How I Study As A Biomedical Science Student
How I Study As A Biomedical Science Student
The one thing I was quite apprehensive about before starting my course were the type of assessments I'd get and if I'd be able to study for them properly. I had completed my GCSEs and done well in those and had completed my AS levels and done fairly well in them too - but I'd never got the chance to do A Level exams. I had been studying consistently throughout the year in preparation for the exams, but they never happened, so I was nervous because I wasn't sure how effective my studying methods were.
When the time did come for me to have my exams, I wasn't actually that worried - because they were all open-book due to COVID! This meant that I had to do the exams from my laptop at home and was allowed to look at my notes whilst completing the exam. I feel that this was a blessing but also a curse, because on the one hand it meant that I'd probably get good results because I had the answers right there in front of me, but it also meant that I really didn't have to study as much (although I did study a lot).
So, even though I didn't really *have* to study, I did, and that's what I'll be talking about in this blogpost: my study methods and other tips.
How Do I Know What To Study?
Ok, so this may seem like a stupid question. Of course I should know what to study, I have lectures everyday on different topics, right? Well, yes, that is true, but in university, it's important that you get more information and go into more detail than what you just get in a lecture. The lecturer may have only given you some of the information and it's up to you to find out more so that you've covered all the content that will be in your exams.
Oh, Ok. So, how do I know what these extra details are?
Well... At the start (or sometimes end) of a lecture, the lecturer usually puts a list of learning outcomes they want you to have achieved after watching the lecture and making your notes. For example, this could be something like;
1. Know the location and anatomy of the kidneys
2. Understand their function
3. Understand the diseases associated with the kidneys and their treatment
Or whatever... So, the lecturer is kind of telling you what will be in any exams or assessments, because these are the things they expect that you'll know by the time you've watched the lecture and made extra reading. Therefore it's important that you make a note of the learning outcomes for each lecture - if they're provided!
Another useful method is to access your module's proforma or specification. This should be a document containing information about the module, such as teaching staff, assessments and your learning outcomes. Similar to the lectures, these learning outcomes tell you what you need to know in order to pass the module. Differently though, they aren't that detailed, so don't expect an exhaustive list! They're usually small paragraphs that go something like this:
By the end of this module, the learner should be able to describe aspects of the requirements and regulations of medicine and healthcare, including ethics, experimentation and the professional bodies such as UKAS. (This is a brief rewording of one of my learning outcomes for a module on my course).
So you'd use these learning outcomes to ensure you know what the module is asking of you, and what you're expected to know. Of course, you should know this by attending your lectures and by looking at your timetable, but these learning outcomes are very important in knowing exactly what needs to be studied.
How Should I Study?
Now that you know what to study, the most challenging part is actually how to study. There are different studying methods which work for different people. Some people learn from doing, others from reading and others from asking questions etc. There are also different techniques, such as the Pomodoro technique, mind mapping, study cards and just regular, old notes. One technique (if you can call it that) that I personally don't recommend, is just reading over the set of notes that you made in the lecture 3 months ago and haven't looked at or added anything to since. I just don't find this works for me personally, but to each their own. If you do study like this and it has been working - I envy you and just keep at it!
Making Notes
The 5 R's
There are the '5 R's of note taking' that are meant to help you take more organised and effective notes. Here they are!
- Record - this means in the lecture or class, where you make a quick and rough draft of the main points.
- Reduce - this is when you look at all your notes and content and then condense it down and only keep the important details.
- Recite - try to remember and say what you've written, but in your own words - it doesn't matter if you can't do this immediately!
- Reflect - here, you should try and link these notes and concepts with other lectures you've had and try and write any questions you have where there are gaps or things you don't quite understand.
- Review - read over it, read over it, read over it!
Mind Mapping
So, this might be classed as a note-taking technique, but I find that it's very useful in studying as well, especially when you have pages of notes on one topic that's quite heavy or complex. I find that mind-mapping is a great way of breaking your work down into smaller pieces and it really allows you to visualise it more and get to the finer details. If you look on Google you can see some basic ones with the idea in the middle and then points coming off it, but there are some really detailed and unique ones that make use of pictures and diagrams as well. I recommend you take a look - it really inspires you to start mapping! (These are some I found on Pinterest - I do NOT own them)
Colour Coding
Studies have shown that linking your notes with colours can improve your memory. Who knew that all that highlighting and underlining is actually doing something, and not just making your notes look presentable?
The Different Techniques
Pomodoro Technique
So this is a really useful technique when you're trying to study and it helps me a lot, because usually I 'study' for around an hour and a half without any breaks and then I get burnt out or I don't even remember what it is I studied. With this technique, you pick the task you're going to do or the topic you're going to study, and you study it for 25 minutes with no breaks or distractions - setting a timer helps! Then, after the 25 minutes are up, you take a break to scroll through your phone, go get a snack or do a quick exercise for 3-5 minutes. Then, you do this again until you reach about the 4th cycle - this is when you start to take longer breaks but still keeping to the 25 minutes of studying. I've found that this has helped me immensely, as it ensures I study effectively and don't get burnt-out. You can look on the internet for more information and you can specific apps and websites that have a timer for the Pomodoro technique, but the regular timer on your phones works just as well.Retrieval Practices
These are basically practices where you have a set of questions and test yourself to see if you know the answer, working form your performance from the last time. These could be questions given to you by a lecturer/teacher or some you've found in a textbook or just some you've thought of yourself. All you do is right the question - you can do this on a card so that you have the question on one side and the answer on the other - and then test to see if you remember the answer. These are really useful for questions with one word answers, mainly, but can be adapted for whatever your studying. For example;
What is the capital of France? *flip* Paris.
What are some factors affecting the growth of a plant? *flip* Oxygen availability; Sunlight, Soil pH; Water availability...
What's said in Psalm 91:1? *flips* Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty - Psalm 91:1
So you can see that you can adapt them for a wide range of questions. Personally, I wouldn't try and remember any long sentences or quotes or chapters from a book. Try and keep it short and simple, just so you actually remember what's written on the back!
The Feynman Technique
'If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough'. - Albert Einstein.
This is basically the basis of the Feynman Technique, wherein you write the name/topic/title of what you're studying at the top of the page, and then underneath it, you try and explain it as simply as you can. For example, as if you were teaching someone else or an alien from another planet. You'll then look at the textbook or your original notes and see if you were able to put it into simple terms. If you found this difficult or missed some stuff out, you should re-read the content and repeat this technique, until you can explain it properly. This is a good technique for remembering processes, such as how cliffs are formed or how photosynthesis works.
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I hope this has helped you know what to study as a biomedical scientist - although these techniques can be used by anyone! Biomedical scientist or not, A-level student, GCSE student or even an undergraduate student. What are your favourite study techniques? Comment below!!
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