Something else I just remembered. Different schools have differing degrees of difficulty. Just because you have an A, a 100% or a 105% in a class doesn't mean you really know the material, some professors just have low standards. It's up to you to "learn the material" regardless of how well you are doing on your exams. This is a frustrating reality for me.
@ Rguil-- So true. My gen chem class at community college (the only CC pre-req I'm taking) is a dire reality of this. Also, thanks for your previous response.
@Wholeheartedly-- very helpful.
A couple points:
--As was mentioned, memorizing or understanding something is made infinitely easier (and some would say only made possible) by incorporating it into the framework of pre-existing knowledge. Even facts that seem to ask to only be memorized will be better recalled if you understand them and are able to explain them, as opposed to just being able to recite them. Also, at least as far as the science pre-reqs are concerned, I could get by in HS with just memorizing stuff and applying some common sense (and I went to a rigorous private high school). My college chemistry class (not the one I'm taking at a CC) at a top university kicked my butt because I had to actually understand stuff, and I was spending too much time (inefficiently) to do that. Which brings me to my next point.
--Several sources (including college science profs) I've done research on have recommended to NOT read the science chapter assigned before the class, and only do it afterwards. This sounds like heresy, and even now I'm a little doubtful, but I just might try it. Many sources recommend just skimming the chapter looking for keywords, definitions, headings, etc., to get the key points. This makes sense to me because whenever I'd read the chapter before class, I wouldn't get most of it anyway (either understand it the first time around or remember it afterwards), and would inevitably feel like I had to read the chapter again after class just to "get everything." Which brings me to my next point.
--Perfectionists beware. You can't understand ALL of the material, so you have to filter. This is still something I'm not entirely convinced of and am trying to work on. Several college science professors have mentioned this as well.
--Finally, explore new ways of taking notes and studying. For example, I just read the book "Concise Learning" by Krasnic, which explores the idea of image mapping or visual mapping instead of taking linear notes. I tried this yesterday on the first day of chemistry class and I actually really liked it. He says you should tie ideas together visually, just writing a few words or a phrase at a time. Don't clutter the visual map with definitions or complete sentences-- definitions can go at the bottom of the page. He recommends doing this when you read the outline of a chapter before class, and adding on to it during class, and then making a new one afterwards. He says when you totally know the material you should be able to recreate this map from memory. I really like this technique because I realized my way of thinking is completely non-linear, and making maps are just more compatible for taking notes as well as adding on new concepts, ideas, and definitions the professor explains later in the lecture. Also it's more creative and just more fun for me.
--Other tip: don't highlight. Highlighting is more passive learning, whereas making notes in the margin is more active. I like this as well, as long as the notes I take during pre-read or post-read (pre- and post- referring to class discussion) aren't incredibly time consuming and it's not like re-writing the textbook.
These are just a few tips that I've picked up from several sources, hope you find what works for you.
You gotta be able to narrow your focus!
