Taking up Biology in january of 6th year

DavidMyster

just realised i need biology for my college course so decided to take it up, bought a revision book and papers! anyone got feedback as to wether itl be too hard and if im crazy?!

Stev_o

DavidMyster wrote: »

just realised i need biology for my college course so decided to take it up, bought a revision book and papers! anyone got feedback as to wether itl be too hard and if im crazy?!

Honestly i think your pushing it. Biology out of all the courses has a huge course work to be learned. But it depends on what you need a pass or honor grade in it. Still think its a insane choice

DavidMyster

lol yeah it is insane, i need a hc3. iv my heart set on this course tho, so gonna put it as my no1 and if i fail bio then ****it ill just take my no2!

Patricide

Go for it, its not impossible to do. People i knew did similar things and they got there grades. You put in the effort you get the result.

Dubs

i started biology around the start of November and just finished it today, so if you actually put in a lot of effort you will get it done, but it will affect your study for other subjects

Piste

HC3? Oh dear oh dear...ok it will be not so much hard as tedious. You're going to have to spend all of midterm and easter studying. Biology isn't difficult but there's a lot to learn. You'd seriously want to be doing something EVERY day.

Good luck!

DavidMyster

yeah see i only need 345 points and iv already done unit 1 and 2 chapters out of unit 2 so im fairly on track! thanks for the support:D

spurious

Make sure if you are taking it up yourself that your school has told the SEC that you will be sitting it.

JSK 252

Piste wrote: »

HC3? Oh dear oh dear...ok it will be not so much hard as tedious. You're going to have to spend all of midterm and easter studying. Biology isn't difficult but there's a lot to learn. You'd seriously want to be doing something EVERY day.

Good luck!

HC3 isnt that hard to attain. Certain topics which appear regularly should be your primary concern and then work from that. A bit of work and you will be grand.

laura!

i think the biology paper scares you to look at. it would have a simple question but with 4 lines under it for an answer. i thought you would be expected to write that much but your not. answers in biology are really short. just be concise and you can do it!
e.g. if it says to comment on a statement, start off my saying this statement is either true or false and then explain why you think so. they have to give you a mark for simply stating if its true or false. easy marks!

Jello

Make sure you really focus on units 1 and 2 as they make up something like 60% of the paper.

cautioner

Jello wrote: »

Make sure you really focus on units 1 and 2 as they make up something like 60% of the paper.

AWHAAAAA?
Fer serious? Why am I wasting my sweet time on stupid Rhizopus :mad:

skywayavenue

Good luck! I'll be lucky to get a HC3 and i've been doing it since 5th year!

Fad

Ehhhhhh, you have to do the experiments...............they're kinda mandatory

SarcasticFairy

Fad wrote: »

Ehhhhhh, you have to do the experiments...............they're kinda mandatory

Technically, but no one really checks at LC? Do they?

So long as you've learnt them (which is sort of harder to do if you haven't done them, but not impossible) and can answer the questions, I think you'll be fine. But check, because I'm not sure. Our Biology teacher has said that no one checks, but he says a lot of things :rolleyes:

Taking up biology now? I don't envy you! But I reckon it's very doable if you are really prepared to work at it. It's long, but not necessarily hard. As someone else has said, focus on the stuff that comes up most years, Photosynthesis, Respiration, Genetics, Ecology, etc, and then just keep practicing exam questions! Good luck!

p1akuw47h5r3it

I did the same thing with HL french... If you put the work in I'm sure you'll be fine

bythewoods

SarcasticFairy wrote: »

Technically, but no one really checks at LC? Do they?

Well, when i was in 5th year an examiner came to the school. Checked all of our lab copies and stuff to make sure we were actually doing and writing up experiments...

SarcasticFairy

bythewoods wrote: »

Well, when i was in 5th year an examiner came to the school. Checked all of our lab copies and stuff to make sure we were actually doing and writing up experiments...

That happened to me in JC, but it's very rare, apparently We had a maths inspection this year, but they hadn't looked in about 400 years

Besides, if he's doing it at home, he could write up the exp's (which would help learn them) and if such an occasion should arise that an inspector comes in, they can't prove he never did them, maybe. I don't know... You would really need to check it out with the Bio teacher in your school, who'd know when the last inspection was and whatnot!

Fad

SarcasticFairy wrote: »

Besides, if he's doing it at home, he could write up the exp's (which would help learn them) and if such an occasion should arise that an inspector comes in, they can't prove he never did them, maybe. I don't know... You would really need to check it out with the Bio teacher in your school, who'd know when the last inspection was and whatnot!

A teacher needs to sign off saying you did them (AFAIK)

SarcasticFairy

Fad wrote: »

A teacher needs to sign off saying you did them (AFAIK)

Oh yeah, I think you're right actually!

DavidMyster

my teacher hasnt signed anything to do with my chemistry or physics exp copies??

Fad

DavidMyster wrote: »

my teacher hasnt signed anything to do with my chemistry or physics exp copies??

If you get inspected, he/she will have to sign off and say you actually did them, but as you dont have a he/she there'll be no proof that you did em.

tootyflutty

Honestly I think your a bit insane! Your going to be spending so much time, trying to do even moderatly well in biology that your going to push down your standar in other subjects. It's a subjects that's hard to get an A in and without a teacher you'd be lucky to do well.
It's just my opinion, but good luck if your gonna!

Calum196

Two words : bad idea... it will pull the rest of your subjects down.

But if you are determined to follow through with this maddness then heres a tip....

Unit 1 + unit 2 make up roughly 80% of the paper each year.... Unit 1 has two main sections food and ecology.... Unit 2 has most of the more complicated systems and processes.... Unit 3 has the most chapters but like i said only makes up 20% of the paper. (its mainly just there for students pushing for the A1)

So main point is to focus on unit 1 and 2... I still think you are nuts though.

torregolf

My daughter got 28 in mocks so I took on to teach her biology - with no knowledge at all of the subject - she got b2 in leaving. Make a plan that will allow you to cover the Revision book between now and march 17. Make another plan to cover it twice before June (much easier 2nd time round) - take last 5 yrs exam papers and match all the questions to the chapters - so chapters planned include questions on those chapters also. Get DVD of experiments and cover those twice before June. It def can be done - if you like maths, genetics is easy - photosynthesis and respiration def also. good luck - you can do it but you must make the plan. Concentrate on Revision book, cause they mostly short questions and its facts thats needed not essays.

Jack Sheehan

Totally, totally doable. Tedious, yes. Theres quite a bit to cover, but very little to understand. Do it if it's the course you really want. If you are good at science subjects a HC3 should be well within your grasp.

Good luck.

Calum196

I honestly dont think that its realistic... Without a teacher, so little time and with no practical application of the experiments.

But once again if you are determined I would say on Unit 3 the most likely tops for this year would be the heart and blood, the senses and sexual reproduction in flowering plants.

Piste

I think biology is one of those subjects that really doesn't need a teacher. I took it up in APril of 5th year so had half a year to catch up on and managed it with just my book.