how much should you study per day in undergrad?

[Anthony Simoncic]

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i am trying to develop a routine for next semester of my freshman year. i am taking statistics, chem 2, zoology and financial crises. i am trying to get a 3.7 minimum... any suggestions? i am not doing any sports or working... i need a schedule or routine of how much hrs of studying i should do.. usually i TRY to study 3 or 4 days before a test. but on just a regular day should i try getting in a minimum of 5 hrs?? also i want to at least get an hour of exercise a day. any tips?

 

[fatham878]

To be honest man, there is no magical number for studying that will guarantee you a 3.7. There are also no magical tips or routines. This question is something that will be different for every person. Some people study better when they lock themselves in their room for marathon study sessions. Other people study better in groups, or listening to music, or while outside on top of a mountain. Some people are visually learners, while others understand concepts better if they hear them. You need to find what works for you. You can't expect random strangers on a forum to know you well enough to know how much you need to study, how soon before a test you need to study, etc. You will get very different answers from different people.

I'm not trying to be mean, but nobody is going to hold your hand and lead you to an automatic acceptance to dental school. Do some self reflection. What happened last semester? What did you try that didn't work? What did work? How did you feel while you were taking exams? I don't expect you to be on top of everything as you're only in your second semester, but you should definitely have a feel of what to expect for the next 3 1/2 years.

Like I said, I'm not trying to be mean, only realistic. But for the sake of answering your question, I will tell you what one of my professors believes. He told our class for every hour a class is worth, you should be studying at least 2-3 hours per week for that class. For example, for a 3 hour stats class you should study 6-9 hours per week outside of lecture (that means that hours you sit in class don't count towards that). For many, that would be overkill. For some, that might not be enough. It depends on the person.

 

[LaughingGas]

Trial and error. See which studying methods works best for you. You will find which one is best for you. I changed mine about 4 times. I started studying hard but not efficient, coping notes from books and write useless details. Now I just take my tablet, write notes on the PDF files while the professor lectures, and just memorize from there. I don't read books anymore unless it's something very unclear.
Easy rule to follow should be whatever you learn in that day or week, study the same day or same week.
Homework/lab reports: do it as soon as possible.

 

[ZaneKaiser]

Start Early: More than any other technique, the key to performing
well on exams is starting early and using short, frequent study
sessions. The human brain learns academic material faster and
better on an exam if done in brief blocks of time spread out over
longer periods of time, rather than in a few lengthy sessions. For
example, you will perform better on an exam if you spend one hour
studying each day for 20 days than if you spend 10 hours studying
each day for two days before an exam.

On Cramming: If you have to cram, try to focus on remembering
the information you do know rather than trying to teach yourself
new information. You will typically not remember what you tried to
learn the night before the exam, anyway, so it is best to make sure
you REALLY know some part of the information for the test. If you
do have a few days, try to spread the studying out so you are not
doing it all in one night.

How to do well on exams:
1. Break the material into chunks. If it can be divided by chapter,
use that. If not, make up your own chunks based on the structure of
the material.
2. Plan to spend about 10 hours a week on each science class (you can allocate this however you'd like, ideally go for 2 hours each day for five days)
3. You work on the material in 2 ways: You prepare, and you
review.

 

[Bottle]

I usually just read notes, and make sure I understand the concept. Also work on some problems if there is any. If the course is pain in the ass for me like Calc, I would be doing more problems online.

Just come up with your own routine that you like.

 

[gn4]

depends on the class. Memorization classes like Bio classes, I read my notes over and over to understand the big topic and then try to memorize the details. Classes like math, physics, genchem, I don't really study much for those. Just understand the basic concepts and memorize equations and do many practice questions. I prefer these types of classes. That's just how my brain works though. Some people prefer the bio classes where all you have to do is memorize useless information.

 

[arlmay]

This may be terrible advice but I've had 4.0s for the last three semesters now waking up early before my tests and studying for about 5-7 hours before going in to take it. Honestly I put off studying on purpose to do this because its what gets me the best grades. Before you all call me stupid, I do not plan on continuing this in dental school due to the sheer amount of coursework. Which brings me to my next point, this strategy would not work well if you have more than one test in a day. You have to gauge how long its going to be to go through all the material for the test and if it's more than 5-7 hours which you could just wake up early for, you'd better put in some time before the day of. Again this is what worked for me in undergrad and it goes against what almost any teacher would tell you. I know a lot of my classmates consider me stupid for it, but the 4.0s usually shut them up. Above all else, I agree with what everyone else has said that you need to find what works for you because everyone learns differently. Best of luck in your quest for dental school.

 

[Bottle]

This may be terrible advice but I've had 4.0s for the last three semesters now waking up early before my tests and studying for about 5-7 hours before going in to take it. Honestly I put off studying on purpose to do this because its what gets me the best grades. Before you all call me stupid, I do not plan on continuing this in dental school due to the sheer amount of coursework. Which brings me to my next point, this strategy would not work well if you have more than one test in a day. You have to gauge how long its going to be to go through all the material for the test and if it's more than 5-7 hours which you could just wake up early for, you'd better put in some time before the day of. Again this is what worked for me in undergrad and it goes against what almost any teacher would tell you. I know a lot of my classmates consider me stupid for it, but the 4.0s usually shut them up. Above all else, I agree with what everyone else has said that you need to find what works for you because everyone learns differently. Best of luck in your quest for dental school.

