I need to rant about bio 101

[Slide]

Ok, so I got back my test, and it turns out I got another B. I studied my frickin ass off for this test for a week, yet i got the same effect as studying two days beforehand. I did the math, and the best I can hope for in this class is an A-, with a B+ more realistic. Will this look really bad on my adcoms, since most premeds are extremely bio-orientated?

Damnit I now hate biology with a passion.

Thank you

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[Scottish Chap]

Ok, so I got back my test, and it turns out I got another B. I studied my frickin ass off for this test for a week, yet i got the same effect as studying two days beforehand. I did the math, and the best I can hope for in this class is an A-, with a B+ more realistic. Will this look really bad on my adcoms, since most premeds are extremely bio-orientated?

Damnit I now hate biology with a passion.

Thank you

Adcoms care most about the BCPM grades together; one lower grade is no big deal. Many people have B's and C's on their transcripts, and make it into medical school. Don't dwell on one bad grade. Put all of that energy into finding a study routine that is effective for YOU. This will stand you in good stead for studying in medical school.

 

[doc luv]

i agree, don't fret too much about one grade. on the other hand, i'm not sure how it is at your school, but bio 101 shouldn't be a really hard class for someone considering med school. if it is then i suggest you change the way ure studying. studying more is not necessarily as good as studying efficiently.

 

[beanbean]

Bio 101 is oftena weed-out class for premeds and thus can be quite tough. It is important to learn the basics of bio in order to do well in the more advanced classes.

Try to figure out where your weakness is....memorizing details, understanding broad concepts, etc.

Did you cram for this exam or study over a period of time? Cramming is a bad habit, but something most of us have done. There are so many details to remember for bio exams that cramming often just ends up confusing you. Try to keep up on lectures and reading as you go.

Go see your professor or TA. Ask to review your exam with them and get their advice on how to study.

Do you know any of the kids who are acing the class? Try to study with them or at least ask them their strategies. I found it helpful to study Bio material with one or two other students...it helped me stay focused.

 

[Slide]

Well, maybe a little background info is due for you guys.

I'm a jr right now, and my current major is Chemistry. Currently, I find chemistry much more enjoyable than biology. I delayed taking Bio 101 because I did not know whether med school was for me until soph spring semester. Thus, my curriculum has been dominated by a lot of chemistry-heavy classes. The Chemistry program here at Penn is tough, but fair and rewarding, unless your orgo chem professor doens't curve.

Anyway, the chemistry classes have taught me to think in terms of the big picture, esp. P-Chem. Even though there are minute details, the professors are more concerned that we be able to bridge concepts together and see the reason why we're learning the content we are. Generally, to practice for tests, I'd either crank out problems, or review theory with my professors.

Bio 101 is a radically different step. The tests are mainly True/False, and they're really tricky (they'll change one word subtlely to change the context of the question). Also, they test on really fine details, rather than the big picture, which pisses me off, because in bio I do understand the grand scheme of things. Plus, its uber competitive because there are many pre-meds as well.

Maybe I need to change my study habits. Right now all I do is read, highlight, read again, and talk to myself about concepts. Help me guys.

 

[doc luv]

interesting that you say you like chem better. i was exactly like you in college. liked courses like chem and physics (as far as sciences go) better than bio. didn't like sititng in bio classes and just memorizing things without any "bigger picture" as you call it. i'm sure you kno this already, but i thought i'd share just in case. med school is going to be much more like your bio class then your chem class. i found in chemistry you didn't have to memorize much, it was more about understanding a few concepts and how to use them. bio and med school on the other hand require u to sit there with your highlighter and memorize. if ure like me, the problem ure having in bio is that ure oroly not use to putting in the time to study and memorize. one thing you might want to try is flash cards or diagrams/pictures.

 

[masterMood]

try rereading the chapter over and over and over again. Read once to get an idea of what's going on. Read a second time to understand everything. Read a third to focus on details. Couple of days before test day review all chapters over again (reread everything).

I'm finding that lecture is more b.s. than anything else in college, because in the end you NEED to teach yourself everything because that's how a doctor works. 90 percent of the material in any class can be self-taught. The remaining 10 percent you may be ambiguous about or you can ask the professor. Use that extra hour instead of going to lecture for sleep, or for studying, etc.

