any right-side brained ppl?

[ModyzMalak]

---

Members do not see this ad.

so i consider myself to be excellent as far as english, reasoning, critcal thinking, writing, and all that good stuff. but for some reason i continue to struggle with math and math based science. the biologys and physiologys and things im good at...its just reading and understanding it right?

but chemistry throws me off a bit and i havent taken my physics yet and i have no idea what to expect. how do you right-side brained ppl whose natural strengths are the mentioned above pull A's out of organo and physics? chem is really alot of math but...i still have trouble with it. i think i have pretty good study habits, and im not a ***** by any means (3.5 gpa) but i got a B- in pre-calc (pre-calc/trig prereq for physics) the easiest class! and i actually went to office hours, lol.

maybe i'm looking at it the wrong way and psyching myself out. when i talk to friends who are good at math they say...or its just a pattern (or formula) just memorize it and do it!

well that hasn't been working for me. i need to figure this out now coz i dont want to get into the rest of my prereqs and choke

 

[sportsfreak]

well i am totally the opposite so maybe I can help u out...what physics comes down to is understanding the concepts, just memorization won't work cause there are so many ways questions can be asked...so if you really know the concepts, why things happen and such u can solve all different types of problems...
another thing I find helpful is knowing all the formulas by heart so you don't have to try to remember them but they are at the front of your mind...by just knowing the formulas you can know what when one factor is changed how the rest are affected as well, and when u read the questions your mind will jump to the formulas that fit into the problem just because u know all of them so well
At least for me this was very helpful for physics

Orgo for me is a little bit different...the most important thing is doing a lot of problems...even if they seem repetitive keep doing them...at some point u will start seeing patterns and such, and orgo will becoming similar to solving puzzles

hope this helps, these at least work for me

I myself haven't taken MCATs yet (June 18th), but my science gpa is 3.7 due to chem, phys and math, since i haven't done that great in the bios

 

[binko]

Embrace your inner hiliter *****. You need at least purple, blue, green, a warm yellow, a cool yellow, orange, and pink to truly do this. Give up on your books' resale value, just hilite the shiznit out of them. Doesn't matter if you never go back and read it, hilite anyway. Also make color-coded notes in the margins whenever you feel like it. It takes some practice but I swear I absorb 100x as much info on just one reading when I'm scribbling neon colors at the same time. And for God's sake invest in the solutions manual.

Also just stay really organized. Put everything you learn in class into a framework of one big outline that you keep on your computer. Either take a laptop to class and type notes directly into your outline file, or else transfer them later (also gives you some review time). Don't forget there's also a hiliter function in Word/OpenOffice with every color you could ever dream of. My organic notes, for example, are all lovely muted brights, with a sort of 70's look.

Besides color, you should also use as many other modalities as you can. If your prof will let you record lectures, get a tape recorder with a built-in mic so you can listen to lectures again later. Also get some Schaum's Easy Outlines. The more compact the book, the better. They have some little pocket-sized ones I like.

HTH

 

[binko]

Oh and when people tell you it's not about memorizing, ignore them. I think science-y people have a different definition of memorizing or something. Seriously I still haven't figured out what they're talking about.

 

[redlight]

work through lots of practice problems. getting comfortable with problem solving is key, i think. and the more different types you do, the more prepared you are for any question on the test. be diligent in making sure you know why you get questions right/wrong, and make sure you don't get the same types of questions wrong again. try tough problems (that combine multiple concepts). sounds simple, but i think many people just don't put enough time into problem solving and analyzing what they did right/wrong.

 

[sportsfreak]

while hard core memorization could work with orgo, it will not work with physics...understanding the concepts is the key...but maybe this is just for me

 

[Brent8927]

Hi OP,

It sounds like your strength is words, whereas you have a tough time with numbers.

My recommendation is to try learning gen chem, o-chem, and physics, using words, or at least use them as much as possible.

