Catching Up on Reading

[MissionStanford]

I'm in my sophomore year, and I'm trying to catch up on reading. I'm trying to read a chapter of organic chemistry (40-60 pages) a day and about 40 pages of genetics a day. In addition, I need to do all the problems associated with each chapter of organic chemistry (Just for the sake of actually practicing what I'm learning). Any advice on how to tackle this workload (ex: How to go about this in a structured way without burning out and getting exhausted)? I'm a pretty slow reader, especially with dense, difficult reading like this (or at least difficult for me).

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[cheechootrain]

I'm in my sophomore year, and I'm trying to catch up on reading. I'm trying to read a chapter of organic chemistry (40-60 pages) a day and about 40 pages of genetics a day. In addition, I need to do all the problems associated with each chapter of organic chemistry (Just for the sake of actually practicing what I'm learning). Any advice on how to tackle this workload (ex: How to go about this in a structured way without burning out and getting exhausted)? I'm a pretty slow reader, especially with dense, difficult reading like this (or at least difficult for me).

Cross everything out of your schedule that doesn't involve sleeping or eating. Then do your readings for one hour, take a 10 min break, then do your problems for an hour or until you're finished with the designated pages, then take a 5 min break, then repeat until you finished everything.

 

[PreMedOrDead]

I've never read in-depth for a class before. Saved me a lot of $$ on textbooks.

Mathematics - Problem sets.

Chemistry - Do problems sets, pay attention in class.

Biology - Study notes intently, avoid the book at all costs unless its details are tested (usually they aren't). If they are, outline the main points, review these and terminology.

Humanities - Skim the book, read book synopses online, review lecture material.

Languages - Practice. Practice. Practice.

Disclaimer: These are obviously dependent on professor. After the first test, review it. What does the professor pick questions from? How are they formatted? What's important, what's not? Learn the professor's tendencies, and find out what's going to be important and what's not. Usually it ends up being pretty obvious. I have gotten to the point where I can basically predict a professor's essay questions by the second exam.

 

[Geebeejay]

You're gonna burn out pretty fast reading 4 texts a semester cover to cover. Just go to class and pay attention - 90% of the info you should need will be presented in class.

 

[Praefectus]

Reading textbooks? You're doing it wrong, bro.

 

[Black Mamba24]

You're gonna burn out pretty fast reading 4 texts a semester cover to cover. Just go to class and pay attention - 90% of the info you should need will be presented in class.

Reading textbooks? You're doing it wrong, bro.

These. For Ochem, I would saying practice questions are key. For most other classes, going over the lecture slides/notes should be enough to do well.

 

[Gauss44]

I'm in my sophomore year, and I'm trying to catch up on reading. I'm trying to read a chapter of organic chemistry (40-60 pages) a day and about 40 pages of genetics a day. In addition, I need to do all the problems associated with each chapter of organic chemistry (Just for the sake of actually practicing what I'm learning). Any advice on how to tackle this workload (ex: How to go about this in a structured way without burning out and getting exhausted)? I'm a pretty slow reader, especially with dense, difficult reading like this (or at least difficult for me).

As a very last resort, you might be able to use ExamKrackers OC as a summary. You could only do that if you studying something covered by the MCATs. It would still be risky though.

 

[487806]

Reading textbooks? You're doing it wrong, bro.

Well, op's planning to go to stanford med, so he has to set up very high priorities to gain acceptance.

OP, if your professor assigned a book but doesn't follow it, would reading the book help?

 

[ComfortCreature]

I used textbooks from time to time if a prof didn't clearly explain a concept. Also, the important part of ochem texts are the practice problems. Premedordead laid it out very well.

Reading the book is low yield.

 

[Claudin]

I used textbooks from time to time if a prof didn't clearly explain a concept. Also, the important part of ochem texts are the practice problems. Premedordead laid it out very well.

Reading the book is low yield.

Totally agree. I figured this out a little too late in the game. For the entire first year, I was reading textbooks like an idiot. Second year, I only read up on things I didn't understand...

And if it's recommended reading, you don't have to read it at all lol

 

[487806]

Contrary to most people here, I learn best when reading textbooks chapter by chapter. It sounds like you are trying to read too much too quickly. Maybe you need to in order to catch up, but if you can set manageable daily goals (e.g., 8 pages a day), you can read a whole book over the course of the semester.

It doesn't work for everyone, but I love it.

That's useful if your professor follows the book. Otherwise, it's a waste of time.

 

[def1]

That's useful if your professor follows the book. Otherwise, it's a waste of time.

Unless your professor is going off some completely unrelated material, reading the book is never a waste of time. Simply going off the powerpoints is usually all thats needed but that only helps with memorizing for the test, if you read the textbooks you will actually have excellent understanding in the subject.

I wouldn't have been able to survive biochem or immunology without reading each chapter word for word, especially considering we were quizzed each day on what we were supposed to read before class.

trying to read 40 pages a day is difficult.I've done it when I procrastinate to the last minute before a test but its definitely not a good idea. You should be reading through the semester around 8-10 pages a day like another poster put. If you wait til the last minute to read, you will be miserable.

