Whats the best studying method for subjects like Biology? (1 Viewer)

[NickSo]

Hi guys, I got my bio finals in 3 days, and i gotta know some effective studying methods for the subject.

Right now im just reading over my notes, but i always lose focus and think about something else while looking at the notes. And it doesnt really feel like the info gets into my brain.

For smaller tests, i usually wrote out notes for the chapters, and it worked very well for me... but writing notes for a whole years' work would be hugely tiring and time consuming.

Anybody got ideas of efficient studying for a subject like biology?

Thanks

 

[Chris Bardon]

Well, for something like that, there's just a lot of "knowledge" type questions rather than being based on Mechanics like a more mathematical course. In other words-you'll know it or you won't. If you've done the other tests you should be prepared, but some suggestions:

Re-do the old tests cold and see how you do. True, you've seen the questions before, but since you're being tested on the same material there might be some repeats.

Old exams-especially ones written by the same prof are always a great place to look. Gives you an idea of what to expect.

Hope that at least gives you a start.

 

[NickSo]

Hmm, sounds good, but one problem.. this is a high school bio final, so you cant really get old exams, and my teacher doesnt give back old tests...

I've heard that the exam questions are based entirely on chapter reviews, but im not certain, so if i study all the reviews, and it turns out its NOT based on the reviews, then im screwed.

 

[Chris Bardon]

HS Bio? Should be completely basic then, and you shouldn't need to study
Look at it this way then. Your exam has to cover the entire course, so there's likely going to be something from EACH section of the course on there. Think back to your classes, and try to remember what what was stressed in each section-chances are that this is where the question will be drawn from (if something was mentioned 3 times or more-you'll almost certainly be tested on it). You don't even get your own tests back? Sounds strange.
Seems like your best bet is the review questions then. If they do what they say and review the material from the chapter, then you should have all your bases covered. Again though, make sure you know if the prof has any sort of pet sections or concepts that they might like to test on.

 

[Adil M]

Nick,
Don't sweat it. Make sure you are focused when studying. If this means you need a quiet place, go find it. Set a goal for how much you want done for that day and DO IT. Take some breaks. It will sink in. Good luck.

 

[Justin Lane]

For Bio I would suggest maybe making up flash cards or a poster board for the important concepts covered in class or for each chapter.

This method causes you to review the material again while writing down the information as well. Once you have your study guides completed then you can focus on what you wrote down.

Unless the teacher is a total ass and hits you with unrelated stories/factoids that could pop up in the text, this method should work well in understanding most of the major concepts.

J

 

[Brad_V]

For studying most anything, connect the item you're learning to any kind of picture, sound, or even feeling, in a way that you will remember it. Most people are visual, so that is usually the best way by far. Link the item to some kind of crazy picture. Putting in lots of action works great. The more off-the-wall the picture is, the better. One example from a memory tape is remembering where you put your keys by imagining them blowing up whatever you set them down on. "Hmmm, where'd I put my keys? Oh yeah, I blew up the coffee table."

The main thing is, unusual or exciting events stand out in your mind, so you take the thing you are learning, combine it with an unusual or exciting picture, and then you will recall it much easier.

Some subjects are hard to do this with, such as math, but other subjects it works well with. I've barely spoken a word of Japanese in years, but I did this when I was learning it, and the words/phrases I made a really good picture for are still the ones that stand out the most and are the most easily-accessible for my mind.

 

[LDfan]

My degree was in Biology. Basically the best thing to do is read, read, read. Take 1 chapter at a time, read it and go over your notes. When you have a good understanding move onto the next one and so on.


Jeff

 

[DonRoeber]

My fiance is a neurobiologist, currently in grad school working towards her PhD. Although she's done with classes now, when she had to study, she'd often start by recopying her notes. Writing things down again would help her remember it. And if she found her notes confusing in any place, she'd go back to the textbook to find more out about that part.

Of course, inorder for this to work, you have to have good notes to begin with.

 

[teapot2001]

Ask your teacher what is the best way to study for the final.

~T

 

[Dome Vongvises]

To be honest, the best way to study is to look at your notes and look at the class textbook as a companion piece. You being in High School biology, I would suspect that your test is just pure memorization. I'm also going to further assume you're not taking Histology either, although I'm not quite sure if that will make you feel any better.

You're either going to get it or won't. If you've got to identify a lot of crap on slides, boy, I hate to be in your shoes. That's hard at any level, particularly when you don't do it for a living.

 

[NickSo]

Its multiple choice/truefalse and diagrams, no slides thank goodness...
I guess i've been doing it okay all along, just writing and rewriting notes.
Yeah, my teacher says its very inefficient to study out of the textbook, so he takes them away a week before finals... Ahwell...

 

[Holadem]

For smaller tests, i usually wrote out notes for the chapters, and it worked very well for me... but writing notes for a whole years' work would be hugely tiring and time consuming.

Where are the old notes? I hope you didn't throw them away. The point of making them (beside for their respective tests)is exactly so you wouldn't have to do it over at the end of the year.

Of course it's easy for me to say now that I am not a student anymore. I could never even write notes to begin with...

--
Holadem

 

[NickSo]

Yeah, i eventually found the majority of my old notes.. but as a precaution im recopying those notes as many as possible...

 

[Chris Bardon]

Yeah, my teacher says its very inefficient to study out of the textbook, so he takes them away a week before finals

That's a little harsh-why have a textbook in the first place then?

As for the diagrams-you just have to keep pounding away at em-no real easy way there.

 

[Dome Vongvises]

That's it? No short/long answer explanation questions? Actually, this is probably worse. When you have to explain something, there's a little more knowledge involved, but also more room for error.

Essays/short answers are a double-edge sword. On one hand, they're great because A. You can either bullshit through them or B. If you know you're material, you're practically on easy street. On the other hand, they're terrible because if you don't know the answer to the question, chances are that the essay part is worth a whole lot of points. But since you're not taking essay questions, that's a big relief.
BTW, does your teacher have the letters Ph. D attached to them? Because if they don't, Nick, boy you got lucky.