This is a solid example! to me, this is crazy and I would fail my classes if I did it, but it works for them. Everyone is different, just come up with your own system.

 

[Papasmurf1234]

School is really about figuring out your own study method. You can study for hours but if you're studying in a way that is ineffective then no matter how many hours you study, you'll still do poorly. I don't know what your major is but it probably doesn't matter for the first 2 years since everyone learns the same thing anyways. One thing I would definitely do is keep yourself busy. The busier you are, the more efficiently you will study. Never be afraid to take on extracurricular activities and work because you are afraid you'll need the time to "study". For me, I really just studied 5-7 hours for 2-3 days before a test and I did perfectly fine on most of my classes. However, I knew which study method worked for me. I used the first day to learn most of the material, second day to solidify the material so I knew everything in the back of my head, and if permitted, used the third day to fill in the tiny gaps (i.e. knowing the molecular weight of a particular protein, etc). My study method is probably overkill for a lot of people but it's what I felt comfortable with. The gap between getting an A and a B is pretty huge. I could have easily gotten a B in most classes by studying 3-4 hours the night before....but I wouldn't do it as you probably won't get into a dental school with a 3.0 gpa.

 

[Papasmurf1234]

This may be terrible advice but I've had 4.0s for the last three semesters now waking up early before my tests and studying for about 5-7 hours before going in to take it. Honestly I put off studying on purpose to do this because its what gets me the best grades. Before you all call me stupid, I do not plan on continuing this in dental school due to the sheer amount of coursework. Which brings me to my next point, this strategy would not work well if you have more than one test in a day. You have to gauge how long its going to be to go through all the material for the test and if it's more than 5-7 hours which you could just wake up early for, you'd better put in some time before the day of. Again this is what worked for me in undergrad and it goes against what almost any teacher would tell you. I know a lot of my classmates consider me stupid for it, but the 4.0s usually shut them up. Above all else, I agree with what everyone else has said that you need to find what works for you because everyone learns differently. Best of luck in your quest for dental school.

Just read this. Haha, that's pretty nuts. I would **** my pants if I did this.

 

[arlmay]

Just read this. Haha, that's pretty nuts. I would **** my pants if I did this.

I think I'm motivated under pressure lol

 

[Glimmer1991]

I just graduated summa cum laude and as the valedictorian at my college. I truly believe that my study method works, and please let me know if you'd like further clarification on anything. 🙂

I will admit up front that I had some days where I slipped up and just couldn't really get much motivation to study. However, by and large, I studied a little bit EVERY SINGLE WEEKDAY for all of my hard (namely, bio and chem) classes.

Here's what I'd do: After the first day of notes in a class, I'd go home and memorize them. Then, after our next class of notes, I'd go home, review the notes I had learned for the previous class(es)--which was fast because they were already memorized--and then memorize the new notes along with them. This process would continue. By the time I would get to the "end" of my notes before a final, all of the previous stuff would be thoroughly lodged in my brain AND really easy to study because I had been memorizing it for so long. Though it seems like it would be a lot to study ALL of your notes every single day for each of your hard classes, it actually goes by very quickly because they are so firmly memorized. For example, I easily had 25-30 typed pages of biochem notes for each of my tests last semester (we had 3 during the semester and then a final), but by the time test time rolled around, I could usually get through all 30 pages in less than an hour and a half. I knew them cold, and my grades showed it.

I typed my notes during class, which basically enabled me to get down EVERYTHING my teachers said. I would supplement my notes with my textbook if I *had* to, but in my biology classes, that usually wasn't the case because my notes were so thorough. Of course, in chem and physics, I needed the book to do example problems and whatnot.

To study and memorize things, I would open two Word documents. One would have my notes in it, the other would be blank. On the blank one, I would basically try to type my notes from memory as best as I could, and then refer back to my actual notes to fill in any gaps I had. After I looked at a set of notes a few solid times, there usually weren't many gaps.

I do not have a photographic memory, but keeping it in small chunks each day and then reviewing what I had already learned made things much more manageable.

Some classes require more effort than others, and I think this is usually pretty easy to figure out. You'll want to study every day for most of your biology and chemistry classes. However, for my easier classes (such as those in the humanities), I might not start studying for a test until a week beforehand. Those classes wouldn't get the "little bit every day" routine because, well, it was overkill.

I did not cram a single time in college. That is the honest to goodness truth. I never pulled an all-nighter (I never even came relatively close). I typically studied 2-3 hours a day (this would ramp up if closer to test time, but I'd say the daily average was usually much closer to 2), but I'd break that up so it wasn't just one long marathon of studying. I'd tackle one subject at a time. It takes a bit of resolve, but seriously, if you study a little bit every day, things are SO much easier in the long term. It will also keep your stress level down.

This, by the way, also applies to DAT studying. I studied about 4.5 hours a day for 3 months, instead of the marathon 10 hours a day for one month that others sometimes utilize. I didn't cram; I took it all in reasonable chunks and reviewed along and along. I studied in the morning and had my afternoons to myself. Granted, it's certainly true that different things work for different people, but I think my method worked. I made a 26AA/30TS/23PAT.

