Pre-gaming prereqs?

[heartsink]

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Thought I saw another thread about this but I couldn't find it so I thought I'd start this discussion:

After contacting one of my professors for Fall about scheduling, I was given an outline of the quarter including the subjects we'd be covering, the weeks they'll be covering, and the chapters of the book they are in.

I in fact already possess the textbook for the class (Biology) and now am presented with the potential to study for this class a solid month before it begins. I'm also still working about 26 hours a week during this time.

I've never done anything so gunner as to pre-read the textbook for a science class but my last two quarters were mediocre to say the least, and I really need to put it into high gear now.

Has anyone else pre-gamed their classes to get an edge? Did you feel like it had a significant impact on how you did? If you were in my shoes, would you take the break or study like hell to blow the competition out of the water?

 

[Aerus]

Thought I saw another thread about this but I couldn't find it so I thought I'd start this discussion:

After contacting one of my professors for Fall about scheduling, I was given an outline of the quarter including the subjects we'd be covering, the weeks they'll be covering, and the chapters of the book they are in.

I in fact already possess the textbook for the class (Biology) and now am presented with the potential to study for this class a solid month before it begins. I'm also still working about 26 hours a week during this time.

I've never done anything so gunner as to pre-read the textbook for a science class but my last two quarters were mediocre to say the least, and I really need to put it into high gear now.

Has anyone else pre-gamed their classes to get an edge? Did you feel like it had a significant impact on how you did? If you were in my shoes, would you take the break or study like hell to blow the competition out of the water?

It's not going to work. Probably.

Unless you can dedicate a large amount of time and effort to this, it likely won't make a difference. I self studied the AP sciences in high school and I literally had to dedicate a whole day each week for the entire school year just to stay caught up with the actual class. This doesn't mean just read the textbook and say you did it. You must find appropriate, relevant practice problems, do them, and self check. Then all the ones you missed or didn't understand, you must scour the internet for explanations to those concepts. It is a tiring task and I do not recommend it if you have a choice to actually take the class.

With that said, my friend tried to do this for organic chemistry during the summer. When the school year started, she was able to do well in the beginning, but obviously she couldn't go over all the material in the summer. She ended up with a B overall due to slacking.

 

[Person0715]

Pre-gaming...as in drinking before class?

 

[Holmwood]

Thought I saw another thread about this but I couldn't find it so I thought I'd start this discussion:

After contacting one of my professors for Fall about scheduling, I was given an outline of the quarter including the subjects we'd be covering, the weeks they'll be covering, and the chapters of the book they are in.

I in fact already possess the textbook for the class (Biology) and now am presented with the potential to study for this class a solid month before it begins. I'm also still working about 26 hours a week during this time.

I've never done anything so gunner as to pre-read the textbook for a science class but my last two quarters were mediocre to say the least, and I really need to put it into high gear now.

Has anyone else pre-gamed their classes to get an edge? Did you feel like it had a significant impact on how you did? If you were in my shoes, would you take the break or study like hell to blow the competition out of the water?

You can try with bio.
You can cover significant grounds in a month, assuming you study a chapter a day.

I found that it only worked for intro courses. It doesn't work so well with upper division.

 

[Steve French]

Don't waste your time OP. Not likely to help you much. Identify why you've had a few lackluster quarters in a row and work on addressing whatever those problems may be.

 

[Ismet]

Yeah "pre-gaming" doesn't mean studying before the class starts...I'd avoid using that term for anything academic.

I vote to enjoy your summer and don't worry about the class yet, but I've never had to work part time during the school year so I don't know what your time is going to look like. It works for some people, it doesn't work for others.

 

[infinitessimal]

Well, repetition is the best form of integrating the information. That said, I wouldn't study from this big bio textbook. You know which topics are covered (they're probably the same ones that your high school covered in less depth) - can you find a smaller, more user-friendly review book and familiarize yourself with the topics that way? I don't have any that come to mind right away, but I think the most useful way to pre-study in your case would be to review the material broadly. Then, you can focus on the details during the year, but they'll make sense within the larger context and nothing will seem left-field.

 

[heartsink]

It seems realistic that I could get what I need out of this book knowing what topics in each chapter we're expecting to read. I agree that reading it all once over will make it stick more the second time i go over it as I'll be familiar with it.

I wouldn't bother with this if it was chem or physics but intro bio is so much memorization I felt it was worth a shot, for one quarter at least.

And yeah I know what pregaming actually means, I just used it jokingly as a comparison of class being the party and studying being the drinking.

...but now that I have to explain it it's not that funny...

 

[Sandmeezy]

I cringed so hard at this

 

[Mr Roboto]

Non-trad. I bought an MCAT biology review book a few months before going back to school and studied on my own. The last science course I'd taken was as a high school junior, more than 7 years earlier. It helped me out quite a bit in BIO I/II.

 

[Mad Jack]

I recommend pregaming your prereq classes with Jager bombs and vodka.

 

[Cyberdyne 101]

You need to have good study habits during the term. That's your priority. I only recommend preparing for something prior to the semester if you feel that it's a potential weakness (i.e. your math is rusty and you want to do well in calc- similar to what @Mr Roboto did with bio).

Although, it can help with orgo (particularly orgo 2), but as @Aerus pointed out, you can't slack at all.

 

[Afford]

You'll forget most of the material before a test. I wouldn't bother.

 

[Doctor Dream]

Pre-gaming...as in drinking before class?

That's what I thought this thread was going to be about 🤣

 

[Syndicate101]

Pre-gaming...as in drinking before class?

I could imagine someone walking into office hours and telling the professor, "I need help. I pre game before class and I still don't do well"