Help in General Biology.. Advice?

[iamdangermouse]

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Hi.. I'm a freshman undergrad student, and I'm taking chemistry and general biology this year..
I just feel overwhelmed by biology because I never took biology during my 4 years of high school because I lived overseas during that time.

We took our first exam this week, and I scored 78% = C.

But the thing is, I thought I studied hard for it (read the textbook, made notes, memorized), dedicated 3 times the amount of time others put into it..

So does anyone have any advice on how to study biology - especially in my case where it's a first?
Books, study methods, or websites that are helpful to prepare myself for bio?


Thanks in advance!

 

[goosestuff]

The first thing to do is to see where you stand compared to the rest of your class. If the average for the exam was a 73, then you are better off. If the class average was 83...

Next, talk to your professor. That goes for all classes - opening a dialogue with a prof and reaching out for guidance will only help. It shows you care. Just don't grade grub.

Finally find some people to study with. Do independent study to prepare for meeting with your friends, then get together and review. It really helps reinforcing the ideas.

GL!

 

[TheWiredNerv]

What are you study habits? Do you put in good hours or put in a lot of bad hours? Many studies show that to be the most attentive when studying, you should take a small break after every 1 1/2 hours.

You can also try getting the general idea of the chapter you're reading by using Schaum's bio outline then tackling the text book.

 

[Decan]

There are several things you can do:

- Read ahead. Before you go to lecture, read your textbook ahead of time (no matter how confusing it may be) but get through the chapter at least once. Once you're in lecture, sit back and listen and write down what you dont understand. When you go home, read the book again and make sure you look for what you didnt understand in lecture

- It's not about quantity, its about quality. You can study for 8 hours but if you don't understand what's going on or you dont make the right connections, its a waste of time.

- Find some friends to study with and make a study schedule so you dont start studying the week before the exam

- If all else fails, get a tutor

 

[SanOnofre2002]

If the prof allows it, record the lecture and then listen to it again later and refine your notes. I bought a tapeless recorder at Office Depot for about $50. You can even download your lectures onto your computer with it.

 

[iamdangermouse]

Yeah, I ordered a recorder online and I believe it's arriving sometime next week.

And thanks for the great advices.. I do think I should try out a different study method, and definitely seek my professors for advice. I don't think I've ever tried study group because I didn't know how effective they were.. but I'm going to try that out now.

Thanks! : )