Study tips for Biology

[mydee]

Hello,

I am a pre nursing student who will be taking Biology this Summer actually starting tomarrow. Although this class is not counted for my nursing GPA I still would like to do well. I am so nervous I have not taken in science classes in a long time and I need study tips. If there are any visual learners who have recently taken Biology study tips is greatly needed.

[natrgrrl]

It is very easy to get intimidated during labtime. Just pay attention to the rules and prepare ahead of time for your lab so that you know a little bit about what you will be doing.

If you are a visual learner, relate any difficult concepts you encounter to images of some kind and then draw them out. It probably sounds strange but if you draw out and label things, it will be easier for you to remember things.

Good luck.

[runner19]

hey mydee !! i was in your position just last month. i just got done with biology, and made it out with a "B". Thankfully, i had an awesome teacher... but other than that, all i can say is PAY ATTENTION during LECTURE and take good notes. my teacher's tests were very descriptive and picky... stuff i never would have thought would be on the test. i usually read the chapters and took good notes on the way. labs were fun and easy... worked with friends all the time. also, before each exam, we met in commons and studied together for an hour. i always did my homework right after classs so the info was fresh..and kept looking back on my notes !!!!!

GOOD LUCK

[casi, ASN, RN]

I second going to lecture and paying attention. If your teacher has powerpoint notes for you to print off print them and take them to class! As the teacher lectures take notes, translate and simplify complex concepts, draw pictures, highlight and arrow important things, and basically just scribble all over them. You'll find that the more involved you are with the lecture process the better you retain the information.

Also pay attention to the diagrams in the books. Don't memorize them, but be able to explain them. Anyone can rattle off chemicals that go into a process, but it's harder to explain the process in whole. I tend to turn things into odd cute little stories.

If the teachers lecture follows the book somewhat pay attention to the study questions at the end of the chapter and be able to answer them. I always ignored them until I was part way through microbiology and once I started to use them to study I was pleasantly surprised at how much they helped. Especially since unknown to me the instructor was taking a question or two from the end of the chatper and using it on the tests.