Example: rather than memorizing an equation such as x = vt, try memorizing displacement equals velocity times time. And pay attention to laws--in physics and gen chem--they are generally written out, and to be honest I didn't think of them much because I just learned the numeral concept/formula that came with them. But I knew plenty of others who really focused on the laws, and kept citing Newton's 2nd Law, etc. While this was happening, I'd always wonder "what the heck is Newton's 2nd Law?" But I did know what it was--I just knew it differently!

I imagine you should be able to focus on the concepts fairly well since words are your strength. So build off of that, rather than trying to study in a manner that works for others. Everyone has their own particular way to learn, and not everything will learn the same thing in the same manner.

It makes sense that math might be tough for you, since it is basically completely dependent on numbers/symbols, rather than words. I would expect you'll have a bit easier of a time in physics and o-chem as well. Just make sure to figure out what learning method works best for you--and you may need to take different learning approaches for each class.

Good luck!

 

[bkz]

wtf does "right-brained mean" anyway? Scattered and random? Artsy instead of mathematical?

 

[redlight]

Oh and when people tell you it's not about memorizing, ignore them. I think science-y people have a different definition of memorizing or something. Seriously I still haven't figured out what they're talking about.

memorization is only part 1 of doing well, but it alone wont get you a good grade (unless your prof writes exams where you just regurgitate stuff). obviously memorize as in understand and memorize, and not just ram random info into your head. even then you can see it's not just memorizing info but rather thinking about how/what is going on and understanding to the point where you can see patterns later in problems or critically evaluate a new problem based on learned concepts.

 

[mmmcdowe]

I consider myself to be pretty proficient in both. I graduated with Biochem as my major and a minor in dance. I've written both well received scientific and humanities related articles, and I have a special affinity for history.

 

[Slowpoke]

Oh and when people tell you it's not about memorizing, ignore them. I think science-y people have a different definition of memorizing or something. Seriously I still haven't figured out what they're talking about.

when us science-y people say not to memorize and to understand material it goes something like this...

you can obviously memorize pathways such as: Kid -> Playground -> Sand

But to understand it is to ask "why?" -

Why does the kid want to go to the playground? to play in the sand. Therefore you can deduce from this Kid -> Playground -> Sand. Which makes things easier when you have very long pathways.

There is a difference.

 

[ModyzMalak]

Hi OP,

It sounds like your strength is words, whereas you have a tough time with numbers.

My recommendation is to try learning gen chem, o-chem, and physics, using words, or at least use them as much as possible.

Example: rather than memorizing an equation such as x = vt, try memorizing displacement equals velocity times time. And pay attention to laws--in physics and gen chem--they are generally written out, and to be honest I didn't think of them much because I just learned the numeral concept/formula that came with them. But I knew plenty of others who really focused on the laws, and kept citing Newton's 2nd Law, etc. While this was happening, I'd always wonder "what the heck is Newton's 2nd Law?" But I did know what it was--I just knew it differently!

I imagine you should be able to focus on the concepts fairly well since words are your strength. So build off of that, rather than trying to study in a manner that works for others. Everyone has their own particular way to learn, and not everything will learn the same thing in the same manner.

It makes sense that math might be tough for you, since it is basically completely dependent on numbers/symbols, rather than words. I would expect you'll have a bit easier of a time in physics and o-chem as well. Just make sure to figure out what learning method works best for you--and you may need to take different learning approaches for each class.

Good luck!

yes u r right, i use to be a writer in another life. thanks for the advice. i will def try to incorporate these tricks

and btw what do you do in a physics lab 😕

 

[ModyzMalak]

wtf does "right-brained mean" anyway? Scattered and random? Artsy instead of mathematical?

what i meant was

the right hemi is generally representational,artisitc,holistic information vs. categorical, squential and analytical reasoning in the left hemi. i suppose every1 must use both hemispheres to an extent but i'm more right-dominant thinking.

thanks for the advice every1--im making sticky notes of this! 😀

 

[ModyzMalak]

when us science-y people say not to memorize and to understand material it goes something like this...

you can obviously memorize pathways such as: Kid -> Playground -> Sand

But to understand it is to ask "why?" -

Why does the kid want to go to the playground? to play in the sand. Therefore you can deduce from this Kid -> Playground -> Sand. Which makes things easier when you have very long pathways.

