Transition into new syllabus: How to get good grades in the new syllabus

[Jenine]

Hello,

I had to defer a year because of an accident, and so could not take the IB Sciences exams last year.
I now have to transition into the new syllabus from the old syllabus, except that I am having great, and I mean GREAT difficulties in doing so.

My two science subjects are: Biology HL and Chemistry HL.

I was always a 5 student in HL Biology, and I was always bad at HL Chemistry.

I have no remorse over chemistry, as I have been failing it before the accident. But I do have remorse for biology, because I was always a 5 student and now I have hit rock bottom and is only getting 3s.

This is horrible for me! After the accident, because I had a head injury, I have a lot of cognitive problems and learning problems, which is why I deferred a year.

But that was a horrible decision. I should have taken the Group 4 exams last year, and should have left the psychology/maths this year. But, what's done is done, so I just want to get some advice on how to transition well into the new syllabus and what has changed. So far I am very confused and frustrated of the new syllabuses, especially biology.

Tomorrow is the semester exam for Biology and I am on the verge of crying, because I just couldn't get any information in my head over the last term!

I know that part of this was my problem, but the problem with that is that I don't know how to solve it. Before the accident, I didn't really have to study for Biology - I just got it and got 5s.

So I think I never learnt how to 'study'. And so I am seeking advice from the past and current IB students. Please, of those who know the changes and how to get decent marks on Biology, please, please, please help me. Getting lots of advice would be good for me, in the long run... I have to go through this on my own at the moment, and this is extremely hard.

Any advice in transitioning from old to new syllabus, how to study for biology, how to get good marks in biology will be deeply thanked.

[NiCKEL]

Pick up a Pearson or Oxford book for 2016 exam (published in 2014). I assume you're still in classes by the sounds of it; have your teacher point out what is NEW in the curriculum. All the teachers at my school are consistently telling us when "this was added to the curriculum, so there's a high chance this will be tested" whenever it applies. Ask them to do that for you, and if not, use this:

Chemistry Course Changes: http://www.jon.hk/2014/05/ib-chem-2016-topic/

None for biology, sorry

By this point I guess the best way to study is to do the slightly boring but efficient "study exactly what the test is" kind of studying. This will be in a book that you buy but if you don't buy:

Biology: https://ibpublishing.ibo.org/server2/rest/app/tsm.xql?doc=d_4_biolo_gui_1402_1_e&part=3&chapter=1

Chemistry: https://ibpublishing.ibo.org/server2/rest/app/tsm.xql?doc=d_4_chemi_gui_1402_1_e&part=3&chapter=1

If you can do everything it says, you should be decently prepared for the exam.

As for study technique, use Spaced Repetition for things that require rote memory: write something down on a flashcard or use SR software. On 6-hour, 24-hour, 3-day, 7-day intervals (or longer if u need it), try drawing/writing/whatever the item is on a piece of paper and check with your card. I do this for molecules and formulas and they STAY in my memory.

For difficult concepts, try creating 3, or at least 2 sets of notes. First level should be like you copying what the teacher says, or extracting from the book. Just put everything in your own words, but add as many side notes, annotation, etc. as you need to understand it. Look back on it in a few days and hopefully you haven't completely forgotten it. If you missed a few parts, whatever. Make 'level two' notes now. Take away the arrows, annotations, and clutter and write in sentences or bullets. No notes to self or excessive colour/highlighting. If you can, make level three. Use very few sentences, and take out any diagrams that aren't absolutely necessary. These should be single sentence prompts that upon reading, you can recall and quickly explain what it's referring to. If not, see level 2. If you're stumped, look for it in level 1. 

 

BIOLOGY: physiology

Center your notes around an organ or tissue or region. The books sometimes have info on say, the liver at the beginning, middle, and end of a chapter. Don't write your notes chronologically and have to hunt down your liver notes later. Read the ENTIRE chapter, and then plan out your notes, then go.

BIOLOGY: Immunity and a few other chapters

In certain chapters the book uses extremely ambiguous language. Immunity in particular, but there are parts of other chapters too. For that, take a quick crash course and learn BEYOND the curriculum; I think it's worth knowing B cells & T cells in detail to make sense of the text (unless that was in old curriculum and they took it out...)

CHEMISTRY: calculations

After finally solving a calculation based question you struggled with, make a copy of every single step, even the steps that you think "oh pfft I know this for next time", and keep it for reference. Next time you're stuck with a similar question see the notes instead of asking someone.