 

[Claudin]

Contrary to most people here, I learn best when reading textbooks chapter by chapter. It sounds like you are trying to read too much too quickly. Maybe you need to in order to catch up, but if you can set manageable daily goals (e.g., 8 pages a day), you can read a whole book over the course of the semester.

It doesn't work for everyone, but I love it.

I guess this is true as well. I have some friends who do really well learning from textbooks, so it really is a matter of preference. For me, however, the information in textbooks is just too overwhelming, and by the time I have a midterm, I will forget most of what I read. I guess I just have a poor memory -__-

 

[Served]

Reading textbooks? You're doing it wrong, bro.

I just had to comment on this...how do you expect to learn by not reading the textbook? How else would you learn? Lectures are designed to feed you supplementary information that is perhaps not covered in the book. If you expect to learn everything from the lecture, you're doing it wrong, bro.

 

[KnuxNole]

I just had to comment on this...how do you expect to learn by not reading the textbook? How else would you learn? Lectures are designed to feed you supplementary information that is perhaps not covered in the book. If you expect to learn everything from the lecture, you're doing it wrong, bro.

It's been mainly the opposite in my undergrad experience. Textbooks were optional in a lot of cases, and the notes were the primary source for learning.

Med school...forget about opening a textbook lol

 

[Served]

It's been mainly the opposite in my undergrad experience. Textbooks were optional in a lot of cases, and the notes were the primary source for learning.

Med school...forget about opening a textbook lol

That's interesting. Students don't use textbooks in med schools? How come?

 

[487806]

It's been mainly the opposite in my undergrad experience. Textbooks were optional in a lot of cases, and the notes were the primary source for learning.

Med school...forget about opening a textbook lol

Another reason why I love med schools

 

[487806]

That's interesting. Students don't use textbooks in med schools? How come?

Simply put, too much material to learn in a short amount of time.

 

[Batman MD]

I've never read in-depth for a class before. Saved me a lot of $$ on textbooks.

Mathematics - Problem sets.

Chemistry - Do problems sets, pay attention in class.

Biology - Study notes intently, avoid the book at all costs unless its details are tested (usually they aren't). If they are, outline the main points, review these and terminology.

Humanities - Skim the book, read book synopses online, review lecture material.

Languages - Practice. Practice. Practice.

Disclaimer: These are obviously dependent on professor. After the first test, review it. What does the professor pick questions from? How are they formatted? What's important, what's not? Learn the professor's tendencies, and find out what's going to be important and what's not. Usually it ends up being pretty obvious. I have gotten to the point where I can basically predict a professor's essay questions by the second exam.

Aside from my upper level math proof classes, I read one chapter in one physics textbook all 4 years in college. I followed a very similar plan as to you and it never faltered. I find that most stress associated with biology and chemistry-based classes comes self-induced. For organic chemistry, I recommend purchasing Organic Chemistry as a Second Language. It saved my life and saved much time.

I'm also not saying "look at me, look at me, I did all this without reading the book." I didn't have the advantage of free time in college - I swam D1 and had 30+ hours of practice and travelling every week (on Saturdays we either were travelling to meets for 10+ hours, or we had practice from 8am-11pm). My only day off was on Sundays, and I spent that day at my hospital working in clinical research. I had to make sacrifices and learn the best ways to master my material.

Here's the point of this long and winded speech - you don't necessarily need to read the books to master the material. Smart and efficient studying is the best studying.

 

[Narmerguy]

I'm a fan of reading textbooks because I learn it better without all the senseless jumping around that professors often do. That's fine when you just want to learn what they show exactly as they show it, but I often need to understand the fundamentals behind concepts and how each item is built from another--textbooks do this a lot better than an hour long lecture for me...not to mentions professors often suck at explaining stuff that can be explained quite thoroughly in a text. I think my upper level physics classes were the only ones where I wouldn't read the book but that was mostly because it was very difficult to understand the material/math.

Honestly, if you're trying to read a chapter a day of organic, you'll never succeed. That's way too ambitious and you'll never retain it like that. You could essentially finish a 20 chapter organic chemistry book in 4 weeks, which is absurdly fast and way beyond the speed of any class. Go for one or two chapters a week, especially if you're going to do problems as well. I thought Cheechootrain's advice was pretty good for how you might go about it on a day to day basis.

 

[PreMedOrDead]

I'm a fan of reading textbooks because I learn it better without all the senseless jumping around that professors often do.

You're implying that textbooks don't senselessly jump around.

 

[xXIDaShizIXx]

These. For Ochem, I would saying practice questions are key. For most other classes, going over the lecture slides/notes should be enough to do well.

Unless your OChem professors pull their 25 step mechanisms out of thin air... -_-

 

[Narmerguy]

You're implying that textbooks don't senselessly jump around.

I have more faith in a meticulously edited textbook compiling the work of dozens of scientists, editors, and students than 30 slides my professor made in between running gels (or hunting down grad students to run them) and copying and pasting images from wikipedia. Most textbooks (at least in the lower level sciences like organic chemistry, genetics, and biochemistry) are very well organized and provide a foundation of knowledge and concepts that are built upon throughout the book. If not, it's usually not hard to find a book that is as there are hundreds of them to choose from.