Student’s who are successful in this class:

á Turn in all of their homework. Even small assignments add up quick. Not turning in homework is a sure way to fail.

               á Follow all of the instructions on the assignments.

á Attend all lectures. Attendance is worth about 100 points so absences hurt your grade. In addition, it is easy to get behind. The material can be difficult and just copying the notes will not help you on the test. Make sure that you have a back-up babysitter is your kids are sick and backup transportation.

                   á They ask questions

á They do not give up. Do not take it for granted that you can pass. At the same time do not think that one or two low grades will result in you failing.

Here are some ideas that may help you study for this class.

This makes it easier for you to copy all of your notes. In addition, combined with a hole-punch it allows you to insert the handouts with your notes. Organizing yourself is essential for you to understand your material. You must keep track of all your notes, handouts, papers, and labs. This can get overwhelming.

B). A Calendar & A Daily Planner

You are responsible for turning material in on time. Everyday that an assignment is late the grade drops 10%. That can be the difference between passing this course and having to repeat it.

Coloring drawings helps you to see structures and relationships better. Index cards are needed to memorize material.

II). Understanding the Layout of the Lecture

A). People Learn In Different Ways.

The lecture is designed for different learning styles. One person may have difficulty handling all of the formats. So do not expect to be able to hear every word, write extremely detailed notes, and analyze every word on the overheads.

B). I cover a lot of material on the overheads.

Most of the material on the overheads is from the book and the lecture stays close to the overheads. DO NOT TRY TO COPY THE LECTURE NOTES WORD FOR WORD. I write overheads in complete sentences because it helps me to remember what I want to say, and I think it keeps the lecture more organized.

C). You can ask me to repeat anything that you did not hear

I talk fast and I cover a great deal of material. I do not mind repeating something. If you cannot hear because someone is talking please tell me it is too loud where you sit. I will gladly throw the talkers out of class. No one has the right to make this more difficult for you than what it already is.

D). Ask Questions

If you do not understand something there is a good chance 95% of the class does not understand it either. You can ask me to explain specific material or you can ask me a direct question. I will respond in one of several ways:

i). I will answer right away.

ii). Ask you to wait a minute because I was going to cover that soon and I do not want to break the rhythm of the lecture.

iii). I will ask you a series of questions so that you can answer your own question.

iv). or I may just tell you I do not know the answer.

E). My Lecture Is In Outline Format

I try to keep the outline straight but sometimes I fail. If you are missing a letter or a number in a series tell me. One of us may have skipped something.

F). The Lecture Covers A Lot Of Material

There is a great deal of material to cover, even so it is impossible to cover everything I want to

G). Every Lecture Starts With A Small Review

It allows me to connect the old and new material together, and I think it helps the students stay on track.

                     A). Use Key Words.

You will miss a lot if you try to right every word that I say and that I put up on an overhead. Just because I write out complete sentences does not mean that you need to.

B). Use Short-Hand & Symbols

Arrows and & signs save you a lot of time. So do abbreviations like CV for cardiovascular. Just make sure that you write a key so that you do not forget what your symbols mean.

C). Draw Pictures & Make Flow Charts

I am not talking about artistic pictures but sometimes a drawing will help you understand material better.

D). Label & Date All Notes

There is nothing more depressing that dropping a large number of notes and not knowing how to reorganize them. This is a great time saver.

E). Make a Note If You Are Lost

If you cannot ask a question make a question mark on your notes and than bring it to me and I will clarify it.

F). Adequately Space Your Notes

Paper is cheap. Leave your self space to insert material. It is very difficult to read pages that are crammed with notes.

G). Do Not Take Your Notes Exclusively In Your Textbook During Lecture

This practice becomes chaotic during test time.

I may or may not review all of the material before a test. If I do I will not wait patiently while you rewrite notes that you already have. Class time reviews are only to serve for you to highlight important points in notes that you should already have organized.

                     People claim I live in my office. Come and visit.

I give 2 types of review sheets. Study guides function to summarize important material (ie. mitosis). I also supply review sheets before tests. I do not feel obligated to supply these. Many students assume that the questions on the review sheets are the exact questions that are on the tests. That would be silly. The review sheets are to give you a way to review the material. Each question on the review sheet requires a detailed answer if you are to apply that knowledge to the tests. Review sheet should not be your exclusive tool for studying.

Believe it or not the preschool teachers had it right. You can learn a lot by arranging things on flannel boards. They are great for genetics. Use them. Make your own.

This is not busy work. Rewriting your notes is probably the best thing that you can do. This forces you to go through the material again and reorganize it. You can also add additional book notes or diagrams (consider Xeroxing some pictures in your)to your notes. There is something about the physical processes of writing (as oppose to blankly staring at) your notes that helps it get in to your memory better. It also cleans up your notes so that they make more sense. You should rewrite your notes as soon after lecture as you can.

The best way to memorize terms and anatomy is by using note cards. This works well when you have to memorize terms and dates.

                  C). Make Flow Charts

You cannot memorize all of the material. Sometimes you need to be able to map out your path. You need to approach it differently. Flow charts are the best way. You can even put the factors on post-it-notes or on a flannel board. This way you can move things around when you need to.

D) Review Often, Do Not Wait Until The Night Before The Test

I know you have a life and even though 16 weeks seems like forever it is not. If you stop reviewing you will get behind in just a couple of days. If you are cramming for the test the night before you will not be successful in this class.

E). Reread Your Notes Before Each Class

This will keep you up to date.

F). Do Your Reading

You cannot read Biology book like a novel you will get lost right away. Instead break the chapters up into little subunits and try this approach.

i). Skim the chapter by reading the headings, and the captions under the diagrams.

                    ii). Read the summary at the end of the chapter.

iii). Read each section. Take book notes before you highlight the material. Note taking keeps you focused and most people tend to skim over highlighted material.

iv). Do not read the entire chapter at once. You will daze out and forget what you are reading. Learn one section and than move on.

                 G). Find a Quiet Corner To Do Your Studying

I know with kids, family, and significant others it seems impossible. Make arrangements now with a friend or family member to watch your kids several times a week. You can also plan on spending sometime in the library before or after class.

H). Answer The Questions In The Back Of The Chapter

The questions in the back are a great way to begin your chapter reviews.

I). Do Not Highlight Your Book

At least do not highlight the book on your first reading of the material. Take notes on a piece of notebook paper instead. You learn more by writing it down and you can connect material that is separated by a couple of pages this way. In addition people who highlight their books tend to just look over highlighted material and they tend not to connect the material together as well.

J). Get Your Kids Involved In Your Studying So The y Help Instead of Hinder.

Try giving little kids a back pack and a science book that they can highlight and they will help you study.

K). Find A Study Group

Some of the students are going into similar professions. Start a study group that may last through your future classes. Knowing that you are not the only one lost and confused is reassuring. Older students with kids can get together for weekends, and have one spouse or family member baby-sit the kids while the group works. In addition, swap phone numbers so that you can get notes or a ride if your car breaks.

L). Try To Apply This Material To Your Real Life or Future Careers.

I give you both biological and non biological examples for a reason. Apply your hobbies, art people should draw, mechanical people should make models, etc.

M). Do Anything You Can To Visualize The Processes.

If you cannot see the systems and concepts in your minds eye you do not understand it.

N). COME AND SEE ME:

I was a student once. I can help you. I gave you my number for a reason. The people that come in and talk to me tend to do much better. Do not wait until the week before finals coming in for help.

Finally, do not panic. Most people that turn in all of there work and do not miss class do better than they think they will.