ATAR Notes: Forum
VCE Stuff => VCE Science => VCE Mathematics/Science/Technology => VCE Subjects + Help => VCE Psychology => Topic started by: yuzy on December 19, 2012, 11:45:32 pm
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For starters,
I have not done unit 1 or 2 psych, I have no knowledge about the subject. I am using the Grivas psych book, and have checkpoints for 3/4.
I have read some stuff that the checkpoints are practically useless because you can just use vcaa's past exams. Can anyone suggest decent notes/study guides? I've been looking for NEAP Psych but have no idea where to get it, and there is currently no AN Psych 3/4 study guide
Is a tutor necessary? How many practice exams should I do per unit, and how much study should I dedicate to it? How difficult would it be to get 48+?
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It's perfectly fine if you have not done unit 1 or 2 psychology - the only thing that's required from 1/2 knowledge in 3/4 psych is the RESEARCH METHODS component. If you print off the study design for units 3/4 psych, should tell you all that you are required to know for research methods. Learning research methods is the most tedious bit (you will literally hate it initially), but I gradually started to like the formulaic aspect of it (when it comes to stuff like SA or Extended answer question in practice exams).
I used the Grivas psych book. I ALSO used the oxford 3/4 psych book (NB there is no way in hell to access the solutions for chapter and review questions so don't bother trying for this book...just ask your teacher if you want someone to check your answer). Read both books - heightens your understanding.
Yeah heaps of people say checkpoints is a waste of money. I disagree. Being an organized person, I liked how the questions from past VCAA exams were arranged topic by topic. So when the time came for me to start doing some exam style practice questions, I could just go "hey, I'm weak at memory...let me do some questions from there".
I started off the year attempting to use all sorts of resources (NEAP books, TSFX notes from lecture I attended before the mid year exam), but I can honestly tell you now that the only resouces that I ACTUALLY used was cambridge checkpoints and my two textbooks. I found the TSFX lecture honestly a waste of time and didn't really find the notes helpful. I suppose it varies from person to person, but I found that I learnt a whole heap more when I just studied by myself. As for the NEAP study guides, they do have some good questions. Like I said, I didn't really use it because my teacher supplied me with a lot of other random sheets of practice questions (so obviously I couldn't fit in enough time to do the NEAP questions and they became unrequired). Definitely recommend you buy the NEAP though, just in case your teacher doesn't give you enough extra material to practice with. It will come in handy then.
Where to get NEAP? Try ordering it online or buy/place it on order from Links bookshop.
Tutor is absolutely not necessary for psych. Whatever questions you have should be able to be answered by your teacher. If not, message people on Atar notes for help. I, for example, emailed my teacher on a regular basis (I had heaps of question about the course content) and she answered all of them. :)
Practice exams...start them end August/early September. I only did about 5 for the end of year exam. Some people say it's best to do 15. It really depends on you. My belief...after having done 5 I recognized the format of the exam really easily. I developed specific template answers to questions which were pretty much asked in the same way year after year. After I had memorized these template answers, I was comfortable and knew that I'd be wasting my time if I did any more practice exams. I cannot stress how important it is to really develop these template answers for those repetitive questions (you'll see the question in the exam and be like "I've answered that a million times!" so it'll save you time in the exam).
Psych's a broad subject. Heaps of content. People say it's easy, but it's obviously not easy to get 48+ for any subject. I can't tell you how difficult it would be (that's a pretty subjective question). I found it tough but very enjoyable :)
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Psych A+ Notes U3/4 (not sure if they will remain separate for 2013) -> get your hands on it.
Before the holidays finish if I were in your position I would make sure I knew research methods inside and out, back to front.
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Hey,
Choosing pysch year 12 was one of the best decisions i made in year 10. :) I skipped to 3/4 . :) I actually did better in it , than i did in bio , which i did 1/2 during year 10. You learn so much about yourself and i loved it , that i didnt feel like studying for it , it was just for joy
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED:
- A+ notes( i still have it if you want to buy , just pm me?)
- checkpoints( really good for psych!)
- neap ..uhh i dont know, ER is great !
- grivas textbook is amazing! :) and oxford too.
i recommend making flashcards, helped me immensely!
Uhm. tutoriing , i didnt go to any or any lectures . my teacher at school was pree bad, she was away most of the year . study together with your classmate , we self taught ourselves the entire course!!
learn from your sacs. :)
any questions , just post up!
good luck!!