Oh, and something else that kept me sane was studying very little (if at all) on Fridays and Saturdays. I'd occasionally put in a few hours on Sunday night. Sure, I'd study if a test was on Monday and reviewing things was absolutely necessary, I'd do it... for the most part, though, I just busted my butt during the week so I could have the weekends to myself. It was nice, and it gave me some time to breathe.

I hope this helps!! 🙂

 

[Papasmurf1234]

I just graduated summa cum laude and as the valedictorian at my college. I truly believe that my study method works, and please let me know if you'd like further clarification on anything. 🙂

I will admit up front that I had some days where I slipped up and just couldn't really get much motivation to study. However, by and large, I studied a little bit EVERY SINGLE DAY for all of my hard (namely, bio and chem) classes.

Here's what I'd do: After the first day of notes in a class, I'd go home and memorize them. Then, after our next class of notes, I'd go home, review the notes I had learned for the previous class(es)--which was fast because they were already memorized--and then memorize the new notes along with them. This process would continue. By the time I would get to the "end" of my notes before a final, all of the previous stuff would be thoroughly lodged in my brain AND really easy to study because I had been memorizing it for so long. Though it seems like it would be a lot to study ALL of your notes every single day for each of your hard classes, it actually goes by very quickly because they are so firmly memorized. For example, I easily had 25-30 typed pages of biochem notes for each of my tests last semester (we had 3 during the semester and then a final), but by the time test time rolled around, I could usually get through all 30 pages in less than an hour and a half. I knew them cold, and my grades showed it.

I typed my notes during class, which basically enabled me to get down EVERYTHING my teachers said. I would supplement my notes with my textbook if I *had* to, but in my biology classes, that usually wasn't the case because my notes were so thorough. Of course, in chem and physics, I needed the book to do example problems and whatnot.

To study and memorize things, I would open two Word documents. One would have my notes in it, the other would be blank. On the blank one, I would basically try to type my notes from memory as best as I could, and then refer back to my actual notes to fill in any gaps I had. After I looked at a set of notes a few solid times, there usually weren't many gaps.

I do not have a photographic memory, but keeping it in small chunks each day and then reviewing what I had already learned made things much more manageable.

Some classes require more effort than others, and I think this is usually pretty easy to figure out. You'll want to study every day for most of your biology and chemistry classes. However, for my easier classes (such as those in the humanities), I might not start studying for a test until a week beforehand. Those classes wouldn't get the "little bit every day" routine because, well, it was overkill.

I did not cram a single time in college. That is the honest to goodness truth. I never pulled an all-nighter (I never even came relatively close). I typically studied 2-3 hours a day (this would ramp up if closer to test time), but I'd break that up so it wasn't just one long marathon of studying. I'd tackle one subject at a time. It takes a bit of resolve, but seriously, if you study a little bit every day, things are SO much easier in the long term. It will also keep your stress level down.

This, by the way, also applies to DAT studying. I studied about 4.5 hours a day for 3 months, instead of the marathon 10 hours a day for one month that others sometimes utilize. I didn't cram; I took it all in reasonable chunks and reviewed along and along. I studied in the morning and had my afternoons to myself. Granted, it's certainly true that different things work for different people, but I think my method worked. I made a 26AA/30TS/23PAT.

Oh, and something else that kept me sane was studying very little (if at all) on Fridays and Saturdays. I'd occasionally put in a few hours on Sunday night. Sure, I'd study if a test was on Monday and reviewing things was absolutely necessary, I'd do it... for the most part, though, I just busted my butt during the week so I could have the weekends to myself. It was nice, and it gave me some time to breathe.

I hope this helps!! 🙂

To me that's overkill but you got amazing grades so no hate there. Just curious. How do you think your studying habit will translate to dental school? I doubt you'll be able to review everything every single day. Especially when you get ~90 slides of information every day.

 

[gn4]

how do you plan on studying in dental school Glimmer? you get way too much information per day. Will you keep doing the same thing from undergrad';

 

[ModifiedBass]

Reading this thread, I feel very grateful for my ability to digest/comprehend information extremely quickly...

 

[Glimmer1991]

To me that's overkill but you got amazing grades so no hate there. Just curious. How do you think your studying habit will translate to dental school? I doubt you'll be able to review everything every single day. Especially when you get ~90 slides of information every day.

how do you plan on studying in dental school Glimmer? you get way too much information per day. Will you keep doing the same thing from undergrad';

Reading this thread, I feel very grateful for my ability to digest/comprehend information extremely quickly...

I can learn quickly and by cramming if I have to, as I'm sure many of us here can. 🙂 However, it just "sticks" better in the long term if I go over the info a few times. I can memorize quickly, but I tried to retain. I crammed throughout high school and made the same grades (also valedictorian), but I found that my retention was better in college. I tried to "learn" more in undergrad--in high school, everything was in one ear for the test and out the other ear afterwards. I'd cram 1 week before an AP exam and make a 4/5 on it, regardless of whether or not I had really learned much throughout the class. It worked, but yeah... it wasn't so helpful in the long term.

However, about it being overkill--it REALLY wasn't that bad. Like I said, I hardly ever studied on the weekends. So honestly, studying 15-20 hours a week wasn't crazy at ALL. I'd honestly say that my average time spent studying daily was only 2 hours, but I'm trying to account for test times and other random assignments. I think that being a good test taker also helped me a lot--over time, I have become very good at picking out what a teacher will likely put on a test, which cut down my studying time. It's totally doable if you set aside your time correctly. It didn't drive me crazy. I had a lot of other stuff going on during undergrad, too. And trust me, I value my free time and make sure I have plenty of it, LOL!!

