Vvi Posted March 4, 2009 Report Share Posted March 4, 2009 (edited) 2 months before exams and I only thought of ordering revision guides today. Late, but still. Before I actually order any, I have some questions.How long does it take for the revision guides to be delivered by post? An answer from someone who's ordered them to a country outside Europe would probably be what I'm looking for. I live in the Middle East, and it take about 2 weeks for post to reach me from England. Is it the same? Do they send it by regular mail or can it be sent express? Also, is it worth buying the Chemistry, Biology and French guides? I checked the price with postage for 2 of those, and it would be 58 British pounds/60 Euros. I don't want to ask my parents to buy them and then realize that they're not that useful. I'm also considering the History guides on Rise and Fall of Single Party States and the Cold War; any experiences?Finally, is the syllabus for 2010 students changing in subjects like Biology? My sister could keep the guides to use next year, but I don't want them to be out of date and only useful for me.And my friend told me she had to call the number to order; it is possible to order online through a form right? Edited March 4, 2009 by Vvi Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Abu Posted March 4, 2009 Report Share Posted March 4, 2009 The syllabus for Biology would remain the same since it has just changed for examinations starting in 2009. Same is the case for Chemistry. Language B syllabi would probably change in 2011/2012. Never ordered them, but I had the Business one which was unremarkable, had a few grammar / spelling errors and was average. But it had everything one would need to revise for the actual exam, which is what one would expect of a study guide anyway? Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vvi Posted March 4, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 4, 2009 I have an old Biology revision guide from 2001; obviously out of date but I know by now which topics are HL and I skip them when I revise for tests. I use that together with the Oxford Biology Course Companion for IB (2007), which is decent but is missing some information that they seem to expect you to find out with your own investigations (i.e. What purposes do the round and oval window serve in the ear?), and they don't provide any answers for those kind of questions. Did anyone find the biology revision guide 'amazing', or just 'average'? Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Asterix Posted March 5, 2009 Report Share Posted March 5, 2009 Bought Biology HL & Chemistry SL OSC revision guides about 2 weeks ago.Were quite costly, to be expected i guess. The delivery by itself cost the same as the chemistry booklet.. but i guess its a hassle to deliver to Australia.Got the books in less than a week.. Am extremely safisfied with the Biology HL book... Its massive... covers everything... great learning/study tips and diagrams + worksheets.Chemistry... not too happy... I guess it summarizes all the concepts.. But its around a third of the size of Biology... and is really quite dull.. I don't have the maths one, but ive heard its pretty much the same... summary of formulas etc with occational questions.The biology revision guide is really extensive.. for a revision guide... it could almost pass as a course companion, and most certainly ****s on the tiger covered book.... Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chokophilia Posted March 14, 2009 Report Share Posted March 14, 2009 I live in Australia and it took less than 2 weeks for them to deliver the guides, I was very surprised at how fast it took to deliver themI bought the Chemistry HL one and I guess it was good, it summarises everything into very concise notesI ordered the guides online (u should be able to buy them online, its really easy)and from memory, it was sent to me through express mail which was very efficient Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ashika Posted March 14, 2009 Report Share Posted March 14, 2009 Mine took 5 business days and I loooooove them and still use them.I ordered them through Chapters.I think I spent $100 Canadian for the Bio and Chem books Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandwich Posted March 14, 2009 Report Share Posted March 14, 2009 I have to say, I bought every single revision guide from them at the start of last year and I've found them quite unremarkable. I still learn from my textbook, and haven't used them at all, except for briefly at the start. They seem to me to defeat the object of a revision guide! They don't condense the information at all, rather they expand it, but they expand it in a revision guide format-- lots of diagrams, flow charts etc. because they think that helps you learn. At the end of the day, their version of doing it has, to me, seemed more complicated and actually less informative than just reading it in an original, shorter and more descriptive format from the textbook.They're also ringbinders and keep falling apart/becoming crushed quite easily. For the expense, I don't think they were worth it. Maybe borrow one from a library, if your school has them, and try it out before committing? Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
moneyfaery Posted March 14, 2009 Report Share Posted March 14, 2009 The biology revision guide is really extensive.. for a revision guide... it could almost pass as a course companion, and most certainly ****s on the tiger covered book....That "tiger covered book" is quite **** and I wouldn't recommend anyone waste money on it (a year too late for me). The Study Guide, on the other hand, is wonderful. Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandwich Posted March 14, 2009 Report Share Posted March 14, 2009 That "tiger covered book" is quite **** and I wouldn't recommend anyone waste money on it (a year too late for me). The Study Guide, on the other hand, is wonderful. Entirely depends on how you learn, I guess. My tiger book and I are inseparable when it comes to revision. Unlike the revision guides, the tiger book actually covers everything, explains it very well and in words, rather than in bullet points which cause you to come unstuck when you have to work something out for yourself from base principles :[< 3 Tiger Book. Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vvi Posted March 14, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 14, 2009 I love my tiger book too. Although it doesn't cover the neurobiology option well (at least not the effects of psychoactive drugs). I use an IB revision guide from 2001 to cover that area instead. I passed last years exams by reading through the book on the bus on the morning of the exam. Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandwich Posted March 14, 2009 Report Share Posted March 14, 2009 I love my tiger book too. Although it doesn't cover the neurobiology option well (at least not the effects of psychoactive drugs). I use an IB revision guide from 2001 to cover that area instead. I passed last years exams by reading through the book on the bus on the morning of the exam.Have you got the other one those Allott & Allott people did? It's not the tiger book but a green covered course companion/study guide thing. It both condenses the Tiger book for re-learning things (handy for bus revision, if I do say so myself) and also follows the syllabus to the letter. Anything missing, indistinct or inaccurate in the Tiger book is in that green thing. Learn from the Tiger, revise from the green one! Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
moneyfaery Posted March 14, 2009 Report Share Posted March 14, 2009 Have you got the other one those Allott & Allott people did? It's not the tiger book but a green covered course companion/study guide thing. It both condenses the Tiger book for re-learning things (handy for bus revision, if I do say so myself) and also follows the syllabus to the letter. Anything missing, indistinct or inaccurate in the Tiger book is in that green thing. Learn from the Tiger, revise from the green one!I learned from the Green Leafy book and did fine, haha. Tbf, it was SL; HL is tougher. Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bohemian03 Posted May 11, 2009 Report Share Posted May 11, 2009 Chemistry... hmm well if it really is for revision purposes, I think so yes because it reminds you to study certain things like the calculations. French, I will be ordering really soon so I will keep you updated on it. Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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