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Hey,
Choosing pysch year 12 was one of the best decisions i made in year 10. :) I skipped to 3/4 . :) I actually did better in it , than i did in bio , which i did 1/2 during year 10. You learn so much about yourself and i loved it , that i didnt feel like studying for it , it was just for joy
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED:
- A+ notes( i still have it if you want to buy , just pm me?)
- checkpoints( really good for psych!)
- neap ..uhh i dont know, ER is great !
- grivas textbook is amazing! :) and oxford too.
i recommend making flashcards, helped me immensely!
Uhm. tutoriing , i didnt go to any or any lectures . my teacher at school was pree bad, she was away most of the year . study together with your classmate , we self taught ourselves the entire course!!
learn from your sacs. :)
any questions , just post up!
good luck!!
Hey did u buy 2 books for psychology? Btw did u do psychology again in yr 11?
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nahh. i bought grivas , i borrowed oxford through the school library. i did psych and bio this year .. :)
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nahh. i bought grivas , i borrowed oxford through the school library. i did psych and bio this year .. :)
Oh I see..thanks :D . What are the resources you have used for psychology this yr?
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For starters,
I have not done unit 1 or 2 psych, I have no knowledge about the subject. I am using the Grivas psych book, and have checkpoints for 3/4.
I have read some stuff that the checkpoints are practically useless because you can just use vcaa's past exams. Can anyone suggest decent notes/study guides? I've been looking for NEAP Psych but have no idea where to get it, and there is currently no AN Psych 3/4 study guide
Is a tutor necessary? How many practice exams should I do per unit, and how much study should I dedicate to it? How difficult would it be to get 48+?
Is a tutor necessary? No. Be wary of getting too confident though: there were no 50's at your (my) school this year.
How many practice exams? Up to you, at least 5 IMO.
How much study? A lot. It's your one 3/4: commit to it.
How hard is getting a 48+? Hard. Very. As I said, no 50's at your school.
PM me regarding MHS SACs and/or further queries. :)
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i listed the resources i used. but the main thing is that do as many questions as you can! practice makes perfect!
as its your only 3/4 , you shall ace it ! it was pree hard for me , to memorisinng based subjects , but i made it fine!( i think)!
as snake said , a lot of students this year were being to overconfident , ending up with 40s and 35s , thinking it would be too easy. its just a perception that pysch is easy. but the examiners ,are extremely picky and dont give marks away easily. Just a warning ! :)
good luck ! :)
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Thanks for the replies and help (and for typing up so much Starfish, haha)
I have research methods covered in a large booklet of holiday homework, so that should be no problem. Should I do any more work/chapters? I have plenty of free time and am completely bored of games.
Also, are there any pracs in Psych?
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Thanks for the replies and help (and for typing up so much Starfish, haha)
I have research methods covered in a large booklet of holiday homework, so that should be no problem. Should I do any more work/chapters? I have plenty of free time and am completely bored of games.
Also, are there any pracs in Psych?
Yes. But this is in unit 4 - you will have to write a research report on a practical conducted in class. For my school, we did a 'learning' practical over the course of 3-4 days & had to write folio activities on which the SAC was based. Each school conducts this diffferently, but it is a compulsory SAC.
As for more work - why not? Go ahead with the textbook and make your own notes. Heck, make your own notes for AOS 1 in unit 3 :)
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What do u have to know for research methods? Is it the whole ch1 of Grivas textbook?
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What do u have to know for research methods? Is it the whole ch1 of Grivas textbook?
Refer to the study design for unit 3 - everything on there written for the research methods component.
To be honest though, the examiners never seem to ask about reliability and validity...It's best to know everything in the study design for research methods though, just so you're covered. There are of couse bits of content from the study design on RM that they just never ask (sometimes I ask my self why it's even on there LOL :P )
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they did once. last year unit 3 last mcq question. just do everything for research methods , it helps with sacs and if the extended response is research methods , it helps if you have knowledge and might give you extra marks!
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Thanks for the response :) Is there any topic hard to understand for Unit 3? Like which chapter
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hey,
i found stuff like synthaesia ,etc hard , mostly to explain. i dont know what chapter it is.
i dont know why , but it just confused me . :)
post up or pm me if you have any difficulties!
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hey,
i found stuff like synthaesia ,etc hard , mostly to explain. i dont know what chapter it is.
i dont know why , but it just confused me . :)
post up or pm me if you have any difficulties!
So most of the questions relating to those above will be explanation and undestanding rather than memorizing?
Haha sure thing I will post up whenever I need help :) but atm I haven't touch any study/holiday homework and I didn't even start with the one week transition program hmw.
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I found some parts of Memory quite difficult , visuo-spatial sketchpad and episodic buffer