Reading Biochem textbook..

[yellowbird12]

So my professor told us to read chapter 6 in our textbook.
And I am having a hard time getting through it.
Some of it is difficult to understand. I think the fact that I don't like reading this. not very interested in the subject doesn't help.

but really I think what's hard is that my goal is I want to at least read the chapter in a shorter period of time so then I can feel more prepared do the homework, practice application

But the fact is that I think its taking me more time to read it because I don't understand something clearly and so I reread and reread one or more time, and I still felt like I wasn't clear about something..

anyway I think the bigger prob. is I just want to read it clearly without rereading but I guess this is science textbook..
and its not like a novel..

but seriously how do you guys get by doing this?
Reading chapters in a textbook..what do you do when you don't understand something..of course I could ask the professor ..
I guess for now what I don't understand I'll see f the professor can better explain it to me..


Its like I am trying to understand almost everything...

I've found my self just skipping over something out of frustration and just wanting to get done reading the chapter.

BTW it is the Lehinger(sp?) Biochemistry text

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[Ismet]

I never fully read the chapters in that book, just used it for reference when doing practice questions and to get clarification from the lecture notes. Try outlining the chapter. This allows you to break the chapter into smaller chunks, read one section at a time and write down the key ideas from it.

If there's something you don't understand, ask a classmate, ask your professor, or ask Google.

 

[235788]

read a bolded heading and think about when your done. Move on.

Skim the things you know or the out of the spectrum details.

 

[ghostman]

I actually think Lehninger Biochem is a decent text. Admittedly, it can be a dense and dry read, but they explain it thoroughly enough that you should be able to walk away with a clear understanding of it. Here's what I do:

1. Read the text before class. You don't have to understand everyone, but lecture will confirm what you understood or clarify what you didn't understand. If questions remain, you can ask your professor.

2. DO NOT skip the diagrams. For classes like Bio and Biochem, the diagrams can contain a vast amount of information. It's often a natural summary of the text and the captions for the diagrams almost always walks you through it.

Like Organic, Biochem is one of those things that will build upon itself. So NEVER walk away from a chapter without understanding it. The following chapters will assume you understand the material.

If you're reading the chapter after lecture just to do the homework, then naturally, you'll be rushed to complete the reading. Especially if you wait until the last day to do your homework. Give yourself time to read it before lecture. Yes, it will take a longer time. Yes, you will have to give up some of your social life to do it. If you're looking to go to med school, it's something you should get used to.

 

[UrshumMurshum]

How do I read my biochem textbook?

Why, with a few shots of vodka. Of course.

 

[bucks2010]

Biochem is tough -- you are more than likely going to have to read a lot of things 2 or 3 times to begin to understand them. The text in Lehninger is very dry but it does contain a lot of helpful diagrams. Perhaps try looking at a diagram first and then reading through the text to clarify points you don't understand.

 

[Barcu]

Skim it, note bolded words, look at diagrams and pictures, done.

Don't "read" it. That's a waste of time.

 

[kexy]

I feel bad for you that the reading is required. I didn't even buy my biochem textbook, because I don't learn well by reading the text. But I agree with everyone else. Depending on the chapter material, if you're dealing with any kind of pathway, the diagrams probably contain the most important information, so I'd focus on those. I find that drawing out my own version of a diagram also helps solidify my understanding.

 

[WildEMDoc]

I used Lehninger too and it was the most boring and dense text I had ever read.

Luckily the prof. had given us a "coursepack" of all of his notes and important figures from the book so I rarely had to open the book.

 

[Koosalagoosagoo]

I actually think Lehninger Biochem is a decent text. Admittedly, it can be a dense and dry read, but they explain it thoroughly enough that you should be able to walk away with a clear understanding of it. Here's what I do:

1. Read the text before class. You don't have to understand everyone, but lecture will confirm what you understood or clarify what you didn't understand. If questions remain, you can ask your professor.

2. DO NOT skip the diagrams. For classes like Bio and Biochem, the diagrams can contain a vast amount of information. It's often a natural summary of the text and the captions for the diagrams almost always walks you through it.

Like Organic, Biochem is one of those things that will build upon itself. So NEVER walk away from a chapter without understanding it. The following chapters will assume you understand the material.

