Struggling First Year pre-med

[doctorhoot]

I'm currently a freshman bio major pre-med student. I'm currently taking biology, chem, and calc I (and another elective), but I'm really struggling in biology.
I took AP bio and got a 4 on the exam, but for this class on the first test I got an 80% after studying more than 10 hours specifically for the exam, and an 87% on the second exam after studying more than 15 hours.
On quizzes I am consistently scoring B minuses, and I'm starting to get worried about my GPA and how that may affect future med school applications.

Any tips or suggestions on how I can improve in bio?

Clarification: the studying was spread over 3 days

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Mclovin0351]

15 hours? Study more. And more in advance. Take the night before to review and relax.

 

[eteshoe]

You aren't actually doing that bad for essentially waiting until the last moment to prepare. But yea agree w/ @Mclovin0351

 

[rilte4]

Specific numbers aside, it makes a big difference whether those hours are all at once or spread out over time

 

[summergirl]

I'm currently a freshman bio major pre-med student. I'm currently taking biology, chem, and calc I (and another elective), but I'm really struggling in biology.
I took AP bio and got a 4 on the exam, but for this class on the first test I got an 80% after studying more than 10 hours specifically for the exam, and an 87% on the second exam after studying more than 15 hours.
On quizzes I am consistently scoring B minuses, and I'm starting to get worried about my GPA and how that may affect future med school applications.

Any tips or suggestions on how I can improve in bio?

Studying 10-15 hours for one test is nothing, seriously. I averaged at 30 hours per test to get the grades I wanted.

 

[WedgeDawg]

1. Start studying earlier if you can

2. Quiz yourself as you go along - turn the process into more of an active learning process, which has been shown to help retention

3. Teach other people who are also studying, and have them teach you, then quiz each other - if you can teach something, you understand it more than well enough to take a test

4. If you can, look at the questions you have been getting wrong and figure out why you've been getting them wrong. Was it something you didn't know? Was there an error in reasoning? Did you misinterpret the question? Figuring out where your weaknesses are can help you develop a better study strategy for future tests

5. If you don't understand something, ask a classmate, a TA, or the professor to go over it with you (classmates are usually your best bet)

6. If you're given a problem set, make sure you can do the problem set in your sleep. If you get questions wrong, look over that material again and analyze the problem until you understand exactly what your mistake was and how to fix it

 

[JustAPhD]

Study over the course of a couple of days, if you're not doing that already. How many days will depend on how well you grasp the concepts. I typically started ~6 days before an exam (depending on when the exam was, no Friday/Saturday studying for me). You also may not be studying effectively. It is probably worth your time to schedule an appointment with learning services. Many freshmen have trouble transitioning to college learning; you're not experiencing anything that others have not dealt with.

 

[doctorhoot]

Study over the course of a couple of days, if you're not doing that already. How many days will depend on how well you grasp the concepts. I typically started ~6 days before an exam (depending on when the exam was, no Friday/Saturday studying for me). You also may not be studying effectively. It is probably worth your time to schedule an appointment with learning services. Many freshmen have trouble transitioning to college learning; you're not experiencing anything that others have not dealt with.

Thanks for the suggestion! I started 3 days before, but I may need more time than that.

 

[Pagan FutureDoc]

You need to be studying the material as you go...intro bio isn't a class you should have to cram for. Put in an hour for every hour of instruction and you should do fine. If you still are struggling seek help at your school to improve your study skills.

It really sounds like you are just having trouble adjusting to college classes...they are nothing like high school and actually require you to put in work outside of class/hw to get good grades

 

[AlQemy]

I recommend you start studying early and study over time. Also try to teach what you learned to your peers who may be struggling. Teaching is an excellent study technique and I found great success through it.

 

[ed*26]

I had the exact same problem as you - my first semester I was studying for hours and hours and still doing poorly (but worse than you) on exams. You need to critically think about whether your study methods are really working. Look at the people around you who are doing well (for me that was my roommates) and see what you can take from their approach. You also probably have some idea of what more you could do if you had more time -- give yourself that time, and do it.

For me I needed to start studying earlier (sounds like something you could benefit from) and move from flipping through lectures and notes towards making note cards. I started making note cards within a few days of the lecture so that when exam time rolled around they were already done. Also, I just in general started thinking critically about the material during lecture by writing questions in the margins and such. I went from spending my whole first winter break in tears because I thought my med school chances were gone, to getting straight As in ochem. These won't necessarily be what you need to do, but it should demonstrate the level of commitment and critical thinking you should apply towards your study skills. Good luck!

 

[Princeton Medical Student]

note that this is the study method I use that may or may not work for everyone

Anki notecards after every class. I usually take the main points down into a cloze flash card and make image occulsion cards for every important chart. After you are done adding the cards, do the review.

Dont do this the last minute, but rather add materials as they come so you are best prepared and have studied most for your exams.

Good luck!

 

[Sardinia]

@doctorhoot If you're doing well in your other subjects, doesn't it make sense to you that you'd get a B in Biology? Isn't the B in Biology for the wide distribution of B's that are given out in Biology classes as per Bell curve?

 

[Tea Leaf]

For Gen Bio you actually should study around 10-12 hours a week! You're doing well considering it's kind of last minute studying, but if you put in more hours you'll definitely do better. Also, as an undergrad with a rough first year myself, make sure you don't panic. Don't keep thinking, "oh no I can't get into medical school like this". Focus on becoming a better student, which includes studying daily, time management, going to office hours and seeking out help, etc. Become interested in what you're learning and focus on understanding rather than just acing the test (you can only do this if you are studying consistently- you can't really do this if you're cramming).

You got this! Good luck, and stay calm

 

[aldol16]

Develop your study strategies. What you did in high school probably won't work any more. You need to find out what works best for you, whether that's study groups or writing your notes every night or whatever. Also, don't be focused on your GPA. The GPA is one part of the equation. Doing poorly in one class will not exclude you, even from the top schools. But the more worried you are about your GPA, the worse you will do on your classes because then you focus on learning for the grade instead of learning to better yourself.

 

[mistafab]

It's not how long you study, but how you study.

I smell rampant ineffective study routines from your post. You likely haven't learned how to be an effective student yet, that is okay. I'd suggest you look at HOW you are studying, and NOT HOW LONG you are studying.

I'm currently a freshman bio major pre-med student. I'm currently taking biology, chem, and calc I (and another elective), but I'm really struggling in biology.
I took AP bio and got a 4 on the exam, but for this class on the first test I got an 80% after studying more than 10 hours specifically for the exam, and an 87% on the second exam after studying more than 15 hours.
On quizzes I am consistently scoring B minuses, and I'm starting to get worried about my GPA and how that may affect future med school applications.

Any tips or suggestions on how I can improve in bio?

Clarification: the studying was spread over 3 days