CATEGORY I: MOSTLY MEMORIZATION

Examples: Introductory Biology Courses, Nutrition, Medical Terminology. These courses usually fall on the "easier" side relative to other math and science courses you take. In general, they are often non-math introductory courses that build a foundation and introduce the jargon used in the area of study. Assignment and exams often have questions that test for memorized material.

Study Tips:

• Flash cards are a proven study tool. There are also a number of good apps that use algorithms to more effectively test you on the material
• Read the book sparingly: from our experience, we only used the textbook to supplement our understanding or to look up definitions. The bulk of our study came from provided notes or notes we took during lecture.
• Go to Class: Cuts down study time by identifying what material is being emphasized and thus likely to show up on assignments, exams etc. Going over the material you'd otherwise have to study on your own. Identify areas you already know and those you need to focus on
• Take Effective Notes (see specific strategies for the courses available on this site.)

CATEGORY II: MOSTLY PROBLEMS

Example: Calculus These courses frequently have assignments, exams etc. that are pure math problems with little to no words or context. Pure math (as opposed to applied math like statistics) courses fall under this category. Many students find these courses on the more difficult side relative to their other courses. One reason may be the way many students approach these types of classes. Students often study by reading their textbook and spending too much time memorizing formulas. Rather, we've found success in focusing most of our time on working as many practice problems as possible, studying the process and logic of example problems the instructor has given during lecture and studying example problems in the book.

Study Tips:

• Note Example Problems: take notes on ALL example problems worked in class in AS MUCH DETAIL AS POSSIBLE. Not only do these give you clues to the types of problems that may be tested, but it also gives you notes on the process and logical steps. This will be a great resource when completing your assignments, problem sets, study for exams, quizzes, etc.
• Complete Assignments ASAP: following these steps we often had near perfect assignment grades. This is why we almost consider assignments as "free points" toward your grade.
• Using your notes, online resources, textbook etc. finish as much as you can. Show your work clearly and in an easy to follow manner. This will help you in the following steps.
• Work and teach with others. This is a great way to get your assignments done quickly and reinforce your learning and understanding
• Go to instructor and TA office hours. Show that you have given an honest effort. Often they will guide you in the right direction if not just work the problem with you in detail. This also helps to build rapport with your instructors.
• Rinse and repeat until assignment is done
• Practice Problems, Practice Problems, Practice Problems: do as many RELEVANT practice problems as possible. By relevant, we mean ones that are most similar to your assignments, quizzes and exams. Depending on where these problems are sourced, you can use the same source for extra practice. For example, if specific problems are assigned in math book for a grade, you can often find problems similar to those assigned in the same book with answers (usually the odd numbered problems).
• Other Resources:
  • Symbolab - free online step-by-step calculator. Solves pre-algebra to differential equations. Use this to follow and study the steps.
  • Khan Academy - free online courses in a wide range of areas. If you know you are weak in an area or that a subject you will be taking is especially difficult, invest some time before taking the course (during winter, summer break, etc.) and go through the course on the website in preparation.
  • Amazon.com - use this website to find the text used for the course and even similar textbooks that may be easier to follow. You can then often find these texts for free online (see Google below), at your local public library or university library.
  • Google - will be one of your most valuable resources during your college career. Some helpful tips
    • Quotes (" ") - use quotes around your searches to find exact phrases (like those in your homework). This is particularly useful if problems are recycled. Take advantage of unique words or phrases to get more relevant results. Add and take out words to make the search more or less stringent.
      • Example: "Susan parallel parks her car along an icy and hilly street that inclined at an angle of"
  • Search within a website - search the words or phrases used followed by the website name to specify results only from that website
    • Example: [keyword] site:[enter website] | ochem site:uhscienceresource.com

CATEGORY III: UNDERSTANDING AND MEMORIZATION

Examples: Upper-division Biology Courses These courses require understanding and a good deal of memorization. Assignments and exams are often short answers, ask you to select an answer given a scenario, describe a process, etc.

Study Tips (see above sections for those already covered):

• Flash cards
• Read the book sparingly
• Go to Class
• Take Effective Notes
• Study and Teach: try to study the material as if you will be teaching someone else, then teach someone if you can. Break it down to make it easier to understand and remember. While "teaching" identify gaps in your knowledge where you had to refer back to notes or could not give an explanation of Why/What/When/How questions.
• Practice Problems/Exams: if available

CATEGORY IV: UNDERSTANDING AND PROBLEM BASED

Examples: General Chemistry and Physics. These courses require a high level of understanding and application of knowledge to problems. While there can be substantial amount of memorization, understanding the material that is memorized is key.

Study Tips (see above sections for those already covered):

• Flash cards
• Read the book sparingly
• Go to Class
• Practice Problems, Practice Problems, Practice Problems
• Take Effective Notes
• Study and Teach

CATEGORY V: UNDERSTANDING, MEMORIZATION AND PROBLEMS

Examples: Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry. These courses require a high level of understanding and application of knowledge to problems and substantial amount of memorization. See tips from previous categories