Honest Reviews: BIOL 3/4 NEEDED

[bakacchis]

Hi, I was just wondering if anyone who had completed 3/4 BIOL would be interested in creating a post for BIOL much like PI's 3/4 Physics Review (with unbiased and honest and accurate descriptions!) and what you thought in general?

Some points to expand on could be:
- How much 1/2 related to 3/4
- What you thought of the content
- Difficulty
- Any workload problems?
- Balancing BIOL with other subjects
- Was it worth your time?
- What you wish you could've done instead

Anyway, I think this will benefit possible BIOL students greatly

Thank you!

[grannysmith]

I may write a detailed review after exams are done, but for now I'll just provide a quick insight.

How much does 1/2 relate to 3/4?
Unit 1 is the really only relevant unit out of 1/2. This is why some schools, such as mine, do unit 2 before unit 1 since it allows a nicer transition into 3/4. Unit 1 covers the basics of the cell and processes such as osmosis/active transport etc. In saying that, it is not /essential/ to doing well in 3/4 - it merely helps.
Sorry I did 1/2 two years ago so my memory is a bit iffy

What I thought about the content
The content is both interesting and sometimes lacking. Sometimes you find that the course skims through potentially interesting areas. However, VCE Bio is already a content-heavy subject and I think it is good as it is.

Difficulty
The concepts taught in biology are not difficult to understand at all - there's just quite a bit of it, especially compared to the subjects I'm doing this year. I found myself reciting/recalling on a daily.
In terms of scoring highly, I think biology is just like any other subject in that when it comes to exams, those who do well know the course well and are able to
It's important to note that biology is not a mere recall subject - it requires problem-solving skills and I think performing well relies on being able to link different concepts together.

The workload.
Biology is a content-heavy subject. There's a lot of information to maintain throughout the year and effort is required.

Balancing with other subjects.
Since it was my only 3/4 in year 11, I was able to spend most of my time on the subject. I pretty much disregarded 4 of my 5 year 11 subjects for a good part of the year (english, english language, physics, chemistry). However, I'd imagine that undertaking bio in year 12 would be that bit more challenging, especially if you're doing another 4-5 subjects along with it. It'd be a balancing act for sure.

Was it worth my time?
Biology is undoubtedly a rewarding subject if you're interested in it. Since it was my only 3/4 in year 11, I was able to dedicate a lot of my time into reading/watching things that were not necessarily in the course.

What you wish you could've done instead.
Nah, I wouldn't have replaced it with another subject. No way.

[Yacoubb]

Hi, I was just wondering if anyone who had completed 3/4 BIOL would be interested in creating a post for BIOL much like PI's 3/4 Physics Review (with unbiased and honest and accurate descriptions!) and what you thought in general?

Some points to expand on could be:
- How much 1/2 related to 3/4
- What you thought of the content
- Difficulty
- Any workload problems?
- Balancing BIOL with other subjects
- Was it worth your time?
- What you wish you could've done instead

Anyway, I think this will benefit possible BIOL students greatly

Thank you!

- How much 1/2 related to 3/4:

Here's the thing. Biology units 1 and 2 have sections in the course that are covered in a little more detail in the units 3/4 course. However, it is not expected knowledge for units 3/4 Biology, and thus is repeated again in the course so there's no need to feel disadvantaged without having done 1/2 Biology. In saying this, however, I recommend that if you have an extremely limited background in Biology, before doing a particular concept, ensure you've understood any of the basic elements. This is essential because Biology is application-based, and any application is dependent upon knowledge of all aspects of the topic.

- What you thought of the content
Biology 3/4 is one of the most well-designed subjects of all VCE subjects (in my opinion). I strongly believe this is the case because the content is all interesting, highly applicable to everyday life and though some sections may be dry (e.g. the first area of study of unit 3 learning the basics on biomacromolecules, the cell, enzymes & biochemistry), knowing about immunity, and learning about why people are different in genetics and how this affects the next generations is, for me, thoroughly interesting. Furthermore, the set up of the Biology course runs in such a way that it tells a story!

- Difficulty

The concepts in Biology overall are not difficult; in fact, many of the concepts are required to be understood at a highly simplified level at the VCE Biology level. In my opinion, Biology is a very loyal subject. You will reap the benefits of investing time and effort into not only understanding the content at a high level, but also completing practice questions & perfecting written expression into clear, concise answers.

- Any workload problems?
It can become problematic; however, I suggest linking all the concepts together as this will assist enormously in condensing all that content into a manageable workload.

- Balancing BIOL with other subjects
I can only really say this with Further Maths since I didn't do it in year 12, and completed it in year 11 as a 3/4. However, what I can tell from doing it with Further Maths, is that it probably requires a bit more time to ensure you've covered the content properly and extensively enough. This goes hand in hand with what I've mentioned above, regarding linking all the concepts together. This'll make it a lot more manageable with other subjects, and also help you with answering questions that rely on being able to form these links.

- Was it worth your time?
Yes. As I've mentioned, Biology was for me the most loyal subject. The study score I achieved for Biology was a true reflection of the amount of work and time I invested, and I felt I achieved the study score I deserved, contrary to some of my other subjects where I felt immensely ripped off. If you invest enough time in understanding the content at the level stated in the study design, linking the concepts & perfecting the mechanism of answering questions using key words & good expression, you will reap the benefits.

- What you wish you could've done instead
If there was one thing I would change, it would be to not learn things outside the scope of the study design. I tried to learn the various enzymes involved in photosynthesis, and the different reactions, etc. I didn't need to learn this, but because I really wanted to do well, I thought that learning everything in greater complexity equated to a higher study score. Wrong. Learn the content according to the level of the study design, and perfect that. This way, you will be extremely prepared given you've completed questions.