Hey, daisypetals! Welcome to ATAR Notes (even though you first posted in August); I hope you stick around throughout the year!
-What should I be doing with Psychology over the summer holidays? (considering the ne Psych book is not out yet until Feb next year)
That's a bit of a bummer about the textbook. Those silly new study designs!
But no matter - it shouldn't be too much of a problem. Whilst the Psych study design
has certainly changed, there's still a lot of relevant stuff from the previous one. My gut feeling is that there's actually been more removed than added (I don't have much substance for this claim), so I guess that's a good thing!
My recommendation, though, is to really nail what VCAA has termed the "Key science skills". Did you do Psych 1/2? Basically research methodologies, experimental designs, ethics and other stuff like that. It might not be explicitly taught much during the year (it's assumed knowledge to an extent), so this is the perfect time for it!
Basically, pages 11 to 13 of the
new study design. VCAA has been a bit sneaky, I think, because this is detached from the Unit 3 and Unit 4 specifications, so a lot of students will probably miss it! But on the plus side, it's very nicely formatted, now.
-Any good study guide/notes that you recommend?
There are some good, free resources floating around on the interwebz, but I think many of them will now be outdated (due to the study design change). But because Psych is so prominent in general studies, I'd be surprised if resources weren't readily available for most if not all of the new course. And if you go
here, there are like, a million notes - all free!
-What advice can you give me to do well and hopefully get a 45+?
Psych has a fair bit of content, so it's pretty risky trying to learn it all in big blocks; you'll invariably miss something. So I found frequent but short study sessions to be useful. I also used a lot of mnemonics to try to learn the content most efficiently and effectively. Your school will probably teach you some, but don't be afraid to make up your own!
And, of course, don't forget to practise actually answering questions throughout the year, because knowing the content in theory and applying it in an exam scenario are two very different things.
-Does attending holiday lectures (and if so, which company is great for Psych?) or getting a tutor would help?
Despite having tutored for several years, to be honest I'm unconvinced on the worth of private tutors. They can be helpful, no doubt, but I'm really not sure that they're worth the money (as a general rule). I didn't have any tutors in Year 12, but ultimately it's your decision!
I also didn't attend any lectures before Year 12 (like, head-start lectures), but if you're that way inclined, you can't go past ATAR Notes' free lectures.
-Anything else I need to know?
Work consistently, try not to cram too much, and you'll be sweet!
And again, stick around at ATAR Notes.
I hope you're having a lovely day!