How Can People Actually Ace Biology Tests!?

Question

Every single day, I stayed after school and studied nothing but Biology for at least three hours (with a 10 min break every hour) for two weeks - anticipating a test. I read it - and really TRIED to understand in-depth cellular respiration and photosynthesis, and I kind of was able to go through the chapters and I was eventually to understand what the book was trying to say...and I quizzed myself, and I had trouble. Because I began to realize that the processes of these were SO intricate and complex that it seemed IMPOSSIBLE to truly master every detail. So I took the test, hoping for at least a B- and I completely BOMBED. 44/100. I can kind of get the overall fundamental ideas, but when it comes to the details (i.e. "How many CO2s are produced in the Krabs Cycle"? What is the net gain of NAD+ or NADH or NADPH or NADP") I suck. How can people actually remember 40 pages of intricate, VERY complex details? Looking back at the test, to ace it, I'd have to memorize EVERY WORD.

Answer 1

Study,study,study!

Answer 2

I can't explain it, but I can store an enormous amount of data in my short term memory. When I have a test like that coming up, I just memorize everything in the chapters or lectures covered and take the test without actually knowing what the hell it is I memorized. I find it a lot easier to just memorize everything than to try to understand each concept on its own. A few days after the test, I've already forgotten almost everything I once had memorized to a tee.

Answer 3

I find it telling that you are asking this question in the psychology section. I, as a biologist, eat biology for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Evolutionary biology, that is. I still managed to ace many functional biology tests. Time will tell, and perhaps not much time, whether you have what it takes for science, or not. You have to learn and love it; not memorize it. Do that, or do something else. That is what just about all of my chemistry teachers used to say when the tests came back; " perhaps some of you better start thinking about doing something else ". At the half semester point we usually had half the class left. This is life. It is about acceptance of who you are and what your capabilities are. Science is not social science; we do not lie and say things such as, " if you put your mind to it you can do anything ". Wrong; the true saying is , "if you put your mind to it you may not be able to do everything, but you can do many things ". Your job is to determine whether you can do science, or not.

Answer 4

it sound like it is just word on the page, not actual aplication of life. what helped me was thinking the actual aplication and protenail misuse of such, or gian a better undersanding of subjects. such as alterating the oxegen levels to test the Krabs Cycle and see if prosses speeds up or slows down or dies.
knowing detial comes with experiance.

Answer 5

maybe you're not studying right...like you're not studying in the way that helps you out most...

you could also go to the teacher after class and ask them to break down more specifically what concepts will be on the test.

Answer 6

Get a tutor. It helps if the tutor has had the same professor you currently have. If your tutor has had the professor, they know what to expect on a test, and know what the professor expects as answers.

Answer 7

by studying.
bio may not be your strong point. there's nothing wrong with that, you just need to try a little bit harder.