How to Study for AP Biology (Or really ANY class!)
seasalt-citylights replied to your post: @fitliv
How do you study for AP Bio? I’m failing, and I really need to step it up when it comes to studying. I want to redeem myself in that class, haha.
One thing I’ve noticed is that people who underestimate how hard AP Bio is or think they don’t have time to study are usually the ones who fail. (Not saying that’s you, necessarily, but it definitely makes the situation worse!) It takes a lot of studying! (Or, if you’re a natural memorizer then just really smart studying!)
I suggest using the book and the CD! Read through the chapters you’re doing in class and do all the section questions and the chapter questions at the end. After you finish that, use the CD. If you ask your teacher for the website code you’ll get even more resources! When I started doing that my test average shot up from mid to high 80s to 90+! It is a lot of work, but I definitely think it’s worth it. I usually sit down and do little bits in study halls or do it all in one shot on a weekend.
From there you can just use your review book(s). I have a Barron’s and a Cliff Notes review book. I bought the Barron’s before school started and then our teacher gave us a Cliff Notes copy. The Barron’s is good for in depth study, because it goes into a lot more detail. The Cliff Notes one, on the other hand, is really good for studying right before the test or cramming. It’s much more concise.
Some other things that should help studying in general…
If you don’t know the vocab, then the concepts are useless. “This thing does this process to that thing and these other things…” Yeah. Doesn’t work. I suggest doing vocab at the start of the unit and editing it throughout so that you’re sure you know it well. I just bought the Barron’s flashcards and they’re great to study when you have a free minute or two!
Look over your notes after class.
Seems redundant since you just learned that material, but it actually does help. Be sure to have pen and paper handy (or post it notes to stick to the page and draw arrows to the misunderstood concept) so you can write down any questions you might have. That way you’re always on top of what you’re learning in class and avoid having holes in your understanding.
Take notes or read some of the book before class.
My teacher posts his Powerpoints on Blackboard, so if I have extra time I like to get ahead in the notes so I can focus more on what I don’t know in class and ask questions. Not only does this help you understand material better, but it also helps you memorize it!
I really wish I thought of this at the beginning of the year! Haha. But making review sheets is just another way to study before your tests. The bigger benefit here, though, is that you have a concise sheet of information for a unit you did that you can use later when you’re study for the big AP Exam! I’m working on doing these now. (I definitely suggest starting now because May will be here before we know it!)
Look for “real life” examples of what you’re learning.
I personally like to do this simply because I love science and learning in general. You can go to a website like Biology News, Science Daily, and The Chemical Heritage Foundation. Just search for articles in the subject you’re learning. This can give you an edge on the other people in your class because you’ll know something they probably won’t which may make or break your understanding of certain questions on the AP exam. (Depending on how thorough your teacher is.) The more ways you learn something the better!
…If you can find people willing. I know I can’t in my class, haha. But be sure it’s with people you’re at least a little friendly with but not so friendly that you’ll only end up talking the whole time. Try to limit it to 4-6 people. That way the group is small enough not to get distracted. You guys can take turns summarizing things you learned in class and sharing it with the people in your study group.
YouTube and Google are your friends!
Seems like an obvious thing, but a lot of people don’t even think about using it to study. One YouTube channel I’m very fond of it BozemanBiology. Mr. Anderson has a plethora of videos for AP Bio, as well as other subjects in science. I definitely recommend you watch them before you start a unit (to get a general idea of what you’ll be learning) and/or before a test (so you can review). I don’t really have any specific sites to give you besides the ones I told you about above, but if there’s a concept you don’t understand, try Googling it!
Don’t feel like you have to do all of these. Frankly, I don’t do all of them all the time, either. I focus on vocab and book work first, then do the other things if I can make time for them. (The review sheets will become a usual for me, though!) However, I do suggest you at least try all of these. Figure out which ones help and which ones don’t. If all of them help, figure out which ones help the most and save the others for when you have free time. If you spread these things out throughout a unit (I do this by making a calendar in Microsoft Publisher for all my APs) then it’ll significantly decrease stress before a test, also!
I hope this helps! Some of these tips I got from reading How to Study by Ron Fry. :)
misanthropea replied to your post: How to Study for AP Bio (Or really ANY class!)
Im in AP Bio, and it really helps me to make flashcards as I read the chapter (kind of like muscle memory). When I make the flashcard, I highlight the main vocab definition, and then I have bullet points under it for extra info.
life-one-step-at-a-time replied to your post: How to Study for AP Biology (Or really ANY class!)
One thing all my professors suggest is to read the chapter summary first. That way, you know what the key points are before reading, and they tend to stick out in your brain more.
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