Help me figure out a study technique!

I have found notecards are easy way to test yourself on your memorization, also I have found for me personally typing out my notes on a computer helps me remember more, because I end up reading the sentence a few times while I am trying to remember what to type on my computer.

do one chapter at a time. take notes, and make notecards on the organisms/ any key words right away so that you don't skip/ forget any important information from that chapter. if you're pressed for time its better to do well on the chapters you can thoroughly learn in time than try to rush through them all. don't spend too much time on notecards or you won't have enough time to study

what i do is i handwritten every important detail on the lenghtwise fold yellow paper and i fill it up and you may try color coding as well, like set up a legend where red is the most important and yellow for this, pink for that see what i mean?? like for example on a test im just thinking of what color it may be, so i could remember more easier and handwriting it so i could know if i wrote it correctly. it may or may not work for you but it certainly worked for me, well so BEST WISHES to you! :)

I'm not really a flash card learner but it helps me to write things to commit them to memory. So I definitely write out my notes. I also answer the questions at the end of the chapter. If there is an answer I don't know, I write it down and take note of it. There is a lot to learn but the important part is to try your best to understand it rather than brute force memorize everything.

See if your local library or bookstore has "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Microbiology" or "Microbiology Demystified". You don't have to read them, just use them as a reference for difficult sections.

Doesn't your teacher post powerpoints on the chapters and study guides? If not you might want to ask him/her for them. You shouldn't have to teach yourself in an online class... the teacher is getting paid to teach, just using a different format.

What you're doing is great. But I would also go online and take practice exams. The publisher of your textbook should have a website for the book. Check it out and see if they have practice chapter exams. Do them so you can see if what you're reading is actually sticking. I do this with all of my classes.

Make sure that when you make your notes that you are putting everything into your own words, not just copying info from the book. When you have to explain a process to yourself it'll help you retain it. And if you have problems putting what you read into words, then you know you're not really understanding the material.

Lists and tables are also helpful. My microbio professor was really into comparing bacteria types or cell types. So we'd always make tables where we list traits and differences. He would also ask questions about characteristics of bacteria, fungi, etc. So you can pick something and see how many things you can list about it.

My first Micro exam is coming up and it is on the first six chapters (holy crap!).

This class is online, minus the lab, so I am basically reading the chapters on my own and teaching it to myself...no lectures.

What would be the best way to study for this exam. So far I am making my way through Ch. 3 and I've been taking notes on each chapter....should I countinue to make notes and then make flashcards of those notes?

It just seems like SO much to learn and memorize that I'd like to study the most effective way possible.

Thanks for any suggestions!

Do what works for YOU. I personally do not like flash cards. Blatantly memorizing info just for the sake of memorizing it, will not help. One needs to understand the material and know it, to really learn the material. Reading the book and rewriting my notes is what helped me get through my prereqs.