How do you learn things?

[Dalya]

Okay. I'm curious how everyone goes about studying for memorization-type classes.

I have good study habits as far as organization and time management but I have a lot of difficulty learning things for Biology type classes. The problem: with math (and math based science) classes, you learn the material by actually doing problems. But with Bio, there is nothing to do with the material (that I can think of) except read it and rewrite it. Over and over and over. There is no assigned homework. And when exam time comes I feel like I understand all the general topics. Actually I understand everything, I just can't remember the specifics.

What I do currently (that is apparently not enough):
- preview the chapter before class
- go to class, take notes
- read the chapter in depth later that week, highlight
- write a detailed outline of the chapter to use a study guide (also for later use w/ MCAT)
- study outlines closer to exam, rewrite sections I don't know at all, reread anything thats unclear
- right before exam I rewrite definitions and draw diagrams of the most important things/things I have the most trouble with.

This isn't about grades, really, it's more about the MCAT and med school. I need to KNOW all of this, not just make an A in bio. In the fall I'm taking O-Chem which is like 80% memorization, so I need to figure out a way to learn this stuff now. I just never feel super-comfortable with the material and then I get test anxiety. So... advice? Should I just reread my notes every single day or what?

edit: also, I use mnemonics, but it becomes impossible when everything starts with "cyto" or "chloro".

p.s. has anyone on here ever taken the MCAT?

[Irock]

read it and rewrite it. Over and over and over.

That's all I can do with this kind of stuff. Actually, I just write it. Over and over and over and over and over and over.

i "this is why I'm not studying Bio anymore" rock





p.s. and over.

[ifihadahifi]

I find being smacked with a rolled up newspaper and having my nose rubbed in it helps me learn a lesson.

[aquaphase]

my study process used to be:

1. sit down and open book
2. get up and go smoke cigarette.
3. sit back down and flip pages of notes
4. go to bar and drink 3-15 beers
5. sleep
6. ace test.

[sam]

Many people retain alot more if they have to repeat and explain it to others. I think that's why some study groups are so effective. The only other thing I have tried on occassion is writing the material on a chalk board or white board instead of a notebook. The bigger size and more physical motion seemed to help keep me from zoning out as much, maybe.

[monet2u]

my study process used to be:

1. sit down and open book
2. get up and go smoke cigarette.
3. sit back down and flip pages of notes
4. go to bar and drink 3-15 beers
5. sleep
6. ace test.

I practice the Justin method of learning too!

Since I hate writing things down....listening or reading are my two best learning tools.

[mere1975]

At TCU, my study habits usually involved playing solitaire (if I win, I will study tonight; if I lose, I will go to bed and wake up early to study) or looking at the clock (odd, I study now; even, wake up early.)

But for my art history and copyright law courses more recently, I actually read the info and studied.

My memory has always been pretty visual -- like, if I have read through the material once or twice, I can close my eyes and see the page that the answer is on in my head -- but when it comes to identifying hundreds of old sculptures or things like biology terms, I think flashcards is the way to go.

- Mere "good luck" 1975

[squeezle]

for that kind of stuff, there is nothing better than flash cards.

you have the the process of writing it all out to make the flash cards which helps with the learning, then they are easy to carry around and review when you have some down time, plus they allow you to sort out the stuff you know from the stuff that you have trouble with so you can focus on your energy on the stuff that is a problem. this process got me a coveted A- (not give freely, especially not to females or cultural anthropologists) in my history of anthropology class.

[eebs]

don't listen to slayer while revising!! i once spent time in an exam trying to remember the answer to a question and all my brain was doing was playing songs from reign in blood cos that was what i was listening to when revising for the exam.

when i went to uni i had to cut out music for a few weeks at exam time. it sucked. i tended to find making summary notes and working on practice questions did the trick for me.

[ifihadahifi]

Eebs, sometimes you are soooo british.

"revising"

[katie]

i'm pretty quick to memorize, think it came from always having to learn pages and pages of scripts. if i actually sit down and look at it for a few minutes, i have it. cause i'm a lucky bastard. but i've never had to dick around with organic chemistry, either.

