how to revise a level chemistry, biology and psychology????
so my year 12 mocks that go towards my uni predicted grades are in april. but im still making notes for bio and pysch (im planning on making method sheets for chemistry). but the notes feel like a waste of time- should i continue? if i dont continue im unsure of how to revise because im so used to notes and i dont want to leave my comfort zone so close to my important exams! please help!!!!
Reply 1
Original post
by mimi_unknownso my year 12 mocks that go towards my uni predicted grades are in april. but im still making notes for bio and pysch (im planning on making method sheets for chemistry). but the notes feel like a waste of time- should i continue? if i dont continue im unsure of how to revise because im so used to notes and i dont want to leave my comfort zone so close to my important exams! please help!!!!
helloo,
everyone has their own way of revising, so my best advice is to do what you're doing if it is giving a positive effect on your current grades. if you are struggling in certain areas you could change certain methods of revising.
im in yr 13 and i do biology and chemistry too. bio is quite content heavy, so the method sheets could help you- but don't forget the mark schemes the real villain- do exam question practice as well. and with chemistry, for me flashcards work especially revising the reactions etc, and method sheets cld help too, even though i haven't personally done this.
when it is super close to ur exams, do a lot of past paper questions as well !
good luck for your mocks i hope everything goes well !!
Reply 2
4
i don't feel like im retaining anything by making notes- it feels like im just rewriting my revision guide, and when i made notes for gcses my grades weren't great. i'll try the method sheets and flashcards and hopefully i actually absorb the content. thank you so much for your response!! 
Reply 3
Past papers, LOTS of past papers you'll find for chemistry that the questions are very repetitive and you will recognise alot of them. I recommend having a document on all the questions you got wrong and just going through them until you get them right.
Also make sure you know all of your practicals, theyre often underlooked but still are very important. I find that note writing doesn't really help for me it'll be different for everyone but the only times I'd recommend writing notes are: during lesson, after lesson when at home (rewriting them so you understand the topic) and perhaps if you really don't understand a topic, but there are tons and tons of resources that can help you understand (allery chemistry, macchemguy, freesciencelessons etc).
But yeah! just keep practicing questions over and over again until it becomes like muscle memory and always remember to do practice papers, questions whatever it is on previous topics so that you do not forget them cuz theres nothing worse than going through a whole topic all over again because you forgot it =_=
Other than that best of luck in your exams !!
Also make sure you know all of your practicals, theyre often underlooked but still are very important. I find that note writing doesn't really help for me it'll be different for everyone but the only times I'd recommend writing notes are: during lesson, after lesson when at home (rewriting them so you understand the topic) and perhaps if you really don't understand a topic, but there are tons and tons of resources that can help you understand (allery chemistry, macchemguy, freesciencelessons etc).
But yeah! just keep practicing questions over and over again until it becomes like muscle memory and always remember to do practice papers, questions whatever it is on previous topics so that you do not forget them cuz theres nothing worse than going through a whole topic all over again because you forgot it =_=
Other than that best of luck in your exams !!
Reply 4
Original post
by mimi_unknowni don't feel like im retaining anything by making notes- it feels like im just rewriting my revision guide, and when i made notes for gcses my grades weren't great. i'll try the method sheets and flashcards and hopefully i actually absorb the content. thank you so much for your response!!
oh okay, i would say flashcards definitely work, i personally haven't tried method sheets.
try anki, sometimes there are pre-made decks you can use (personally i recommend make them by urself unless ur on a time constraint).
past papers are a must like i mentioned. pmt has good resources, revisely has good resources, if you have savemyexams its pretty good too- some of its free as well i think.
for some subjects, blurting works. u can use a whiteboard and like just mindmap certain topics and u can like check it off using ur notes ?/ textbook etc.
no problem !!
Reply 5
4
Original post
by slevamoh okay, i would say flashcards definitely work, i personally haven't tried method sheets.
try anki, sometimes there are pre-made decks you can use (personally i recommend make them by urself unless ur on a time constraint).
past papers are a must like i mentioned. pmt has good resources, revisely has good resources, if you have savemyexams its pretty good too- some of its free as well i think.
for some subjects, blurting works. u can use a whiteboard and like just mindmap certain topics and u can like check it off using ur notes ?/ textbook etc.
no problem !!
try anki, sometimes there are pre-made decks you can use (personally i recommend make them by urself unless ur on a time constraint).
past papers are a must like i mentioned. pmt has good resources, revisely has good resources, if you have savemyexams its pretty good too- some of its free as well i think.
for some subjects, blurting works. u can use a whiteboard and like just mindmap certain topics and u can like check it off using ur notes ?/ textbook etc.
no problem !!
i'll definitely start making my own flashcards on anki, hopefully i have enough time to complete them for my subjects before my mocks in april!!
i do past paper questions weekly anyway because my teachers set it for homework, but i think i'll probably put them in folders and use examiners reports to make sure my answer is as close to the mark scheme as possible as well! i always lose marks because i miss out a key term or use a wrong word 😔
for chemistry i use chemrevise? i heard from med students that its good, but i use pmt for bio. savemyexams seems like its so much unnecessary detail but maybe thats my route to an A*.
i usually blurt closer to my exam date, and this worked for gcses so i'll definitely continue blurting. maybe i'll start blurting from now though. there's just so much to be done !!