The key to my study method is persistence, not necessarily a ton of work. 2-3 hours a day, 5 days a week, is what I would consider pretty standard.

I could see how it could potentially be considered overkill. I could have gotten all As with less work. However, I wanted to try to actually retain the stuff in my bio classes so that my first year of DS might just be a *little* easier... and I'm just one of those neurotic folks that always wants to do my best in class. Haha! I just like going into a test knowing that I am fully prepared. For example, I could have made a 36 on my biochem final and still kept an A in the class... but I still studied for it. It's just how I'm wired. And it will be a good thing for dental school, I think--I have to keep a 3.5 to retain my scholarship at UNC, so I won't be able to just try to "pass" my classes.

I'm not really sure how I'll study in dental school. I'll see how it all goes, and I'll rise to the occasion... like we all will. 😀 Every single semester in undergrad, my load got more difficult--and every semester, I still came out doing well with what seemed to be a very similar amount of effort. I think it's all in what you get used to, and you get better at it along and along. I had to figure out what worked best for me in undergrad, and I'll figure it out again for dental school. 🙂

I honestly think, though, that my method worked really well for undergrad. It set me up for some fantastic opportunities (including money-wise) with dental school, and it also just really wasn't that bad. It also translated well into DAT studying. It might not work for DS, though, and that's okay--I was just trying to let the OP what worked for undergrad, which is definitely less difficult and time-consuming than DS! 🙂

 

[AlbinoPolarBear]

I went to an insane undergrad, where the averages for exams were in the 50s, and being worth 60-70% of your grade, and ended up with a 3.9 gpa. Undergrad prepared me well for dschool, and currently have a perfect 4.0 gpa after 3 semesters.

I am more like arlmay, and the complete opposite of glimmer. I found that when i studied earlier, i would just forget what i learned, and stuff wouldn't be as fresh in my head. So I am the prototypical crammer. For example, for this one exam we just had this past semester, I started studying the day before at 8am, when we had the exam the next day at 8am. when i realized it was a lot of cover, i drank 5 5-hour energy drinks, and studied 24 straight, and had 1 hour left in that energy drink to take the exam. I got 100.

Of course, I lose 10-15 lbs during every exam period, but that's just something i learned to deal with.

In the end, you will find out what method works for you. you could be like glimmer, or you could be like arlmay. or you could be something in between. personally, i am wayyy too lazy to open my books up and study every day, but if that's what you have to do, then you gotta do it.

 

[jeffity]

I went to an insane undergrad, where the averages for exams were in the 50s, and being worth 60-70% of your grade, and ended up with a 3.9 gpa. Undergrad prepared me well for dschool, and currently have a perfect 4.0 gpa after 3 semesters.

I am more like arlmay, and the complete opposite of glimmer. I found that when i studied earlier, i would just forget what i learned, and stuff wouldn't be as fresh in my head. So I am the prototypical crammer. For example, for this one exam we just had this past semester, I started studying the day before at 8am, when we had the exam the next day at 8am. when i realized it was a lot of cover, i drank 5 5-hour energy drinks, and studied 24 straight, and had 1 hour left in that energy drink to take the exam. I got 100.

Of course, I lose 10-15 lbs during every exam period, but that's just something i learned to deal with.

In the end, you will find out what method works for you. you could be like glimmer, or you could be like arlmay. or you could be something in between. personally, i am wayyy too lazy to open my books up and study every day, but if that's what you have to do, then you gotta do it.

This all sounds familiar. I have the worst study habits. I suppose most of it is due to my situations and not a sort of lazy thing. I'd like to draw out my studying more and review things, but it never happens. Some classmates (and myself) wonder how I even function. I don't sleep much. There's an all-nighter at least once a week (and I haven't had any soda or energy drinks for over 5 years...it's about maintaining the streak at this point). The week before this break I slept a whopping 10 hours in a 130 hour span...with a presentation at the very end. It was a wild week. I'm probably not retaining as much as I should, but I'm doing fine in the GPA department. But it's just what I have to do.

 

[ChrisM07]

...I haven't had any soda or energy drinks for over 5 years...it's about maintaining the streak at this point...

 

[ZaneKaiser]

I typed my notes during class, which basically enabled me to get down EVERYTHING my teachers said. I would supplement my notes with my textbook if I *had* to, but in my biology classes, that usually wasn't the case because my notes were so thorough. Of course, in chem and physics, I needed the book to do example problems and whatnot.

To study and memorize things, I would open two Word documents. One would have my notes in it, the other would be blank. On the blank one, I would basically try to type my notes from memory as best as I could, and then refer back to my actual notes to fill in any gaps I had. After I looked at a set of notes a few solid times, there usually weren't many gaps.

Sorry to revive this thread. Did you all the practice problems every day for your chem, calc, physics classes? Or did you do them enough times to have them down solid, and then review before the test? I find it takes a pretty significant time to do every single problem for every single section every day, and I find it to be overkill.

