We just started immuno and our teacher is very bad. He asks the most irrelevant questions. Last year over half the class failed his test. I am very worried, any advice would help.
Immuno I hate you
- Thread starter Pril
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Talk to those students who did well and determine what and how they studied. You should also speak with the prof as much as you need to/find helpful.
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I've always thought that a key to studying immuno was to not think too deeply into it. Just memorize what happens and learn to accept that things happen just because that's the way they happen. You have to realize that the reason that it doesn't make "logical" sense is because scientists don't really understand it. Immuno is one of those subjects that I think that 20-30 yrs later, they will have disproved most of the stuff that they teach in the classroom today.
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My advice would be to purchase High Yield Immunology. Saved me...
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IMO that's the hard way to do anything. Immuno did not strike me as that abstract or hard to understand -- I don't say this to be a wise ***, but to encourage you since I'm no genius. Again, emulate success: talk to those whose strategies worked in the past and do the same. And ask the prof questions as needed. Be positive.
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i know, i know, immuno can be a bummer at times but don't let that and a few bad tests discourage u. when i find some subject boring, esp immuno, i try to make it interesting for my own understanding by making up mnemonics. i'd say it helped me a lot and i remember the material with ease. hey, if r gonna memorise something boring, why not make it interesting and get a few laughs out of it!.
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.....take care and keep smiling....
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.....take care and keep smiling....
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i actually enjoyed immuno...it was a nice, small class. low pressure and relatively interesting, when compared to the other classes i had at the time.
one thing that helped me, a book called "Basic Immunology". i don't have the author or isbn, as i have already sent it home! it was such a short, easy read, with lots of pictures/diagrams/clinical boxes. it was in such simple terms that it made immuno seem simple as well. then, for exam time i supplemented with the immuno section of my micro texts. everything worked out well.
a statement many a student has been saved by...KISS (keep it simple, stupid!) this philosophy has really helped me with this (and most med school) subjects.
one thing that helped me, a book called "Basic Immunology". i don't have the author or isbn, as i have already sent it home! it was such a short, easy read, with lots of pictures/diagrams/clinical boxes. it was in such simple terms that it made immuno seem simple as well. then, for exam time i supplemented with the immuno section of my micro texts. everything worked out well.
a statement many a student has been saved by...KISS (keep it simple, stupid!) this philosophy has really helped me with this (and most med school) subjects.
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Immuno is one of the more interesting subjects we have had thus far in our M2 year. Enjoy it get what you want out of it (and if that isn't enough to pass you better figure something out).
This topic definitely isn't for everyone. Good Luck and study your guts out.
This topic definitely isn't for everyone. Good Luck and study your guts out.
The reason I am so discouraged about immuno is because it is the worst test of the whole first year (according to second years). Also, most schools do immuno in a three to four months we are doing it in 5 weeks, and finally the teacher is really bad. Anyways I really appreciate the comments except the one from adamant which made me more discouraged.
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i'm sorry to hear that you are dreading immuno...it's such a cool subject that it's a shame you are not more psyched to be reading about it. as far as recommendations go, Appleton & Lange's Micro & Immuno Review book has an excellent 60 page summary of immuno which is fantastic (for the boards and also the big picture). As far as other books I'd recommend, I read Janeway's Immunobiology book cover to cover -- the illustrations are excellent and it is a fun (yet in-depth) read. Also, there is a clinical case series companion to that book as well which is good since it puts immuno into a relevant clinical context. good luck and i hope your experience won't permanently sour you on immunology!
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Be glad you had 5 weeks of immuno - at Pitt we did it in 10 days of lecture... but we have a block schedule so we only take one class at a time. I'm glad it's over, but it was incredibly cool stuff.
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If it's the book I think you're talking about, it is "Basic Immunology: Functions and Disorders of the Immune System" by Abul Abbas. It is a great starting point for learning basic concepts in immunology, full of great diagrams and pictures.
To the original poster, I highly recommend trying to learn immunology (and most subjects for that matter) by not memorizing facts, but by understanding the concepts first and then letting the details fall into place. Perhaps surprisingly, immunology is actually a very conceptual field. There are many pieces and that is why it is initially difficult to learn. I recommend starting off with the big picture, then proceeding to finer points. You should always finish with going back to the big picture, else you will end up lost in the minutiae.
Good luck and hopefully your immunology experience will be better than you expected.
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