Reference book - Derrick Ha or tsfx???

[gibsonaxxxs]

Hey guys,
just wondering, when copying a reference book, would tsfx or derrick ha be better? coz i did methods last year, and i bought a copy of the essentials lecture notes at the start of the year, and basically just copied what i wanted
but this year, i'm not sure whether i should do that with the derrick ha reference book or tsfx
also with tsfx, is there much difference b/w summer/winter school and 'the essentials'? coz i cant seem to find the essentials for spesh now, so is copying summer/winter school good enough??
thanks

[86]

The Derrick Ha book was 288 pages, including questions. The notes you get from TSFX at the end of the year summarise the entire unit 3-4 course into 2 booklets which you can photocopy from (I found it easier) There's a question or 2 after each subtopic that's worked as an example. They have their own booklet they call a 'Question bank' which is pretty much what the name says. Thus, they keep notes and questions for you to do separate, which I found much less cluttered and easier to extract from when making a bound reference book.

[paulsterio]

I think it's best to make your own, like in reality, you know a lot of what's being said in Derrick Ha's or TSFX books anyway, you need to find out the areas where your knowledge is sketchy and make summaries of those areas, including examples and longer worded questions, you need to find out where you lose marks and jot them down so you don't repeat those mistakes as well as finding out where you struggle - do you have problems with worded questions, for example, or Multiple Choice. I think that's much more helpful than just using a Derrick Ha or TSFX book.

(Personally, I didn't even bring in a bound reference, as there really wasn't a use for it - when you start to reach the "minimising marks lost" stage as opposed to the "maximising marks gained", you'll find that you no longer touch your Bound Reference)

[gibsonaxxxs]

thanks for the replies
i know, i did write my own for methods, but i guess whatever i wanted to write, i stuck to tsfx for the general stuff, so that i would have everything just in case.
does derrick ha give really good tips??

[dc302]

Sorry to be blunt but anyone who relies on their bound references are not ready for the exam, well when you're talking about several hundred pages worth of bound reference.

[pi]

Neither, make your own concise notes.

[gibsonaxxxs]

dc302: yeah i know i guess i wanna be totally safe... and if i get stuck randomly, i can use it. i mean, that's wat i did for methods and it worked

pi: how/where do u start? i never knew how to write them well... thats why i relied on tsfx for a backing, but i rewrote and edited to suit me... but if ur relying totally on urself, what if ur opinion of what should be added is different from what comes up on the exam??

Moderator action: removed real name, sorry for the inconvenience

[pi]

pi: how/where do u start? i never knew how to write them well... thats why i relied on tsfx for a backing, but i rewrote and edited to suit me... but if ur relying totally on urself, what if ur opinion of what should be added is different from what comes up on the exam??

Well, this is how I made mine:
1) I made notes (theory, diagrams, formulas, short-cuts) of the course throughout the year based on teacher and texts
2) Added worked solutions to questions from the texts that I found challenging
3) Added questions I got wrong during trials
4) Added some of my own/b^3's/teacher's CAS tips on the back page

It ended up being ~100 pages, but because I wrote it the whole thing, I ever took more than 5 seconds to find anything

Moderator action: removed real name, sorry for the inconvenience

[paulsterio]

Sorry to be blunt but anyone who relies on their bound references are not ready for the exam, well when you're talking about several hundred pages worth of bound reference.

That's true

[Becky2012]

Sorry to be blunt but anyone who relies on their bound references are not ready for the exam, well when you're talking about several hundred pages worth of bound reference.

It is only January though.. We all have almost a year to get ready for the exam

[totaled]

personally, i would only get the dha book not as a bound reference in the exam, but for its questions, and its tips which can help further your knowledge. i simply brought my mathsquest textbook into the exma, and like virtually every one of my friends, none of us even touched our bound references. so while i dont feel that there is a need to purchase a bound reference, getting the derrick ha book would probably help you throughout the year (note: i didnt buy one, this is what i've heard from many friends)

[jane1234]

I wouldn't get either as well. My 'bound reference' consisted of my textbook with random pages/notes/prac exam qs stuck to the contents pages... IMO doing questions is better than spending heaps of time writing notes.

[nubs]

If you study well enough you'll get to the point where you won't need any notes, and the stuff on the formula sheet (more often than not) will be enough

[taiga]

They are both brilliant for studying during the year, but as a reference you use during the exam, if you've studied properly and know your own weaknesses, no external resource is going to help you more than your own set of notes.

[Stick]

There's a difference between copying notes and really understanding notes. Don't be lazy and make sure you make your own reference throughout the year. After each night's homework, I always write/draw in the theory and work out one of the harder problems I came across. I also put worded instructions in case I have a mental blank in the exam.