The Student Room Group

Literally at a dead end, don't know what to do

In Biology AS every single topic test I have done so far I kept on getting big fat Us and rarely Es, for one of the chapters I did a end of unit test in which was about biological molecules I revised LOTS and wrote a lot of notes as well, now before anyone tries to deny saying "Oh why are you lying, you didn't revise enough" let me tell you I revised this chapter 2 months before the end of topic test and went over this chapter 4 times and what I got? A big fat U
I really don't now what to do now, I tried using notes, colouring them and making them as attractive as possible like my teacher said but still no results, what can I do to fix this mess?
One of the students in my class who keeps on getting straight As in his tests, I asked him if he could show me his notes, when I saw his notes it was just bullet points of text and barely any colours or diagrams. I asked him how can he remember so much by just reading this and he said it just works with him, my notes are pretty similar to this guy's notes except it isn't as condensed and is just blocks of text. Still I went over my notes 4 times.
(edited 6 years ago)
Two words:


Spoiler

Reply 2
Original post by Mesopotamian.
Two words:


Spoiler



I need to learn the content first before I can start them
Original post by Mesopotamian.
Two words:


Spoiler



I’m doing the entire chemistry a level in a year. The only advice I can give is to do past papers. I know for the new specs it’s harder, but try doing older ones. Also, if you have the text book go through each topic and write down bullet points of key information. Then read it 20 times over and over. Then do practice questions on it. The website http://www.physicsandmathstutor.com/biology-revision/ has a lot of resources on, I use it for my revision, just go through and find patterns to answers. Best of luck!
Original post by Mesopotamian.
Two words:


Spoiler




per the OP, learning answers to common questions will likely bite in the exam when faced with unseen material.

Original post by The RAR
I need to learn the content first before I can start them


It's really a matter of finding what works for you.

If you've narrowed your disappointing performance down to a lack of knowledge, then that's a step in the right direction.

Regardless, look at your responses, compare them with the mark scheme and narrow down where you lost your marks.
Original post by The RAR
I need to learn the content first before I can start them

Which it sounds like you already have, but it looks like you have problems with using the information you gained in tests. You can learn biology from the book, and still give the wrong answers.
It happened with me in math. I learned all the formulas by heart, but still had major difficulties in solving problems.

The user above is right. At home, use the notes you already have and look at the past papers. Have attempts at them (working with your notes on your desk, don't put yourself under test conditions), and then look at the answers and marking schemes.

I had a year-long crisis on how I doubted my note taking. I was so self conscious about my notes in biology, that despite attending all classes and taking all my notes, I would always ask to borrow that of a friend, because hers were so orderly.

I'm in year 3 at uni, and I learnt that if that is how my mind puts information on paper, I can't be too pedantic on notes, and just have to work with it. Learning is more valuable than note taking after all. And don't forget, sometimes we'll make mistakes, but we can learn a lot from them.

Also, have you looked at Get Revising? I tutored in A level anatomy, and showed some of my tutees that.
I do biology notes by using the textbook and first typing up neat but concise notes. Then I do each little section of the textbook, read my notes and write down everything I remember closed book. Do this as many times as you need. Then I watch videos of the parts of the topics on YouTube, I have subscribed to snaprevise - it’s decent for the price. Then I do some past paper questions. Since I started this technique I have been getting much higher grades.

I think your problem could be that you only make notes once then just read them. Reading won’t help, because your brain recognises the notes so it kids you into thinking you actually know them when you don’t. Actually write out, watch and listen for effective revision
Reply 7
I can relate to this coz this was me last year I kept on getting Es and Us when I was revising made the odd D or C. The trick with biology is literally to do so many past papers you really need to be really hands on with it writing and reading your notes isn’t enough I learnt that the hard way. Because you may understand the content but your exam technique may be all wrong. Do as many past papers as you can get your hands on and actually look at what you are doing wrong, for example if you do crap on a test don’t just get angry and throw it away acc look at why you lost so many marks and work on it even write common questions on flashcards that you keep getting wrong and then on the back write the answers then before an exam read through them. Keywords are really important in biology it’s what the examiners look for and it’s what gets you the marks. Also make sure you are revising what is on the spec sometimes the textbook has unnecessary things. I used a CPG book along with the textbook and ended up getting a B.

Hope this helps and good luck!!
Original post by _gcx
It's really a matter of finding what works for you.

If you've narrowed your disappointing performance down to a lack of knowledge, then that's a step in the right direction.

Regardless, look at your responses, compare them with the mark scheme and narrow down where you lost your marks.


That's why learning the content comes first. I'm assuming from the OP that with all the notes taken, the content has been learnt. Alone neither content nor past papers will be sufficient but using them together is the key.

At the end of the day, you need to have exam style answers for your answers to match the mark scheme and you can only know what the examiner wants by doing past papers.

If the knowledge hasn't been learnt then that's an entirely different matter and perhaps new revision methods need to be considered aside from taking block notes such as making flash cards, diagrams, mind maps etc.
Original post by Mesopotamian.
That's why learning the content comes first. I'm assuming from the OP that with all the notes taken, the content has been learnt. Alone neither content nor past papers will be sufficient but using them together is the key.

