How to do well in HL Biology.

[Mahuta ♥ 534]

I keep getting the same question, about how to do well in HL Biology, so thought I should just put it out in a topic.

Remember that this is what I am predicted, not sure what the real one is.

From what I have seen these are the important points.

1) TRY to like it..and find interest in it. It really helps. If you do like Biology then that’s a bonus!

2) NEVER EVER go to a lesson before you are certain you understand the things covered in the previous one. A main factor of doing bad is keeping things to just gather up on you, and before an exam you struggle to unerstand soo many things when you should be doing past papers. Do whatever it takes to understand something, trust me, it may sound like a pain in the ass but its very important, take a word from me. Having said this, it happens sometimes that you understand something only after you learn another, as it completes each other. However, what I mean is, don’t leave the MAIN CONCEPT not understood!

3) Make good notes that you can go back to anytime. I used to rewrite notes if they are bad and unclear. Having clear good complete notes is an important factor.

4) Read over your notes every now and then. It is really nice to find out that you remember the things when you’re doing the revision, it gives you confidence. On the other hand, if you only touch your notes before an exam, you come to revise and you find that you have forgotten many things, it crushed me in other subjects…so don’t want it happening to you.

5) Ask your teacher anything, I used to ware out my teacher with my questions (yeah I know Aboo ), but it all came out good, so yeah. A good teacher wouldn’t mind any of your questions! 

6)You can try reading the topic before you start it, thats is what I used to do.

7) I recommend the OXFORD Study Guide, I found it really useful and very very helpful. So you may want to get that.

AND THE MOST IMPORTANT THING EVER:

8) FOLLOW YOUR SYLABUS POINT BY POINT. You can never go wrong with the syllabus. ANYTHING that’s ever going to be asked in the exam is in the syllabus, except for Data Analysis in the SECTION A of PAPER 2. Know the syllabus point by point, it’s vital and you will do good trust me.

If you have any question about anything in Biology, SL & HL, you can always ask around here and I promise to answer once I see it.

Biology Help thread

For last minute people:

1. Why oh why did you leave yourself till the last minute?
   
2. You have to go through the syllabus even if you have 3 days left. Go through it and at least get a clear idea about them rather than going blank to the exam.
   
3. For Paper 1, I would only revise 'obj 1 and 2' points, 'obj 3' wont really come up a lot.
   
4. For Paper 2, you should still be remembering the 'obj 1 and 2' from Paper 1, so concentrate on 'obj 3' points, they are the 6-8 mark questions you get in some questions in section B.
   
5. Go through past papers even on the night of the exam, it still helps trust me. Some questions are repeated every year (or almost), so you may get lucky and do a question that you'll find in the exam the next day.
   
6. Once again, if you don't understand something, please ask.
   

I may have missed some of the things, so I will put them down when I remember more.

Goodluck to you all!

[Bishup 88]

I was going to ask one thing which do you think recommend the OXFORD revision guide or Heinemann Higher Biology? I heard Heinemann was excellent.

[Vvi 91]

I was going to ask one thing which do you think recommend the OXFORD revision guide or Heinemann Higher Biology? I heard Heinemann was excellent.

I think this one was excellent http://www.amazon.co.uk/IB-Study-Guide-Biology-Diploma/dp/0199151431/ref=pd_sim_b_3/275-6660704-9258515 . Great pictures, and all the examples given in the syllabus could be found there.

[Mahuta ♥ 534]

I have seen other books, I guess it depends on the person and the way they revise. I preferred the oxford study guide. But yeah, you may find other ones useful as well.

[CommeDesEnfants 14]

Personally, I liked this book:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Biology-IB-Diploma-C-Clegg/dp/034092652X/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1245004765&sr=1-3

It's really colourful and detailed with most things, although I'd venture to say that in some areas it goes OVERLY detailed. Nevertheless, I enjoyed reading this for the colour and the explanations. Only other downside I'd have to mention is that it's rather costly (but worth it!), and the Options and Topic 1 (Stats and etc.) are only on the CD that comes with it, so if you're like me and can't stand reading something on a huge pdf. file on the computer, you're going to have to print it, and printing that much stuff in colour will be pretty costly anyway. =/ Oh well.

