Effective ways in studying biology

[magicmachine]

I found difficulties in revising first year biology as there are no past exam provided.  :(I tried many ways such rote learn the point form, flashcard etc, yet still not a effective way. I reckon every detail part in the slides is examinable so i tried to rote learn and memorise all the term and examples. :oEventually, I am falling behind on the lecture progress though i spent most of the time in this subject.  :'(Can anyone share your experience and thought in studying effectively in all biology subject throughtout the 3 years?   

[VanillaRice]

If trying to memorise everything on the lecture slides is overwhelming, then maybe consider taking a step back, and just try to understand the main concepts. Once you understand something, you'll retain it much easier than trying to memorise it.

If you are not already doing this, then I would recommend regular review of content - you won't retain information just by going to the lecture and taking down notes. Review content as often as you can - throughout the week between classes, on days off, or on the weekends if possible. Personally, making flashcards and reviewing/summarising notes have worked for me as study techniques. I can then use these flashcards/notes to revise throughout the semester. Perhaps you could also try to form a study group, so you can discuss the lecture content. At the end of the day, everyone has something different that works for them, so keep trying out different study techniques until you find the right one for you

[Bri MT]

If you're really struggling I would try this:
- first just go over the lectures notes trying to understand the main concept
- then note down the key players, why is that their name?  How does their structure impact their role?
- finally incorporate the supporting roles and the minor details

(If you already understand the concepts in a lecture feel free to skip to step 2 or even 3 for that lecture)

Eg.
1. A copy of a DNA segment is made, then modified, then used as a template to make a polypeptide chain
1. A coding region (probably called that because it codes for the mRNA) is used as a template for mRNA synthesis (the template works due to the structure of nucleotides causing complementary base pairing), the mRNA undergoes post-transcriptional modification (modifications that occur after transcription - the name's pretty self explanatory),  the mRNA is translated (goes from genetic CODE to a product) into a polypeptide chain at the ribosomes using tRNA ( tRNA transports/transfers the amino acids)
3. Go into all the nitty gritty detail including splicosomes etc.


After you understand you may still need to revise etc to recall every detail, but imo solid understanding should be your priority. 

[BNard]

I'm a second year at the moment, and found studying for first year biology to be quite different to second year, as it's a bit of a broad introduction to so many different areas within the biological sciences.

I was initially similarly frustrated by the lack of past papers as a way to test my knowledge, but eventually found that the reason for this was the reason that it actually isn't that hard to study for - they simply want you to know the content! It sounds stupidly obvious, but it is different to the more 'applied science' approach you might have taken in Year 12 studies or equivalent.

I took the approach of summarizing and summarizing until I had maybe 15 pages of 'key topics' and the bare bones of what we had to know about them - knowing every definable word etc. This basically gets you through Multiple Choice.

Section B in first year Bio (labelling diagrams, tables etc) is often taken straight from diagrams in the lecture notes.  I found that any diagram that looked slightly complex was a sure thing on the exam at the end of semester. For the rest of section B, my basic knowledge of the whole course from learning the summarised version of things was more than enough to put the pieces together.

I found that Section C of the first year Bio exams, which involved more essay or extended response questions was the only part in which more in depth knowledge was required. In saying that, many of the things you had to expand on were verrryy basic (e.g. describe meiosis or thermoregulation) and therefore you should be able to manage decent answers without memorising every detail of the lectures. 

Overall, my impression of first year bio in particular was that it was almost like a breadth subject - more about being across a number of different ideas and concepts and understanding the links between them than looking at any one thing in greater depth (as you will in later years). I would encourage taking a holistic approach when thinking about what is important to memorize and understand, rather than worrying about every detail of every lecture.

[magicmachine]

Thanks all of the recommendation

But I struggle how to write a summary after a lecture. Writing mind map in physiology works best for me but I have no idea in revising other aspects of biology like mircobiology,cell biology etc. 

Given that i have understanded every slides doing, what should i do to test my understanding and score well in examination and MST?

Thanks a lot again