Depth Study Tips (1 Viewer)

TryhardIndian

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Tips needed for physics, chemistry and biology year 12 depth studies!
 
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turtle67

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I haven't done my year 12 one, so I am not the most qualified to talk about this but I did alright in the prelim one and this is just what I have picked up on:
  • Typically, there isn't a word limit, but this does not mean you should be verbose. Do not be verbose at all, be as succinct as you can.
  • When explaining (in research or discussion), it is often helpful to include diagrams, and label these diagrams yourself so it fits your explanation.
  • Ensure you do an adequate amount of trials.
  • Ensure that you discuss accuracy, reliability and validity, and how this could have been improved, always say how whatever you mention in your discussion could have been improved if you were to do it again. It may seem like you're just pointing out errors for the markers to notice, but they already know, and they want to see if you know how to resolve your issues or not.
That's about all I can think of at the moment, but I will come back if I can think of any more.
Again, not the most qualified, but just what I have noticed.
 

jazz519

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It's kind of difficult to give you help. Each depth study is different based on what the school assigns, like for example in chemistry some of my tutoring students have had a depth study on water quality and monitoring, buffers, polymers, molar heat of combustion etc. Therefore, whatever you are going to have to write and do will vary. Some schools provide templates for the depth study in terms of questions students fill out and others want them to write a full practical report. As a result there's no one set way on how to do it.

The best piece of advice I can give you is regardless of any of these different variations, base whatever you do off the rubric they provide you. It usually tells you what a high level response needs to contain and so if you follow that and make sure you address each point you will do well
 

idkkdi

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I haven't done my year 12 one, so I am not the most qualified to talk about this but I did alright in the prelim one and this is just what I have picked up on:
  • Typically, there isn't a word limit, but this does not mean you should be verbose. Do not be verbose at all, be as succinct as you can.
  • When explaining (in research or discussion), it is often helpful to include diagrams, and label these diagrams yourself so it fits your explanation.
  • Ensure you do an adequate amount of trials.
  • Ensure that you discuss accuracy, reliability and validity, and how this could have been improved, always say how whatever you mention in your discussion could have been improved if you were to do it again. It may seem like you're just pointing out errors for the markers to notice, but they already know, and they want to see if you know how to resolve your issues or not.
That's about all I can think of at the moment, but I will come back if I can think of any more.
Again, not the most qualified, but just what I have noticed.
what the fk is your school? No word limit????? WTF

damn I wish i had no word limit.
 

MrGresh

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A few tips from my Chem and Bio depth studies:

1. Make sure you RELIGIOUSLY use the rubric provided. I got shafted with bio because i brushed off the "evaluating" bit and ended up getting 5/10 for that section.
2. Choose something achievable. I know it seems exciting to do something super difficult and impressive but it won't work. In year 11 i synthesised and purified aspirin and it was a pain in my butt. In year 12 I did some random shit with sparkling water and equilibria and got a better mark with like half the hours in the lab.
3. Don't write like a w@nker. I've seen a lot of people write depth studies and reports like they are some sort of PhD owning nobel-prize winning scientist. No. Your teacher wants to know that you UNDERSTAND the content and have the ability to succinctly and clearly express your ideas. Using verbose, confusing language will not aid in this and may, in fact, inhibit your ability to accurately describe your ideas.
4. Enjoy! Depth studies are a great opportunity to apply your knowledge of the sciences to real-world applications. It can be really rewarding if you take it seriously and actively attempt to gain knowledge and experience from it.

All the best with your Year 12 journey and, most importantly, take pride in your work!
 
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One of the most important things to demonstrate in a depth study is to show the growth in your understanding if they are getting you to do a log book of your learning.
 

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