AS’ LEVEL BIOLOGY - 
INTRODUCTION
Your decision to study Biology at ‘AS’ level is in
itself an indication of your commitment to the subject. Your commitment will
certainly be tested during this ‘AS’ level course and you will find, as in
so many other activities, that the more you are prepared to put into the
subject, the more you will enjoy and gain from it.
You will soon find that
your ‘AS’ level study techniques require far more SELF-DISCIPLINE and
ORGANISATION than was the case at G.C.S.E. and it is hoped that these
introductory notes will help you to settle to an efficient and effective
routine which will enhance your appreciation of the subject, enable you to
achieve a grade consistent with your ability, and serve you well in any future
studies.
One of the secrets of success lies in your ability to
organise your work and study effectively on your own. In this respect you will
find that your energies fall into the following categories:
REVIEW of notes taken in lessons
WRITE UPS of practical work
READING your text books
NOTE MAKING from extra sources (books, web, periodicals)
WRITING answers to the set
essays – these should be no longer than one side of A4
REVISING at the end of each topic
The Golden Rule is:
NEVER FEEL THAT YOU HAVE NOTHING TO DO!
If you have completed all written assignments, reading
and note making, then you can take the opportunity to review the work again.
It is by this sort of consistent and thorough reappraisal that an increasing
proportion of knowledge is committed to your long-term memory.
It is common knowledge that you will only remember 10% of
what you read or were told 48 hours earlier. It is by effective revision that
you will increase the extent of your factual knowledge by committing subject
matter to your long-term memory.
Note making: The objective is NOT to rewrite the textbook. Under appropriate
headings and subheadings (underlined), make short phrases and words which will
serve as memory joggers. Also helpful are simple flow diagrams, annotated
diagrams, memory maps, sketches etc.
Remember that BREVITY combined with INFORMATION is
the objective.
Get it? Got it. Good
Don’t let assignments of work accumulate – deal with
them as promptly as possible, and inform your teacher if you foresee problems.
In reviewing notes from lessons and books, remember to
ask your teacher about anything you have not understood.
Try to train yourself to the suggestions outlined above
as soon as possible. It will take a week or so of perseverance to achieve the
objective but to do so will prove to be an invaluable discipline for the
future.
The
Table below shows your Syllabus Outline for the Year. We will try to stick to
it as closely as possible, therefore you must use it to 'plan ahead' and not
get caught out by essay deadlines!
Click here to
find out more about each Module.