There is a difference.

and i get that reasoning. my problem is that when i just memorize something, a pathway as u say..and i make a mistake then im screwed coz i dont know how to fix the mistake i made coz i dont know why i did what i did in the first place vs why i should have did what i didnt do!😱

 

[ModyzMalak]

when us science-y people say not to memorize and to understand material it goes something like this...

you can obviously memorize pathways such as: Kid -> Playground -> Sand

But to understand it is to ask "why?" -

Why does the kid want to go to the playground? to play in the sand. Therefore you can deduce from this Kid -> Playground -> Sand. Which makes things easier when you have very long pathways.

There is a difference.

and i get that reasoning. my problem is that when i just memorize something, a pathway as u say..and i make a mistake then im screwed coz i dont know how to fix the mistake i made coz i dont know why i did what i did in the first place vs why i should have did what i didnt do!😱

 

[ModyzMalak]

when us science-y people say not to memorize and to understand material it goes something like this...

you can obviously memorize pathways such as: Kid -> Playground -> Sand

But to understand it is to ask "why?" -

Why does the kid want to go to the playground? to play in the sand. Therefore you can deduce from this Kid -> Playground -> Sand. Which makes things easier when you have very long pathways.

There is a difference.

and i get that reasoning. my problem is that when i just memorize something, a pathway as u say..and i make a mistake then im screwed coz i dont know how to fix the mistake i made coz i dont know why i did what i did in the first place vs why i should have did what i didnt do!😱

 

[ModyzMalak]

when us science-y people say not to memorize and to understand material it goes something like this...

you can obviously memorize pathways such as: Kid -> Playground -> Sand

But to understand it is to ask "why?" -

Why does the kid want to go to the playground? to play in the sand. Therefore you can deduce from this Kid -> Playground -> Sand. Which makes things easier when you have very long pathways.

There is a difference.

and i get that reasoning. my problem is that when i just memorize something, a pathway as you say..and i make a mistake then im screwed coz i dont know how to fix the mistake i made coz i dont know why i did what i did in the first place vs why i should have did what i didnt do! 😱

 

[dw2158]

I consider myself to be pretty proficient in both. I graduated with Biochem as my major and a minor in dance. I've written both well received scientific and humanities related articles, and I have a special affinity for history.

woop! fellow biochem major and dance minor here. i also consider myself proficient in both, but i HATE history with a burning passion 😛

OP, for me it was easiest to learn organic in terms of pictures. i'm surprised binko mentioned typing her notes, because my notes were probably 90% pictures, 10% words. if you're at all visual, try to create a little movie of the reaction you're learning in your head. at least that's what i did. worked pretty well in my genetics class as well 🙂

 

[Kaustikos]

I'm artistic... but I can't imagine that I don't have left-sided brain influence as well. My mom comes from a family of artists/muscians and my dad comes from mathematicians/engineers/chemists. So I think I actually got a cocktail here.

I tried art but realized there is NO market for artists unless you want to starve yourself and the only thing I would be remotely interested in is making my comic a success. I gave up on art when I was 14 and strived to stay away from it until I recently found the success in online-comics. I got the bug and came back. But I know I still have the left-side because I loved/love math and solving puzzles (is that even left-sided?).

SO yes, there are.

 

[tpjunkie]

I double majored visual art and biology in undergrad, although my master's degree is in biomedical science. I find myself constantly doodling in class, even when I am paying attention, as well as having a strong aptitude for verbal reasoning. I suppose that would indicate I am somewhat right brained (I ended up selling some art I did to one of the profs who interviewed me for med school). Then again, my strongest mcat score was a 13 in physical sciences, and physics especially has always come pretty easily (although the associated math ALWAYS gives me trouble) so maybe I'm an amalgamation of both.

