ATAR Notes: Forum

VCE Stuff => VCE Science => VCE Mathematics/Science/Technology => VCE Subjects + Help => VCE Psychology => Topic started by: amirite? on January 01, 2010, 06:38:04 pm

Title: Holiday Study
Post by: amirite? on January 01, 2010, 06:38:04 pm
I want to start study for psychology now but im really not sure what to do. :\

Do I just read each chapter and do all the questions in the book?
Do I make summaries, charts and notes along the way?
Im not sure how to use the the study design either ( http://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/vce/studies/psychology/psychologysd.pdf ) Do I just work through the chapters in the textbook and then make sure I can answer the key knowledge questions and perform the key skills?

Thanks.
Title: Re: Holiday Study
Post by: vexx on January 01, 2010, 06:54:26 pm
Yes to all.

Read through the textbook, and start making notes, it'll be difficult to do so as unit 3 is really not complicated, but just requires a mass of info. to be remembered perfectly. Read over these past notes frequently, even download someone's notes (Erinys..) and have a look through them after. It's good to know some of this now so you can start memorising other stuff when school starts. Also, take notes each week and memorise them in class when school starts if you are still unsure with your holiday work.
Title: Re: Holiday Study
Post by: amirite? on January 01, 2010, 08:15:40 pm
Thanks. I just wanted to know if my plan would be and efficient use of time. Looks like it will be.
Title: Re: Holiday Study
Post by: amirite? on January 01, 2010, 08:17:45 pm
I cant find erinys' notes.
Title: Re: Holiday Study
Post by: vexx on January 01, 2010, 08:38:25 pm
http://notes.vcenotes.com/?step=download&order=&subject=Psychology&units=34&page=3
just down a bit
Title: Re: Holiday Study
Post by: amirite? on January 01, 2010, 10:16:16 pm
cheers

the 2005-2009 study design has been extended to cover 2010 aswell hasnt it? So these notes are 100% relevant and up to date?
Title: Re: Holiday Study
Post by: vexx on January 01, 2010, 10:17:25 pm
cheers

the 2005-2009 study design has been extended to cover 2010 aswell hasnt it? So these notes are 100% relevant and up to date?
yeah they are.
i used her notes as a basis for mine, which are slightly different but pretty much the same.
Title: Re: Holiday Study
Post by: Ilovemathsmeth on January 01, 2010, 11:37:34 pm
What I did was have a nice read of the book. No pressure, just read it for enjoyment. You'll be surprised, but the first read of Psych is really really interesting. Ignore research methods - that chapter is just plain boring; the rest will be interesting. Don't pressurise yourself to make notes - just get a good idea of what it's about. This way you'll know what is being said in class and it gives you ample time to make notes of your readings during school term.
Title: Re: Holiday Study
Post by: amirite? on January 04, 2010, 10:57:46 pm
I started a couple of days ago. Spent about 7 hours all up, not at 100% efficiency, im about 20% through AoS one :P. Plus done my holiday homework, set-up a system (Folder, Contents, Glossary) and stuff.

Im pretty much summarising every paragraph, basically putting the textbook into my own words. Am I doing it right? I feel like im doing too much work, if thats possible. Maybe the truth will be in the first SAC and few weeks of classes.

Do we only touch on 6 chapters in the textbook? One for each AoS?
Title: Re: Holiday Study
Post by: amirite? on January 04, 2010, 11:01:41 pm
My plan now is to do what im doing for each area of unit 3 study and then do at least one practice exam before the holidays are finished. :) If it all goes to plan I should have basic knowledge or unit 3, an idea of how hard exams are, a solid set of notes and classes shall act as revision. :)
Title: Re: Holiday Study
Post by: vexx on January 05, 2010, 09:15:21 am
^ that's so good. you shall do really well:)
but just a note, don't put any of the textbook stuff into your own words, as the answers for all the exams must be exactly word-for-word from a textbook (or most of them).
so yeah goodluck for this year!!
Title: Re: Holiday Study
Post by: amirite? on January 05, 2010, 12:42:44 pm
Thats annoying. If you can get the same concept across using different words then shouldnt you get the marks? Its easier to regurgitate things from the book but I dont think you learn it as well. Im not putting the definitions into my own words just the paragraphs. And instead of linear type lists (ie. cars, cats, dogs...) I have expanded key things (eg. perceptions, sense of place, sense of time) into dot points and highlighted them. Somehow I think I learn key things better when I give them their own line. lol.
Title: Re: Holiday Study
Post by: kyzoo on January 06, 2010, 02:10:54 am
What I did was have a nice read of the book. No pressure, just read it for enjoyment. You'll be surprised, but the first read of Psych is really really interesting.