At the end of the day, you need to have exam style answers for your answers to match the mark scheme and you can only know what the examiner wants by doing past papers.

If the knowledge hasn't been learnt then that's an entirely different matter and perhaps new revision methods need to be considered aside from taking block notes such as making flash cards, diagrams, mind maps etc.


I agree, don't think I said anything to contradict this. The OP's comment suggested to me that they don't have sufficient knowledge due to their revision techniques, hence my suggestion.
Original post by _gcx
I agree, don't think I said anything to contradict this. The OP's comment suggested to me that they don't have sufficient knowledge due to their revision techniques, hence my suggestion.


Yeah, sorry the majority of what I posted was directed at the OP but I think my comment was maybe not explanatory enough so just wanted to clarify :smile:
Reply 11
Original post by LaMandarine
Which it sounds like you already have, but it looks like you have problems with using the information you gained in tests. You can learn biology from the book, and still give the wrong answers.
It happened with me in math. I learned all the formulas by heart, but still had major difficulties in solving problems.

The user above is right. At home, use the notes you already have and look at the past papers. Have attempts at them (working with your notes on your desk, don't put yourself under test conditions), and then look at the answers and marking schemes.

I had a year-long crisis on how I doubted my note taking. I was so self conscious about my notes in biology, that despite attending all classes and taking all my notes, I would always ask to borrow that of a friend, because hers were so orderly.

I'm in year 3 at uni, and I learnt that if that is how my mind puts information on paper, I can't be too pedantic on notes, and just have to work with it. Learning is more valuable than note taking after all. And don't forget, sometimes we'll make mistakes, but we can learn a lot from them.

Also, have you looked at Get Revising? I tutored in A level anatomy, and showed some of my tutees that.

I have been looking through this website you gave me and I must say, it's WAY better than my notes, so organised, neat and has all the keypoints, and not much crap like textbooks. I wonder tho if revising from this alone and doing past papers too is going to cut it.
i took a science in as just wasn't cut out for it so accepted the E and orgot about it then following year made up for it by taking an extra qualification got an a*
Original post by The RAR
In Biology AS every single topic test I have done so far I kept on getting big fat Us and rarely Es, for one of the chapters I did a end of unit test in which was about biological molecules I revised LOTS and wrote a lot of notes as well, now before anyone tries to deny saying "Oh why are you lying, you didn't revise enough" let me tell you I revised this chapter 2 months before the end of topic test and went over this chapter 4 times and what I got? A big fat U
I really don't now what to do now, I tried using notes, colouring them and making them as attractive as possible like my teacher said but still no results, what can I do to fix this mess?
One of the students in my class who keeps on getting straight As in his tests, I asked him if he could show me his notes, when I saw his notes it was just bullet points of text and barely any colours or diagrams. I asked him how can he remember so much by just reading this and he said it just works with him, my notes are pretty similar to this guy's notes except it isn't as condensed and is just blocks of text. Still I went over my notes 4 times.


HI, this is exactly me right now. Ive gone from straight a's at gcse to Us and Ds at a level. Do you have to resit your winter biology mock exam? Cause I do I got a D and now I have to resit after the Christmas holidays when everyone is relaxing and is have to revise EVRRYTHING again for the resit exam. I have more exams this week like Chemistry and english to revise for but I'm feeling so demotivated. I revised HOURS for the biology exam only get a D in the exam. So I am also with you.:frown:
Original post by The RAR
I have been looking through this website you gave me and I must say, it's WAY better than my notes, so organised, neat and has all the keypoints, and not much crap like textbooks. I wonder tho if revising from this alone and doing past papers too is going to cut it.


There is only way to find out- by leaving doubts aside, and trying again.
Don't have this weird idea that getting good grades has this hidden scientific formula, or method that you haven't yet found. Learning is different from individual to individual. Heck, I got so annoyed in Maths that I remember asking the maths genius in my class how he did it, because we both spent the same amount of time and effort on revising. It just worked for him, but not for me. Then I decided to learn from my failures, and work again, with more confidence. And my grades went up.
As a kid who's been in a similar situation as you, I can tell you that having a mindset to just earn good grades will not work. You have to want to learn, and when you finally learn, you then have the confidence to solve those problems. It'll come naturally, trust me :smile:
Reply 15
Original post by Akif2001
HI, this is exactly me right now. Ive gone from straight a's at gcse to Us and Ds at a level. Do you have to resit your winter biology mock exam? Cause I do I got a D and now I have to resit after the Christmas holidays when everyone is relaxing and is have to revise EVRRYTHING again for the resit exam. I have more exams this week like Chemistry and english to revise for but I'm feeling so demotivated. I revised HOURS for the biology exam only get a D in the exam. So I am also with you.:frown:

We will have mocks in January for all subjects and EVERYONE will have to sit them, if I **** up the January mocks then god help me because my Biology teacher is going to violate me A LOT
Reply 16
Do past papers. Learn the content AS you do them. So maybe do some open book to get the exam technique, then semi-open book (eg do it closed book in one colour, open book in another, and then see which marks you get for each), and your understanding will massively improve.

Alternatively, if you’re doing 4 AS Levels and the others are going okay, find out if you can drop Biology.

Quick Reply

Latest