URGENT: IB BIOLOGY preparation for

[TeachersworsethanIB2019]

I hope I get a response that may aid my situation, but please take time for this 5 minute - read and read the whole thing, and please bear with me as I give you some background knowledge over my case, as I need all the help that I could get at this stage.

So over the past 2 years (2018 & 2019) of IB I've dealt with 3 different teachers, obviously with different expertise, who taught me IB Biology higher lever (HL).

Unfortunately the first teacher in my first year (2018) of the dp programme was of very low expertise. The teacher demanded we abide by the notes he compiled, which were incomplete and lacked important information. However, bing we were new to the dp programme and completely trusted our teacher to get us to a level 7 in biology, we followed his demand. Keeping in mind that all throughout the 1st year (2018) we were examined based on these horrible notes with questions that in no way shape or form are close to the ib past papers' questions. Those were the topics he taught us (keeping in mind the lack of detail and incompleted topics):

▪1 (cells)

▪2 (molecular bio)

▪1/2 of 6 (human physiology)

▪1/2 of 7 (DNA)

 

The 2nd year (2019) comes he leaves but another teacher comes also demanding we study from her notes, except they were way better at least. To discover that after two months this teacher also leaves without notice. Those were the topics she taught us:

▪11 (animal physiology)

▪9.1 and 9.2 only, from topic 9 (plant biology).

 

Following that comes another teacher who I'm thankful for her great expertise. The issue was that she was tight in time in terms of having to teach us the following topics:

▪ 3 (genetics)

▪ 4 (ecology)

▪ 5 (evolution)

▪ 6 (human physio) (the rest of it)

▪ 7 (DNA) (the rest of it)

▪ 8 (metabolism / respiration / photosynthesis)

▪ 9 (plant biology) (the rest of it)

▪ 10 (genetics and evolution)

▪ Option (D: nutrition)                           

Where topic 8 (metabolism / respiration / photosynthesis) WAS NEVER COVERED. 

Also, because she was tight in time, she had to finish the following topics during a MONTH only: 2 (parts of it) + 6 + 7 + Option D. Therefore I have only studied from the "Andrew Alott Oxford Biology" course book the following topics: 3 + 10 + 4 + 9 + 11. And the rest of these topics, being: 1 + 5 + 6 + 7 + 8 + Option D I have never studied well from the "Andrew Alott, Oxford Biology" course book yet.

Thus what would you suggest I do for the mocks in 20th of March as well as the externals in may 2019 (biology exam p1 & p1 specifically on 09/05/19? Would i be able to get a 7 in biology HL by only studying from the STUDY GUIDE by "Andrew Alott, Oxford Biology" as well as solving past papers, OR do I have to study from the "Andrew Alott, Oxford Biology" course book to get a 7.        Or should I study what I can from the "Andrew Alott, Oxford Biology" COURSE BOOK for the MOCK EXAM (P1 + P2 + P3) in 20/03/19 regardless of what mark I get, so that by the time the externals come about I wold have studied the entire COURSE BOOK in order to get a 7 in biology HL in the externals (at least, if not in the mocks as well)?

TO BE ABLE TO ANSWER THE QUESTION ABOVE KEEP IN MIND THE FOLLOWING:

● MOCK EXAMS START: 20/03/19

● MOCK EXAMS END: 15/04/19

● DURATION TILL BIOLOGY

EXTERNAL EXAM: 24 days           

*keeping in mind that I have OTHER SUBJECTS prior to the biology exam of which I have to study for the externals. Below are the subjects I take along with each is its external exam date.

My Subjects and their External exam dates:

● BUSINESS (SL)

P1: 03/05/19     /     P2: 06/05/19

● ARABIC (A, SL)

P1: 06/05/19     /     P2: 07/05/19

● BIOLOGY (HL)

P1 + P2: 09/05/19   /   P3: 10 /05/19

● MATH (SL)

P1: 13/05/19     /     P2: 14/05/19

● ENGLISH (B, SL)

P1: 16/05/19     /     P2: 17/05/19

● DT (HL)

P1 + P2: 20/05/19   /   P3: 21/05/19 

 

*Here is the study guide if you want to take a look at it to be able to answer me:

Study Guide by "Andrew Alott, Oxford Biology":  https://drive.google.com/drive/mobile/folders/1Wph6zPTQBP_t_p4wx5aFlezafbHyTE-d/1MJRMpQRykUEQyFdInKvHKLQCZmii12ao/1x8PpP70oN1rIquvjUbtEQvFY610Va_jm?usp=sharing&sort=13&direction=a

Course companion / course book / text boom image: by "Andrew Alott, Oxford Biology": https://www.google.com/search?q=andrew+allott+biology+course+companion&client=ms-android-samsung&source=android-browser&prmd=inv&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiG5qLMjYfhAhWR16QKHQa_DdsQ_AUoAXoECAwQAQ&biw=360&bih=616#imgrc=uROuNYVVoEAzMM

 

An immediate sufficient response would be extremely appreciated to a fellow ib student in GREAT NEED! 

Thank you in advance!

[Sandwich]

To be honest I think the best way to revise Biology is to print out (or otherwise mark off) a copy of the syllabus and then work through the whole thing point by point. I think this is the case for all of the sciences - that way you don't miss a single thing in the syllabus and you can also see exactly what they put emphasis on. You can refer to whichever textbook you like, both of those are good. I think the course companion often has better explanations if you need to refresh yourself on how something works, and the study guide is more concise. You're somewhat tight to revise all of Biology by the 20th of March, but you can definitely go through the syllabus in time for May which is the only thing that really matters!