“A Band 6? In HSC Biology??”
HSC Biology can have a pretty bad reputation - notorious for being content-heavy with a never-ending list of complex processes, tons of examples, and behemoth 8-marker questions on some infectious disease you’ve never heard of.
Knowing that “the mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell” won’t get you far, unfortunately.
Yet in 2024, HSC Biology retained the highest enrolments across all the science courses, and for good reason. Biology is HIGHLY applicable to everyday life and having an interest can open up many opportunities, particularly with university degrees in healthcare, medicine, and even bioengineering. So, the effort is worth it - and with the right mindset and strategies, a top score isn’t far away.
In this guide, we’ll be discussing some of these strategies that will help you work smarter, not harder in the marathon that is studying HSC Biology. (Spoiler alert, but scoring a top band doesn’t involve memorising every word and diagram in your prescribed textbook.)
That being said, let’s get straight into the strategies that can maximise your studies!
Familiarise yourself with the HSC Biology Syllabus
Like how our own bodies are made of organs, tissues and cells, the syllabus is organised into Modules, Inquiry Questions and Dot-points - all of which help our understanding of HSC Biology to function. By mapping out the smaller ‘cells’, we get a better picture of how the content-heavy ‘body’ fits together.
The Modules you’ll be studying are broken down into specific dot-points, which often tell you exactly what you’re required to know. As someone who thrives off organisation, structuring my notes by syllabus points was a game-changer, eliminating the FOMO that I was missing a crucial piece of information whilst ensuring that every relevant point had been covered. If you’re looking for new resources to enrich your notes, Project Academy’s comprehensive notes are already structured according to syllabus points, making them easy to reference.
Below is an example of my HSC Biology notes from back in the day, structured by syllabus points. Highlighted in yellow is where I’ve included a direct reference to the syllabus. On the right (highlighted in red), is a table of contents.
A sidenote on the “traffic light system”
Instead of studying every single dotpoint from beginning to end, it’s often wiser to tackle your weak spots first. My go-to method is the traffic light system, which follows these simple steps:
- Make a spreadsheet with a syllabus point in each box.
- Change the colour of the boxes according to your confidence level. Red means struggle, green means confidence, and yellow means somewhere in between.
- When you revise, prioritise the red areas and move through to green.
- Remember to update your spreadsheet after exams or study sessions! As your knowledge changes, the colours on your spreadsheet will also change too.
To save time, Project Academy already has this spreadsheet prepared! Simply make a copy to edit.
For more tips on writing a killer set of study notes, you might be interested in this.
Know your examples and case studies
We often get caught up with the ‘how’s’ and ‘why’s’ of biological processes. But, it’s important to remember where this knowledge can be applied in the REAL world.
Often, exam questions with higher order NESA verbs, like ‘evaluate’ or ‘discuss’, require you to dissect examples to support your response.
(And trust me, writing about a real-life example during your exam will be less stressful than trying to write about a plausible-but-definitely-fictional one.)
I recommend having an organised table of examples that cover each case is in-depth. For example, the Module Seven syllabus point on agricultural diseases requires knowledge of the transmission (cause), symptoms (effect), treatment, and impact on Australia of specific plant and animal diseases - all of which make great table headings.
This example is from my biology notes.
Test your knowledge through practice questions
Sadly, understanding the concepts of HSC Biology is only half the work - the other half is learning how to put it into practice during an exam! Here are 3 reasons why practice questions are awesome:
- Practice questions require you to actively engage with the material (tough, I know), aiding memorisation.
- They mimic the real exam, familiarising you with different NESA verbs, question formats, and the marking criteria.
- Like the traffic light system, marking your practice responses will differentiate the topics that you’re confident in from the topics that need more work, helping you to prioritise during future study.
Project Academy Biology students benefit from these practice questions weekly, complete with unlimited marking from top Biology achievers. They also get 12 predicted HSC Biology exams (LEAP program) to perfect your exam techniques.
Remember, when doing a practice question, read the question carefully, plan out your response and relevant examples and data, and THEN start writing.
Study with a group
Personally, I found this technique to be the most effective once I had a comfortable grasp of the content. Whilst it does pose its risks (hours of yapping…), here are some benefits of group study:
- It creates a safe environment to ask questions and double-check information from class
- It allows you to teach others, which is a form of active recall
- Everyone had different strengths. While you might be awful at memorising the different hormone names, someone else might struggle with explaining how the kidney works. You get to help someone else, and they get to help you - a win-win situation!
Note: If you can’t explain a concept fully, it’s a useful sign of a gap in your understanding. Cue, the traffic light system!
Keep a mistakes bank/book
While nobody loves picking apart their past mistakes, this is a valuable chance to identify your weak points and work on them. Those who score the highest band often know exactly what their weak areas are.
A mistakes bank or book is a simple way to keep track of past errors and avoid them from recurring, which requires little effort to set-up in a notebook or digital spreadsheet. When you make a mistake:
- Take note of the question or its source. Referencing its related syllabus point(s) is also useful.
- Reflect on your mistake. Why did you lose marks? What could you improve next time?
- Regularly review your mistakes bank, especially before tests, and highlight any recurring mistakes to focus on during your study time.
At Project Academy, students are given unlimited 1.5 hour tutorials every week, capped at 4 students per tutorial, where they can go through feedback from homework and exams with a top-achieving HSC Biology tutor. It’s a valuable space to crack down on any recurring mistakes.
Continue learning outside the classroom
With thousands of articles on the internet, it’s easier than ever to continue learning outside of the classroom and textbooks. Why is there currently an egg shortage in supermarkets? What was life like before Koch and Pasteur’s discoveries? What happens to a female’s hormones when on birth control? Don’t shy away from those random Google searches - oftentimes, it’ll help you gain a deeper fluency of course content by expanding upon the fundamentals you’ve learned in class.
Another favourite method is to watch YouTube videos of the content - sometimes hearing the information explained in a different format helps with retention too. My favourites were:
Conclusion
You might’ve thought that scoring the highest band or getting a state rank in HSC Biology is near-impossible. However, with the right study techniques, mindset, and enough determination, nothing is impossible.
And remember, if you ever need any extra support in your studies, Project Academy is always here to help!
