Subjects & Strategies: Biology
Are you trying to memorize that 10-step pathway, the one and only glycolysis pathway that will haunt you throughout your entire high school and undergraduate degree as a biology major? Or are you trying to learn the history of the DNA, the inventors, and the inevitable chemistry intertwined in its evolution, (literally)? Biology spans enzymatic pathways, evolutionary effects, physiological and anatomical concepts, and many more concepts that may seem like complete opposites when trying to find a way to study. But I am here to reassure you that although unique in its wide range of concepts, studying biology can be mastered and your studying time may just decrease in half to give you the most bang for your buck using just a few techniques.
As a disclaimer to the rest of this blog, please know that although I will share many studying strategies with you on how to study biology, no method is foolproof and sometimes studying how you study best no matter the subject, will be best for you and your academic success. So take these next strategies with a grain of salt and feel free to add them into your routine in whatever way you like to! Now, let us begin!
When studying biology, you can use many different techniques to build up your study plan. The three that I find most helpful are mind maps, flashcards, and my favourite method, playing “teacher.”
Firstly, mind maps are a great way to summarize and put all of your information from weeks of lectures onto one single page. The best way to do this is to start with large concepts and start expanding on them until you finally get to the specifics of these concepts. This method is a great way to lay out your information and pull out the most important parts of your lectures. It is sometimes hard to stay on one page because you want to make sure you know every specific detail, but, as it comes, it is unlikely that your midterm question will be exactly “what was on slide 17 under the rightmost diagram of the cell?” Therefore, it is best to know the large overarching themes and take-home messages that your professors highlight in the lecture the best; that is an 80% to 20% ratio of how much time you should spend on themes and important takeaways, compared to specific numbers and facts. However, sometimes a number can be important, and in this case, you should review what your professor says…if a professor highlights a number, I can assure you it is important. Overall, a mind map is a great way to put down all the information you know and organize it in a way that will help you understand how concepts relate to each other and also in learning how or why something is a certain way so that come midterm time, you are ready to explain that glycolysis pathway!
Secondly, biology is notorious for definitions and terms, and there is no better way than using flashcards to get through hundreds of terms at a time. One benefit of using flashcards to study is that you get double study time as you both make the flashcards and also review them. When making the flashcards, you are in a way both studying and reviewing, and so when it comes time for spaced repetition of your flashcards, you should be able to quickly recall the term that matches the definition, rather than going through the flashcards and learning them in addition to using them for recall. One app/platform that I like to use is Quizlet, however, I know that Anki is another very popular option as well!
The last method that I will go over, and as I said, is my personal favourite and may be a personal method and not a scientifically backed way of studying, is playing teacher. Yes, you heard that right, I like to “play” teacher when I study; meaning I like to pretend I am teaching the concepts to my imaginary audience, which sometimes if they are not too busy, turns into my roommates! Having a couple of friends listen to you, or even talking out loud (which I do all the time), is a great way to ensure you are comfortable about a particular topic and can repeat it to someone else. If you can tell someone about the concept and confidently explain it in a way that the other person also can understand, you truly know that you know the information!
Studying biology can sometimes be daunting when hundreds of terms and anatomical diagrams lie in front of you on your laptop, but with these three study tips, I can assure you that you will feel 100% more confident about your upcoming midterm. It is always best to try out new studying strategies and find what works best for you because, at the end of the day, everyone is different and studies differently. However, if these few tips help you organize and figure out your study plan, then I have done my job here!
About the Author
Wynter Sutchy is a fourth-year undergraduate student at McMaster University studying Biology (Physiology) and is from King City, ON. She is very passionate about the healthcare field and enjoys sharing her volunteering experiences through writing. She plans to pursue a career in medicine in the future and plans to explore the field of healthcare through research and volunteering throughout her undergraduate career. In her free time, you can expect her to be watching her favourite show, Greys Anatomy, teaching children how to swim, or baking some delicious desserts!
