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BATCH OF 2022
BATCH OF 2021
Tan Liang Rong (20J20)
Write Your Own Notes
Geography has a lot of content, and the notes given sometimes contain excessive case studies or out of syllabus content like condensation nuclei (e.g the Hydrology notes that are abt 120 pages long). In order to be able to absorb this content, it is highly important to write your own notes for the following reasons
It helps you internalise content taught
It helps you identify gaps in your learning (Like concepts you may not fully grasp or certain learning points in the notes that lack examples)
It helps condense the content into an acceptable amount
In writing you own notes it is extremely important that you do the following
Do not copy word-for-word from the notes
That is rote learning, you won’t understand anything from mindless mimicry. Understand the concept then phrase it in your own words (Only certain stuff you need to rote memorise, like the definition of Sustainable Development)
Follow the syllabus
A way to test your readiness and quality of the notes is to see if the ideas that you have written down are sufficient to explain the learning points in your notes, it also helps provide a way to categorise the content down and to eliminate unnecessary things taught
Be economical in the content you memorise
Synoptic links are a good way to score extra marks in essays you should take advantage of that. Instead of writing down 1 case study for every point in the syllabus, remember one detailed case study well that can be used for multiple themes. A good example of this is Water, which spans all three themes, another is deforestation. Additionally, you don’t need to memorise everything, e.g just pick one warm and one cool current instead of learning all the ocean currents
Draw pictures
Only relevant for Physical Geog, but concepts like hydrology, ITCZ, Karsts, River Morphology etc. all involve figures and diagrams, it would be helpful to draw pictures
Be consistent
Geography is a content heavy subject, in fact it might have the most content barring history and CSC. While writing notes may help reduce the content you need to absorb, you must still put in the effort to learn the content. You are not expected to spend 3+ hours a day learning geography (After all you have 4 other subjects), but you should set weekly targets for yourself on what you want to complete and should you fail these targets, identify why and ensure you can meet them next week.
My weekly schedule was:
2 APPs
2 subchapters of notes handwritten (e.g 1.1.1 and 1.1.2)
If you don’t have APPs yet then just do 2 subchapters
JC in general is about discipline and consistent effort across your subjects so just put in the daily effort and you will be fine. When you do get APPs in J2, it is imperative that you start as soon as possible as well.
It helps you get used to the rigour of 20m essay questions, which will help you write faster in exams
It helps you recall J1 content while doing the essay
It’s a good time for you to experiment with certain points or case studies that you might be unsure if they can be used
Go for consults
Geography at the start will be quite difficult to grasp, you should see your tutors to prevent gaps in learning from snowballing. Seeing tutors also helps motivate (or stress you) into actually sticking to your weekly targets because you will feel bad if you book them for consults but bring nothing there.
It is also the time for you to check if your handwritten notes are ok, check if your summarised definitions are good, check if your self-researched case study is acceptable, check if your application of certain synoptic links is appropriate etc. Never assume that it is ok, its always better to run whatever handwritten/self made stuff your have done through your tutor
Don’t Sleep during lecture
Easier said than done, especially when it’s the first or last period of the day. Even if you only capture 60% of the lecture because it moves quite fast, it still helps you provide a foundation and basic understanding of the topic and what it is about. I try to stay awake by drinking ice coffee before lecture or highlighting the important sentences in the notes that have been mentioned in the slides.
EXAM TACTICS
HOW TO DO WELL FOR ESSAYS
Smoke (Abit)
Be explicit and clear in the processes that you explain, use certain key phrases like ‘The Development of Underdevelopment’ to signal to the examiner that you know what you are talking about. Name drop relevant diagrams to look extra smart (e.g Peltier’s Diagram, Hjustrom Curve, Rostow’s Model of Development etc.)
