To those doing Biology...

MaltEagle

I personally find Biology really difficult. Science was never really a strong point for me. Anyway, thats not the point. I was wondering, how do you all study and revise for Biology? All help is much appreciated.

monellia

There was a very handy article in the indo giving exam tips for Biology there the other day. I'll edit and post later tonight.

I just read my favourite sections and try to recite them off my heart lol. Wouldn't recommend.

MaltEagle

Please do post it - that would be so much help. Thank You!

JSK 252

MaltEagle wrote: »

I personally find Biology really difficult. Science was never really a strong point for me. Anyway, thats not the point. I was wondering, how do you all study and revise for Biology? All help is much appreciated.

What grade are you hoping for in august?

GLaDOS

My revision for the mocks involved: looking over the summery at then end of each chapter, reading fully the chapters of 2 or 3 topics i didnt understand fully, looking throught my notes, looking through my experiment book

Baring in mind I'd consider Biology my best subject

MaltEagle

JSK 252 wrote: »

What grade are you hoping for in august?

I'd be hapy with a D1 or C3 (in Ordinary Level). It's going to be my 7th subject

JSK 252

MaltEagle wrote: »

I'd be hapy with a D1 or C3 (in Ordinary Level). It's going to be my 7th subject

I came across this on the RTE website:

http://www.rte.ie/radio1/gettingitright/notes/2007biology.pdf

Joe has shortcut for those who are aiming for a C.
He says: For students who are working towards a C grade - not A or B - they can
reduce the amount of work they have to do - and just use Units 1 and 2 of the syllabus
- which covers 80s percent of the syllabus. Anyone who wants a higher grade will
have to also learn Unit 3.

Hope this helps.:)

nerdysal

Our teacher always recommends that if you're having trouble explaining something draw a diagram first... it's an amazing help!!!
Also, write up sentences to remember stuff... it's amazing how easy it is to remember when you do that!
Learn by doing- that's the only way I remember the experiments I'm afraid!!!

thatone!

There is a great revison book avaiable from folens. It really makes everything simple and has experiments and definitions plus its on 10e

Chunky Monkey

I got an A1 and left out studying the reproduction chapters at the end of the book. Twas very risky though, I was short on time. I wouldn't recommend it.

I found writing out notes and drawing diagrams (neatly and with colours) around this time of year helps and then closer to the exams just learn from those and do loads of exam papers (well all of them).

To help you organise it better in your head and maybe make you less afraid of the subject (usually when people are 'useless' at a subject it's because they think it's hard and there's no way they could manage it) how about looking at the front index of the book, write down the areas that you feel you can manage and the areas that you find hard and study a little from both each night. That way you're not leaving the hard stuff until the end putting yourself under pressure.

Tan90'

Hey, well I think Biology is fairly easy to study for but it can get a bit monotonous because it really only involves theory unlike most of the other subjects and the course is a bit frustrating because they don't include lots of little detail that would make it easier to understand. That's what's important though, understanding - oh and make it interesting. I always read up about the topics we cover and find it way easier to remember the bit we're asked to ramble off for June then especially in Genetics. Also i've only ever written notes for ecology, i don't see the point. Bon chance!

nerdysal

Chunky Monkey wrote: »

I got an A1 and left out studying the reproduction chapters at the end of the book. Twas very risky though, I was short on time. I wouldn't recommend it.

Oh God, I wouldn't skip reproduction, they're practically a guaranteed question. It comes up every year!

altezza07

Basicly biology is just a load of facts, you can easily get a b in the exam if you just have the facts with no understanding, the best way to study is to find a good book with a good summery at the end of each chapter and a good exercise section for the chapter, then start at chapter one, read it summerise it and try to understand it, then do the exercise and if you miss even one question in it start again:mad: untill you have completely memerised everything. wait an while and do the exercise again, if missing one question start again:eek:. and by the time your finished that you will get a definate A1.

this should really be started the summer before 6th year !!

good luck;) !!

Doctor Dee

Wish there were some.

I teach the stuff, and the new syllabus means that leaving out anything is just too risky.

I will say this though.

For section C (where most of the marks are):
Do justice to Unit 2.

Ecology is a doddle, and should always be on the LC paper.

Its inconceivable that a Genetics isnt on the paper. Knwo your genetics definitions and crosses. And the DNA technology stuff.

Photosynthesis and/or Respiration should be there.

Hope this helps.

Doc.

Reproduction should be there.

The only problem is that they might not be there as a full question, but mixed with ohter stuff.

For the Section B:
Learn just one method (the simplest one you can find) of doing the experiments and stick to it. Ignore other methods. Youll just get confused.
Make short notes on them. Experiment questions can end up in Section C as well as the obvious Section B

Fad

im not too sure what the rapid revison bilogy is like, but if its anything like the chemistry one, buy it, rapid revisio are alot better than less stress books, and you have a set of notes to learn from then

Mars Bar

Doctor Dee wrote: »

Ecology is a doddle, and should always be on the LC paper.

