Bianca Gill Posted March 16, 2011 Report Share Posted March 16, 2011 Hello chemists and perhaps biologists. Biochemists will probably be able to offer advice on this.I'm currently doing Modern Analytical Chemistry (Option A) and Medicines and Drugs (Option D)The MAIN problem is, i cannot for the life of me grasp Option A. I have tried and tried and i just can't do it. IR spectroscopy/NMR spectroscopy/AA spectroscopy/UV spectroscopy is all too dull and i don't understand it AT ALL. Today i was reading through my textbook and i saw that i knew more on the Human Biochemistry (Option B) (As i also do Biology Higher) than i do Modern Analytical Chemistry! I know that in the REAL exam you can choose which option to do. Should i revise the extra bits and bobs for Human Biochemistry? and take that instead of MAC which i know NOTHING about?I'm asking the IB chemistry Alumni aswell here, you can choose the option you want in the exam can't you? whether you know it or not, right?ThanksBianca Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keel Posted March 16, 2011 Report Share Posted March 16, 2011 Yes you do indeed choose your options in the exams. However, the one thing that my teacher stresses, and I believe most people who do option B will tell you, is that although the topic is titled 'Human Biochemistry' it obviously focuses on the chemistry. Now if you do biology, and you are not officially being taught the topic, a big risk is that you will see a question in the exam and answer the way you would in biology. Obviously your biological knowledge will help you, but there's always the problem of not answering the question the way the examiners want you to. Option A isn't that hard to get if you get your head around it and if your good with organic chemistry. My advice would be to stick with what you are being taught at school, I know it is very tempting to see something that you think you understand and go for it but don't forget the risk. However, if you do understand the risks and really feel that option B is really the right option to take then go for it; but do it properly and seek your teachers advice, they have a right to know of your intentions. Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bianca Gill Posted March 16, 2011 Author Report Share Posted March 16, 2011 Do you reckon looking at past papers would be a good idea? Just to see what they're looking for? I have a real gut feeling that this could work. I cannot grasp MAC at all. honestly.I have a feeling my teacher may protest as he loves MAC and hates biochem. Yet i hate MAC and love biochem. Because the we're the guinea pig year of IB in my college (teachers havent taught IB before) the majority of the stuff my teacher has been teaching me is regurgitated from the textbook. I would really rather spend a short amount of time revising the chemical side of Biochemistry than spending weeks trying to understand MAC.another good point is that my Biochemistry in Biology will be improved. Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keel Posted March 16, 2011 Report Share Posted March 16, 2011 Do you reckon looking at past papers would be a good idea? Just to see what they're looking for? I have a real gut feeling that this could work. I cannot grasp MAC at all. honestly.I have a feeling my teacher may protest as he loves MAC and hates biochem. Yet i hate MAC and love biochem. Because the we're the guinea pig year of IB in my college (teachers havent taught IB before) the majority of the stuff my teacher has been teaching me is regurgitated from the textbook. I would really rather spend a short amount of time revising the chemical side of Biochemistry than spending weeks trying to understand MAC.another good point is that my Biochemistry in Biology will be improved.Yea, before you make a decision looking at past papers, and more importantly, the mark schemes is a must. Try testing yourself at both and see which you score higher in. To be honest, your teacher can protest all he wants but at the end of the day you are the one in that exam hall who will turn to either the Option A or Option B page of the exam booklet; he can't determine which one it is. But as I've said before, you should at least let him know of your intentions and your position; he may even let you skip the class to carry on with Option B. But that's not the point, the point is that he is there to aid you, he has more experience than you do and you should use him to your advantage even if it is limited. Again, try not to mix bio and chem together, at the end of the day, you will sit two different exams who have two different mark schemes and are marked by "experts" in two different fields. Think clearly before you act. 1 Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandwich Posted March 16, 2011 Report Share Posted March 16, 2011 It's actually pretty easy to self-teach the Chem options. Except for Option G *shudder* That was a horrific nightmarish time!Go through it and learn everything in the syllabus then do some past questions. It makes perfect sense to select the options you find easiest, to be honest, I don't think teachers add much to your Chem experience. We self-taught all our options and it's pretty do-able, to be honest.Also Option D is a really good one 1 Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
nehaisabookworm Posted March 22, 2011 Report Share Posted March 22, 2011 I'm going to do the exact same thing except my other option is further organic chem <-talk about shudder but you really need to do a lot of past papers cause the answers really arent the same.. Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bianca Gill Posted April 20, 2011 Author Report Share Posted April 20, 2011 Cool! Glad someone else is in the same boat as me, And as for the past papers, no need to worry. I've got about 10 years worth of chemistry past papers. Let me know how you get on in the future! (that's if you haven't left IBsurvival when you finish! haha Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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