** 2013 Biology HL Before/After **

outnumbered

Confident about this one!
Lets hope it's one of the nice papers and that there isn't too much plant stuff!! :P

Thataone

Have been freaking out over biology b/c getting a decent grade in it is part of my conditional offer but actually did a run through of a whole paper the other night, think it might be ok.
Just hoping they leave enough options to avoid plants and microbiology.

NellyDean

Would I be setting myself up for bother if I ignore the carbon and nitrogen cycles? Can't get my head around them.

Also would rather leave out the whole thing about sieve plates and stuff in phloem..

outnumbered

NellyDean wrote: »

Would I be setting myself up for bother if I ignore the carbon and nitrogen cycles? Can't get my head around them.

Also would rather leave out the whole thing about sieve plates and stuff in phloem..

Rather than learning them off, understand them. Just look at each thing and use your common sense as to how it would get into the air.
If you are on about experiments (which I have yet to learn) you best do them all for a guaranteed 20%!!!

Parawhore.xD

I'm actually quite looking forward to this I love biology

I was doing a practice paper the other day, 2008 and I swear it's the most beautiful paper I've ever done I'd love if we got something like that. There was like zero plant bio and the genetics question had a normal cross and linkage cross. Glorious stuff! :P

*Disclamer: I'm a bio nerd

Sporty_Kate

I'm screwed for Biology, just cannot get my head around anything, and need an honour in it!

aimzLc2

NellyDean wrote: »

Would I be setting myself up for bother if I ignore the carbon and nitrogen cycles? Can't get my head around them.

Also would rather leave out the whole thing about sieve plates and stuff in phloem..

Honestly if you are doing the ecology question i really think you should do the two cycles they haven't come up that often they could appear if you or a friend have revise wise for biology they are done out nicely in that.

aimzLc2

I see a good few people don't like plants? i really wouldn't leave them out! they could give 2 plant short questions meaning you would have to do at least 1 and then they could do 1-2 long plant questions or mixed into a long question , if you know plants well it would be really handy!

Vito Corleone

Great thing about this exam is that timing shouldn't be an issue. Takes a bit of pressure off.

Dropping No Eaves

Am I the only one who thinks that plants are relatively easy? Ridiculously boring, but simple enough.

RML

My dream subject for an A1

Monsieur Folie

Juggling Maths P2 and Biology this weekend- hoping for a nice paper and it should be an A1 in the bag!

garbanzo9

Dreading this exam, my teacher hasn't finished the course

AndreaEgan

Biology predictions/guaranteed questions anyone? Really really stuck for this exam

yournerd

How do people study it?

peekachoo

One of the exams I have been looking forward to I hope it's as nice a paper as the ones we've gotten so far

11Charlie11

I hope it's a nice paper by far my favourite subject!

andrew369

I put this up somewhere in another post but they are great help for some of the sections on the course. Doesn't have everything on the course since the maker is American but most of it is in there.

http://www.youtube.com/course?list=EC3EED4C1D684D3ADF

internet_user

anyone have either of the mock papers they could post up? :P

whateverusay

Can't wait to see the biology paper, it will b so relaxing after losing my A1 in maths today which puts some amount of stresson me to get590 points. If only they could all be like biology.....

Love love love Biology, it is my 2nd favourite behind Chemistry.
I got an A2 in the mocks but we didn't have Carbon or Nitrogen cycle covered (both came up as the ecology part c)
My teacher has just been calling me "The A1" the past few weeks more so than my name... No pressure then! :P

sganyfx

AndreaEgan wrote: »

Biology predictions/guaranteed questions anyone? Really really stuck for this exam

Respiration, Genetics/DNA, Ecology, Photosynthesis, experiments, enzymes, and the cell.

outnumbered

Ohhhh I am wrecked!
Now I am off to study my beloved Biology! This should be one of my A1 subjects... If not shall be devastated!
As I'm sure all of you are aware there are sometimes really nice papers and sometimes really/Moderately tougher papers. The SEC haven't been so bad just yet... Hopefully this trends continues! :P

NellyDean

haha the amount of people looking for the A1.. :P

The curve will never allow me to get it now..

outnumbered

NellyDean wrote: »

haha the amount of people looking for the A1.. :P

The curve will never allow me to get it now..

well what do you generally get? I usually, actually always get A's but I just hope I do this time!
:pac::pac::pac::pac::pac::pac::pac::pac::pac: A1 A1 A1 A1 A1
^ not enough A's for all the pacmans!

ray2012

I'd be fairly good at biology, getting B's .. Would love if we got a good paper, and I got a B1 or I would die for an A2! :P
I'm hoping it's just a full photosynthesis question, they're easier IMO.

I'll be answering the genetics and ecology questions also. The part of genetics that often screws me over (and more than likely will come up this year) are those sex-linked crosses ... I don't mind the normal crosses, but I can't understand the sex-linked ones

NellyDean

outnumbered wrote: »

well what do you generally get? I usually, actually always get A's but I just hope I do this time!
:pac::pac::pac::pac::pac::pac::pac::pac::pac: A1 A1 A1 A1 A1
^ not enough A's for all the pacmans!

Used to get always As til this year, I think it's the plants

My teacher predicted me an A1 though, and reckons I'll get it

Got a B2 in the mock but barely studied , still don't expect the A to be honest. Such a broad course.

Jackobyte

Have always counted this as one of my A1 subjects. However, I haven't touched it since the pres in which I just scrapped the 90%. Still have to learn human reproduction and much of the plants section before the exam. It's a pity it shares a day with Irish Paper 2 which requires loads of learning. If it was a lone exam day, I'd feel much more confident about it.

