How to study bio most effectively

[ahc336]

I am in online Intro Bio 2 and I feel like I'm drinking from a water hose. I don't know what level of analysis to go to, and I feel like my study methods are weak.

How do you guys effectively study for biology, and for when applicable, an online class? Rewriting notes and reviewing isn't working.

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[JB50]

The book
And practice questions.

 

[ahc336]

The book
And practice questions.

No book. Online.

 

[Turkishking]

Why are you taking it online?

 

[ahc336]

Why are you taking it online?

Because it's what fit my schedule and had the best grade distribution. Got a tip?

 

[Fancy_Feast]

I had success with 1) drawing out concepts on a whiteboard, erasing, and doing it again and again until I could do it in my sleep (this was also the way I studied for O-Chem effectively) 2) flashcards-I swear by Anki; I find it effective to make flashcards while I'm reading over concepts, and then revisit them many times before an exam

I'm sorry I don't have any suggestions for online classes...Good Luck!!

 

[ahc336]

I had success with 1) drawing out concepts on a whiteboard, erasing, and doing it again and again until I could do it in my sleep (this was also the way I studied for O-Chem effectively) 2) flashcards-I swear by Anki; I find it effective to make flashcards while I'm reading over concepts, and then revisit them many times before an exam

I'm sorry I don't have any suggestions for online classes...Good Luck!!

Is Anki an app? and thanks!

 

[Saifa]

I had success with 1) drawing out concepts on a whiteboard, erasing, and doing it again and again until I could do it in my sleep (this was also the way I studied for O-Chem effectively) 2) flashcards-I swear by Anki; I find it effective to make flashcards while I'm reading over concepts, and then revisit them many times before an exam

I just started doing this for organic and it's wonderful. White boards ftw.

OP: if you can, try to meet your professor in person (if they aren't on your campus then it's obviously not feasible). Knowing who you are and being able to associate a face with a name will help them help you when you need it.

 

[TheZaLord]

Quizlet has great practice questions from various textbooks.

My recommendation is to see if you can get a bio textbook- Half Price Books has some older (but not super old) editions for like, 10 bucks or so. Reading chapters associated with the topic you're on in the class.
Use the questions at different sections of the chapter, and end of the chapter for review.
Write questions forward and backward. Like, instead of just "what is glycolysis", write the definition, and ask what the process is called so you know it both ways. If there aren't a lot of questions, as I mentioned, quizlet is great. There are a few other sites like that, too.

Also, Khan academy has videos for various topics as well, and is one of my favorite resources.

The white board idea is a fantastic idea as well.

I condense major info into a study guide- like one sheet per topic, and add any extra information that is related AFTER I have mastered the main ideas.

 

[Fancy_Feast]

Is Anki an app? and thanks!

yes--it's an app that you can download on your computer and phone (free on computer and android, $25 on iphone). All of your flashcards are held in the cloud, so you can access them from anywhere. I usually made the flashcards on my computer and then studied them on my phone. The nice part about Anki is that you rate how hard a card was for you to answer, and then it automatically reshuffles cards that were harder for you higher up in the deck, so you see them more often. I had thousands of flashcards when I studied for the MCAT, and anki helped me spend my study time on things I actually needed to see again.

 

[Fancy_Feast]

I just started doing this for organic and it's wonderful. White boards ftw.

OP: if you can, try to meet your professor in person (if they aren't on your campus then it's obviously not feasible). Knowing who you are and being able to associate a face with a name will help them help you when you need it.

LOL, I knew I was committed when I started bringing my own whiteboard to the library instead of waiting to get a study room that had one

 

[JB50]

I mean, if its online, you have the material. Whether it's the book in pdf form or paper form or videos whatever, you should have some sort of resource for the material. Probably more so than if you were taking it pure lecture lol.

 

[RogueBanana]

Notecards.


Run through them until you get them all right.

 

[787593]

I am in online Intro Bio 2 and I feel like I'm drinking from a water hose. I don't know what level of analysis to go to, and I feel like my study methods are weak.

How do you guys effectively study for biology, and for when applicable, an online class? Rewriting notes and reviewing isn't working.

Is this course a prerequisite for med school? If so, I don't think it should be taken online...

 

[Shirafune]

Is Anki an app? and thanks!

I learn from Google; pertinent to questions about studying bio and Anki.

In all seriousness, Google is at least 2-3 times faster than finding information in the book. There is also a surprising glut of good instructional Youtube videos. You just need to differentiate the good and bad content and whether or not the information presented seems logic (cross-check some facts presented in the video, for example).