I would just like some specifics on how you studied for these classes, thank you! 🙂

 

[AlveolarProcess]

I just graduated summa cum laude and as the valedictorian at my college. I truly believe that my study method works, and please let me know if you'd like further clarification on anything. 🙂

I will admit up front that I had some days where I slipped up and just couldn't really get much motivation to study. However, by and large, I studied a little bit EVERY SINGLE DAY for all of my hard (namely, bio and chem) classes.

Here's what I'd do: After the first day of notes in a class, I'd go home and memorize them. Then, after our next class of notes, I'd go home, review the notes I had learned for the previous class(es)--which was fast because they were already memorized--and then memorize the new notes along with them. This process would continue. By the time I would get to the "end" of my notes before a final, all of the previous stuff would be thoroughly lodged in my brain AND really easy to study because I had been memorizing it for so long. Though it seems like it would be a lot to study ALL of your notes every single day for each of your hard classes, it actually goes by very quickly because they are so firmly memorized. For example, I easily had 25-30 typed pages of biochem notes for each of my tests last semester (we had 3 during the semester and then a final), but by the time test time rolled around, I could usually get through all 30 pages in less than an hour and a half. I knew them cold, and my grades showed it.

I typed my notes during class, which basically enabled me to get down EVERYTHING my teachers said. I would supplement my notes with my textbook if I *had* to, but in my biology classes, that usually wasn't the case because my notes were so thorough. Of course, in chem and physics, I needed the book to do example problems and whatnot.

To study and memorize things, I would open two Word documents. One would have my notes in it, the other would be blank. On the blank one, I would basically try to type my notes from memory as best as I could, and then refer back to my actual notes to fill in any gaps I had. After I looked at a set of notes a few solid times, there usually weren't many gaps.

I do not have a photographic memory, but keeping it in small chunks each day and then reviewing what I had already learned made things much more manageable.

Some classes require more effort than others, and I think this is usually pretty easy to figure out. You'll want to study every day for most of your biology and chemistry classes. However, for my easier classes (such as those in the humanities), I might not start studying for a test until a week beforehand. Those classes wouldn't get the "little bit every day" routine because, well, it was overkill.

I did not cram a single time in college. That is the honest to goodness truth. I never pulled an all-nighter (I never even came relatively close). I typically studied 2-3 hours a day (this would ramp up if closer to test time, but I'd say the daily average was usually much closer to 2), but I'd break that up so it wasn't just one long marathon of studying. I'd tackle one subject at a time. It takes a bit of resolve, but seriously, if you study a little bit every day, things are SO much easier in the long term. It will also keep your stress level down.

This, by the way, also applies to DAT studying. I studied about 4.5 hours a day for 3 months, instead of the marathon 10 hours a day for one month that others sometimes utilize. I didn't cram; I took it all in reasonable chunks and reviewed along and along. I studied in the morning and had my afternoons to myself. Granted, it's certainly true that different things work for different people, but I think my method worked. I made a 26AA/30TS/23PAT.

Oh, and something else that kept me sane was studying very little (if at all) on Fridays and Saturdays. I'd occasionally put in a few hours on Sunday night. Sure, I'd study if a test was on Monday and reviewing things was absolutely necessary, I'd do it... for the most part, though, I just busted my butt during the week so I could have the weekends to myself. It was nice, and it gave me some time to breathe.

I hope this helps!! 🙂

Oh Gawd..

 

[Glimmer1991]

Sorry to revive this thread. Did you all the practice problems every day for your chem, calc, physics classes? Or did you do them enough times to have them down solid, and then review before the test? I find it takes a pretty significant time to do every single problem for every single section every day, and I find it to be overkill.

I would just like some specifics on how you studied for these classes, thank you! 🙂

Goodness no... The point of my post was that I studied a LITTLE every weekday. Almost always no more than two hours a day, 4-5 days a week. I'd do the new problems to go along with lectures on the days they were assigned, and on the other days where nothing was assigned, I reviewed. It was easy to review notes for these problem intensive classes, even all of them at once, because there don't tend to be many... Just maybe one or two examples from class that will keep you fresh. Where the real "note studying" came in was with bio classes, but even that wasn't bad because you would have the previous notes thoroughly memorized by about the third time you went over them. I didn't usually have more than 2-3 pages of typed notes per lecture.

Once you are willing to put in the time and effort to study on a regular basis, you become very efficient at your own system. I never felt very stressed about tests and was usually completely prepared days in advance. I also very much had a life!

I'm about studying smart and efficiently. My system seems rigid, but really, it didn't feel that way to me--it was just what I figured out that "worked." It became second nature. It was SO nice to never have to cram. Hope this helps. 🙂

 

[Illfavor]

I used to study a bunch. Then I got a wife, a job, etc...there's no time.

 

[ramborhino]

study time will be anywhere from from 0 hours (try to get at least 3-4 of these days a week) to 8 hours a day (night before a test)..depending on your course load. I don't think undergrad was challenging enough to warrant a rigorous weekly study schedule (aside from finals week) to be honest.
My suggestion is to really try to focus more on energy allocation and not time management. Sometimes schedules look great on a calendar but are not realistic with your abilities/stamina/mindset. As you get further along, you will develop the ability to discern when you need to turn on the jets and when you need to relax.

 

[Glimmer1991]

You'll develop a general rule of what works for you, but every day will be different depending on your load and other obligations... Some days more studying, some days not any at all (which probably happens way too often, haha!). Anything someone tells you is just going to be sort of an ideal template...

