ATAR Notes: Forum
VCE Stuff => VCE Science => VCE Mathematics/Science/Technology => VCE Subjects + Help => VCE Biology => Topic started by: emb_23 on February 05, 2010, 12:05:20 am
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Hi guys I did biol last year and loved it so thought I would just share what I found to be really good for Studying Biology and obtaining good marks. Unfortunately I only picked this up in Unit 4 would have loved to have heard this in unit 3, but it is what saved me :)
1. When studying for biology I highly reccomend everyone get the following books:
Nature of Biology, The Australian Biology Dictionary - Longman and the A+ Biolnotes.
~These can all be purchased from campion.
2. SAC PREP
- Read through The chapter in Nature of biology the SAC is on and while reading:
- Highlight highlight highlight! go through the chapter and just highlight the key points in the passages
- Do not make notes as you go!
- I STRESS THIS: Read carefully and test yourself as you go. Make sure you can define the words your reading as words in biology
can take a very different meaning to what they are in everyday language.
Even if your reading the sentance and you understand it, pick out the word and try to
think of a definition for it, if you cant or if your definition is a bit wobbly underline the word, look it up in either the back of the
book or in the Biology dictionary and write out the definition in the margin of the page.
For example: ..is found in the maternal serum that inhibits the function of... page 272 Nature of Biol
Now reading this it makes sense reading it but stop and think 'Can I define Serum and can I define Inhibit?'
Yes I can define inhibit, but Serum= solution, this is not an appropriate definition so look it up and
write it in the margin of the page
Serum - 1. 'The clear fluid of the blood with blood cells & substances that cause blood clotting (e.g.Fibrin)...'
2. 'A liquid containing antibodies and antitoxins...'
Now this is a very different defintion to what you would normally think of serum
- Underline sentances that don't quite make sense, put a question mark next to it and a post it note on the page. Then ask your
teacher tutor or even email me Im happy to answer questions.
- Once you have finished each section (i.e when it gets to Key Ideas and Quick-checks) stop highlighting and go back and write
notes only on what you have highlighted so you dont have to read through it again.
- In your notes DRAW DIAGRAMS!!! when there are diagrams in the book e.g photosynthesis cycle DRAW IT. it really helps with
memory and understanding, even make your own diagrams.
For example in Photosynthesis try and link your notes to the diagram in your head, e.g drawing the light dependant stage
think back to writing your notes- this happens in the grana, splits water molecules, waste product is oxygen...
- Once you have finished your notes on that section do the quick checks and try to do them without looking at your
notes
- As you SAC draws closer go through your notes again and do the same process - Highlight, Define And relate to diagrams and
then summarize your notes.
3. Exam PREP
- By the time it comes to your exam and you have done your last SAC 3 weeks or so before the exam you would have finished the
unit in nature of biology and have notes, if you continuously do what is stated above. So Read through your summaries and
rewrite them as that is what is important in the exams as the exams are broadly tested instead of SACS which are tested very
spefically.
- Get you A+ Biolnotes skip the highlighting (as its already summarised and brief) and write notes on EVERYTHING in it.[/b]
- Do the Exam Questions in the Biolnotes.
- Do practise exams
- Highlight what you got wrong and write down the question and the correct answer in your note book and go to your notes find
find the paragraph/section the question relates to and rewrite it underneath
4. In class ASK QUESTIONS!
~your understanding of concepts is vital as in biology they test how you can apply concepts to questions
they dont test if you know the concepts its how you apply it.
5. 3 words- Douchys Biology podcast - Download and listen!
Tip: Unit 3: Photosynthesis and The Immune system are poorly answered and are heavily tested![/i]
Thats it for now I might add helpful tips on studying particular topics to this post throughout the year.
I am happy to answer questions either personal message me or email: [email protected].
I hope this helps (well I know it does it was my method and I got AA+A+) so please try it at least!
Thanks for reading :)
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i also want to add if anyone is going to lectures, i recomend only going to one before the exam if you really want to do one, as your better off using your time studying.
I also recomend TSSM to go to. Its good to hear the theory and all from a different person from your teacher and ur text book as thats what they do on the exam, word it different to throw you off.
I only recomend going if you have almost finished all your revision as it just puts it all together for you and nicely finishes it off, if you are behind DO NOT GO it will just stress you stay home and do notes.
I miss doing biol and i wish i worked harder :(
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thannx
that really helps!!
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sweet!
thanks a bunch :)
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Why shouldn't we make notes as we go? Just a question :)
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Why shouldn't we make notes as we go? Just a question :)
She states to make the notes only after you've finished highlighting. I assume this is to avoid including too much irrelevant material in your notes. I'd take this with a grain of salt though because it really depends on what kind of information you're used to highlighting. However, I'd still recommend this advice. I don't write notes progressively as I read through something. It seems far more effective for me to read through a topic, fully understand it in my head and then draw connections and form some sort of structure in which I can arrange my notes. This process seems to help me understand and memorise things better, and it makes them easier to learn off later. When I write notes, I often keep the mindset that the notes must be good enough so that I can teach someone else with them, because as they say, the best way to learn something is to teach it to someone else. I've seen plenty of people in school and uni do 'chapter summaries' which simply consist of a chronological list of very brief dot points with no subtitles or titles at all. These lists are practically impossible to learn off.
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Ah yes that makes perfect sense! Thanks :)