Exploring The A Level Biology Curriculum

Exploring The A Level Biology Curriculum Discover the Biology A Level  Curriculum with Our Biology Tutor's Guide ChaptersThe Importance Of A Biology A LevelFurther Education And Career Prospects For Biology StudentsA Level Biology: An IntroductionTips For A Level Biology StudentsAt a glance, this linear specification offered by AQA covers a range of core topics such as Biological Molecules, Cells, Genetic Information, Energy Transfers and Gene Expression, the last two being taught at A Level only.The AS Level course is split into two exams, each worth 50% of the final grade and lasting 1 hour 30 minutes. The second year, however, is assessed over three written exams, each taking 2 hours to complete and making up 35%, 35% and 30% of the final mark respectively.OCR Biology A Level AS Level (H020, H420)This specification leans on the practicality of Biology for students and integrates problem-solving to help pupils understand biological concepts and scientific methods. Like the above, the course is split between the two years of study.The course is said to refresh the popular themes from GCSE Lev el specifications and embeds new teaching modules centred around answering the all important question: How does Science work?Tips For A Level Biology StudentsSchool isn’t easy for anybody, no matter what it might like seem on the outside. Some students may struggle academically whilst others might have emotional difficulties to keep on top of… but the main things to remember are to use all of the channels available to you to prepare for your final exams and not to suffer in silence!So many students feel that, because they chose to study a given subject as one of their three or four A Levels, they should be reasonably good at them. This, of course, is not always the case.Moreover, struggling with parts of the curriculum doesn’t mean that you are bad at the subject; some pupils simply excel in certain areas of a subject field whilst others are good all-rounders.There are many ways that you can make life easier for yourself when studying towards your A Levels, and the great thing is that many of them are free. The key to learning success is to plan, so get organised now and take inspiration from our tips below to help you with your Biology studies.Hire A TutorWhile this first option may not be free, it may be incredible value for money and worth the cost in the long run.You might find it useful to hire a tutor to help you to improve your level of understanding of the topics in Biology, rather than getting close to the exam and realising that there are large gaps in your learning.Tutors are particularly useful if you are falling behind for any reason, if you want to ensure a better grade or if you have specific requirements to meet in order to study Biology at the next level.Build A Study And Revision PlannerIt is never too early to start thinking about your exams, even if they are over a year away. We bet you are more than happy to think about the summer holiday that you have been promised after the exams over!You can use many online tools to help you build a planner, one of which can be found via The Student Room, but it is just as easy to create a hand-written diary  or countdown calendar if you prefer.If you opt for the paper version, you’ll need to go out and buy yourself a calendar, diary or planner, but bear in mind that this should ideally be an academic one which runs from September to September.A planner can help you to approach the exam period with a level of preparedness and confidence. Photo by Irene Bonacchi on Visual huntIn this planner, be sure to write down all of your key dates, like the dates of the exams if you know them already, to give you clearly defined goals. Focus on the mock exams or deadlines for key pieces of homework if that seems less daunting than counting down to the actual exam itself.Don’t forget to keep the journal up to date by putting in any class-related deadlines, listing revision sessions, ticking off the past papers you have completed and adding useful reminders. If you work well with visua ls, then why not buy some extra special coloured pens, highlighters or stickers to make your planner more exciting!If you find it easier to create your study planner digitally though, you can benefit from linking it to your mobile phone calendar and then receiving alerts without having to remember to carry around or consult your diary. You also have the chance to personalise a digital countdown if you so wish.Think, Ask, Prepare!Don’t be afraid to ask questions in and out of the classroom, and don’t leave it until it is too late! Your teacher will be more than happy to help you when you have questions about the course or the exam, by either offering you advice or by pointing you in the direction of resources to look at.However, don’t forget that there are many others ways to get answers nowadays. For instance, the Internet is a huge network that connects us with resources but also with people who have similar interests and who can offer helpful discussions.Forums like the one found on The Student Room are specifically designed for students to interact with eachother, share their concerns, offer advice or simply to vent frustration about their education.Looking for a biology a level tutor?