Same goes with DAT study schedules. Ain't nobody REALLY study 7 hours a day for 3 months. We aren't robots. ;P

I will admit that my schedule was a bit more than your *typical* college person, but 10 hours a week REALLY isn't bad. A science major is inherently going to require more work. I also had pretty big aspirations for dental school when it came to setting myself up for acceptances and scholarships, and it worked out.

 

[Illfavor]

A science major is inherently going to require more work.

I actually think this is a common and inaccurate sentiment. Successful students in any major are required to do a great deal of work. After earning two degrees in music, science is actually less of a drain on my time.

 

[Glimmer1991]

I actually think this is a common and inaccurate sentiment. Successful students in any major are required to do a great deal of work. After earning two degrees in music, science is actually less of a drain on my time.

I wasn't even thinking about music... But yes, I'm sure that requires a HUGE amount of time. I was just making the generalization that bio/chem/phys generally require more time both inside (labs suck up LOTS of time for 1 credit hour!) and outside of the classroom than majors like english, communications, psychology, business, etc. It was at least DEFINITELY like this at my school! Haha. 🙂

My school doesn't have much of a music program, though, so it doesn't normally cross my radar! Haha. My brother is a science major at a Georgia school but also participates in a fantastic a capella group, and I honestly think that class and all of its practices take up more time than all of his other classes combined. Music definitely doesn't fit the generalization.

 

[ZaneKaiser]

Goodness no... The point of my post was that I studied a LITTLE every weekday. Almost always no more than two hours a day, 4-5 days a week. I'd do the new problems to go along with lectures on the days they were assigned, and on the other days where nothing was assigned, I reviewed. It was easy to review notes for these problem intensive classes, even all of them at once, because there don't tend to be many... Just maybe one or two examples from class that will keep you fresh. Where the real "note studying" came in was with bio classes, but even that wasn't bad because you would have the previous notes thoroughly memorized by about the third time you went over them. I didn't usually have more than 2-3 pages of typed notes per lecture.

Once you are willing to put in the time and effort to study on a regular basis, you become very efficient at your own system. I never felt very stressed about tests and was usually completely prepared days in advance. I also very much had a life!

I'm about studying smart and efficiently. My system seems rigid, but really, it didn't feel that way to me--it was just what I figured out that "worked." It became second nature. It was SO nice to never have to cram. Hope this helps. 🙂

That clears things up a lot thanks! I saw your original post about reviewing notes daily and I've taken it to heart since the beginning of this semester. Happy to say it is amazingly effective! I really feel like I've mastered the material without putting too many hours in, I've scored 100 on my first Bio 2 exam! 🙂

 

[grivacobae]

What was your Bio 1 grade?

 

[ZaneKaiser]

What was your Bio 1 grade?

I got an A in Bio 1, but my test scores were all over the place. 86, 80, 96. And 98 on the final. (Also lab exams and papers to bring my grade up) I think I finished with a borderline 93.2%. I'm committed to starting my current semester strong, so I don't have to work my butt off trying to bring it up at the end of the semester.

 

[blcopp]

However long it takes you to understand the material. But if you are studying 10 hours a day you are probably not studying efficiently.

Bio- I go through my notes kind of slowly (I try to go over my notes the same day as the lecture), understand the material, and put key words into my anki app on my phone. I review the anki notes whenever I have down time (example 30 minutes between a class where I am just sitting around). Whenever I add new note cards I still study the whole deck everyday. By the end of the semester I might have 200 notecards put together but I know 90% of them by heart so it will take me like 30 minutes to get through them.

Chemistry- I also go through my notes like bio but I do a lot of practice problems. Chemistry is like math class, the more examples you do the better you get. Sometimes I make notecards for chemistry like when I had to memorize polyatomic ions. Normally though I would not have over 20 note cards total for the semester unlike biology.

Many people say to rewrite your notes, but I find that to be inefficient and extremely time consuming. I am a visual learner so if I don't understand something in writing I will watch a youtube video on it and understand it instantly and it will stay in my mind.

Another thing I do that really works is teach the subject to an invisible person. I only do this on parts that are difficult. aka rubber duck debugging http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rubber_duck_debugging

Just try to keep on top of things and don't get distracted by facebook, your phone, etc. stay focused. If a certain thing really sticks in your head then ask yourself: what study technique did I use to remember this so well? Pay attention to what techniques are inefficient and drop them.

 

[YYC]

It's suggested on average of 3 hours of personal study time per 1 hour of lecture.

 

[grivacobae]

I got an A in Bio 1, but my test scores were all over the place. 86, 80, 96. And 98 on the final. (Also lab exams and papers to bring my grade up) I think I finished with a borderline 93.2%. I'm committed to starting my current semester strong, so I don't have to work my butt off trying to bring it up at the end of the semester.

