Study Tips

Study Tips for Non-Biology Majors By Liz de Goursac

In the midst of failing my first test as a neuroscience PhD student, I suddenly remembered why I had studied physics instead of biology as an undergrad. I flashed back to my one and only undergraduate biology class - the one where I had to memorize the classifications of animals, the parts of animals (as Richard Feynman put it, 'the map of a cat'), and scores of other things. That class had convinced me that I was hippocampally challenged, and set me more firmly on my course into the world of physics. In physics, there are only about 10 total things to memorize, and they are short and catchy, like "E=mc^2"; just one "Schoolhouse Rock" episode would cover all the memorization needed in my undergrad physics courses.

Upon my return to the world of biology as a PhD student I had forgotten the challenges of that undergraduate biology class; I was blithely confident that I would do well on tests if I merely understood the lectures and read the textbook. I was not prepared for the vast amounts of material that would have to be committed to memory, and needless to say my first test in neuroscience did not go well. However, my first semester has actually proven quite successful in the end, because after that early failure I did something really intelligent - I asked the biology majors around me how THEY studied for tests. I got a slew of great ideas that sped up my learning process and raised my grades. I thought I'd pass them on since they helped me so much.

Ideas from Lizabeth Martin, Elyse Katz, and Dr. Michael Kuhar

• Skim the reading assignment before each lecture. Be familiar with the vocabulary and main concepts so that the lecture reminds you of what you have read.
• Take notes in class - the act of taking notes helps you remember the lecture.
• At the end of each week, create a detailed study guide from each of the week's lectures:

A typed guide will be easier than a handwritten one to modify and study from later. Make a vocabulary list of new terms and their definitions. Vocabulary is hugely important in biology. Make an outline of the material covered in the lecture. Most good lecturers provide an outline slide at the beginning of their talk that you can use to start your outline. Then add the main lecture points from the slides, in addition to your handwritten notes, to fill in the details. Don't include intricate details - just include the fundamentals and the most important concepts, plus any particular areas of interest expressed in the lecture. Leave space in your outline for the main diagrams and drawings that go with the topic then later add the drawings by hand - it helps you learn and remember them. Make tables to organize and summarize large amounts of data (for example, make a chart of neurotransmitter receptors and their properties). Use the book to look up things from the lecture you don't understand; it is probably not efficient to try to read it 'cover to cover' as a means of preparing for exams (unless you have an eidetic memory [in which case you don't need this study guide at all, you lucky dog {Andrea}]).

About a week before the exam, start reviewing your outlines:

• First, go through your various outlines and make sure they are complete and optimally organized - if a topic was covered in separate lectures, move all that material together and add details to synthesize.
• Study in an organized way - don't skip around haphazardly; study one topic at a time, starting with general concepts and moving to specific concepts.
• To aid long-term memory, pace your learning. Study a topic one day, then review it quickly on successive days after some sleep in between. This will cement it in your memory.
• If you feel swamped, focus on understanding and memorizing diagrams and tables in detail. Some people study only the diagrams and tables and their captions! (Of course this does not work for material where problem-solving is involved, only where memorization is involved.)
• A portable whiteboard is a great tool to help you memorize things; for instance you can draw a diagram over and over again without wasting a lot of paper. Small whiteboards can even fit in your backback!
• After you have reviewed a section, make up a set of review questions on index cards, with answers on the back. You can use them to "quiz" yourself as the test approaches. Try to ask yourself questions that encourage synthesis of different topics or seeing the topic from a different angle than it was presented. This often helps you learn the material more deeply than rote memorization would. Use drawings where possible in your answers, since they take up less room and are a quick, consise way to provide answers on the actual test.

On the day of the test:

• Make sure you've studied each topic before the day of the test. The day of the test should only be used to quiz yourself using your review questions or vocabulary lists, or to practice drawings/structures on the whiteboard.
• On the test itself, try to use drawings where possible to explain complex processes. Explaining in words takes a lot more time and energy than making a sketch and then writing a few words to point out the salient features.

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