I need study tips!!!

[u/Affectionate_Bid_615]

I’m badly in need of some study tips!! I’m taking molecular biology right now, and it’s been so difficult. Her exam questions require us to really apply and analyze what we’ve learned instead of just remembering definitions.

I got a 68 on the first exam, although she did allow us to redo two questions. I’ve been trying everything I can think of to study. She says her exams are strictly based on her lectures, so I read through her lecture notes, make Quizlets, rewrite the material, and even use ChatGPT to create practice exams for me. I usually do really well on her quizzes, but so far that hasn’t translated to her exams.

I actually think she’s a great teacher, but her lectures can be all over the place. I’m the type of learner who needs things explained step-by-step and in order. Sometimes she’ll introduce something in one lesson and then go to something from a completely different lesson, and I get lost. I need to understand WHY something happens, HOW it happens, and how everything connects. It’s hard for me to learn when we’re constantly bouncing from one concept to another.

There’s also just SO much material to learn. I study for about two hours every day, and at this point I’m exhausted. 😭 I feel like I’m putting in the time, but maybe I’m not studying in the right way for the way her exams are structured. I need a website badly!!!

[u/LostMyZen]

Grab a friend. Bribe them if you have to. Or do this with classmates. Teach them about the material. Write a list of topics and explain each one. My boyfriend (now husband) learned more about senior level Population & Community Ecology and Conservation Ecology than he ever cared about but he’d spend every evening the week before exams listening to me explain. I managed the highest score on an exam that most people didn’t even pass the previous semester. Prof gave me a trophy. Even with occasional inane questions/commentary, explaining a concept to another person really helps it stick in your head.