What are some good studying technique for college that actually works?

Question

This is for a Chemistry course. I'm majoring in Respiratory Care.

also, when it comes time for test taken. I panic and I go blank.

Answer 1

The trick for chemistry (as well as math courses) is to have LOTS of practice before the test comes. Always do your homework. If you are having trouble, start with the sample problems in the chapter. Get to the point where you understand what is going on and are able to do the sample problem without looking at the solution. Then do your homework. To really be ready for the test, you will want to do lots of practice problems outside of the normal homework. In the ideal situation, you would want to do enough problems so that you could do any problem without looking at an example. However, unless this is the only class you are currently taking, you probably don't feel like you have time for this. Try doing a few problems every day. All you have to do is spend 30 minutes doing practice problems a day, you will do a lot better. Some topics might require more time than that, and some will require less time. Chemistry takes time and practice to sink in. Don't be afraid to ask the prof or TA for help, even if they are really scary. They will be able to show you patterns and give you extra tips that are not covered in class. You don't have to let the class run your life for the semester, but you need to practice inbetween classes. If you don't look over the material in between classes, you will fall behind. I don't know if you have ever danced or played a sport, but when you do a physical activity over and over again, it becomes part of your muscle memory. Make sure you practice enough so that your chemistry problems become part of your "brain memory"

Answer 2

I recommend making flash cards. This seemed like a silly idea to me, but I was desperate, and now I am a strong believer.

Write a cue on on side, and the answer on the other. It could be a word and its definition or a question and its answer.

Go through your flashcards at odd moments, in the cashier's line, waiting for a bus. Turn the card over immediately for an answer, and sort through them, separating the ones you get right from those you get wrong. Go through the ones you got wrong several more times during the day.

Once the cards are made, it takes only minutes to go through them.

IMHO this works because:
You get nearly instantaneous feedback.
You have isolated small pieces of information, so you focus on them better.
You are actively recalling the information from memory several times a day.
It is less boring than lists.
You can mix the cards up, so you are not setting a particular pattern of memory.
Your mind is probably fresher, than when you study hours on end.

You still will need other methods, such as working problems, reading and answering essay questions for understanding difficult concepts, etc.

But the flashcards really help me with the tedium of memorization of say, chemical formulas, Periodic table.

There are also MANY medical websites with study aids. Including flashcards, Palm Pilot files, but I am electronically challenged, so I still use the 3 by 5 cards.

Answer 3

I also use the repitition theory. Instead of using flash cards, I used a steno book. They are compact, easy to carry and stand up on a table. I went to night school. I put my steno book next to the phone and whenever I was on hold, just kept reading the questions and answers. It will also work for formulas and language translations. My other suggestion is rest. If you are really tired, you will not retain any information. Sooo, I would take a power nap and then study. If you read something just before you go to bed at night, your mind keeps working even though you are sleeping. Good luck!

Answer 4

Work all of the problems, writing everything down from the basic formula or equation. Almost every kind of question you will get can be solved by rearranging one of the basic equations. I had to get into this habit when I was going through school. It's a form a repetition, but it really pays off.

There ain't no easy way out...

Answer 5

I found that flash cards helped greatly but for the stuff that can't be done on flash cards I say repetition is your best bet. Do your homework assignments more than once to make sure you understand what you are doing. Also, try to actually understand why you are doing what you are doing - not just go through the steps. This will help with more challenging problems later on.

Answer 6

relax. if you panic you will go blank and it's never a good thing. you might wanna take the last half hour before the test and do something different so the anxiety goes down.

do a little chem every day and it will get easier

Answer 7

I would usually try to learn the material that was going to be presented in lecture beforehand. Doing this, I would actually learn much more from lecture and was able to ask better questions to fill any gaps in my knowledge. I started doing this after my first year of college and my grades improved greatly.

Answer 8

The best technique is to befriend a person who is real good at studies, than just try to compete with him. It should and must work.

Answer 9

As long as you have a basic understand, repetition always seemed to work for me in science courses.
....And don't let yourself do anything fun until you are sure you have studied as much as possible.

Answer 10

take at least 1 hour every day with repetitions