I at least like to think of myself as more right-brained than the average applicant. 😛

 

[ModyzMalak]

oppsies sorryy for the multiple posts!!😀

 

[binko]

Concepts are important, but being "right brained" generally means that the concepts are what comes easily, while the details get lost. Advice about memorization that works for "left-brained" people who find the details and algorithms easier than the overall picture, is useless for the more conceptual and abstract thinkers. That's why I think the memorization advice should be ignored by those people. I find physics much, much easier than organic for this reason. If you're a conceptual thinker and you put the time in to memorize, you will get the overall concepts almost by passive diffusion.

That's just my experience, and why I think otherwise good advice doesn't work for some people. Something to try if "work on knowing concepts" doesn't do it for you.

 

[Brent8927]

yes u r right, i use to be a writer in another life. thanks for the advice. i will def try to incorporate these tricks

and btw what do you do in a physics lab 😕

Have a good lab parter

In physics lab, read all the information beforehand, and ask the professor and/or TA lots of questions. I went over all of the take-home questions with the professor before I left the lab, and I wrote up my lab report right away (within the hour) rather than waiting until the day before the next lab. That way you do the report while it's still fresh in your mind--I used to wait until the day before to write up the lab, and it took quite a while, was a lot more difficult, and my grades were lower.

If I misread your question, and all you wanted to know was, literally, "what do you do in a physics lab?", you conduct experiments, just like in other classes. But they're much more fun--you have pendulums, circuits, funky electrical equipment (oscilloscopes, etc.) and other fun stuff.

 

[binko]

Physics lab involves using ancient equipment to attempt to take miniscule measurements, and then doing a series of calculations to figure out how much you need to fudge your numbers to make it come out right.

 

[Brent8927]

Physics lab involves using ancient equipment to attempt to take miniscule measurements, and then doing a series of calculations to figure out how much you need to fudge your numbers to make it come out right.

LOL... yes this is true!

 

[Kaustikos]

Physics lab involves using ancient equipment to attempt to take miniscule measurements, and then doing a series of calculations to figure out how much you need to fudge your numbers to make it come out right.

That was my organic chem lab...until they figured out what I was doing.🙁


no, it wasn't

 

[Druzie]

Hi OP,

It sounds like your strength is words, whereas you have a tough time with numbers.

My recommendation is to try learning gen chem, o-chem, and physics, using words, or at least use them as much as possible.

Example: rather than memorizing an equation such as x = vt, try memorizing displacement equals velocity times time. And pay attention to laws--in physics and gen chem--they are generally written out, and to be honest I didn't think of them much because I just learned the numeral concept/formula that came with them. But I knew plenty of others who really focused on the laws, and kept citing Newton's 2nd Law, etc. While this was happening, I'd always wonder "what the heck is Newton's 2nd Law?" But I did know what it was--I just knew it differently!

I think this is great advice. To take it a step further, don't just learn the equations and laws in words. Really think them through and equate them to concepts you deal with everyday (because that's what physics is). For example:

What exactly is velocity? It's how much distance is covered in a certain amount of time, like miles per hour. Then from there you can rearrange things and derive that displacement is velocity times time. (I can't emphasize enough how important/helpful keeping track of units is in physics and chemistry.)

Understanding the concepts like this will later enable you to derive anything. That way you won't get stuck in that "i make a mistake then im screwed coz i dont know how to fix the mistake i made coz i dont know why i did what i did in the first place vs why i should have did what i didnt do!😱" situation.

Best!

 

[Brent8927]

I think this is great advice. To take it a step further, don't just learn the equations and laws in words. Really think them through and equate them to concepts you deal with everyday (because that's what physics is). For example:

What exactly is velocity? It's how much distance is covered in a certain amount of time, like miles per hour. Then from there you can rearrange things and derive that displacement is velocity times time. (I can't emphasize enough how important/helpful keeping track of units is in physics and chemistry.)

