Weak background in biology

[pinkcadillac]

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I have a weak background in biology and looking for something more detailed than ExamKrackers. I heard the Princeton Review Hyperlearning or Berkeley Review biology books are good. Would these books be sufficient? Or does anyone have recommendations for other books/sources to use?

Thanks

 

[ready2rumble10]

BR bio isn't as popular on here as the other BR sets, but I'd consider purchasing the bio set if you're weak in that area. I don't have the strongest bio background and I've been out of school a few years, so BR is perfect for me and could work for you as well.

That said, I would still hang on to the EK bio book and use it for the in-chapter practice problems and 30-min exams.

 

[Global Warming]

I am in the same situation...Bio is my WEAKEST subject by far. So I am currently using TPR hyperlearning and spending much extra time learning from this very detailed book. I'm reading this book very slowly and taking very detailed notes (people say not to do that - but I have to b/c I didn't really understand this stuff). After finishing this book, I plan to recopy all of my notes (pages and pages and pages and pages of notes), and read my EK bio book taking minimal notes (just stuff that I do not have).

Just a bit of warning, the TPR Hyperlearning book is very dense & boring. If you are accustomed to looking at the colorful EK book, just know that this book reads like the bible.

GL!

 

[loveoforganic]

Have you used the EK Bio? I had virtually no background in bio and used that as my prep, and I thought it was very adequate.

 

[Contrarian]

TPR Hyperlearning is the best if you want a detailed bio book. TBR bio is pretty bad, since it focuses on all the wrong things. But TPR Hyperlearning will truly fill you in on pretty much everything you need to know.

I didn't find it boring either (aside from chapter 1). There are questions along the way that encourage active reading. It's not as quick and to-the-point as EK, but go ahead and use TPR hyperlearning for the first run through, and maybe hit EK during re-review.

 

[J ROD]

Use TPR for the bio then. Could follow up with EK to drill the basics in.

 

[wanderer]

I had a weak bio background and read through most of Campbell & Reece - several times. It served me well, but you have to give yourself plenty of time to go through it. EK bio I felt was only adequate as a review.

 

[Contrarian]

I had a weak bio background and read through most of Campbell & Reece - several times. It served me well, but you have to give yourself plenty of time to go through it. EK bio I felt was only adequate as a review.

that's impressive.

 

[glia25]

all of my bio experience is in advanced biology classes, so I had no true background in body systems when I was studying...first time around I used EK, when that didn't work I used TPR second time around -- i recommend TPR

 

[Evergrey]

I have a weak background in biology too since I switched to pre-med fairly late. Before I took the MCAT, I had onto taken Intro. Bio, Molecular & Evolutionary Genetics, and Biochemistry (3 classes).

Despite this background, I was able to use EK and get a decent score on the BS section. I used EK Bio and I used the EK1001 Bio problems and Campbell's book to get extra studying on problem areas. I scored 12-13 consistently on my BS practice exams and a 12 on the real deal.