Ah Nice! Those were the exact same scores for me, except 98 and 80 were switched, congrats, I know at my school it's extremely difficult to get an A for Bio 1 (because of the teacher mostly).
Question to you and others, is Bio 2 a pre req? Or can I take an upper division that'll account for the other 3 credits?
My adviser bumped me to Genetics for this semester and said to take an upper division next semester, so that it will cover pre req bio and help me for DAT and DS (if i get in)

 

[Glimmer1991]

That clears things up a lot thanks! I saw your original post about reviewing notes daily and I've taken it to heart since the beginning of this semester. Happy to say it is amazingly effective! I really feel like I've mastered the material without putting too many hours in, I've scored 100 on my first Bio 2 exam! 🙂

AWESOME! 100s were my goal, too. Sometimes it just really can't be done, even no matter how much effort you put in... But hey, there's no reason to not aim high! I'm glad this works for you. 😀 And heck, when you aim to do as well as possible, you're generally still going to end up with a score that is more that acceptable.

 

[Glimmer1991]

I got an A in Bio 1, but my test scores were all over the place. 86, 80, 96. And 98 on the final. (Also lab exams and papers to bring my grade up) I think I finished with a borderline 93.2%. I'm committed to starting my current semester strong, so I don't have to work my butt off trying to bring it up at the end of the semester.

Slow and steady wins the race...

And when you do well on all of your midterms, it makes studying for the final REALLY nice because you realize you can make, say, a 60 and still keep an A in the class. 😀

 

[NMC2010]

Really interesting to read other people's study techniques. I'm in 2nd semester of senior year and still don't have any good techniques - maybe should work on that before DS lol? I generally slack off for most of the week and cram 1-3 days before test time. Unfortunately, it's hard to break that habit, because I doubt I'll be able to get away with it in DS...

 

[Illfavor]

Really interesting to read other people's study techniques. I'm in 2nd semester of senior year and still don't have any good techniques - maybe should work on that before DS lol? I generally slack off for most of the week and cram 1-3 days before test time. Unfortunately, it's hard to break that habit, because I doubt I'll be able to get away with it in DS...

I feel the same way. But I think, in reality DS will be a lot of constant cramming, given the testing frequency. Haha, WHO'S THE SMART ONE NOOOOW?!

 

[NMC2010]

I feel the same way. But I think, in reality DS will be a lot of constant cramming, given the testing frequency. Haha, WHO'S THE SMART ONE NOOOOW?!

LOL yeah ofc. Little did the "studious" ones know, all our apparent laziness was actually strategic preparation!

 

[hs2013]

Also a 2nd semester freshman and I know what you mean. First semester I did good paying attention in class, taking good notes, and then just cramming the day before the exam. Though that was hell and I don't want to do that again. Something I am going to try to do now is the day of the lecture, rewrite my notes in a better fashion and just look them over. Then a week before my exams is when I will study hard. Last semester I always created a 7 day study plan before the exam but never stuck to it, I got to stick to it this semester because I want a 4.0 this semester.

 

[Jerm174]

The absolute most important thing for me is sleep. Caffeine gives me horrible anxiety so I always try to stay away from coffee or energy drinks. I need 8 hours of sleep per day or my mind goes completely fuzzy. Its one thing to be dead ass tired during my 8am 3-hour lecture, but coming home and not being able to focus and just crashing on my bed gets me no work done at all. During midterms of my freshman year, I had trouble studying due to my lack of sleep. Its not really studying if you're just reading words and not making any sense of them, like I was! (who knew? 🙄)

I tried a different approach during finals - I got 8 hours of sleep every night, and if at any point while I was studying I felt too tired to keep reading, I took a 45 minute nap. Worked much better for me than before and I only needed about a week to study before the exam. I was reading online that during "deep" sleep your brain processes the information you've learned. So sleep is really important as you can imagine. Also my optometrist prescribed me reading glasses because I wouldn't be able to see very well the more strained my eyes became. My gpa was not great for first semester (3.6), although there was a very big improvement from the middle of the year. If I can keep up the same routine for this entire term, I should be fine.

PS. Contrastingly, my friend played video games until about 1am until he started studying a few days before an exam. He always had a coffee on his desk and chugged two Red Bulls right before the exam. He finished his first freshman semester with a 3.9 gpa

 

[techyguy]

For those of you who type your notes, like @Glimmer1991 , how do you deal with Organic, and Gen. Chem, for example, where you almost need more drawings than written descriptions?

To make my own contribution, I study RIGHT UP UNTIL the last second before exams. I would usually walk to class with my notes in hand, and I wouldn't close my notebook until the professor had already given us two final warnings. I like to think this kept the information at the forefront of my mind. Also, before starting an exam, I would read through the whole thing one time...most of the time. If it was a pushover exam I'd just start doing problems. This, along with a few other study techniques already mentioned here (e.g. a little bit everyday), led to a 4.0+ in my pre-reqs.

 

[techyguy]

I almost forgot, here are a few proven techniques to stop procrastinating, since I'm sure we all do it sometimes (e.g., I'm supposed to be studying micro right now):
http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702303933104579306664120892036?mod=e2fb

 

[NMC2010]

For those of you who type your notes, like @Glimmer1991 , how do you deal with Organic, and Gen. Chem, for example, where you almost need more drawings than written descriptions?

I think she said for classes like that, you have to do example problems. I feel like I can speak up for this one because I did way better in O Chem than any of my bio classes. I'd usually do 20 - 40 o chem problems per night, and make sure I had the whole chapter(or chapters) problem set(s) (usually about 90-110 questions) done before exams and quizzes. I'd keep repeating the problems till I could nearly do them in my sleep. It's the same concept of repetition, just of doing problems instead of typing/re-reading notes.