I think this is why many students complain about bio courses because they think that the professor's notes are all they need to do well in the course. Just because you understand the broader picture isn't enough. The parallel to med. school is that you need to memorize details because you have to memorize a lot for med. school. This is how i think of memorization, and it's purpose for the future.

 

[Doctormo24]

That is so true Hermit, my Bio lectures are a waste of time, we get to class and he starts the powerpoints and out of nowhere he will start talking about bull semen, or how we are to worried and afraid of the avian flu, he wont talk about the chapter we are supposed to talk about, and if he does he will explain a concept and then talk about his personal life. Bio is a course where you pretty much teach yourself the concepts, its really up to you to learn the material. I took my second exam last week and I got my scores back the day after, I was a bit nervous, I logged on to the website looked at my grade, and a big smile came across my face, I got a 95, . I ran out of the room literally bumping into a few people. I got to work and was full of adrenaline and energy. Studying really hard will help you in Bio, and you must read, re-read, re-read, and if need be re-read the chapters. It will all pay off in the end, as I have experienced.

 

[ms1finally]

Well, maybe a little background info is due for you guys.

I'm a jr right now, and my current major is Chemistry. Currently, I find chemistry much more enjoyable than biology. I delayed taking Bio 101 because I did not know whether med school was for me until soph spring semester. Thus, my curriculum has been dominated by a lot of chemistry-heavy classes. The Chemistry program here at Penn is tough, but fair and rewarding, unless your orgo chem professor doens't curve.

Anyway, the chemistry classes have taught me to think in terms of the big picture, esp. P-Chem. Even though there are minute details, the professors are more concerned that we be able to bridge concepts together and see the reason why we're learning the content we are. Generally, to practice for tests, I'd either crank out problems, or review theory with my professors.

Bio 101 is a radically different step. The tests are mainly True/False, and they're really tricky (they'll change one word subtlely to change the context of the question). Also, they test on really fine details, rather than the big picture, which pisses me off, because in bio I do understand the grand scheme of things. Plus, its uber competitive because there are many pre-meds as well.

Maybe I need to change my study habits. Right now all I do is read, highlight, read again, and talk to myself about concepts. Help me guys.

Just so you know, this has definitely been my experience in medical school thus far. As much as it sucks, it won't hurt to get started thinking that way now!

 

[OSUdoc08]

Ok, so I got back my test, and it turns out I got another B. I studied my frickin ass off for this test for a week, yet i got the same effect as studying two days beforehand. I did the math, and the best I can hope for in this class is an A-, with a B+ more realistic. Will this look really bad on my adcoms, since most premeds are extremely bio-orientated?

Damnit I now hate biology with a passion.

Thank you

You've got to be kidding me.

A C or below looks bad on a transcript. That's it.

If you're going to complain about a B+, then you should think seriously about how much of a loser you are.

 

[jmnykrkts]

I'm finding that lecture is more b.s. than anything else in college, because in the end you NEED to teach yourself everything because that's how a doctor works. 90 percent of the material in any class can be self-taught. The remaining 10 percent you may be ambiguous about or you can ask the professor. Use that extra hour instead of going to lecture for sleep, or for studying, etc.

I think this is why many students complain about bio courses because they think that the professor's notes are all they need to do well in the course. Just because you understand the broader picture isn't enough. The parallel to med. school is that you need to memorize details because you have to memorize a lot for med. school. This is how i think of memorization, and it's purpose for the future.

Very true. I think too much focus on lecture material is a common cause for bad grades in these types of classes (first year bio-type classes with tons of intimate little details to memorize). Ultimately success here is going to come from going through the material on your own. Sitting and listening to your professor ramble away about the electron transport chain or Kreb's cycle is not going to do much in the way of helping YOU learn the material (I think it helps the lecturer's grasp on these topics more than anything else). PArticulary if you're too worried about scribbling down notes quickly enough to keep up with his/her pace. Unless your prof explicitly states that tests will be lecture-based only, you would be much better served by spending that time in the library reading the material on your own. Also, I always found that trying to produce the material on my own, from scratch, was helpful in nailing down all the little details. For instance, if you have to know about Krebs cycle, close your textbook (once you have done the reading of course), pull out a blank piece of paper and draw out the entire pathway with every molecule involved. If you can't do it, re-read and redo this exercise until you can.