Login

Welcome, Guest. Please login or register.

March 28, 2024, 10:21:44 pm

Author Topic: How many exercise books do you use for science subjects?  (Read 2223 times)  Share 

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

thatdumbstudent

  • Forum Regular
  • **
  • Posts: 83
  • Respect: +8
How many exercise books do you use for science subjects?
« on: November 13, 2019, 06:37:00 pm »
0
Hi! just a year 11 student here and I am starting unit3 headstart in 2 weeks. I was just wondering how many exercise books do you guys use for your subjects? In biology, I had a class notes book, an answer book and a summary book, I was just contemplating on narrowing it down to classnotes and textbook questions being in 1 book but idk how it'll work out :P how do you organize your school stuff? :) I just feel like i'm wasting my books and also energy to carry them lol

also! do you think the summary book is necessary? I feel like it helps me a bit as my classnotes are messy with me trying to keep up with the powerpoint slides so after every lesson I would make new notes... should I spend my time more on checkpoint and practice exams?

Ionic Doc

  • Forum Leader
  • ****
  • Posts: 571
  • Respect: +212
Re: How many exercise books do you use for science subjects?
« Reply #1 on: November 13, 2019, 06:56:01 pm »
+5
Yeah, so I don't use an exercise book.
Instead, I have a binder folder with shit loads of looseleaf paper.
I make a whole chunk of class notes on a certain AOS(area of study), and then any questions relating to that AOS are placed at the end of the notes. I feel like this gives me more flexibility. Then when I start a new AOS I just simply add a coloured binder divider. This also helps me find an  AOS more easily rather than flipping through an exercise book. 

also! do you think the summary book is necessary? I feel like it helps me a bit as my class notes are messy with me trying to keep up with the powerpoint slides so after every lesson I would make new notes...

I personally don't use your summary book approach, as my notes are often neat and clean. However, I don't see anything wrong with your summary book strategy. In fact, it's a good way to go back on what you've learnt and consolidate that information. Whatever works for you I guess.

should I spend my time more on checkpoint and practice exams?
First, make sure you know the key concepts.
Once you're confident then start reinforcing what you know by attempting checkpoint questions and make sure you take the time to thoroughly correct your work and see where your weaknesses are.
Checkpoint questions are pretty much exam questions so I personally recommend that you should start attempting  practise exams once you've finished all the coursework. But you should definitely be doing checkpoint questions throughout the year and be revising what you've already learnt.

Hope this helped and all the best for bio 
2019/2020 - Psychology | Biology | Chemistry | Methods | Further | English
2021 - Science @ Melbourne University

angrybiscuit

  • Trendsetter
  • **
  • Posts: 196
  • Respect: +204
Re: How many exercise books do you use for science subjects?
« Reply #2 on: November 13, 2019, 07:03:33 pm »
+5
This is a matter of personal preference but I really think you should spend more time doing heaps of practice questions. They really help consolidate content (plus it helps prepare you for SACS and exam when you need to apply your knowledge, not regurgitate facts). I've stopped doing notes in Year 10 when I found that it was very, very time-consuming.

Have you talked to your teacher about being able to access the powerpoint slides? I don't copy down the teachers' slides because the powerpoints that my teachers use are shared with us, so since I already have the powerpoint slides I didn't think it necessary to rewrite everything! If you can access the teacher's powerpoints, many you can ditch the class notes and do the summary book instead!

All the best for U3/4!
somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known.
carl sagan

Erutepa

  • VIC MVP - 2019
  • Forum Leader
  • ****
  • Posts: 721
  • evenin'
  • Respect: +775
Re: How many exercise books do you use for science subjects?
« Reply #3 on: November 13, 2019, 07:03:53 pm »
+8
Hi! just a year 11 student here and I am starting unit3 headstart in 2 weeks. I was just wondering how many exercise books do you guys use for your subjects? In biology, I had a class notes book, an answer book and a summary book, I was just contemplating on narrowing it down to classnotes and textbook questions being in 1 book but idk how it'll work out :P how do you organize your school stuff? :) I just feel like i'm wasting my books and also energy to carry them lol

also! do you think the summary book is necessary? I feel like it helps me a bit as my classnotes are messy with me trying to keep up with the powerpoint slides so after every lesson I would make new notes... should I spend my time more on checkpoint and practice exams?
I think that first a foremost you should be doing something that works for you. I don't think there's one best way to go about note taking and what not - I think your best option is to do what you feel comfortable doing and what you have found to help you work through content sucsessfully.
That being said, I personally used binders for most of my notes. This is becuase I could take class notes on looseleaf paper and then if neccasary re-write the pages, add information from other sources (i.e. edrolo), or add in summary notes at the end of sections. Having one binder per subject was convenient as it allows you to have all your information/notes in one spot rather than having multiple books (something that I liked, but other may dislike becuase obviously its harder having to carry a bunch of binders than excercise books to school everyday).
Interms of moving onto practice questions - I think you should get fairly comfortable with the content first as I personally didn't gain much from throwing myself straight into the deep end (however, some people may find this a good way to learn). after making class notes, I probably read over them - consolted other sources on anything I didn't understand - untill I belived I had a fair gasp of the subject at hand, at which stage I would dive into some checkpoint quesions. Doing these its important to make sure you go through and mark your responses to really fill out your knowledge and identify what you know well/what you need to revise. Exam style questions like these are really the best revision tools in my opinoin, so its important to invest time in them, I just think its important not to neglect the initial learning of the content and note taking.

In terms of a specific summary book - I didn't make one as such. I did make summary diagrams/sheets on topics that I identified as weak areas from doing questions like checkpoints, but I didn't waste time making them for topics that I understood and could answer questions on confidently.

Hopefully this can give you some insight - but I don't think you should take this by any means as what you need to do. Its very important that you do what you work out as a good study method for you so now would be a great time to try out some new things and sort out a method that you can adopt for next year.
Good luck with unit 3 headstart!
Qualifications
 > Have counted to 227
 > Can draw really good spiders
 > 2 Poet points
 > 6.5 insanipi points
 > 1 Bri MT point

thatdumbstudent

  • Forum Regular
  • **
  • Posts: 83
  • Respect: +8
Re: How many exercise books do you use for science subjects?
« Reply #4 on: November 13, 2019, 07:10:53 pm »
+4
Have you talked to your teacher about being able to access the powerpoint slides? I don't copy down the teachers' slides because the powerpoints that my teachers use are shared with us, so since I already have the powerpoint slides I didn't think it necessary to rewrite everything! If you can access the teacher's powerpoints, many you can ditch the class notes and do the summary book instead!

All the best for U3/4!

I do have access to all slides on compass actually hahaha, the teacher just insisted on us jotting down some important bullet points and she says ‘you’re not gonna be able to remember if you don’t write it down’ so i guess I’ve just been doing what she says because she checks our notes :/  But yes! Was actually thinking on ditching class notes and doing the summary book. Going to see how it all works out, and thank you! :)

caffinatedloz

  • VIC MVP - 2019
  • Part of the furniture
  • *****
  • Posts: 1461
  • Respect: +856
Re: How many exercise books do you use for science subjects?
« Reply #5 on: November 13, 2019, 10:00:46 pm »
0
I have a book with dividers in it. There are five sections and I use them as follows:
1. notes from class/videos
2. prac reports
3. textbook notes
4. textbook questions
5. summaries