Understanding the concepts like this will later enable you to derive anything. That way you won't get stuck in that "i make a mistake then im screwed coz i dont know how to fix the mistake i made coz i dont know why i did what i did in the first place vs why i should have did what i didnt do!😱" situation.

Best!

👍👍 I couldn't agree more. We had to memorize equations for our physics tests (no cheat-sheets, and on the honor code not to enter equations in our calculators). Of course, sometimes I would forget an equation, but by remembering the units of what I was looking for I could more-or-less think up and construct the equation.

In the example you gave, it saves the whole need to memorize an equation--if you just know the definition of velocity, then you already have your basic equation. Add to that the acceleration term, and now you've taken into account a non-constant velocity.

I TA'd physics, and it always surprised me when people gave an answer in the wrong units. One of the great things about physics is there are some easy ways to check your answers--the first of which is if you don't get the right units in your answer, you did something wrong!

 

[bkz]

Physics lab involves using ancient equipment to attempt to take miniscule measurements, and then doing a series of calculations to figure out how much you need to fudge your numbers to make it come out right.

or, figuring out the expected outcome in advance, working backwards, and then running repeated trials if your data doesn't match the 'ideal' data you already calculated 😛

 

[ModyzMalak]

👍👍 I couldn't agree more. We had to memorize equations for our physics tests (no cheat-sheets, and on the honor code not to enter equations in our calculators). Of course, sometimes I would forget an equation, but by remembering the units of what I was looking for I could more-or-less think up and construct the equation.

In the example you gave, it saves the whole need to memorize an equation--if you just know the definition of velocity, then you already have your basic equation. Add to that the acceleration term, and now you've taken into account a non-constant velocity.

I TA'd physics, and it always surprised me when people gave an answer in the wrong units. One of the great things about physics is there are some easy ways to check your answers--the first of which is if you don't get the right units in your answer, you did something wrong!

well im a little more optimistic than i was. im taking it fall 09 so we'll see what happens! i probably will be harassing you ppl everyday 😛
my science g.p.a is all B'S right now so I need to pull off some magic tricks :/

thanks 4 the help

 

[fxny12004]

👍listen dude, if your question is if you can do it, that is the physics, the calc, chem, (all of which are pure math really), then the answer is YES!. Im right brain sided too. I was Really Bad at Math..and i mean BAD. But guess what, i aced both semesters of chem, both semesters of Physics, and will be taking and acing Calc next semester. Do you know the secret to success? I was bad at math because i THOUGHT i was bad, plus i had a very poor math background from H.S/ Middle School. But as soon as i said to myself, IM NOT BAD AT MATH, I JUST NEED TO TRY HARDER TO UNDERSTAND THE CONCEPTS, i started to make a change for the better. Believe me when i tell you i had a hard time with Physics. But its doable. Just put hard work, some effort and you will suceed my friend. 👍

 

[ModyzMalak]

👍listen dude, if your question is if you can do it, that is the physics, the calc, chem, (all of which are pure math really), then the answer is YES!. Im right brain sided too. I was Really Bad at Math..and i mean BAD. But guess what, i aced both semesters of chem, both semesters of Physics, and will be taking and acing Calc next semester. Do you know the secret to success? I was bad at math because i THOUGHT i was bad, plus i had a very poor math background from H.S/ Middle School. But as soon as i said to myself, IM NOT BAD AT MATH, I JUST NEED TO TRY HARDER TO UNDERSTAND THE CONCEPTS, i started to make a change for the better. Believe me when i tell you i had a hard time with Physics. But its doable. Just put hard work, some effort and you will suceed my friend. 👍

omg yes you understand me! lol. i think thats what it is too...i didnt really learn concepts in high school etc and i tested into the next to lowest math on my college placement freshman year, lol. and all the math classes ive taken i cant seem to get higher than B-. i think i have like put a hex on myself. but i have no choice but to DO BETTER and i will.