I can't say for sure what will work for you because everyone learns differently, but the best way for me to memorize bio stuff is by putting what I learn in context with what I already know so that I have some reference point for memory. Study a little about how memory works, it is really fascinating. Neural pathways that are repeated a number of times come to represent ideas that the mind associates with a concept, etc.
example; today I memorized the Citric Acid Cycle structures/enzymes for Biochem. not too bad but it's a bit of info. This is how I approached it;
1. Review all the chemical structures at all points in the pathway. Look at what changes, how the bonds to O shift, where there are sulfur bonds, etc.. just think about the mechanism. This gets the general concept in your brain and prepares it to learn the details. Use what you know (ie. in this example I'm using the mechanisms we learned in o-chem to apply to the TCA)
2. Learn each compound formed along the way, and as you learn a new one, repeat the entire pathway from the beginning. By the time I got to Oxaloacetate (last one) I had already repeated the rest of the cycle like 8 times and knew it pretty well.
3. Do problems that use what you learned. If you think conceptually about new information right after you learn it your brain will categorize it in "important files" and you'll remember it.
4. Probably most important: Think about what you learn in your free time! Ponder about it... while you're at work chillin go over what you've learned that day. Think about how amazing the concept is and how it connects with the rest of your realm of knowledge.
Anyway, just an example of studying. The only way I can really learn detailed bio stuff well is by understanding the underlying concepts and relating it to the bigger picture. Once you "get" that (which I guess is something that is sometimes hard to come by) the details just fall into place.
for the record, I wouldn't recommend taking Adderall. I've seen friends be able to focus very well but ultimately abusing (I'm speaking for those who don't have a script) prescription medicine is a dangerous thing for anyone who wants to practice medicine to do. Plus imo the best possible thing you can do for your study habits is to be healthy, emotionally balanced, rested, and genuinely enthusiastic about the stuff you're learning and Adderall can screw up this balance. I've always been someone who enjoys more studying on my own and sometimes it's easy to resent profs who make you learn things that you don't see as relevant but ultimately you're the one investing time in formal education so you might as well actually try to enjoy it. good luck. 👍