My Biology HL teacher doesn't really teach us but instead gives us a million readings and online quizzes to do as assignments, as well as other written assignments. Then he gives us a test at the end of each unit, so we're responsible for learning everything, even though he might give one or two "lectures" (or as he calls it, "preaching" or "mumbling") on the basic introductory stuff or super hard HL/Options stuff regarding the unit. I think that it's a pretty efficient way of learning; you really have to get into it and learn everything for yourself, instead of just having somebody blabbing at you for hours on end about it.

[Mahuta ♥ 534]

With me, despite the fact that I love Biology, my biology teacher that had taught me for 4 years was a main factor for me loving it more. I never considered it blabbing because he always made sure we participate and we often discuss and talk about TOK issues, despite that, we got through 90% of the syllabus in the first year with great confidence and understanding.

I personally see it important to have a teacher giving you the lesson first. He never spoon fed us either, he just gave us the lecture and then gave us pop-quizzes the WHOLE time, which is why I got used to studying the whole time.

[sweetnsimple786 422]

When did you officially start revisions? Also, which is harder: recalling information or understanding concepts?

We've covered about 70% of the material, but I feel like I only have an adequate understanding of the material. I can spew facts right and left, but I don't know about big picture stuff.

[Hedron123 25]

I used both the Oxford Study Guide and the Heinemann Higher Level Biology. I found that they were both very good. I have another recommendation apart from all the things that Mahuta said. I prepared my own "study guide" including all the definitions and drawings you have to know. It is very useful for revision since you have them all together and you can read them anytime without having to go to the book. Also, try to take down notes from all the markschemes you get as you will know what the IB wants you to answer for that specific question (especially for Section B of Paper 2 aka Essay-type questions).

G'luck!

P.S I'm willing to help anyone that is having trouble with Biology. Just message me or ask for my MSN! (also for Chemistry SL)

[Sandwich 2,452]

When did you officially start revisions? Also, which is harder: recalling information or understanding concepts?
We've covered about 70% of the material, but I feel like I only have an adequate understanding of the material. I can spew facts right and left, but I don't know about big picture stuff.

Recalling information!
Once you've learnt all the information, I think that the concepts become easy because how it all works slots into place. The major mark scoring goes on for the information though, not the concepts. Ideally you need both, of course.
The only place it's important to know concepts for would be data response. If you don't understand what something's about or why they do it well enough, you won't be able to pick up on the biological thing you'll need to explain the data/experiment you're shown.

That's just my opinion.

For learning concepts (as in.. how whole systems work?) I found writing them out over and over and condensing them into a page was helpful. I had respiration and photosynthesis each on either side of a cereal packet by the end

[Mahuta ♥ 534]

When did you officially start revisions? Also, which is harder: recalling information or understanding concepts?

We've covered about 70% of the material, but I feel like I only have an adequate understanding of the material. I can spew facts right and left, but I don't know about big picture stuff.

I dont have official starting, I always revise bio, I just revise 'more' before exams, that is about a month before exams so that I have time to ask teachers everytime i recall something I dont understand.

You have covered 70% which is good for the first year I guess, if I were you, I would go over the things you covered, and make sure you really understand everything about them and most importantly go over the syllabus and ask about ANY point you are not sure about, even if you understand it a little bit, ask to make sure you understand it fully. You can ask in the thread I linked in the first post. You will be amazed at how important that very small obj.1 point was in the syllabus as it is sometimes as important as a big concept in paper 1! One mark could be a difference between a 6 and a 7, what I am saying is, dont leave any chance of you losing a mark!

You will not regret it . You have a long summer dont waste it.

[Bishup 88]

Just a question. I really do enjoy Biology and all that revolves around it henche why I'm doing it, but I'm dreading the lab reports and the portfolio work or IA whatever you call it? Was it that much of a pain for you guys or did you enjoy it and also are the IAs were much and count much towards your final grade? Share your thoughts please. Thanks in advance.