The only think about Ecology is you can write loads and loads and not hit the point to get sufficient marks. We only study it with an overview and we don't touch it in the exams unless everything has gone wrng for ya!

Jayeire

mars bar wrote: »

The only think about Ecology is you can write loads and loads and not hit the point to get sufficient marks. We only study it with an overview and we don't touch it in the exams unless everything has gone wrng for ya!

Ecology is such an easy area to pick up marks! I can't believe that you'd leave it out, that means what you can answer is quite limited..
I'm going for an A1 this year, and I find that you need to go over everything, simply looking over the overviews/ summaries is NOT going to get you a high mark. You must know how to draw each of the diagrams proficiently and bear in mind that the senses diagrams have , as of yet, never been asked to be drawn, but if you check the syllabus we are actually required to be able... so be prepared. The key to getting a high grade is doing well in Section A, mess up section A and don't expect good marks for Biology. Go over everypaper, I've done all the papers and sample papers, we've also done quite a few pre papers from past years with our teacher

Thats my two cents

Doctor Dee

Jayeire speaks the truth

Skipping parts of the syllabus means not getting high marks in Section A at the very least, and this means that you're A is out of reach.

Skimming all of the syllabus means not knowing enough detail to answer the Section C questions to A standard.

The only answer is to know the whole course very well.

But its not that big a course. Not since the new syllabus came in. Very manageable. Make lists like
Diagrams.
Definitions.
Mandatory Practicals.
Disorders (Symptoms, Cause, Treatment).

Make lists of everything. At this stage you should be able the reduce the whole course to lists. If you havent already, that is.

And tables. So many topics boil down to tables of structure and function. Tables make memorising so much easier. I love table:)

And obviously, keep doing those questions. You think you know a topic, and then you do a question and realise that there are aspects you dont really know so well after all.

In addition to this, you get used to the language of the questions. When you see how the questions are marked (marking schemes tell you so much!), your answers improve dramatically.

Ah, the syllabus. You can learn a lot from reading the syllabus. You can download the pdf from examinations.ie. And then just before you start to revise a topic look at what the syllabus says. Its an eye-opener.

If only the people who wrote the syllabus and the people who set the exams talked to each other more often...;).

Jay, just out of interest, how many A1's would you say will come out of your class. Has your whole class done all the past and sample papers and the previous years mocks, or just you?

Man, I just go on an on and on. I'll stop now.

Just imagine what my poor students have to put up with

Doctor Dee

Fad wrote: »

im not too sure what the rapid revison bilogy is like, but if its anything like the chemistry one, buy it, rapid revisio are alot better than less stress books, and you have a set of notes to learn from then

Joe Reville, the guy who wrote the Rapid Revision (folens), does know his stuff, thats for sure. Definitely thinks its the best of the study guides for Biology. His textbook is good too, nice graphics, and theres a good workbook too, which you could buy on its own if you have another textbook. Ocallaghans is very good, so is Michael Meany's one. Cant say I like the Scott one at all. Its just not comprehensive.

Jayeire

Hey Dr Dee,
At the mo I can definitely see three A1's coming out of my Biology class. We go over all the papers together and our teacher photocopies past pres for us
to do which we are set a time limit on.

We use the Siobhan Scott book, I have to agree that its not the best.... At the moment we are mainly working from hand-outs that my teacher has compiled, I have to say they're excellent , extremely comprehensive! We've also been made to drawn each of the diagrams required from each of the three sections, which we are frequently tested on also. But I think that's key, constant assessment keeps things like that fresh in our mind.

I also have a biology dictionary.. a must have! It's probably worth stating that I'm a repeat student.. and I've certainly learned from my mistakes, never leave a section out, ever.. regardless of "tips" or "hints" as to what might be coming up.
I left out Ecology myself in 2007, not by choice, we simply hadn't covered it with my teacher at the time because somehow she managed to be out on maternity leave twice during 5th-6th yr, but thats another story. I've a different teacher now, and all is good.

Fad

Doctor Dee wrote: »

Joe Reville, the guy who wrote the Rapid Revision (folens), does know his stuff, thats for sure. Definitely thinks its the best of the study guides for Biology. His textbook is good too, nice graphics, and theres a good workbook too, which you could buy on its own if you have another textbook. Ocallaghans is very good, so is Michael Meany's one. Cant say I like the Scott one at all. Its just not comprehensive.

ive got a green book, afaik its just called LC biology,

its quite good but it has alot of excess info

thats what make a revision book so useful it cut out all the crap you dont need