Write more
A good essay length is about 4 to 6 points, between 3 to 4 pages for 20m and 2 pages for 12m. While quality is important, quantity is also important
Manage your time
You should devote 5 mins to planning, 10mins to the 12m essay and 45min to the 20m essay, Reason being that the 12m essay is content-based and thus its easy to get L3/4 but difficult to get L5 unless you know the content unreasonably well, so just give medium effort in recalling content and move on. The 20m essay is where you score, because there is synoptic links which are easy to do if you know the content well and the scope of the question is much larger, making the amount of content you can use a lot broader as well. Usually my score for an essay question is a): 7/12, b): 17/20, total: 24/32 (75%)
View Geography as relationships
Instead of understanding individual phenomena (like Karsts, Rivers etc.), you should see our world as different systems (Air, Water, Earthe etc.) both Human and Physical that interact with one another, categorising these phenomena with these systems. I know it sounds abit chim, but that is how the subject ‘clicked’ for me personally. That is how you score for evaluation and insight in essays, when you show the examiner that you understand that these landmarks/events are not mere isolated phenomenon, but products of global systems interacting with one another, and on different timescales
FINAL WORDS
As a fledgling J1, many of the notes I have given will not relevant till promos, when you have to revise your content. You will fail, you will be confused as times, but the important thing is to persist. You will have plenty of opportunities to fail, and the only exam that truly matters is your A levels. While I may not know you personally, I wish you the best of luck from an ex-Geog student to a current one
Brandon & Dana (20J19)
Hey there! We are Brandon and Dana. Throughout our Geog Journey (Geogney, if you would allow it) we have kept each other alive and sane. We just wanted to share what we have with future batches :)
Brandon: What made the journey worthwhile for me were the 'friends we made along the way'. I believe that finding someone to study geography with or even just to share notes and examples is crucial to keeping that flame alive in order to strive for that A. I cannot tell you how many times I've been encouraged by them.
Dana: Aww... Honestly, I didn't really understand much of geog in JC1 and was feeling out of my depth. But come JC2, I realised the importance of using the resources the geog department provides for us. If you have a short attention span like me, focus on the concise notes (lesson recaps) given by the teachers for each sub-topic instead of the longer lecture notes.
Brandon: Actually I just recycled those thick 100 pgs notes...
Dana: Also, don't try to memorise the whole notes word-for-word. Instead, you must really understand the concept to be able to apply it to different essays. This is where APPs come in. APPs are a godsend if you're feeling totally lost and swamped by too much content. Aim to do 1 APP every week and go for consults with the geog teachers to review your answers. This helps to patch up the holes in your understanding.
Brandon: We do APPs pretty differently. Personally, I first plan out the essay with all the examples I would use and the points I would make. Then, if it's feeling a little lacklustre, I would refer to the lesson recap to substantiate my essay plan. Finally, I'll memorise the essay plan before I write the essay out. This way, I am geogging my memory while building on what I already know. I've found this method useful in cutting down revision times and reading through the lesson recap over and over again as well as allows me to plan ahead for synoptic thinking.
Dana: For me, because I have a short memory span, I tend to forget the things I learnt in class. So before every APP, I will read through the section of the lesson recap that answers the essay question while trying to digest as much information as I can. Then, I take a short 30 minutes break before starting to write my APP. While writing, it is inevitable that I will forget an important point/example so that's when I make a mental note to myself to remember my mistake at that part while referring back to my lesson recap for the answer. Of course, this isn't applicable to the APPs that don't have standard answers and are more broad. For those APPs, your own knowledge spanning across different topics is the key so be consistent in your revision efforts!
On this note, you should definitely make use of consults with the teachers, especially if you thrive in a smaller/more personal class environment. Consults are the golden opportunities to clarify all your questions; when your questions are answered, I highly recommend you jot it down somewhere because there's a 80% chance you'll totally forget it in a few months time. Also if you're not strong in science concepts or you have a hard time grasping the tougher geographical terms, you can ask for simpler explanations during consults. This is what helped me greatly as a full arts student who couldn't understand most of the more-sciencey concepts in the geog notes.
Brandon: Urgh... rocks am I right? I would recommend reading up on your own examples that interests you instead of just memorising what is given. This helps you to retain the information you memorise better as you are actually interested in it as well as allows you to stand out from mainstream examples. Sourcing your own examples also provides opportunities for synoptic thinking. For example, a case study of IKEA can link to both TNCs and SDGs as well as deforestation.
If you made it this far, you're already a step closer to doing well in Geography. While you're mugging for the subject, remember to take care of yourself. For those who haven't started, its almost never too late. You're looking at someone who takes naps in class.
Dana: Oi you also never do tutorial! Don't be like him guys.
Brandon: Shhhhh... anyways, don't forget to have fun studying Geography. You might not remember the Karst Landscapes in the next few years but you will always remember the puns and geokes.
