Doing psych 3/4 without 1/2 - how should I start?

[chocolate.cake.1]

Hi everyone,
This year i am doing psych 3/4 without doing 1/2 last year, and I'm not quite sure what to do, so I have a few questions...

- are there any really important things I need to know from 1/2 that I should learn now?
- what resources are good for psych? (I've heard about tsfx notes, connect education notes, etc. but are there any others you would recommend?)
- what else should I do over the holidays to ensure I am not behind the class when school starts?

Thank you so much 

[Joseph41]

Hi there, c.c.1. Diggin' the username!

I don't think you'll be at much of a disadvantage from not doing Psych 1/2; there is actually very limited overlap with Psych 3/4. In saying that, I did both 1/2 and 3/4, so my memory may be skewed a little. However, if I were in your situation, I would be focusing on dot points from the present study design that are relevant to both Unit 3 and Unit 4. Some of these things are covered in 1/2; moreover, they are often brushed over a little during the year. As such, I think they're a good place to start. The dot points to which I am referring include experimental research, sampling procedures, data collection, statistics, ethical principles and so on.

Once you feel comfortable with these concepts (I would focus, in particular, on ethical principles), I don't think there is too much that you need to do. If you feel like it, you could read over parts of your textbook lightly; however, I wouldn't be too concerned.

The greatest resource you will ever find is, of course, the aforementioned study design. This is what I based all of my revision on; each dot point was a topic heading in my notes. Otherwise, you could try the vTextbook. I've never really been exposed to the vTextbook, but from what I can glean, it's a fantastic resource. And here you will find an online wiki that covers the entire 3/4 course.

Well done on choosing a brilliant subject! Perhaps others who have completed Psych more recently could add to this.

All the best,
Nick.

[chocolate.cake.1]

Hi there, c.c.1. Diggin' the username!

I don't think you'll be at much of a disadvantage from not doing Psych 1/2; there is actually very limited overlap with Psych 3/4. In saying that, I did both 1/2 and 3/4, so my memory may be skewed a little. However, if I were in your situation, I would be focusing on dot points from the present study design that are relevant to both Unit 3 and Unit 4. Some of these things are covered in 1/2; moreover, they are often brushed over a little during the year. As such, I think they're a good place to start. The dot points to which I am referring include experimental research, sampling procedures, data collection, statistics, ethical principles and so on.

Once you feel comfortable with these concepts (I would focus, in particular, on ethical principles), I don't think there is too much that you need to do. If you feel like it, you could read over parts of your textbook lightly; however, I wouldn't be too concerned.

The greatest resource you will ever find is, of course, the aforementioned study design. This is what I based all of my revision on; each dot point was a topic heading in my notes. Otherwise, you could try the vTextbook. I've never really been exposed to the vTextbook, but from what I can glean, it's a fantastic resource. And here you will find an online wiki that covers the entire 3/4 course.

Well done on choosing a brilliant subject! Perhaps others who have completed Psych more recently could add to this.

All the best,
Nick.

Thanks so much for your help!!! The links you sent look super helpful and I'm definitely feeling more confident now! 

[Joseph41]

Not a problem at all. Some of these may be out of date, but you will also likely find some resources in this thread.

[sjayne]

I didn't do 1/2 and managed fine!!

Start with RESEARCH METHODS. All of the content is taught in 3/4 but you have to develop your research methods skills which will be important throughout the whole year

[JackSonSmith]

As mentioned earlier, the only thing from 1/2 psychology that is related to 3/4 is research methods. ie. hypothesis, independent variable, random sampling etc. Everything else in 3/4 Psych is new from 1/2. As for good resources I would say the Oxford and MacMillan textbooks are both quite good. I had bought the A+ notes, however, I found them to be of little use. The textbook is where its at.

The major tip I can give you is to make sure that you understand the concepts in each chapter of your textbook, simply remembering definitions just doesn't cut it.

Good luck in Psychology!

[sjayne]

Yes also to add to that^

Mind maps and things helped me a lot to remember concepts as well as writing down real life applications and doing silly experiments in class. There are also a lot of definitions which you need to learn but instead of rote learning I'd advise to just remember key words, that way it's easier and you have to understand them too.
I also had the A+ notes, I used them when I was still confused after reading the textbook (macmillan) but honestly you don't really need many resources.

For now, just do any homework you received and try to come to terms with the research methods. You don't need to be too prepared.