B990 First Year Exams

1. B990 First Year Exams Sarah Aldelemi

2. How it works • Not everyone will be in the same exam hall, so don’t just go where your friends say they’re going! • Check your exam hall locations, many of which will be in unfamiliar places • Take a group of friends and scout these places BEFORE exams begin • Exams are 2.5 hrs each (please double check this) • Bar BMD100 (Essential Skills) you will have 3 sections, each weighing 33%, most follow this pattern: • MCQ – answer ALL questions • SAQ – choose one of two (BMD123 has an EMQ instead) • SAQ – choose one of two

3. What do I need to know? • Know the lecture material really well • Seriously, that’s all you need to know • That’s literally it

4. But what about… extra reading??? • You’re not writing essays, you will have no opportunity to showcase extra reading • First year exams are to get everyone up to speed • Only do extra reading where you don’t understand what the slides or the lecturer is saying (just use the textbook) • BMD115 • BMD123

5. How should I study? • It varies depending on person, just find the strategy that works best for you • I recommend studying with a friend(s) in the library for difficult topics with more theory involved • Make a study timetable • You only need to learn the lecture material (even the same pictures come up), so I printed out the slides and learnt them off, annotating with extra notes when necessary • DO NOT QUESTION SPOT • Turn off your social media

6. How many exams? • Eight • BMD100 Essential Skills For Biomedical Scientists • BMD111 Chromosomes and Gene Function • BMD113 Human Anatomy • BMD115 The Human Cell • BMD117 The Microbial World and Humans • BMD121 Biomedical Physiology I • BMD123 Biomolecules of Human Life • BMD181 Tissue Biology

7. BMD100 Essential Skills For Biomedical Scientists • Answer ALL questions • What you need to know: • Peerwise – do as many questions as you can • Memorise formulae (e.g. circumference, area, volume, etc.) • Statistics • What you do not need to know: • Anything to do with the assignments • Fairly easy to do well in. It only counts for 50% so you’re only taking half a module – only 7.5 to go!

8. BMD111 Chromosomes and Gene Function • What you need to know: • Genetic processes (e.g. transcription and translation) • Genetic engineering • Mendelian genetics • The laboratory processes of past scientists – as in what they did, how they did it and what did it prove • What you do not need to know: • Any of that existentialism stuff Curran likes to talk about • Microarrays • Use the slides but supplement with recommended textbook information, especially for Curran’s lectures

9. BMD113 Human Anatomy • What you need to know: • Basically everything • Yes that includes dimetrodon and history of landmarks in Earth’s evolution stuff (he likes his MCQs on that) • Focus more though on actual anatomy than that • This ties in a lot with BMD121 • What you do not need to know: • Any history of scientists or WWII stuff • He probably gave you a lecture at the end of the year about what he expects you to know, so just follow that • Use his slides

10. BMD115 The Human Cell • This is the easiest exam for most students • No negative marking for the MCQ • What you need to know: • The lecture material • Some extra annotations from the textbook can be helpful for some guest lectures • Ties in a lot with BMD111 (genetics) • Yes, you do need to know history of cell biology: name of scientist, what he discovered, and when he discovered it

11. BMD117 The Microbial World and Humans • You do have to know the bacteria names and what disease they cause, but focus more on the ones that come up a lot in the lectures • I recommend making tables to learn them • You also have to know the drugs very well from the last couple of lectures • Use his slides, but for the last few lectures you may want to read it in the textbook a little

12. BMD121 Biomedical Physiology I • What you need to know: • Everything • Ties in a lot with BMD113, but you need to know more detail in this module • Rachel really likes her details, especially in MCQs • Her slides are brilliant • For the others, you may want to supplement a bit with Sherwood because sometimes they can be a bit confusing

13. BMD123 Biomolecules of Human Life • Amino Acid Tutor is very helpful as you don’t need to be able to draw out amino acids, but you need to recognise them and know their abbreviations • Again, you basically have to know everything • You absolutely must learn all of the cycles and intermediates in them • The textbook is very handy, especially for the later lectures as they can be really difficult to understand • He will give an end of year lecture on what you need to know

14. BMD181 Tissue Biology • What you need to know: • You do have to learn any tissue slides that came up in lectures • You kind of have to know everything • However, GIT, respiratory, lymphoreticular, reproductive, and cardiac always come up • What you do not need to know: • Any extra tissue slides from Wheater’s • Embryology in great detail • You will be given an end of year lecture on what she expects you to know

