what is the key to getting all A's in your science classes

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Tofurkey

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Hello,

I am a post-bacc who is trying to get all A's since I was a non-science major in college, and med schools will only be seeing the pre-med requirements I am now taking as my only science.

I have a 3.6 right now in my sciences, but want to improve that--anyone have any tips for acing the sciences? I am taking orgo, physics, and bio right now.

Thanks!

Tofurkey

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Dating? Forget it.

Sex? Not unless you pay for it!

Meals? IV is a good way.

Sleep? Amphetamines and Provigil.

Bathing? You need waterproof paper.

Housing? Sleep in the library, if you hide behind the shelves they won't ask you to leave.

Money? Panhandle.
 
LOL @ TTSD!:laugh:

My advice is just to keep on top of all your assignments. If you do things as they are assigned and don't wait until the last minute, it's not too hard to get good science grades. And make good use of the prof's office hours if there's anything you don't understand.

But then again, I took orgo, physics, and bio in 3 separate years. Good luck trying to do them all in one!
 
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Two words....


don't drink
 
1. Dont go to class.
2. Dont turn in assignments on time.
3. Tell the professor what you Really think of them.
4. Fill in only your name on the test and leave the rest blank.
5. Drink until you pass out at 6 in the morning and class starts at 8.

Or maybe its the other way around...Maybe thats why I dont have stellar grades...

Seriously, Do what you feel is best. Find what helps you study the most. Look into study partners, extra reading material, flashcards, examples, etc.

For myself, I found that flashcards helped with the boring early biology. Later sciences, I found that a study partner and a large dry erase board worked wonders. I am a visual learner who likes to speak and hear the material in addition to seeing it in a pratical manner. I also liked to work extra in the lab. It helped me to work with what I was studying (Clinical Micro would have been horrible without being able to actually see the Microbes).

The main key is find how you like to study and keep up with it.
 
I think working you ass off plain and simple is the key. I had a rough first year so now I am in straight A mode in order to apply with a solid GPA...and the upward trend will be nice too! However you choose to study I think you just need to commit and put in the time...I know I do often times to the sacrifice and exclusion of much else, like sleep, social events etc! It may not be the most healthy lifestyle but it gets the job done. Staying ahead I think is key too...it's so much easier to get an A when it's all said and done if you've been on top of things the whole semester/quarter and rocking them. Best of luck!!! :)
 
This may sound trite, but I truly believe a major component is deciding to love your classes. If you hate your classes, they will hate you back. If you decide to enjoy your classes, look at what makes them interesting, understand the historical significance of having at your fingertips access to information the Classical philosophers would have killed for, thinking about how much science can help you make informed and important decisions, it will be a great and rewarding experience. Try to look at your professors and see what they saw in the subject that made them want to study the field at the expense of all others. Science IS fascinating, and well worthwhile. If you just look at at it as an awful means to an end, then even if you get good grades, you will come out on the other side feeling like a resentful, beat down dog. But if you enjoy your classes, you will come out as a satisfied, beat down dog!!!!:clap: :clap: ;)
 
Hmm... I must say that I disagree a bit with Nutmeg. Although loving your classes is great if you can manage it, faking love for orgo is probably about as easy as faking an orgasm with a porn star. I just could not pretend to enjoy all of those math problems and pesky formulas...

Anyway, I think the best way to do well in your science classes, and any classes you dislike, actually, is to remember WHY you're taking them. You (like me) may really enjoy certain sciences and want to be a doctor, but absolutely DESPISE gen. chem, calc, and physics. (I'm not big on math...). However, if you keep reminding yourself that you're going through all this torture because you eventually want to be a doctor, it will make it that much easier for you. Every time that things got difficult, I would go online to the Doctors Without Borders website or find links for wilderness medicine training programs and say "This is why you're doing it. Get through this, and you can be there."

Worked for me. Good luck!

- Quid
 
If you're a post-bac, i'm sure you're probably taking upper level science courses. Through the years, I have found that reading and re-reading is a good way to grasp science concepts. I would read before a lecture and then re-read the material a week before the test. In addition, you should learn to isolate important information, charts, diagrams, and concepts in the text. The key to success is grasping the big picture. For example, when you're studying the Krebs cycle for Biochem or Micro, I would suggest for you to make a copy of the Krebs cycle from your book and write a summary about this pathway. In physiology, you learn a lot about mechanisms and molecular you learn about all the 3-structures. Photocopy all the important charts/diagrams and summarize them! The same goes for studying any other science classes. You should not re-read the book 2 days before the test. These last few days should be spent going over the class notes and the notes you've made from reading. This has helped me maintained a 4.0 in college science classes.
 
Originally posted by quideam
Hmm... I must say that I disagree a bit with Nutmeg. Although loving your classes is great if you can manage it, faking love for orgo is probably about as easy as faking an orgasm with a porn star. I just could not pretend to enjoy all of those math problems and pesky formulas...
- Quid


I'm not suggesting you should fake it. How can you hope to fool yourself? I'm suggesting that you open your mind to the possibility that despite your past misconceptions, you can actually learn to love science.
 
not hating your classes, is good.

Pounding in your mind "the teacher is being ridiculuous", "this stuff is useless", "our grades don't reflect knowledge", etc, etc, etc, just gets you less motivated to do well.

my suggestions...
Use time well. This does not mean not having fun. It means not wasting time. There is a difference.

Study ahead.

Sonya
 
You want to get A's in science classes, you certainly don't need to "love science". I am a chemistry major who truly hates every minute I spend doing research/classes/labs. Everybody talks about the horrors of orgo, please, try some upper level theory based classes. All you have to do to get all A's is take good lecture notes, and memorize them before an exam. That, and always turn in better lab reports than everyone else.
 
Nutmeg didn't say it's necessary to love science to get good grades, just that it helps a lot. I have found this to be completely true. Sure you can go through chemistry hating every minute of it and still get all A's, but it requires more effort. If you find a way to love the subject you will study for learning's sake, not for the grade's sake, and it will not be such a drag to do it.

Remember those classes you've had where you didn't want to stop studying/reading/learning/discussing? It's incredibly easy to get A's in classes like that because you naturally spend a lot of time on them and make yourself understand what's going on. Just find a way to turn your science classes into one of those classes.
 
the way to get a's in science classes is to always ask questions while studying. for example, if you are going over reactions in ochem, don't just memorize them, figure out why things work the way they work. when studying for an exam, ask yourself questions about the material to make sure you understand it. focus on what you don't know, and make sure you learn it. also, i always tried to think of questions/concepts a prof might ask on the exam and made sure i thoroughly understood them. i took orgo, physics, and bio along with another class while playing a varsity sport and managed to get a-'s in the sciences. you just have to manage your time and make sure you understand things rather than just memorize things.
 
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