We wish you all the best. Remember, its a marathon not a sprint. Don't stop geogging! No walking xD.
BATCH OF 2020
Li Ying Ying (19J15)
Hello juniors!
I am here to give current geog students as well as those thinking about taking geog some advice. Disclaimer, these may be the things that have worked for my friends and me, so you are free to take it with a pinch of salt if you feel that any of them do not suit you.
To those who are currently taking geog, you might be wondering how to adequately prepare yourself for the major exams. As you all know and would have realised, geog is quite a content-heavy subject, hence I would like to emphasise that consistent effort Is very important. It is okay if you do not understand the content first time during the lectures, but try to follow and keep up with the lessons. Do your tutorials properly and clarify any questions during tutorials as it is the best time for you to understand new content. Before each test and exam, go through all your necessary materials thoroughly. However, do note that studying all the content does not equate to knowing how to apply them to the questions during an exam, so always remember to do practice questions as well. Towards majors exam, it is especially important to do timed practices so as to simulate exam conditions. This will ensure that you know when you should be at which question, reducing your panic during exams. For the JC2s, I would strongly encourage you to go for APPs as not only it will allow you to recap your JC1 materials, but also really clarify any doubts with the teachers. Last but not least, trust yourself and your teachers. Do not stress out too much, things will all come together when you are able to link the different concepts together, and this is when geog really becomes very interesting.
If you are a junior reading this but is currently not yet in JC, I’m sure that you are in a dilemma and whether you should take up geog in JC (because if you aren’t considering geog I don’t think you’ll be here), just go for it if you feel that you really enjoy the content that you have learnt in Secondary school. I don’t want you to be that person regretting your decision taking some other humanities because you feel that geog is too content heavy. Don’t be that person in your years of JC telling your geog friends ‘I should have taken geog man, XXX humans is so difficult’. Be courageous, and know that no matter what challenge you have put yourself through, you will be able to overcome it. No matter how difficult it is, there will always be a good support system throughout your JC journey and you can do it.
Email contact: liyingying4589@gmail.com
Rachel Sng (19J18)
Throughout JC, Geography has deepened my interest in various areas of study, from tropical climates, to how multinational companies function. In a world where climate change is becoming an increasingly pressing issue, Geography continues to remain relevant and practical to our learning, especially in the small island state that we live in. If you have a strong interest in environmental sustainability and conservation, or if you simply just like nature, this is a subject you would not want to miss out on! The A-level journey is definitely not an easy one, but your interest in the subject will definitely make this trip more enjoyable.
In RV, the geography teachers are very warm and dedicated to teaching this subject. They have created a close knit-learning community, with discussion based tutorials and the APP consultation programmes that have helped us to revise content regularly while deepening our understanding. Taking geography has been an enjoyable experience for me, and I hope you would take it too!
Email contact: ssmrachel@gmail.com
Gan Chi Kiat (19J09)
To me, Geography requires you to make your arguments and answers sound sophisticated based on (previously) presented information. However, there are definitely some pre-requisites to be able to do so, such as knowing the content, but like not exactly inside out, just know the general arguments (maybe 70-80%?) and have a few notable case studies (lesson recaps help for these!!!!!)
My strategy for writing responses usually takes the following form: Point A ---> leads to Event A ---> Event A may lead to Event B and so on. Basically, its a train of logic and reasoning? But for Physical Geography, due to the lack of comprehensive understanding of like the entire 'natural system', then have to memorise. I find my strategy particularly helpful for human geography and GI, where the relationship between people and things are generally more interesting and easier to reason on the spot because it is more relatable to us.
Using a super basic example, a very basic framework I have for a cause of overurbanisation: People cannot find work --> look for work --> work is in city --> go to the city --> more people go --> over populated. But for H2 Geog, there is also a need to marry ideas together, so can point out like other causes as to why people need to find work and so on (circular rather than linear train of thought).
In general for Geog, I think for you to do well, you need to be interested in a few of the topics, then studying wouldn't be that tedious, but it would be more like broadening your knowledge about the world, and especially in areas that will be relevant in the future, such as Sustainable Development. So for Paper 1, just have a few topics that you are interested in and like just really understand it. For this, I don't really have a lot of tips because I just follow the main advice given to me by Mr Ng: "For paper 1, it's just reading through the lesson recap, then writing down what you understood from it". That's why APP is helpful also, you get to practice the above, and they help you check you understanding. Win-win.