Reply 6
For chemistry, allery chemistry can be really helpful and Miss Estruch. Also uplearn is good but you have to pay so you could ask your school to buy it for you or you could do a trial
Reply 7
4
Original post
by MillieeM2For chemistry, allery chemistry can be really helpful and Miss Estruch. Also uplearn is good but you have to pay so you could ask your school to buy it for you or you could do a trial
have u personally tried uplearn? i've heard about it but i'm still unsure
Reply 8
Original post
by mimi_unknowni'll definitely start making my own flashcards on anki, hopefully i have enough time to complete them for my subjects before my mocks in april!!
i do past paper questions weekly anyway because my teachers set it for homework, but i think i'll probably put them in folders and use examiners reports to make sure my answer is as close to the mark scheme as possible as well! i always lose marks because i miss out a key term or use a wrong word 😔
for chemistry i use chemrevise? i heard from med students that its good, but i use pmt for bio. savemyexams seems like its so much unnecessary detail but maybe thats my route to an A*.
i usually blurt closer to my exam date, and this worked for gcses so i'll definitely continue blurting. maybe i'll start blurting from now though. there's just so much to be done !!
i do past paper questions weekly anyway because my teachers set it for homework, but i think i'll probably put them in folders and use examiners reports to make sure my answer is as close to the mark scheme as possible as well! i always lose marks because i miss out a key term or use a wrong word 😔
for chemistry i use chemrevise? i heard from med students that its good, but i use pmt for bio. savemyexams seems like its so much unnecessary detail but maybe thats my route to an A*.
i usually blurt closer to my exam date, and this worked for gcses so i'll definitely continue blurting. maybe i'll start blurting from now though. there's just so much to be done !!
yes chemrevise is a wonderful resource, i use that too, sorry i forgot to mention it. even tho it is condensed, it defintely has everything we need for it- it helped me for my year 12 mocks, as and my year 13 mocks, i def recommend. it is also very easy to understand from- chemguide and chemlibre too delve into too much detail.
allery chem is also pretty good.
good luck !!
Reply 9
4
very much agreed. I'll check out allery chem- thank you so so much!!!
good luck to u too... for ur a levels!!
good luck to u too... for ur a levels!!
@always-anxious I thought that you want to say a word or two. You have almost the same A levels, that is why I think you are good for an advice.
Better I call you too, @DerDracologe. You at least have biology at A levels and are in year 12.
Better I call you too, @DerDracologe. You at least have biology at A levels and are in year 12.
Reply 11
Original post
by mimi_unknownso my year 12 mocks that go towards my uni predicted grades are in april. but im still making notes for bio and pysch (im planning on making method sheets for chemistry). but the notes feel like a waste of time- should i continue? if i dont continue im unsure of how to revise because im so used to notes and i dont want to leave my comfort zone so close to my important exams! please help!!!!
Hi! Im also in year 12 and do biology (currently working at an A* so hopefully some of the stuff i do works!)
My main ways of revising atm are flashcards and blurting.
The flashcards ive been studying are on studysmarter (i made them from my class notes but platforms like quizlet, anki and studysmarter have loads of pre-made sets!) and it uses spaced repetition so i study about 40 cards per day every day. If i have a test i use flashcards to quickly review memory content and also to generate quizzes which i can use.
With blurting i blurt on a topic and then refer to my notes to add. Ive been making notes since the start of year 12 and do find it helpful to have everything i need in one place written in a way i understand without having either too little info like CGP books or too much like the oxford textbook i have! Once ive added any extra info to the blurt i either do another blurt and/or i add mistakes to a blooket ive made on that module and review that.
I do textbook and exam style questions too but generally those are for homework so i dont focus on them that much but if you struggle with exam tech its a must. I use the ones of out my CGP revision guide, oxford textbook and off of Cognito.
Btw if you need to review a topic quickly then i recommend Seneca. If you want something a bit more fun then blooket or kahoot can be good 🙂
Original post
by mimi_unknownso my year 12 mocks that go towards my uni predicted grades are in april. but im still making notes for bio and pysch (im planning on making method sheets for chemistry). but the notes feel like a waste of time- should i continue? if i dont continue im unsure of how to revise because im so used to notes and i dont want to leave my comfort zone so close to my important exams! please help!!!!
Hello, I study psychology and biology
For both subjects, they are very content heavy so active recall is important to remember all of the content. This can be through flashcards, mind maps, blurting etc.
Exam questions are important as well so you understand what to need to write to get the marks. Especially with biology because the mark schemes are very picky.