If you're reading the chapter after lecture just to do the homework, then naturally, you'll be rushed to complete the reading. Especially if you wait until the last day to do your homework. Give yourself time to read it before lecture. Yes, it will take a longer time. Yes, you will have to give up some of your social life to do it. If you're looking to go to med school, it's something you should get used to.

I am in Biology now and I actually find looking at the diagrams do help me understand the text as a whole much better than reading does. Although I know for some in my class the diagrams are useless since they are not visual learners.

 

[kasho11]

I have the Lehninger text now too and I am going to go through a couple chapters my biochem class didn't cover before my MCAT date.

The key to understanding biochem and most science texts is simply an understanding of the language. If you have a solid base in biology chemistry and physics then after enough exposure to the science everything makes sense. When I took biochemistry 1, I felt more lost than you. But after being exposed to the material enough times, mostly through MCAT studying, EVERYTHING made sense. This was because I had a much stronger fundamental knowledge of the basic bio/chem/physics involved.

I do admit this specific text can be pretty dry and I have to force myself to sit and read, but if you lack a thorough understanding of the basic sciences then it can be dry and difficult.

 

[maybemed2013]

I always google stuff I don;t understand online.... I watch videos on youtube, there are quizzes about the subject from the publishers and other publishers, class notes and quizzes from other schools, etc.

 

[yellowbird12]

thanks for the advice.

Usually I don't like to read the diagrams a lot..
But I guess I should really pay more attention to those now

 

[ur2l8]

I have lehingers book right now in biochem 2 (my major). I outline the lecture notes first and get more in depth with the book. Book's the last thing I read in fact. maybe the week of the test. That way you fire your synapses right before test time and read the book with a basic understanding of what's goin on. And take breaks every section/read another subject or free book. Biochem's tough without a good memory

 

[ur2l8]

thanks for the advice.

Usually I don't like to read the diagrams a lot..
But I guess I should really pay more attention to those now

And yeah, diagrams are the best! Also try to learn for your own sake and not the grade. It's served me well over the years

 

[soundnin]

lehninger was the recommended text for me too. i looked at figures in depth and whatever wasn't clear from the figure legend, i would read the accompanying text. i still often fell asleep reading it though

 

[common man]

your prof is incompetent if he teaches biochem off the textbook. the textbook should be no more than a reference or source for figures. my awesome biochem prof taught with powerpoints. whenever i tried to read lehninger, it took forever. i didn't know what to focus on. there's a lot of important things in biochem 🙄

 

[Praefectus]

Khan Academy helps.

 

[yellowbird12]

Khan Academy helps.

thanks I think I may try that

 

[yellowbird12]

your prof is incompetent if he teaches biochem off the textbook. the textbook should be no more than a reference or source for figures. my awesome biochem prof taught with powerpoints. whenever i tried to read lehninger, it took forever. i didn't know what to focus on. there's a lot of important things in biochem 🙄

She has notes we can download and print from online.
Thank God she did give a list of what we should know. So that's what I want to g over and make sure I know everything on the list and she also has practice exams.

I just really want to make sure I understand all I need to know

 

[WillburCobb]

Oh Lehninger, I really miss the hours and hours I spent reading that 🙄
My prof. used that and Devlin. His class notes and what was covered in the texts rarely overlapped and we had to know the material from both equally well for tests. He recommended taking notes from the book as we read, which I did. Its REALLY time consuming but it makes studying much easier and more efficient before tests. Also, I felt that doing that kind of acted as a natural filter as to what is important without really explicitly thinking about.

 

[Morsetlis]

You're not supposed to read it.

Even if you did, would you really remember everything?

I'm a Biochem major, did (partially) Biochem research, got >95% in Medical Biochem, reading BRS and RR Biochem inside and out, and am currently tutoring Biochem. At the end of the day, retaining >80% on a random fact biopsy out of the book (say, using a practice Shelf exam) is still a challenging task, considering all the OTHER things you have to memorize and understand that is not Biochem.

Use the books as a REFERENCE. There are much better resources for understanding Biochemistry the first time around: Your professor, his/her handouts, the Internet (medicalbiochemistry.com is great), Kaplan videos, etc.

Once you understand Biochem, then go back and revisit the books for the nice diagrams and concrete facts and explanations. It will all tie together: understanding, and detailed knowledge.