In case anyone out there is interested I thought I would post some thoughts about the core papers. This ended up being really long haha.
POPLHLTH 111: This was my least favourite core paper, though some people really enjoy it. The key concepts taught are very important and often quite interesting, but they are quite straightforward and don’t make up much content. The result of this is that you need to memorise list upon list of details for the tests, being able to differentiate between minor changes in wording, as everyone would get A+ if they focused only on the important concepts rather than the minor details. Although I enjoyed a fair bit of the content, a lot of the details we needed to learn were quite boring and didn’t feel important so this study felt really tedious.
Test 1 is traditionally a very difficult test, but in 2016 it was actually pretty reasonable with a lot of people getting high marks. I believe they have now made the mock test more representative (probably due to complaints from past students), so this actually prepared us quite well – the actual test was only slightly more difficult. It is very important for this test that you understand ALL the concepts covered in module one, and that you can apply these concepts to unfamiliar studies. Bear in mind that they might make it harder again in 2017, so don’t underestimate it! Test 2 and the exam rely a lot more on memorisation, however if you can understand and link together the concepts it will make it more bearable. These tests are easier to predict – if you understand all of the important content in the slides and don’t freak out too much, you are going to get a good grade. Also, don’t worry about the readings unless you have a lot of time on your hands – they really aren’t critical (though the lecturers might highlight some that are particularly important).
CHEM 110: I found this to be the easiest core paper, and most of my friends did as well. I found that I didn’t need to put as much time into it, which took a bit of the workload off in semester one so I could devote more time to 107. You will however want to make sure that you have a good background in high school level chemistry. I know some people who found some of the concepts in this paper very tricky to grasp. If you have struggled with chemistry in the past, it might be a good idea to sign up for the chem course they provide before semester one starts.
The labs in this paper can be quite stressful and often catch people out, but if you are careful and prepare well they aren’t too hard to get an A range mark in. One other common difficulty in this paper is the tests. The content isn’t too hard overall, but people are often caught out by the time pressure of the test. You only get one hour for 6+ pages of questions, and as a result a lot of people don’t end up finishing. It is also very easy to make silly mistakes, so when you are aiming for 90% + it can be very easy to miss out. I would recommend fully using the practice tests provided. Try these under exam conditions to work out whether time pressure will be a problem for you, and also use them to identify some of the common mistakes you make/areas you need to work on more. I was getting under 90 in the practice tests for both test 1 and 2, but ended up with 96 and 97 respectively in the actual tests because I had an awareness of the mistakes I would be likely to make and avoided them. Time pressure is less of a problem in the exam, and the content is pretty similar in difficulty, so if you do well in the tests you will probably do well in the exam with enough study.
BIOSCI 107: Most difficult core paper in semester one by miles (in my opinion anyway!). This is due to a combination of difficult tests, huge amounts of content, and labs that are easy to lose marks on. 111 and 110 have a pretty reasonable pace for lectures, but 107 jumps straight in to covering huge amounts of content. The content isn’t particularly difficult, but you really do need to devote a lot of time to studying if you want to learn it well enough to get A+. Use the past questions to test your knowledge, and beware of the 2 mark MCQs which were introduced this year. Nobody really knew what to expect with them, but they destroyed a lot of people (me included!). In the mid-term only 1.8% of the class got A+, and the average was under 60% (I think). This was the hardest test of the year in my opinion. Fortunately, the content becomes slightly easier and more interesting in the second half of the course for many people, which is reflected in slightly better performance in the exam.
For this course it is really important to understand how you learn, as there is a lot of content to cover so you need to be efficient. For me personally I pre-read the course guide/lecture slides before class so I had an understanding of the content, took notes on extra insights given by the lecturers, and then consolidated my notes in the afternoons/evenings after class. Some content just required memorisation (e.g. the different types of epithelial and connective tissue and their locations), so I just made flashcards for these and went through them on the bus on the way to and from uni. I would also strongly recommend using piazza for this paper. Other students will often be asking questions about the most difficult concepts, so these questions are very helpful as a way of testing yourself to see if you actually understand the concepts. Coming up with a clear answer in your own words is also a great way of reinforcing concepts for yourself. I used it as a way of procrastinating when I didn’t feel like committing to a proper study session, and I found it very helpful!