[Dalya]

I will try the white board thing, sam. that sounds like it might work for me. I definitely learn better the more active I am. Study groups suck for me bc of ADD, I just start socializing eventually.

As far as flashcards are concerned, I use them sometimes, but I don't really know how to organize more complicated information onto flashcards. Because it's not straight memorization (that's all I usually use them for - names of molecules, etc).

So, for example, we just did Mitosis. There are 4 phases of mitosis, and within one of the phases there are 5 subphases, and within 3 of the main phases there are regulatory mechanisms we have to be able to explain in detail. And within each phase and subphase there are specific complexes and structures we have to know the names, locations, and functions of (thats the worst part... example: during the m-phase there are centrioles, centromeres, controsomes, chromosomes, chromatin, chromatids, sister chromatids, and kinetochore).

So, I just have no clue how to divide that into note cards. Should I have some of the information on several different cards? Like one card just lists the phases, then one card explaining each phase, then 1 card for each checkpoint, and then cards that just have 1 term and location/phase (kinetochore on one side, explanation on the back)? Should I use those extra large flash cards and have a lot of info on each one, or have a ton of simpler cards?

maybe I should get a tutor. or life coach.

p.s. I finally started studying at the library so that I can't decide to drink/smoke/sleep/eat/get online like you slackers. that is my greatest achievement in college so far - learning how to actually sit down and study. I never once did it in high school.

p.p.s. thanks for the suggestions and taking the time to care about this boring subject

[katie]

think maybe you're overanalyzing this one, dalyabear. do what makes sense to you. maybe a flashcard with the 4 phases. then another one that asks you to break down phase 1 (then 2, etc). then another set about regulatory mechanisms. and maybe diagrams for the ones where you need to know names, locations, and functions of.

as far as mnemonics go, i always found with shit like this, to base it off the things that are different. like, with the example you gave for m-phase:

the first two are centri. so the differences there are oles and meres. so, i'd say to myself, "ole, mere!" and picture mere as a mexican doing a dance. then the next one is easy cause it's contro (which is almost like contra, so it goes along with the dance theme). so i'd picture mexican mere doing a contra dance. then the next ones are chromo, so the differences are somes, matin, matid, sister matid. "some mate in" would be my first part of that, then for some reason, matid reminds me of praying mantis, so i'd picture a mantis, then a mantis nun (for sister matid). then kinetochore is different enough to just remember on its own.

so let's review. (centri) mexican mere doing a contr(o)a dance. then (chromo) some mate in praying mantises or nun praying mantises. kinetochore.

and that, honestly, is how i would learn that.

[roach]

think maybe you're overanalyzing this one, dalyabear. do what makes sense to you. maybe a flashcard with the 4 phases. then another one that asks you to break down phase 1 (then 2, etc). then another set about regulatory mechanisms. and maybe diagrams for the ones where you need to know names, locations, and functions of.

as far as mnemonics go, i always found with shit like this, to base it off the things that are different. like, with the example you gave for m-phase:

the first two are centri. so the differences there are oles and meres. so, i'd say to myself, "ole, mere!" and picture mere as a mexican doing a dance. then the next one is easy cause it's contro (which is almost like contra, so it goes along with the dance theme). so i'd picture mexican mere doing a contra dance. then the next ones are chromo, so the differences are somes, matin, matid, sister matid. "some mate in" would be my first part of that, then for some reason, matid reminds me of praying mantis, so i'd picture a mantis, then a mantis nun (for sister matid). then kinetochore is different enough to just remember on its own.

so let's review. (centri) mexican mere doing a contr(o)a dance. then (chromo) some mate in praying mantises or nun praying mantises. kinetochore.

and that, honestly, is how i would learn that.

give me your lunch money, nerd!

[Dalya]

but i don't know what works for me cause i don't know how my brain works

havent those damn doctors figured out how to make people learn yet? lazy good for nothing...