Paper 2 is that one where I feel it is really easy to score, and it is also very similar to Sec School Geog. For GI, follow the format, remember SMART and stick to it, cannot go wrong one. As most Geog teachers would advise, GI is legit just use your common sense, but if I had to value add to that, it would be to empathise with the GI organisers and participants as well. Like, be thoughtful and go the extra mile to consider the specific needs of the target groups, and make the necessary and customised adjustments for them (of course, there would be a few common ones that are transferable between all GIs).
For those questions that give graphs and data, this is the money maker. It is literally a show and tell session. For me, I just tell myself: Imagine you are trying to present the data to an 'investor from a big company', so you pick out the important data with relevant significance that can 'influence the investor's decision' to award you. One mistake is people very kiasu, so they waste a lot of time spamming the useless data, so like the Geog chers said, know the mark scheme, and pick the important data, very easy to score. For those that test content, I also use my train of thought method. For me, very foolproof, very braindead if you 大概 know what you are saying and the content. Name dropping is useful for Paper 2 too. As for the evaluative questions, just treat it like a mini paper 1, but condensed and summarised and remember to name drop also.
To sum up, as Mr Ng once said "Geography is easy". And he's right. My advice is don't be overwhelmed by the amount of content and lesson recap, and just be open-minded about the information you receive, because sometimes it is really very enriching and meaningful and it helps you enjoy the subject a lot more. Last but not least, if you can vomit out 80% of the lesson recap, you are more or less safe. Given the resources and systems in place in RV, an A for Geography is not as difficult as anyone thinks. Hope this helps.
Email contact: ganchikiat@gmail.com
BATCH OF 2019
Cheng Jing Han (6P)
Geography to me is a genuinely fun subject, since we really get to learn about everything from rocks to globalisation to slums, so one really gets a sense of how the world works. Not to mention, the examples and case studies we learn about in geog help with other subjects like GP too!
BATCH OF 2018
Kwek Jo Ee
Hello juniors! As you guys read this, I believe you may be wondering whether it will be truly advisable to take Geography in JC, as it is a content-heavy subject requiring loads of memorisation. Some of us may also wonder if studying Geography can bring us any good university/career prospects in the future. I see these as valid concerns - in fact, quite a lot of my peers expressed such thoughts too.
But as your senior who has taken Geography at the A-levels and subsequently gone on to major in Geography, I would like to assure you that studying Geography has made me a better thinker! I have learnt to think more critically, and more importantly, more geographically - I now understand that in truly learning about the world and its intricacies, we need to first learn, and appreciate, the (geographical) contexts that lie within. And this is a skill we so very need in this dynamic and unpredictable era, because it helps us think deeply and possibly, uncover unique solutions that can only be seen through the geographical eye.
That said, I urge all of you to think carefully about whether to take Geography. Just like how different entities in the world have different underlying contexts, all of you have had your own unique experiences with learning Geography. If your journey with Geography in these 4 years has been fruitful and fulfilling, why not take Geography in JC and further develop your geographical eye? Personally, I found JC Geography even more interesting, and I truly enjoyed every lesson I had (also, Geography was the only subject I did not feel sian studying for, too).
Hope you guys found my advice helpful and all the best!
Email contact: guozuer@gmail.com
BATCH OF 2013
Poh Yi Le
Though I have enjoyed a more-than-average affinity with the natural environment from young, it was H2 Geography that first introduced me to the idea of interdependence between humans and the natural environment. I grew to appreciate my surroundings and happenings around the world better.
I went on to do a degree in Environmental Earth Systems Science at NTU's Asian School of the Environment, and had a headstart in my foundational modules compared to my non-geography peers. Through university, I've had research opportunities in palaeoclimatology (study of past climates), ecology, environmental economics, politics and law -- all these I wouldn't have experienced if not for my resolve to further my knowledge that I've been exposed to from my days of studying geography.
Upon graduation, I worked in an executive position in a sustainable tourism start-up for 2 years from 2018-2020. Currently, I am pursuing a Masters by Research degree at National Institute of Education with the Geography faculty. My research interest is in utilising geospatial technologies in the teaching and learning of regional environmental and sustainability issues in Southeast Asia.
Email contact: danielle.poh.yi.le@gmail.com
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