Struggling With Science Courses - Need Advice

zizi201
Wed, 16 Sep 2009 21:28:03 +0000

I just want you to know that college has not yet started for me, so maybe I have a warped sense of how easy college courses should be. But I am pretty sure that from how much effort you are putting in, you should be doing well in your classes.

One setback may be your method of learning. It is not how MUCH you study, but HOW you study. Like someone above said, you may not be doing enough active learning. Highlighting, writing/transfering notes, etc. are ways of studying that involve repetition, which is not the most effective form of studying. Instead of only reading, highlighting, then note-taking, try to understand every single sentence in the book. Look at every picture and ask yourself if you understand what they present. After every paragraph or explanation of a major single concept, stop and retell it to yourself. Use the pretend-you-are-lecturing-to-a-class to really drill the fundamental concepts into your head.

Again, when you are transfering the highlighting to notes, you are passively learning. Instead try to use the outline in the table of contents in the book and write your own summary for each chapter. Include as much detail as possible and include all major concepts in your own words.

Also, I hate to say this, but the honor system may also be a setback your grades. I can pretty much guarantee you that there are some or many classmates who are not following it. They are getting higher grades and thus raising the average.