Tips on how to get a good grade in IB Biology SL/HL
IB Biology is quite hard when it comes to learning the content, memorizing all the keywords/definitions/key-terms/diagrams and etc. There is a lot to know in IB Biology and the examiners are usually strict in the exam when it comes to answering the questions, they are always looking for specific keywords and key-terms and it is very easy to lose marks trust me I’ve been through it and it can be very frustrating. However, there are a few things I have been doing during my study sessions which have helped me understand and learn the topics more easily and efficiently.
Get the IB Biology syllabus it is very crucial when it comes to studying because you need to know what to exactly study and what you need to know and all the exact definitions. It is all in the syllabus and nothing will ever come in the exam that is not in the syllabus apart if they ask some critical thinking questions that require a bit more outside knowledge. So I suggest you get the syllabus, you can find it online or simply ask your teacher I am sure they have a copy of the syllabus.
Get the IB Biology study guide, it will make your life way easier and will save you more time. Everything you need to know is in the study guide, it is brilliant tbh. All the definition are there, all key-terms, and all the topics are summarized nicely and in a simple way. Just go through all the topics there and highlight all the stuff you need to know (which you would have known already because you have the syllabus) you can get the study guide from Amazon.
Don’t study from the textbook, you can go through it and read the topics before you actually start studying so you know the content and have a bit of knowledge but I don’t suggest you study from it because it will take you a long time to pick out all the specific things you need to know and it is often just explanations of the topics so perhaps if you don’t understand something then go back and read it in the textbook but don’t actually study from the textbook. Study from the study-guide.
Start making notes from the beginning of the year don’t leave it til the end of year 12 or year 13. Just do it topic by topic from the beginning trust me on this. So at the end of the year, you’ve got all the notes on the topics ready and you can start revising from them and memorizing everything you need to know. ( there will be a lot of notes to make )
If you don’t understand something go ask your teacher or watch youtube videos, there are a lot of things to know and in details and it is very confusing sometimes especially if you take HL Biology. But you can always go watch Alex Lee’s videos he is great at explaining the topics. https://www.youtube.com/user/misterleescience/videos
Finally, my last tip is to read a lot, outside knowledge can really help when it comes to IB Biology and not just this subject it is crucial in every IB subject and I am sure your teacher will tell you this but it is true and important to really understand biology it might be the reason you go from a level 6 to a level 7.
I hope this helps, we all know how hard IB can be and my prayers are with you people who are starting the IB Diploma this year. Best of luck and stay strong you gonna need it. If you have any questions you can message me :)
