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Why did we write this book? (Preface by Zhong Kai)
The idea of writing this book came when I was still studying in JC. I remember that one of the biggest issues for me back when I was studying geography was that there was a lack of content in both bookstores and schools with regards to the subject. Having to think of the synoptic links (SL) across all the topics was also a troublesome chore which consumed many hours of my studying time. As a result, my geography results only picked up towards the end of JC2 when I had consolidated my content.
Hence, when Eric discussed with me the idea of writing a JC geography book, I immediately jumped in! I felt that it would be extremely useful for JC geography students to possess a ready-made arsenal of content which they can easily refer to. This will also save time and energy which can be used more productively. When writing this book, we decided that creating a model essay database was most effective for learning as we felt that it was the content that was solely lacking currently in the market. We have also included possible synoptic links as indicated by (SL) throughout the book so that you do not have to crack your head in coming up with your own SL.
Furthermore, I remember that being confronted with an unfamiliar essay question in an exam was one of the greatest fears during my time in JC. If you share similar worries as I once did in JC, this book is for you! With the essay questions and answers that you will be exposed to, you will definitely be much more prepared for the A-Level exam then most of your peers simply by knowing what to write once you see the essay question.
How to use this book?
As geography students, most of us would have written our own personal notes and we would advise you to do the same. So apart from just reading through the answers, you should write out every essay answer by yourself as well. If there is anything that you take away from the introduction to this book, it is that you have to do ACTIVE LEARNING! Passively reading through your geography notes won’t cut it and it will be a lot harder to recall what you have learned. We cannot emphasize this point enough! The secret to success is hard work, but you must also be smart about it! Lying on the couch and flipping through the pages of this book or any other A-Level material 1 hour before your bedtime simply will not cut it!
The bulk of the work has already been done for you in this book but to use this book effectively, active learning is required. We have found this method to be the most efficient in consolidating information as rarely does one retain information just by passive reading. You should also make sure that you are very confident with listing out the points of every essay to ensure that you have learnt the content well. Try to go over the essays and list out the main points of every relevant essay before a test. We assure you that you will be in a much more relaxed mood on the day of your exam just by knowing what you are already going to write! To keep your learning simple, we have decided to keep mostly to the format: intro, body paragraphs and conclusion. Synoptic linkages (SL) are also highlighted for easy reference.
For H1 students, questions that are not relevant to you will be indicated with a (H2 Only) beside the essay question. The 20m and 12m questions can be taken to be equivalent to your 16m and 9m questions respectively. As a bonus tip, we also suggest writing some of these essays under timed conditions so that you will feel confident that you can finish writing these essays on time. Lastly, for essays related to physical geography such as the formation of landforms, you should also be comfortable in drawing out a sketch of the landforms as this will differentiate your essay from your peers and impress your marker!
