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Getting a 7 in Chemistry HL


letterslogi

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Hi guys, 

So I'll be giving my exams this May and, I've taken Chemistry HL .Now, the problem i have is that, I haven't been doing well in chemistry.Constanlt getting a 4 or a 5 has really made me doubtful of getting a 7.I have studied all the chapters thoroughly and I've noticed that the problem usually lies in the exam.I tend to get nervous and then blankout.In addition, I alos tend to write anwers that are not according to the marking scheme. If anybody has any tips on how I could bring my marks to a 7 or , maybe even a 6 I would be really grateful.

 

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Hello Letterslogi, it is comforting to hear that you are working hard for your exams in May. I had faced the same problem that you are facing right now. The way that I went about for my Chemistry exam preparations was to thoroughly go through all the chapters (in which you've done so) and then attempt as many practice questions as I could. For sciences, understanding the concepts is important but learning the right way to apply it in a question is also of paramount importance. Also, after finishing every practice paper, go through your work and mark it using the given answer sheet. The real learning process takes place when you identify the missing keywords/links in your answer. Ever since, I had been getting consistent 7 points in every semester (I used to get 5-6 points too). But, this takes time and you should not immediately expect to see your grades directly jump from 5 points to 7 points -- give yourself some time.

1 hour ago, letterslogi said:

...I tend to get nervous and then blankout.

I rarely get nervous for my exams but I could share with you my pre-exam "ritual" if it would help you in the slightest. XD

Usually, I will listen to some music and look through my notes until there are 5-10 minutes left before the exam start. Then, I will not look through my notes to avoid myself getting flustered and panicky which may cause me to blank out. 

Hope this helps! And, all the best with your examinations in May! :D

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  • 1 month later...

Oh my god I have the same problem as you right now! At the beginning of the year I was getting 3s and 4s even though I thought I understood the topics. What I've started to do is writing revision notes (try shortening down all the information in the textbook into a notebook) and then look through it during revision. After this, I would print out a ton of past paper questions and do ALL of them and then correct the questions I got wrong. This process can take a while, but I find myself understanding the questions more and know how to answer them to get me the marks. Now, my grades are increasing (can't wait to get a 7 soon!) so it should work for you. Try not to stress too much, just remember you have it in you!!

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Hi, there. I've been having the same issue in my Group 4 courses (I take Biology too). I was always so frustrated because my friends would get top marks in Chem and Bio and it caused me to compare myself a lot.  I think that the users above have the right idea.There really is a method to IB's madness and it's basically the mark scheme. 

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  • 2 weeks later...

I've barely even completed my first year in iB, so I'll just share what I've realized throughout iGCSE and the (already difficult) first year I've suffered through. 

My grades skyrocketed when I stopped trying to focus too much on making notes and memorising the textbook. All you have to do is solve piles and piles of past papers and adjust your answers according to the markscheme. Of course, notes are important too, but if you're going to place importance on one of those I'd say place much more importance on solving past papers. It helped me tremendously and I'm sure it'll be able to help you too :)

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