles assessment 79% B
Isomerism, carbonyls and aromatic chemistry assessment 93% A*
Responses and the nervous system assessment 85% A
C3 mock (without differentiation) 88% A
AS biology mock 80% A
M1 mock (without moments and harder vectors) 93% A
A2 chemistry mock (rate equations and Kp) 88% A
AS chemistry mock 90% A*
A2 biology mock (unit 5&6) 84% A
Electrochemical cells assessment 90% A*
Second chemistry mock on any topics 94% A*
Acids and bases assessment ?
I'm planning to update this as regularly as I can so if you're interested in how the next year will unfold for me , please stick around
Thankyou!
I'm not interested.
XOX
Original post by yourmedic786
Omggg my titration using KMnO4 didn't turn pink either!!!! It was so pissing off hahah I tried like 4 times!
lmaoooo glad I'm not the only one. I have no idea why mine didn't work still...
Original post by yourmedic786
Also I'm finding organic synthesis and buffer calculations quite difficult (we're done with our syllabus in all our subjects now). Do u have effective ways of revising these?
I haven't actually done organic synthesis yet but I've done a few exam questions before as it involves all other parts of organic. Have you tried making a massive mindmap type thing where it shows what each organic molecule can be converted into? Learning one of those would help you to remember how you get from one organic molecule to another even if its a multistep process. Maybe also make a note of all the mechanisms and reactions you know in organic and see if they can be used on that molecule. Think of aromatic and aliphatic synthesis separately too so you can split it up in your mind during exam Qs. Maybe even test yourself all the time or get someone to test you on how to get from one molecule to another.
I have just finished acids and bases and buffer calculations are definitely the hardest part. Always write out the equation for your buffer solution ( e.g. for an acidic buffer write out acid dissociation equation and remember this equation is in equilibrium so you can apply Le Chateliers principle). Remember that in the Ka expression conc of the salt and the protons are not equal in acidic buffers so do not simplify to (H+)^2. Acidic buffers can be made using an acid and base reaction where the acid is in excess. Write out this equation and use it to work out moles of acid left and moles of salt so you can find H+ and work out pH. When acids and alkalis are added to the buffers use the equilibrium equation to see which way it will shift and then use the ratio to work out how the moles will change of the salt and the acid. If the buffer is diluted only the volume and concentration will change not the moles. Do past paper Qs on these questions to really solidify your understanding.
Chemrevise and E Rintoul are also very helpful for chemistry.
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