I enjoy biology as a subject, but at A-Level, there is a lot of content to learn which makes it quite tricky! Over the 2 years I picked up a lot of good study techniques to memorise and understand all of the information and ended up with an A* 😊
(The exam board I did was AQA but I’m sure any biology exam format will be pretty similar)
1. Text books- I’d say it’s pretty important to get a good text book for biology A-Level, one that is detailed enough but not too detailed that it becomes confusing.
The main book I used was the CGP Biology Text Book (not the revision guides, they aren’t in as much detail!). These were pretty much perfect, they had all of the content in and no irrelevant information.
​I also had the Oxford Biology Text Book (by Glenn and Susan Toole). This is super detailed so I only used it if I was struggling to understand a topic. It provides lots of examples so is good for getting to grips with a certain topic.
2. Videos- liked watching videos for Biology, as it can really help to see a topic from another perspective, aside from the perspective your teacher gave. Watching videos can be a passive or active process, whichever you make it to be. You could lie in bed whilst passively watching a video, or you could sit at your desk and make notes from the video (I would ALWAYS recommend active revising!).
I loved Mr Pollock’s YouTube channel, he makes quick videos that fully explain each topic. This channel doesn’t cover the whole specification (I’m pretty sure), but the videos for those topics are very useful and I used them throughout the 2 years.
I discovered Tailored Tutors in Year 13 and used the Biology Revision pack, which mostly consists of videos. Again, the videos are quite short but thoroughly cover all of the content. This could be used for understanding, as the tutors explain the topics really well. It could also be used for quick revision (as I used it for), as a quick recap of all the topics. Tailored Tutors covers the whole 2 year specification for many exam boards, so is definitely a good resource to start using from day 1.
3. Making your own resources- I made notes from my CGP textbook throughout the 2 years and made these notes to keep up with the content we were learning in lessons. I would also add in any information I got in class, or any examples from other text books or videos- I kept these notes in a big lever arch folder and used them to create mind maps and flashcards later on.
At the end of every topic (e.g. Biological Molecules, Cells) I would make a detailed mind map which I stored in my folders. This would be a condensed version of my notes, and I’d always make sure that I included the trickiest bits of the topic- lots of coloured pens is important here!! Nearer to exam season, I made even more condensed mind maps and this was a key part of my revision. Condensing is important because it helps you to remember the important bits of information, and not to waste time going over the ‘easy parts’, parts that you already know. It’s easy to revise things that you are already confident with, but this won’t benefit your revision and it’s important to focus on the hardest parts!
Another way I condensed my notes was into flashcards- I typed my flashcards in year 13 and made them throughout the year. I loved flashcards for memorising facts, I often tested myself and got other people to test me.
4. Memory mind maps- This could have probably been in the ‘making your own resources’ section, but I only did this in exam season, rather than throughout the 2 years.
I’d pick one specific topic and get an A4 (sometimes A3) piece of paper and wrote down everything I remember about the topic- this would include key words, definitions and key points, maybe the occasional diagram too. These mind maps were super scribbly and I used to make them in 5-10 minutes or less. I’d then check my mind map against my text book and add in anything that I forgot in a red felt tip. I think it’s useful to repeat this process a couple of times, until you aren’t missing anything out. If there was a piece of information that I often missed out, I would write this on a piece of paper and stick it on my wall/wardrobe to make sure I never forgot it again!
5. Lessons and teachers- Of course, lessons are a key part when doing A-Levels, for any subject. Although lessons don’t seem like part of your revision, using them effectively will help you A LOT when it comes closer to exam season. You are going to be in your lessons anyway, so you might as well be 100% focused and work hard in all of them!
It’s useful to read ahead in the text book before your lesson so you know what is coming up, and so you don’t feel completely lost if it’s a tricky topic. Also, take a look at the specification so you can see exactly what the aim of that lesson is, and the point of the specification that you will be covering.
Make use of your teachers too, if you don’t understand anything (even if it seems silly), ASK your teacher! I’m sure they will be more than happy to help, and a quick explanation from your teacher could really help you understand a topic.
Quick overview:
Use a text book that is detailed, but not overly detailed
Use YouTube videos and make notes from them (Mr Pollock, Tailored Tutors etc)
Make notes and flashcards throughout the year
Use flashcards to test yourself often
Make detailed mind maps at the end of every topic
Use memory mind maps closer to exam season, to check your knowledge and learn anything that you have been forgetting often
Look ahead in the text book and in your specification before every lesson
Ask your teachers anything- it is their job to help you!
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