[Mahuta ♥ 534]

It was a pain for me too!

LOL, I just left everything till the last minute thats why.

[Mahuta ♥ 534]

Ok so I got a 6 in biology, not a 7, which urges me to make a BIG ADVISE CALL!

YOUR PRACTICALS! Although they're only 24% they can bring you down frmo a 7 to a 6 just like it happened to me. So seriously garuntee your 7 not just by studying but by killing yourselves for your practicals.

[Irene 35]

Ok so I got a 6 in biology, not a 7, which urges me to make a BIG ADVISE CALL!

YOUR PRACTICALS! Although they're only 24% they can bring you down frmo a 7 to a 6 just like it happened to me. So seriously garuntee your 7 not just by studying but by killing yourselves for your practicals.

Sometimes, it's not within your control though. I was predicted 48/48 for IAs... yet they were somehow marked down enough to give me a 6 in chemistry?? That, or paper 3, I have no idea.

Moral: study very hard and work very hard

[Mahuta ♥ 534]

Yes but sometimes you can reduce the chance of having your grade pushed down by making sure your practicals are perfect.

[petrichor086 0]

I was just wondering what Higher Lever Biology was like. I took Pre-IB Bio in Freshman year and liked it a lot, so I decided that I would take it as an HL, but I've heard some things and now I'm wondering whether it was a bad choice or if I rushed into it without thinking it through.

[Sandwich 2,452]

It's hard to say exactly what it's like, but IMO its main features include a lot of content learning. Otherwise I'd say it is a reasonably relaxed course. Provided you have the ability to understand it, and the dedication to put into memorising rather a lot of stuff right before the exam, it's probably the easiest of the sciences in terms of application. If you work closely with the syllabus, you'll be fine

Perhaps if you clarified what "some things" are, people could allay or explain your concerns a little bit better. Is there anything in particular you were worried about?

[petrichor086 0]

It's hard to say exactly what it's like, but IMO its main features include a lot of content learning. Otherwise I'd say it is a reasonably relaxed course. Provided you have the ability to understand it, and the dedication to put into memorising rather a lot of stuff right before the exam, it's probably the easiest of the sciences in terms of application. If you work closely with the syllabus, you'll be fine

Perhaps if you clarified what "some things" are, people could allay or explain your concerns a little bit better. Is there anything in particular you were worried about?

I've heard that the class isn't worth taking because it's too hard and there's a lot of work. At my school, apparently there is a really bad teacher that isn't good at getting you through the exams.

[Vvi 91]

Yes but sometimes you can reduce the chance of having your grade pushed down by making sure your practicals are perfect.

Yes but sometimes you can reduce the chance of having your grade pushed down by making sure your practicals are perfect.

Perfect practicals (labs) are near impossible from what I've heard and experienced. Aboo's was moderated down 20 marks or something, and mine was dropped from 43 out of 48 to 26, meaning I got a 4 in my practical instead of a 7. There are no example lab reports from the IB that I've heard of, and I don't even know on what basis they're marked. I included lots of background research in mine, went into detailed evaluation of problems and solutions to them if the experiment was to be repeated, explained why certain results were obtained and other possibile outcomes didn't happen and still ended up with a low mark. Maybe it comes down to luck and how much the examiner likes the kind of experiments you did (not that you can influence those much).

[biochem 51]

Like most kids in the US, I take will take the AP bio test adjacent to my IB exam.

I have several books from IB revision guides, to actual course companions.

I was reviewing today, and I wanted to slap myself, the teacher, and everyone else around me !

The only book that actually got me to understand cellular respiration, to the point of manipulation of information and aiding complete fulfillment of understanding, was "5 steps to a 5". This is an AP review book, but no one does it better than they do.

I also took economics. I would suggest this FOR SURE if you have econ as your class also. Their book is amazing.

I am tired of looking at stupid books and guides, so I am also going out ot get the chemistry one.

the mitochondrial functions were so well done, and the overall process of what is important was covered. However for specifics, youtube videos would do much better with depth. Its a great review, even for IB exams.