Regarding note taking, I personally only find this useful if I'm making notes on diffucult topics, such has processes in biology which have a lot of steps to remember. I prefer active recall to note taking as it is more effective for remembering. It may be more useful to write notes from memory and then using another colour to write down any thing you forgot. This way you're doing active recall and understanding where your weaknesses are to then go over and improve.
If you have any other questions I'd be happy to answer the best I can
Original post
by DerDracologeHi! Im also in year 12 and do biology (currently working at an A* so hopefully some of the stuff i do works!)
My main ways of revising atm are flashcards and blurting.
The flashcards ive been studying are on studysmarter (i made them from my class notes but platforms like quizlet, anki and studysmarter have loads of pre-made sets!) and it uses spaced repetition so i study about 40 cards per day every day. If i have a test i use flashcards to quickly review memory content and also to generate quizzes which i can use.
With blurting i blurt on a topic and then refer to my notes to add. Ive been making notes since the start of year 12 and do find it helpful to have everything i need in one place written in a way i understand without having either too little info like CGP books or too much like the oxford textbook i have! Once ive added any extra info to the blurt i either do another blurt and/or i add mistakes to a blooket ive made on that module and review that.
I do textbook and exam style questions too but generally those are for homework so i dont focus on them that much but if you struggle with exam tech its a must. I use the ones of out my CGP revision guide, oxford textbook and off of Cognito.
Btw if you need to review a topic quickly then i recommend Seneca. If you want something a bit more fun then blooket or kahoot can be good 🙂
My main ways of revising atm are flashcards and blurting.
The flashcards ive been studying are on studysmarter (i made them from my class notes but platforms like quizlet, anki and studysmarter have loads of pre-made sets!) and it uses spaced repetition so i study about 40 cards per day every day. If i have a test i use flashcards to quickly review memory content and also to generate quizzes which i can use.
With blurting i blurt on a topic and then refer to my notes to add. Ive been making notes since the start of year 12 and do find it helpful to have everything i need in one place written in a way i understand without having either too little info like CGP books or too much like the oxford textbook i have! Once ive added any extra info to the blurt i either do another blurt and/or i add mistakes to a blooket ive made on that module and review that.
I do textbook and exam style questions too but generally those are for homework so i dont focus on them that much but if you struggle with exam tech its a must. I use the ones of out my CGP revision guide, oxford textbook and off of Cognito.
Btw if you need to review a topic quickly then i recommend Seneca. If you want something a bit more fun then blooket or kahoot can be good 🙂
Original post
by always-anxiousHello, I study psychology and biology
For both subjects, they are very content heavy so active recall is important to remember all of the content. This can be through flashcards, mind maps, blurting etc.
Exam questions are important as well so you understand what to need to write to get the marks. Especially with biology because the mark schemes are very picky.
Regarding note taking, I personally only find this useful if I'm making notes on diffucult topics, such has processes in biology which have a lot of steps to remember. I prefer active recall to note taking as it is more effective for remembering. It may be more useful to write notes from memory and then using another colour to write down any thing you forgot. This way you're doing active recall and understanding where your weaknesses are to then go over and improve.
If you have any other questions I'd be happy to answer the best I can
For both subjects, they are very content heavy so active recall is important to remember all of the content. This can be through flashcards, mind maps, blurting etc.
Exam questions are important as well so you understand what to need to write to get the marks. Especially with biology because the mark schemes are very picky.
Regarding note taking, I personally only find this useful if I'm making notes on diffucult topics, such has processes in biology which have a lot of steps to remember. I prefer active recall to note taking as it is more effective for remembering. It may be more useful to write notes from memory and then using another colour to write down any thing you forgot. This way you're doing active recall and understanding where your weaknesses are to then go over and improve.
If you have any other questions I'd be happy to answer the best I can
You two are honest people I can count. I tag you two again when someone calls for help.
Reply 14
everyone revises differently so you kindof have to trial and error and figure out what works best for you. im a bit lazy myself and i barely revise if i can help it however i am still getting A*s, my key tip is to not waste hours and hours of your life doing revision which you know is not working for you as it will just stress you out, you need to keep a good work-life balance and not overevise. for psychology, i personally found that my best method for minimal revision is: 1) taking an A4/A3 sheet of paper (depends how small you can make your handwriting and still have it legible) and write down allll the notes/studies/evaluations etc for one topic, i do this using the powerpoints from my college but you can also find stuff online, the key is that you're not just rewriting notes mindlessly but reading and understanding the content and them summarising it in a way that makes sense to you. 2) i bang out a bunch of past paper practice questions for each topic and then self mark them using the mark schemes (this is great for understanding exam technique and how to apply your knowledge, also usually colleges/sixth forms will use past paper questions in their mocks so then youre a step ahead of everyone else sitting the exam). ive also tried quizlet and seneca and they can be really helpful to just test your knowledge when youre a bit lazy and you can literally do it on the bus or sitting in bed, my only problem with them is that they sometimes use different case studies/research than the ones used by my college which can be confusing, however i would give them a go especially if you feel like writing out your notes isn't helping it go in your head. 😁
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