In your opinion what constitutes studying a lot? 2 hours, 5 , or 10? I'm amazed sometimes when I hear people say that they studied so much and come to find out that they just crammed 1 or 2 days before an exam.
My book has concept questions that I try and answer and I do these alongside any relevant end of the chapter questions. There is a difference between memorizing and actually understanding concepts.
I have a friend who is great at Bio and she quizzes me on the spot until I know the stuff cold. Also as of lately, soon as I get all the notes needed for the upcoming exam, out loud I will read the main points or interpret concepts in my own words for each chapter and via my computer I record them. I compile and organize all the .wav files and then burn them onto a disc. This disc is then played heavily in my car leading up to an exam as I regularly commute between school and work. All this alongside frequent short review sessions everyday leads me to walking in on exam day with major confidence in getting nothing less than an A.
Since I've started doing this my exam grades have jumped from B to A- minus range to high A's (98% on my last lecture exam, 94% on the last lab exam).
My first ever college bio course I had to bust my ass off to get an A, but it was not because I felt that the material was hard, it had more to with the inefficient studying methods I had used.
Now I'm always jotting down any hints the professor gives us or possible ways he could ask a question about a certain topic. I'm always thinking in my head, "What is the main point he is trying to get across?", "Is this material related to any other topic we have covered previously?". I also ask him specific questions about material to test the waters and see how in depth he wants us to get with material. I stick around when most the other kids have left early, and usually he will drop some gems of info here or there.
I also do a weird thing where I reference concepts or ideas to things I already know very well (things I already have stored in my longer term memory). It kind of is a mental checkpoint I create with new material. I later think of that older/related material, and then the new material I had previously associated with it comes to mind more easily. It is a lot of "Oh yeah! that topic is kind of like this topic I had previously learned!".
