7 replies to this topic

[BJD]

Hi guys,
Can you guys share ideas of how you remember your Biology notes or what books or websites you recommend to revise Biology, it such a good lesson! But there's things within the Chemistry of Life section or another topic where it talks about pentose sugars,hyrdolysis, amino acids and R-groups and drawing monomers and just generals along those lines and I'm curious as to how you remember it and what books/websites do you recommend?

Thank you

[jimbers]

When you study for biology, always have a copy of the syllabus with you, with all the assessment statements that you need to cover, and cross each assessment statement off as you memorize it.
Search for 'IB Biology Guide' online to get the syllabus issued by IB.

For each unit, go through the syllabus and answer each assessment statement. Write them out, draw the diagrams, act it out with your hands whatever it asks, do it (in this case, it helps to know the IB Command Terms, so you are able to perform exactly what they ask). One thing that's useful is that if you make good review notes for each unit covering every assessment statement for each unit, hold on to them. By the time the IB Bio exams come around next year for you, you'll have all the notes/resources that you need to be successful on the exam.

Once you're done answering, the next step is memorizing. People memorize in different ways, but I go by reading my note, closing my eyes, and trying to replicate the answer, in my own words if necessary, and hitting all the important points. Repeat until you're able to answer the assessment statement without looking at your note. Do this for all of the assessment statements in a unit. You need to get to the point where anyone could pick an assessment statement for the unit, and you'd be able to answer it without a hitch. It's tough, but doable (trust me .

For resources, get your hands on "Biology for the IB Diploma" by Andrew Allott from the IB Study Guides series. It's published by Oxford, and it's got a green cover with yellow writing for the title.
It covers nearly every single assessment statement from every unit that you need to know.
There are some small areas where it doesn't cover an assessment statement very well; for these, you can always look the answer up online.
Also, the IB Biology Guide has fine print for most assessment statements that often gives the answer that you need. Make sure to look at the fine print for each assessment statement for potential answers.

A lot of people recommend click4biology online as a resource. I personally don't use it, but you could give it a shot

If you're trying to memorize chemistry of life, try to understand things instead of just straight memorizing random names and words. I know it sounds impossible to memorize chemistry, but it works. For example, condensation means taking a unit of water out, and hydrolysis means putting a water back in. Condensation involves joining molecules together to join big ones, and hydrolysis splits molecules apart (lysis means 'to split something'). The name of a chemical also gives clues to what it is/does. For example, anything ending in -ose is a sugar, in -ase is an enzyme. A TRIglyceride involves a glycerol and THREE fatty acids.
For chemical diagrams, you just need to keep drawing them out.

Good luck!

Edited by jimbers, May 17, 2012 - 23:52.

[BJD]

When you study for biology, always have a copy of the syllabus with you, with all the assessment statements that you need to cover, and cross each assessment statement off as you memorize it.
Search for 'IB Biology Guide' online to get the syllabus issued by IB.

For each unit, go through the syllabus and answer each assessment statement. Write them out, draw the diagrams, act it out with your hands whatever it asks, do it (in this case, it helps to know the IB Command Terms, so you are able to perform exactly what they ask). One thing that's useful is that if you make good review notes for each unit covering every assessment statement for each unit, hold on to them. By the time the IB Bio exams come around next year for you, you'll have all the notes/resources that you need to be successful on the exam.

Once you're done answering, the next step is memorizing. People memorize in different ways, but I go by reading my note, closing my eyes, and trying to replicate the answer, in my own words if necessary, and hitting all the important points. Repeat until you're able to answer the assessment statement without looking at your note. Do this for all of the assessment statements in a unit. You need to get to the point where anyone could pick an assessment statement for the unit, and you'd be able to answer it without a hitch. It's tough, but doable (trust me .

For resources, get your hands on "Biology for the IB Diploma" by Andrew Allott from the IB Study Guides series. It's published by Oxford, and it's got a green cover with yellow writing for the title.
It covers nearly every single assessment statement from every unit that you need to know.
There are some small areas where it doesn't cover an assessment statement very well; for these, you can always look the answer up online.
Also, the IB Biology Guide has fine print for most assessment statements that often gives the answer that you need. Make sure to look at the fine print for each assessment statement for potential answers.

A lot of people recommend click4biology online as a resource. I personally don't use it, but you could give it a shot

If you're trying to memorize chemistry of life, try to understand things instead of just straight memorizing random names and words. I know it sounds impossible to memorize chemistry, but it works. For example, condensation means taking a unit of water out, and hydrolysis means putting a water back in. Condensation involves joining molecules together to join big ones, and hydrolysis splits molecules apart (lysis means 'to split something'). The name of a chemical also gives clues to what it is/does. For example, anything ending in -ose is a sugar, in -ase is an enzyme. A TRIglyceride involves a glycerol and THREE fatty acids.
For chemical diagrams, you just need to keep drawing them out.

Good luck!

Thank you very much, that has truly helped me! Your main point about assessment criteria and being able to pick one of the assessment criteria and answering it without a hitch is really important to me, I think that will really help me, however when we do exam practices, I feel like like they do not ask questions that are linked with the assessment criteria - particularly with the data analysis questions where we analyse the graph and it usually leads off-topic for me and I don't feel confident when answering them.

I will definitely try the understanding chemistry of life, I used to just try and memorise it and hope I can deliver, occasionally it can work however it is unreliable.

I will purchase the Biology for the IB Diploma very soon as I want to get revising as soon as possible! Once again thank you

Good luck in your studies!!

[FaridaM]

Most important thing to do is to study what you take on the same day or the day after to remember them and so they can stick in your head. Also summarized and to the point notes and index cards will help you to remember terminology and diagrams really well.

[Babydolleyes]

I think the key is to revise terms and concepts and little bits of information every now and then, ideally discussing it briefly with someone who knows what you are talking about and has the ability to contribute (I regularly do this in the car with my boyfriend) it's really helpful and I feel that it reinforces the knowledge you have learned during long-hour study sessions. Reinforcement is the key to success!

[Eastcoast93]

be able to explain every single syllabus statement in the appropriate amount of detail (check the weighting of the item)- if you do that you win!

i revised for at least 100 hours before the exam going through the syllabus statements over and over again- all with a friend (get someone you can learn with, it will make revising so much more fun)- got my results last week and i received a 7 in Bio HL

[BJD]

be able to explain every single syllabus statement in the appropriate amount of detail (check the weighting of the item)- if you do that you win!

i revised for at least 100 hours before the exam going through the syllabus statements over and over again- all with a friend (get someone you can learn with, it will make revising so much more fun)- got my results last week and i received a 7 in Bio HL

Congratulations, it seems your hard work has paid off! I will ensure that this summer I will revise my metaphorical socks off in Biology and other subjects I am not strong in. Thank you very much for your advice!

[Eastcoast93]

be able to explain every single syllabus statement in the appropriate amount of detail (check the weighting of the item)- if you do that you win!

i revised for at least 100 hours before the exam going through the syllabus statements over and over again- all with a friend (get someone you can learn with, it will make revising so much more fun)- got my results last week and i received a 7 in Bio HL

Congratulations, it seems your hard work has paid off! I will ensure that this summer I will revise my metaphorical socks off in Biology and other subjects I am not strong in. Thank you very much for your advice!

If you need any help or futher advice (i wasn't very detailed in the post above) write me a pm and i'll be glad to help/advise/suggest...