15. Okay, so I’ve got my study under control • Do the past papers on QMPlus • I strongly recommend you do the past papers on QMPlus • Please please please do the past papers on QMPlus

16. But there’s no mark scheme… • This is actually way more useful, because you can’t be tempted to cheat and correcting the paper is a really good revision tool! • Particularly for MCQs they repeat A LOT of the same questions (college papers are much lazier than A-levels!) • However, some don’t do this as much as others… • You will feel WAY more relaxed after doing a ‘mock’ exam

17. So how do I approach past papers? • Different approaches work for different people • What I like to do: • Study all the lectures • Sit a mock exam first thing in the morning in exam conditions • (This will desensitize you to the exam experience so you don’t feel so anxious on exam day) • Correct the paper – PROPERLY (this can take a few hours) • Revise the things you slipped up on in great detail • Sit the other paper (I like to do the last paper closer to the exam date, but NOT THE DAY BEFORE THE EXAM)

18. It’s the day before the exam please send help • Relax, capital R • Eat really well and keep yourself well-hydrated • Again, it’s different for everyone, but what I like to do is: • First revise the topics you tend to find most difficult • If you have time revise the rest of the lectures • If you have even more time then take a glance at your past paper attempts • Around 8pm stop revising and have a good dinner • Watch a film and try to unwind • Don’t go on the computer too much as blue light can have an insomnia effect • Check your college email before going to sleep, and re-check the time and venue of the exam • Recognise the fact that you’ve worked hard and can only do your best • Get a good eight hours of sleep – this gives yourself the best chance of success

19. It’s exam day what did I do to deserve this • Again, Relax, capital R • Remember it’s natural to feel nervous – everyone’s in the same boat • Eat a good breakfast: cereal, banana, orange juice, yoghurt • Take a water bottle – this will be your best friend during exams • (Seriously, I get very sentimental about my exam water bottle) • PLEASE REMEMBER TO TAKE YOUR STUDENT ID • Keep it in your backpack throughout the exam period • Take a pencil case full of pencils, black pens, rubbers, sharpeners • Bring your calculator – it is better to be safe than sorry • Bring a watch – a cheap one will do fine • Check your student email and exam hall and time • Aim to get to the exam hall an hour before the exam begins

20. Should I do any last-minute revising? • It’s really up to you • Just look at some key things you tend to forget if you have a morning exam • If you have an afternoon exam you should maybe look at some more key topics • However, do not exhaust yourself before the exam!

21. Okay so the exam is about to begin… ugghhh • Again, Relax, capital R • Take EVERYTHING out of your pockets and put it in your backpack (it’s just much easier and more comfortable that way) • Switch off your phone – your social life has been on hold for the past few weeks, a few more hours won’t hurt • Take everything you need for the exam to your desk (including ID) • Take out your equipment from your pencil case and put the pencil case on the floor (and the calculator if they tell you to) • Make sure your bottle has no label • Listen to the invigilators and obey their instructions • Read the instructions on the paper and fill in your info on all the sheets when prompted • Relax, deep breaths, and open the paper when prompted

22. Plan of Attack • Spend 30 minutes on each section • This is more than enough time and you will then have plenty of time to check your work • If you don’t know the answer then move on to the next question • Mark your answers to the MCQ in the exam booklet first • Then re-check your answers and mark in the MCQ sheet • This prevents your answers being out of sync • If you’re not 100% sure about an MCQ question try to eliminate a few options and mark your best guess • If you have no clue at all then it’s best to skip it

23. During the exam… • You’ll notice two things: • The exam is fairly all right and manageable • You have way too much time on your hands • College exams are not the same as A-levels – they are much easier! • If you have any queries, no matter how stupid they may seem, contact the invigilator • They are usually really friendly and helpful • Do this in the first hour, if possible, as an academic from SBCS will be there. This is often a lecturer from the module you are sitting. • Don’t spend the whole time in the exam hall if you don’t need it. Once you’ve looked over the paper a few times and feel pretty confident about your answers, leave the exam hall.

24. Okay so the exam is over… • Forget about the exam • Do not discuss the exam with friends afterwards as there is literally no point in doing so – it will only stress you out further • It’s okay if you have a bad exam – you probably did better than you thought anyway • Focus on your next exam • However, go home and try to rest first

25. Results • You will probably receive your results through MySis in early July • Reflect on what worked and what didn’t • What’s important is that you passed well • A bad grade isn’t the end of the world • Retakes are in August

26. Good Luck! • Remember to relax • Remember to eat and drink • Remember to sleep • And remember to revise