As a Biological Sciences major, I will be the first to admit that learning how to study effectively was half the battle. Despite how hard courses can be, managing my time to study was harder, so here are some tips that work for me, and some new tips I am going to try to incorporate.
1.) Setting a goal
In my efforts to time manage, I was measuring my success by how much I studied. The quantity of time does not really matter when the quality of the content learned is subpar. The first thing I started to do was set goals for my study plan. Rather than say I need to study for orgo, physics, and calculus, I started setting goals for the end of the study session and worked towards them. For example, by the time I was done studying, I needed to know all the functional groups, learn the difference between series and parallel circuits and answer 5 questions about each one correctly, and know what the Disk and Washer methods were and answer 10 questions about each one correctly since I struggle in Calculus more. This made studying more effective, because 1 hour of solid work was better than 3 hours of wasting time trying to know everything about the subject.
2.) Reading vs. Testing
Reading content and textbooks is great to begin studying! However, recognizing information is very different than retrieving it. The key is spaced repetition. Read something, rate the chapters based on how much you are struggling with it, and then create active notes that ask why something happens and what would happen if it occurred differently. Having that in your notes is called active notes, because it allows you to practice retrieving information. Creating practice questions based off of that content then, such as by inputing especially the chapters you struggle with in Gemini or Chat GPT to create questions is a great way to practice your skills.
3.) The Feynman Method
If you are struggling with a concept, but not sure where to start learning, the best way to practice is by using the Feynman Method. Take the topic, for example, explaining what Horizontal Gene Transfer is. Explain what it is without the science jargon, and in simplest terms, like to an 8 year old. Then, pretend like you are explaining it to a high school biology student, who might have some prior knowledge. When you practice explaining to someone well versed in the subject, you should be able to explain it in such a way that you were able to fill in information about the concepts that had gaps in it.
4.) Spaced repetition with an error log
Brutal focus is where you have no distractions and you devote yourself entirely to your studying. It is where the best work happens, but it is incredibly difficult to do for long periods of time. Using concepts like spaced repetition help greatly. If you have a test Friday, start studying some basic Sunday. On Monday, add onto what you learned Sunday, and then do not touch it Tuesday, and see what you still know Wednesday. Small chunks of information over long periods of time is much better for long-term memory than cram sessions. Creating an error log on Sunday also helps you know what to go over Monday to ensure you are not making the same mistakes. Write the question, what you put as the answer, what the correct answer is, and why.
5.) Pomodoro Technique
If you are really in a crunch for time, you can combine spaced repetition with the Pomodoro Technique. For example, if you do not have an exam for two classes, but they are content heavy, then practice them everyday for 30 minutes. Work for 20 minutes, take a break for 5, then work for another 20, and take another break. This helps practice brutal force, but it can also help you tweak your studying. If you have a test but also have work to do, you can use this method to complete one task, take a 5 minute break, then complete another, and then take another 5 minute break.
Ultimately, studying takes trial and error, and definitely differs between classes. Learning how to study is half the battle, actually doing it is another. With midterms and exams, this is a great time to test how to study effectively for your finals. Good luck to you all!