How To Succeed In Biology Series: Words of Wisdom from Dr. Frederick. (Part 2 of 3)

A continuation of How to Succeed in biology.  Excerpts from college Biology professor, Dr. Frederick, PhD.
Part 2 of 3 contains How to Study.  An overview of the Do's and Don'ts when mastering Biology.
Enjoy.

How To Study More Effectively. 

Two of the biggest mistakes a new student will make are (i) not being prepared to put in the amount of time necessary to do well in a difficult class and (ii) not realizing that putting in time and effort are not a substitute for learning.  The successful student will put forth an effort to figure out how to increase the efficiency with which they learn.

The hard part about studying is that it is completely individual.  What works for one person will not necessarily work for another.  The important thing is not to simply do something because it works for others, but to figure out what works for you. 

What not to do                                                                                                                                  1. Do not get sucked into studying like your roommate does, just so you can hang out.  Group study usually works best after you have studied on your own first.         

2. Do not watch TV while you study.  It is not effective, no matter who you are.  Don’t waste your ATP on Grey’s Anatomy!  Put in an hour of solid studying, shut the book, then turn on your favorite show.  You cannot concentrate on 2 things at the same time, not well anyway. 

3. Do not put things off until the last minute (i.e. cramming).  Read the chapters and get notes organized before you start studying, not as part of your studying regime.  When you learn new material and connect concepts, you are actually growing neural connections in your brain.  This takes time (and ATP of course!).  Fun tip:  water and omega 3 help keep your brain happy & healthy.  Drink more water!

4.  Do not highlight your entire book and all of your notes.  Read first, then go back and highlight the major concepts only.  Use a different color highlighter for definitions. 

What to do                                                                                                                                         1. Stay on top of the material.  Read the chapter before coming to the lecture (skim it at the very least).  Tip: Write an outline with major ideas/concepts for each section. 

2.  Come to class!  Attendance at lectures is essential for success. Students who chronically miss classes usually do not do well.  Simply showing up to class is not going to do it, you need to pay attention.  Do not simply sit back passively and listen to the instructor- concentrate on the material.  Also, if you have already read the chapter, you know what you don’t understand and can ask questions to clarify the concepts.  Tip: Starbucks helps the paying attention part. 

3.  Ask questions when you don't understand something or wish the instructor to pursue a point further.  If you don’t understand a concept, you are not stupid.  Not everyone processes information the same way or maybe you missed a key point earlier in the lecture.  You may need the concept reiterated a different way that makes sense to you or reminded of a point you may have forgotten that ties two concepts together.

4.  Review your lecture notes as soon as possible.  Make sure they are complete and understandable.  Refer to the textbook when uncertain about something in your notes; it will be invaluable in clearing up questions and amplifying major points.

5. Get organized.  Make sure you have a copy of the syllabus.  Put important dates, like exam dates into your planner, so you can prepare appropriately.  You are probably taking more than one class.  If your exams fall on the same day, that will affect your time management.  Make a plan- allot a certain time frame to study for each class.  Right before or directly after class is an excellent time to study notes as the material is still fresh in your head. 

Remember for best results you should plan to spend, minimally, approximately 2-3 hours a week dedicated to a course, above and beyond time spent in the classroom, for every lecture (or credit) hour associated with a science course.  This is at least an average of four to eight hours a week outside class working on each course.  If you spend a few minutes early in the morning planning how the day is to be used and allow adequate time for studying, much more will be accomplished.

6. Find a proper place to study.  A proper place is one where you can concentrate and efficiently use your study time without being distracted. Try to find a quiet location with a desk and good lighting. If possible, always study in the same place and use it only for studying. In this way you will be mentally prepared to study when you are at your desk. This location may be in the dorm, the library, a special study room.  If you study in your dorm, hang a note outside telling friends to give you an uninterrupted hour of time- no drop in’s.  If you study at home, have family members help you out.  Ask them to not interrupt you or keep other family members (children) from interrupting you.  If you make time to spend with your children after you study, they will learn that playtime comes after study time- not bad to teach them this early!  If your children are older- you can study together.  If they are young, put them to bed early, then get to work.  I realize easier said than done! 

7. Learn BIG-small-BIG.  Huh?!  Begin a chapter focusing on the major points (Big)- what are the key concepts you will learn in this chapter?  List them.  Then learn all the small details that make up the big picture concepts.  Now that you understand how the pieces work- put them all together and apply them back to the major points (Big).  (See the forest, see each species of tree in the forest, but remember it’s still a forest!)

Helpful Study Habits (developed by  Francis P. Robinson and updated by L.L. Thistlewaite and N.K. Snouffer)

SQ4R approach:  Survey, Question, Read, Revise, Record, and Review

1.      Survey. Briefly scan the chapter to become familiar with its general content. Quickly read the title, introduction, summary, and main headings. Record the major ideas and points that you think the chapter will make. If there are a list of chapter concepts and a chapter outline, pay close attention to these. This survey should give you a feel for the topic and how the chapter is approaching it.

2.      Question. As you reach each main heading or subheading, try to compose an important question or two that you believe the section will answer. This preview question will help focus your reading of the section. It is also a good idea to keep asking yourself questions as you read. This habit facilitates active reading and learning. (This bascially is an aid to allow you to better distinguish important points from extraneous detail; if you start reading a section with some idea of where the section ought to lead, it is much easier to distinguish what you want to learn from what you want to put aside for now---of course, this is not nearly as doable with material which is completely new to you as it is with material which you have had some experience with.)

3.      Read. Carefully read the section. Read to understand concepts and major points, and try to find the answer to your preview question(s). You may want to highlight very important terms or explanations of concepts, but do not indiscriminately highlight everything. Be sure to pay close attention to any terms printed in color or boldface since the author(s) considered these to be important.

4.      Revise. After reading the section, revise your question(s) to more accurately reflect the section's contents. These questions should be concept type questions that force you to bring together a number of details. They can be written in the margins of your text.

5.       Record. Underline the information in the text that answers your questions, if you have not already done so. You may wish to write down the answers in note form as well. This process will give you good material to use in preparing for exams.

Review. Review the information by trying to answer your questions without looking at the text. If the text has a list of key words and a set of study questions, be sure to use these in your review. You will retain much more if you review the material several times.

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Disclaimer:  Dr. Frederick is not a part of or associated with The Eliel Arrey TEAM.  These "How To Succeed" series were uploaded with her permission and out of our good graces to share with fellow college peers.