That's what you should do for all subjects involving textbooks that you base your study around.
Title: Re: Holiday Study
Post by: Ilovemathsmeth on January 06, 2010, 11:31:53 am
LOL the first read of Chem was stressful.
Title: Re: Holiday Study
Post by: kyzoo on January 07, 2010, 01:30:40 am
^ Mmm for me it's not really stressful, it's more totally unfamiliar territory, and I have to really slow down and employ my mind to understand it.
Title: Re: Holiday Study
Post by: Ilovemathsmeth on January 08, 2010, 12:59:28 am
Yeah, it would have been a good idea had I read the text book during the Summer hols. But I read it as we studied each chapter in class - hence the stress :P (Unit 3 is highly packed and you need to rush a lot towards the end)
Title: Re: Holiday Study
Post by: vexx on January 08, 2010, 10:15:58 am
Yeah, it would have been a good idea had I read the text book during the Summer hols. But I read it as we studied each chapter in class - hence the stress :P ([/b]Unit 3 is highly packed[/b] and you need to rush a lot towards the end)

is unit 3 really have more stuff than unit 4 in chem?
i didn't think that unit 3 was that intense, it doesn't seem like there's very much that's too complicated and difficult to get through.
Title: Re: Holiday Study
Post by: Ilovemathsmeth on January 08, 2010, 11:37:54 am
Nah I was talking about Unit 3 Chem in response to kyzoo's post.
Title: Re: Holiday Study
Post by: akira88 on January 11, 2010, 11:28:58 pm
I'm not sure if this is correct, but someone at my school said that the VCAA examiners don't look for textbook answers, especially responses which are word-for-word from the textbook =/ any clarification please? It would help a lot thanks! :)
Title: Re: Holiday Study
Post by: Ilovemathsmeth on January 11, 2010, 11:56:31 pm
I was told that definitions had to be word for word from the text book. But I agree, most VCAA questions aren't simple definition questions - you need to apply concepts to questions. Thus a text book answer wouldn't always be appropriate. That said, it may be handy to memorise phrases from the text book, like the information on echoic memory processes because it might come in use for you in an exam explanation question.
Title: Re: Holiday Study
Post by: akira88 on January 12, 2010, 02:34:55 pm
I was told that definitions had to be word for word from the text book. But I agree, most VCAA questions aren't simple definition questions - you need to apply concepts to questions. Thus a text book answer wouldn't always be appropriate. That said, it may be handy to memorise phrases from the text book, like the information on echoic memory processes because it might come in use for you in an exam explanation question.

Thank you, and yes what you have said all makes sense :) was just curious to why someone told me that word-for-word answers lose you marks...
Title: Re: Holiday Study
Post by: amirite? on January 12, 2010, 02:52:04 pm
Im using the grivas textbook. I need to know which chapters we will be studying for unit 3. Thanks.
Title: Re: Holiday Study
Post by: Ilovemathsmeth on January 12, 2010, 03:18:02 pm
You'll be studying parts of chapter 1, all of chapters 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 (until you finish the Sleep chapter).
Title: Re: Holiday Study
Post by: amirite? on January 12, 2010, 03:36:58 pm
You'll be studying parts of chapter 1, all of chapters 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 (until you finish the Sleep chapter).

So the whole book over the whole year. I thought it was one chapter for each AoS. -_-

Can you break down chapters into Areas of Study for me please?
Title: Re: Holiday Study
Post by: vexx on January 12, 2010, 05:29:20 pm
You'll be studying parts of chapter 1, all of chapters 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 (until you finish the Sleep chapter).

So the whole book over the whole year. I thought it was one chapter for each AoS. -_-

Can you break down chapters into Areas of Study for me please?


Well the chapters on brain&nervous system including arousal (should have the most as it's worth 40% of unit 3) are area of study 1, then visual perception system chapters are area of study 2 and finally states of consciousness incl. all the sleep stuff is area of study 3.
look at the study design for unit 3 and you'll see for each AoS is some research methods stuff, either just take whats needed from each AoS from someone who did well's notes or find it in chapter 1.
Title: Re: Holiday Study
Post by: Ilovemathsmeth on January 12, 2010, 08:31:32 pm
Chapter 1 - throughout Unit 3.

Chapters 2, 3 and 4 - Brain and Nervous System

Chapters 5 and 6 - Visual perception

Chapters 7 and 8 - Sleep and States of Consciousness
Title: Re: Holiday Study
Post by: amirite? on January 12, 2010, 08:35:43 pm
Chapter 1 - throughout Unit 3.

Chapters 2, 3 and 4 - Brain and Nervous System

Chapters 5 and 6 - Visual perception

Chapters 7 and 8 - Sleep and States of Consciousness

Thank you.