Paper 1 Language A

Intro - text type, context, themes, tone, authorial

intention, brief overview of arguments, link to guiding
question

Body - 3 to 5 paragraphs of point, evidence, analysis --

but really zoom in with analysis, linking everything to
anything relevant. eg. not just listing, but asyndetic
listing, saying what the effect on the reader is, why it's
appropriate for the text, how it links to the authorial
intention(s) and how it is linked to the guiding question.
Rinse and repeat at least twice per paragraph. Bonus
points if you mention the effect when different points are
combined, eg. how one is strengthened by the other.
Include structural and textual features always.

Conclusion - Tie all the points together, link to the

guiding question, link to real life context, and I usually
end with a hopeful statement about the future (if the
text is on something like gender equality, climate change,
racism, etc.) if it matches the authorial intention.

Tips for Chem

1. Know your basic foundational chemistry (eg. know
how to draw Lewis structures of common complex
ions / molecules, know how bonds work and what
 lone pairs do in different molecules; try to understand
the interactions of particles based on their
properties). This helps across the units, and can help
ease understanding if you can imagine why a reaction
is exo/endothermic, why x is attracted to y, etc.
Lewis structures also come up quite often in exams,
so best be ready.
2. Understand as opposed to memorise. Aim to know
why something happens, as opposed to simply what
happens. Recall through memorisation is useful until
you forget it; recall through understanding can bring
back forgotten information.
3. Integration of units -- try to see if concepts from one
unit can also apply to another. Eg. keep on coming
back to enthalpy, Gibbs free energy, moles
calculations, etc. Constant recall helps strengthen
knowledge foundations and helps decrease studying
load in the future.
4. Loads of practice papers. Some of the stuff in the
earlier tests you won't know, but the vast majority
you should. You can also pick up trends, eg. the kind
of questions they ask on enthalpy, the kind of
questions they ask when they want you to do a back
titration / normal titration calculation. Also helps
because you might encounter a similar question in
the actual exam. But save this for later, before your
 actual exams. Make sure you know how the IB
wants you to answer questions -- not just that you
know how to generally answer them. Exam
technique is key.
5. Long term memory recall techniques. I used
flashcards (Anki - also uses spaced repetition) to
help consolidate some of the stuff I learned in class.
Coming back to earlier topics is so helpful, and I
can't stress how much it helps to do even a tiny bit
each day.
6. Know how you learn and retain knowledge best. If
it's through drawing stuff, do lots of that. If it's
through listing, categorising, making notes, whatever
-- go for it. If it's through acronyms, make them as
memorable to you as possible (however that might
be). If it works, it works.