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A-level biology (AQA)

LiltCat

What tips would you give to get an A star in biology

Reply 1

flowersinmyhair

Clearing and Applications Advisor, Study Forum Helper

Original post by LiltCat

What tips would you give to get an A star in biology

I find making flashcards beneficial - I make mine using StudySmarter as it has built in (and free) space repetition. Doing as many practise questions as you can will also help :smile:

Reply 2

lprid

You need to not just memorise the content but understand it. There are a lot of application questions and they get a lot harder when you don't understand why something works/happens. I found the best way to do this was through teaching others. I'd come home after lessons and tell my parents what I'd learnt and having to put it into my own words; with analogies to make concepts more simple not only helps with understanding but consolidates the memory. But you could also just do this to yourself as you go to bed or make summary sheets. But don't feel like it needs to all be formal and scientific. Describe monomers like lego bricks, or the immune system like an army.

Other ideas would be making flashcards - or more simply (and what I did) writing questions in the margin of your notes (either do this in lesson or at the end of the week in a weekly review) then you can cover up your notes and ask yourself the questions (make sure to actually physically answer the question not just say "yeah I know that").

Most important of all is just practicing as many exam questions as you can. You can find all of the past papers on the AQA website and I'm sure your teachers will have many exam question booklets. If you've done enough - IN EXAM CONDITIONS - you'll be ready for whatever curveballs they might throw your way. Oh and make sure to mark your papers properly. Be harsh on yourself and write out any marking points you might've missed and then give yourself some pointers on where you went wrong and what you need to work on.