Are we supposed to revise for General Studies?

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haha
It's possible I think, as long as the shape is not circular and you know some BASIC maths to work it out.

You say if I work out the area of the end, and its a prism, then I can times by the length to get the area. which IS the mathematical way, just worked out logically.

Reply 21

eDDeboo

I've not been to one general studies lesson because my unis specifically say they don't accept it, but they insisted in putting me in for the exam.

Since its the week after my other exams, I don't mind too much.. Would be funny to beat someone who's been going to the lessons and revising.

Reply 22

smileitcouldbeworse

well i guess you can't really revise can you?like you're just meant to know everything...I mean at GCSE they gave out a pre-release booklet for a paper where you had to know stuff about science and morality all about nukes and embryonic stem cells, but for the rest you just had to blag it to be honest and just make your guess sound like you know what you're talking about even if you don't because most of the answers are mostly marked on the quality of your answer...wel thats what i did anyway and i got A* but actually don't even listen to me because i only did gcse so!!! :biggrin:

Reply 23

Georgie-LittleMissShy-Xx

Well I never went to a single GS lesson last year, and ended up with an overall B, 1 mark of an A :rolleyes:

And the looks on peoples faces were quite funny because I beat most of them that had gone to the lesson and revised!!

But if you read a newspaper, and can do good analytical skills which I need for my other 3 subjects, the A level is pretty dead easy :biggrin:

Reply 24

weet_ABI_x

I went to less than 10 lessons last year and got an A. I really wouldn't worry... I found it helped me a lot that I do English though with writing essays etc. And I sat the Maths section on the same day as my actual Maths AS so it wasn't too much of a problem :P

Reply 25

KitredKitredson

As a General Studies "Lecturer" I would advise using a revision guide to test your ability to write for periods of time about the given issues and questions raised. Reading over your notes from the year (depending on the quality of your teaching) is advisable also. Furthermore it is worth noting that General Studies covers such a wide area of knowledge that there will certainly be key terminologies you could memorise; for example you may be asked about medical ethics - are you familiar with "informed consent"? I'm sure you can guess what it means, but it is wise to find real-world examples of key terminologies to support whatever argument you may have to make.

Broadly speaking in essay answers you will be marked on correctly identifying general issues around a given subject (hence the title of the course) and being able to argue well. Your essays should follow a standard format with an appropriate introduction & conclusion and must be written with PEEL in mind; P - Point (make a point), E - Example (give evidence to support your point), E - Explain (now explain what this means), L - Link (build up to the next point, following logically on from the one you've just made; use a linking word such as "Furthermore" or even an opposing term e.g. "By contrast")

The nature of the subject makes specific revision very complex - you could be asked almost anything in theory; but your responses will be based around an ability to argue. Don't revise anything you know you can talk about (for instance, if you're really into Politics you probably already know the key terms and real figures you'd include in your essays). Revise things you don't know so well (sounds obvious) - perhaps business is not your strong suit; revise from your notes, swot up on real-life businesses/corporations and types of deals they make/can make etc; memorise some general points around the pros and cons of having private enterprise over public service, the benefits and disadvantages of having CEOs etc.

Your revision also depends on who your exam board is: I "lecture" in AQA General Studies (B), which involves only a small amount of Maths, but Edexcel papers can involve more mathematics (though most marks will still be essay-based). Practice how to make percentage changes in calculation and so on. Simple formulae that will be easy to use when analysing graphs. Don't forget to show your working out (in AQA)!

I know this post is old, but I hope current students may see it. There is a misconception that General Studies is "easy" and all you need to do to pass is "read a newspaper". Broadly this is of course advisable, but the subject is potentially one of the most difficult of all - your base of knowledge has to be HUGE and demonstrative of both contemporary & historical awareness. Passing might be straightforward (though many students actually fail), but doing well is likely to be extremely difficult if you are not naturally interested in general knowledge.

I got 100% when I took the subject as a student, and now I "lecture" in it. If your university accepts it as a valid qualification, you should revise, because the marks are straightforward, but if not then yes, prioritise your other subjects. But try to revise something!