 

 

Hopefully this was not too late...10 days later

Edited March 31, 2016 by NiCKEL

[Jenine]

On ‎31‎/‎03‎/‎2016 at 1:59 PM, NiCKEL said:

Pick up a Pearson or Oxford book for 2016 exam (published in 2014). I assume you're still in classes by the sounds of it; have your teacher point out what is NEW in the curriculum. All the teachers at my school are consistently telling us when "this was added to the curriculum, so there's a high chance this will be tested" whenever it applies. Ask them to do that for you, and if not, use this:

Chemistry Course Changes: http://www.jon.hk/2014/05/ib-chem-2016-topic/

None for biology, sorry

By this point I guess the best way to study is to do the slightly boring but efficient "study exactly what the test is" kind of studying. This will be in a book that you buy but if you don't buy:

Biology: https://ibpublishing.ibo.org/server2/rest/app/tsm.xql?doc=d_4_biolo_gui_1402_1_e&part=3&chapter=1

Chemistry: https://ibpublishing.ibo.org/server2/rest/app/tsm.xql?doc=d_4_chemi_gui_1402_1_e&part=3&chapter=1

If you can do everything it says, you should be decently prepared for the exam.

As for study technique, use Spaced Repetition for things that require rote memory: write something down on a flashcard or use SR software. On 6-hour, 24-hour, 3-day, 7-day intervals (or longer if u need it), try drawing/writing/whatever the item is on a piece of paper and check with your card. I do this for molecules and formulas and they STAY in my memory.

For difficult concepts, try creating 3, or at least 2 sets of notes. First level should be like you copying what the teacher says, or extracting from the book. Just put everything in your own words, but add as many side notes, annotation, etc. as you need to understand it. Look back on it in a few days and hopefully you haven't completely forgotten it. If you missed a few parts, whatever. Make 'level two' notes now. Take away the arrows, annotations, and clutter and write in sentences or bullets. No notes to self or excessive colour/highlighting. If you can, make level three. Use very few sentences, and take out any diagrams that aren't absolutely necessary. These should be single sentence prompts that upon reading, you can recall and quickly explain what it's referring to. If not, see level 2. If you're stumped, look for it in level 1. 

 

BIOLOGY: physiology

Center your notes around an organ or tissue or region. The books sometimes have info on say, the liver at the beginning, middle, and end of a chapter. Don't write your notes chronologically and have to hunt down your liver notes later. Read the ENTIRE chapter, and then plan out your notes, then go.

BIOLOGY: Immunity and a few other chapters

In certain chapters the book uses extremely ambiguous language. Immunity in particular, but there are parts of other chapters too. For that, take a quick crash course and learn BEYOND the curriculum; I think it's worth knowing B cells & T cells in detail to make sense of the text (unless that was in old curriculum and they took it out...)

CHEMISTRY: calculations

After finally solving a calculation based question you struggled with, make a copy of every single step, even the steps that you think "oh pfft I know this for next time", and keep it for reference. Next time you're stuck with a similar question see the notes instead of asking someone.

 

 

Hopefully this was not too late...10 days later

Thank you :)))

[Yugalarex]

On 20/3/2016 at 8:57 PM, Jenine said:

Hello,

I had to defer a year because of an accident, and so could not take the IB Sciences exams last year.
I now have to transition into the new syllabus from the old syllabus, except that I am having great, and I mean GREAT difficulties in doing so.

My two science subjects are: Biology HL and Chemistry HL.

I was always a 5 student in HL Biology, and I was always bad at HL Chemistry.

I have no remorse over chemistry, as I have been failing it before the accident. But I do have remorse for biology, because I was always a 5 student and now I have hit rock bottom and is only getting 3s.

This is horrible for me! After the accident, because I had a head injury, I have a lot of cognitive problems and learning problems, which is why I deferred a year.

But that was a horrible decision. I should have taken the Group 4 exams last year, and should have left the psychology/maths this year. But, what's done is done, so I just want to get some advice on how to transition well into the new syllabus and what has changed. So far I am very confused and frustrated of the new syllabuses, especially biology.

Tomorrow is the semester exam for Biology and I am on the verge of crying, because I just couldn't get any information in my head over the last term!

I know that part of this was my problem, but the problem with that is that I don't know how to solve it. Before the accident, I didn't really have to study for Biology - I just got it and got 5s.

So I think I never learnt how to 'study'. And so I am seeking advice from the past and current IB students. Please, of those who know the changes and how to get decent marks on Biology, please, please, please help me. Getting lots of advice would be good for me, in the long run... I have to go through this on my own at the moment, and this is extremely hard.

Any advice in transitioning from old to new syllabus, how to study for biology, how to get good marks in biology will be deeply thanked.

http://ib.bioninja.com.au/