Jade.

I used get E's :pac: This is what you are all in competition with Watch out :P

outnumbered

NellyDean wrote: »

Used to get always As til this year, I think it's the plants

My teacher predicted me an A1 though, and reckons I'll get it

Got a B2 in the mock but barely studied , still don't expect the A to be honest. Such a broad course.

well don't give up! fight for every last mark!!!!

outnumbered

Jade. wrote: »

I used get E's :pac: This is what you are all in competition with Watch out :P

Well to be honest, you're just not working so! It doesn't require much understanding at all, certainly not to pass! Sure if you learned your definitions you would pass!! Just go study it right now! (and sorry, i'm not being mean it's just I hate to see someone fail such a doable subject.........

CookieMonster.x

I was counting on biology for an A1 but I don't think I'll get it now. I got 84% in the mocks which was totally unexpected! Thought I got a C because I had literally done no study and had to guess a good few questions! The marking scheme is so weird though having to have the exact wording to get the marks. Sometimes you only need 1 or 2 words but other times you need more
I really hope it's not too hard!

Vito Corleone

Really want (need) and A, I just hope it's a nice paper. One thing I'm curious about is how they adjust the marking scheme to fit the bell curve. How would they do that? The answer's either right or wrong.

woopah92

My best chance at getting an A1. Hopefully I can repeat my mock result, and at least this time I've studied more than the night before :P

Jade.

outnumbered wrote: »

Well to be honest, you're just not working so! It doesn't require much understanding at all, certainly not to pass! Sure if you learned your definitions you would pass!! Just go study it right now! (and sorry, i'm not being mean it's just I hate to see someone fail such a doable subject.........

I'll never ever understand how anyone can call it a doable subject! :pac: But to be fair we have an awful teacher! I've studied so much for this subject the last few weeks and neglected the rest of them due to it and if I don't get at least a D1, I seriously worry for my brain! :P

aimzLc2

Its crazy how so many people in this thread are aiming for an A , i mean they don't give out that many A's....

outnumbered

Vito Corleone wrote: »

Really want (need) and A, I just hope it's a nice paper. One thing I'm curious about is how they adjust the marking scheme to fit the bell curve. How would they do that? The answer's either right or wrong.

yes! You see if the paper is hard, they will give loads of marks for something easy..., If it is easy, they'll give little marks to the easy stuff and loads for the hard stuff! Either way, if you know the answers, you know the answers!

andrew369

aimzLc2 wrote: »

Its crazy how so many people in this thread are aiming for an A , i mean they don't give out that many A's....

In fairness I think a lot of people who use Boards for the leaving cert discussions are pretty serious about it and want very high point courses. Need As to get what they want. Coming on here sometimes makes me feel like an ungodly waster since I am only after relatively average points for Philosophy. :P

outnumbered

Jade. wrote: »

I'll never ever understand how anyone can call it a doable subject! :pac: But to be fair we have an awful teacher! I've studied so much for this subject the last few weeks and neglected the rest of them due to it and if I don't get at least a D1, I seriously worry for my brain! :P

It's doable because you can just learn definitions and pass! Provided you reasonably attempt everything too! It's one of the most doable imo.
Good luck! you'll be fine!

aimzLc2

andrew369 wrote: »

In fairness I think a lot of people who use Boards for the leaving cert discussions are pretty serious about it and want very high point courses. Need As to get what they want. Coming on here sometimes makes me feel like an ungodly waster since I am only after relatively average points for Philosophy. :P

I agree with you but i think thats sad because there are probably average students who are afraid to comment here for that reason if they feel inadequate so the threads aren't really showing varied opinions just top A1 students.. oh well

Jade.

outnumbered wrote: »

It's doable because you can just learn definitions and pass! Provided you reasonably attempt everything too! It's one of the most doable imo.
Good luck! you'll be fine!

I know hopefully! Just scraped a 40% in the pre but determined to bring it up a good few grades! Thank you!

peekachoo

There's high achievers in every class, no matter what grade anyone is aiming for, if it's good enough for them, who cares?

I may be aiming for an A in biology but I'm hoping for a D3 in maths, and if i get it I'll be celebrating more than any A1 maths student.

outnumbered

Jade. wrote: »

I know hopefully! Just scraped a 40% in the pre but determined to bring it up a good few grades! Thank you!

If that's the case then you'll do great! Remember know all your experiments and all your defintions, all genetics, photo and respiration and ecology! then you are bound to do so so well!

NellyDean

outnumbered wrote: »

well don't give up! fight for every last mark!!!!

I've put so much into it and more to come this weekend . Hope it pays off for everyone who genuinely has worked hard


Irish on the same day though, cruel enough!

internet_user

any decent websites for biology notes?

Peaceoutdude

Any one have any perdictions?! failed my mock.. HL

hfallada

Peaceoutdude wrote: »

Any one have any perdictions?! failed my mock.. HL

It's one of the most unpredictable papers. But your guaranteed a question on ecology. Learn all your experiments perfectly for 60 marks. Human reproduction always comes up.

shawnanana

What experiments do people think will come up?

Jade.

Does anyone answer a good few long questions or just stick to what you are supposed to answer?

Sporty_Kate

All of the experiements?! Really?!

Only so much cramming time available!

David086

outnumbered wrote: »

Well to be honest, you're just not working so! It doesn't require much understanding at all, certainly not to pass! Sure if you learned your definitions you would pass!! Just go study it right now! (and sorry, i'm not being mean it's just I hate to see someone fail such a doable subject.........

Bit patronising? ALOT of people find biology difficult, such a long course and people find it difficult to get a grasp on, me included!