But then, I was one of the "those" that somewhat enjoyed o chem because I could actually see what was going on, so that made it easier for me.

 

[techyguy]

I was wondering more about how you all took notes for those classes, if you typed notes. Did you stop and write example reactions in a notebook? Did you try to type the reaction into your notes? Did you have some fancy Word plugin that made pretty chemical equations? I have the same question for charts, and graphs, like titration curves or reaction product amount calculations (which my professor did with a chart).

I liked orgo, too, but I took my notes with colored pens. I cannot emphasize enough how much the color helped me see things at a glance. Others used bland pencils, and I think they had to stare at their notes a lot longer to see what was going on. I did all my electron pushing arrows in green, for example. Here's the exact pack I used if anyone is interested:
http://www.amazon.com/Sharpie-Fine-...8&qid=1391973322&sr=8-4&keywords=sharpie+pens

 

[Glimmer1991]

I was wondering more about how you all took notes for those classes, if you typed notes. Did you stop and write example reactions in a notebook? Did you try to type the reaction into your notes? Did you have some fancy Word plugin that made pretty chemical equations? I have the same question for charts, and graphs, like titration curves or reaction product amount calculations (which my professor did with a chart).

I liked orgo, too, but I took my notes with colored pens. I cannot emphasize enough how much the color helped me see things at a glance. Others used bland pencils, and I think they had to stare at their notes a lot longer to see what was going on. I did all my electron pushing arrows in green, for example. Here's the exact pack I used if anyone is interested:
http://www.amazon.com/Sharpie-Fine-Point-Colored-1751690/dp/B002M7Z338/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1391973322&sr=8-4&keywords=sharpie pens

Chem notes were exclusively by hand. 🙂

 

[techyguy]

Chem notes were exclusively by hand. 🙂

Thanks! That's about what I figured.

Towards the middle of my Orgo I class, I scanned all of my hand-written notes, and made a nice, searchable PDF out of them. I also made summary sheets for all of the reactions we had to know, and put them in the PDF as well. The summary sheets were usually what I studied while walking to class, and right up to the beginning of the test, like I mentioned above. For Orgo II, I annotated the class slides using an iPad. I got an A and an A+ in Orgo I and II, and a 28 on the DAT, just to brag. I did cram for the mid-term exams despite doing a little studying every other day, but the finals came surprisingly easy as a result. My Orgo I professor was almost universally reviled, but my Orgo II professor was really good, so I managed to get both ends of the spectrum there.

 

[hs2013]

God do I wish I had the study habits some of you guys do. Literally it's the same story over and over again for me and it's never going to change, no matter how much I tell myself I will. I hate studying and unless it's the day before the test there is just NO way I can do it.

 

[arlmay]

I used to study a bunch. Then I got a wife, a job, etc...there's no time.

Kids are killer

 

[hs2013]

The absolute most important thing for me is sleep. Caffeine gives me horrible anxiety so I always try to stay away from coffee or energy drinks. I need 8 hours of sleep per day or my mind goes completely fuzzy. Its one thing to be dead ass tired during my 8am 3-hour lecture, but coming home and not being able to focus and just crashing on my bed gets me no work done at all. During midterms of my freshman year, I had trouble studying due to my lack of sleep. Its not really studying if you're just reading words and not making any sense of them, like I was! (who knew? 🙄)

I tried a different approach during finals - I got 8 hours of sleep every night, and if at any point while I was studying I felt too tired to keep reading, I took a 45 minute nap. Worked much better for me than before and I only needed about a week to study before the exam. I was reading online that during "deep" sleep your brain processes the information you've learned. So sleep is really important as you can imagine. Also my optometrist prescribed me reading glasses because I wouldn't be able to see very well the more strained my eyes became. My gpa was not great for first semester (3.6), although there was a very big improvement from the middle of the year. If I can keep up the same routine for this entire term, I should be fine.

PS. Contrastingly, my friend played video games until about 1am until he started studying a few days before an exam. He always had a coffee on his desk and chugged two Red Bulls right before the exam. He finished his first freshman semester with a 3.9 gpa

I can relate to this and this is why I am trying very hard to change my study habits. When I crammed for exams, the next morning on 1 hour of sleep would be dreadful.

 

[flossiraptor863]

A lot of it comes down to personal preferences, the courses you take each semester, and what you plan on doing with your college lifestyle.

I've explored different avenues. Studying a little bit each day simply does not work for me. I finished homework and tried to put in about an hour each day, but classes drain me. I like to put in one big 6-8 hour cram session on a Friday or Saturday night while I spend the other night relaxing or doing something that I enjoy. Extra work gets done in the library with friends on Sundays. This leaves plenty of time during the week for me to put time into ECs (which don't drain me nearly as much).

This method might or might not work for you. I had my worst semester freshman year with no ECs and trying to put in 2-3 hours per day. I got distracted often, felt no pressure on getting things done, and didn't adequately learn. Last semester was my best semester and I spent it busier than I ever had been, with 2 leadership positions, volunteering, one fun club, plus frequent trips home (5 hours away). I felt like I always needed to cram, or get some work done when I had the time, so I succeeded.

I don't mean to discount the "don't procrastinate" people. Procrastinating is bad. But pressure can be good. Again, see what works for you.