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Ways to Polish Your Biology
“Biology is the most powerful technology ever created. DNA is software, proteins are hardware, cells are factories”. ~Arvind Gupta
As premeds, we all love biology, and the biggest reason behind that is it is of the least problematic nature. It does not quite get on our nerves easily but when it does, there is no need to worry because this blog has got you covered!
Biology is a fascinating subject so primarily you should try to develop a genuine interest in it. How you may ask?
Firstly, try to understand all the basic concepts and learn, do not just memorize.
Secondly, aim to create a cheat sheet to refer to regularly as it will help you to retain the concepts you have learned.
Thirdly, you need to study using various effective strategies to learn and improve this subject such as:
Read your textbooks thoroughly and develop a solid understanding of the topic.
Make use of flashcards to quiz yourself regularly and practice spaced repetition.
Engage in active learning using the most effective study technique: The Feynman Technique. “The Feynman Technique” is a learning strategy that involves simplifying complex concepts by breaking them down into simpler terms.
Try to grasp the concepts using visual aids such as diagrams, flow charts, animation, and tables.
Utilize online resources properly by watching lectures and animated videos if you are not able to get hold of any concept.
Create mnemonics or acronyms to remember lists, sequences, or orders. These memory aids can make it easier to recall information during exams.
Organize study sessions with your peers as group discussions can help reinforce your understanding through teaching others.
While the previous strategies offered a general overview of biology, we will now focus specifically on how to grasp the understanding of the high-yield chapters essential for MDCAT.
Many students find Kingdoms too intimidating and challenging. To conquer this hurdle, one should first actively read their provincial textbooks to develop the understanding of topics and then construct comprehensive flow charts and tables to transform complex information into digestible and engaging summaries. Lastly, consistent review of those summaries is quite essential for long term retention.
Another chapter that can be a haunting encounter for most students is Bioenergetics; its concepts are easily forgotten, making it a challenging topic. To overcome this, a deep understanding is crucial. For that, it is recommended to study this topic using visual aids, learn the key steps involved in Glycolysis, the Krebs cycle, and the Electron Transport Chain, and use mnemonics.
Lastly, for the remaining chapters like Inheritance, Evolution, Coordination, and Control, it is necessary to go through your textbooks and watch animated videos from channels such as Amoeba Sisters, Nucleus Biology, and Biointeractive to understand and retain the information of seemingly tough topics, efficiently.
Also, MedAngle Premed’s YouTube channel provides easy-to-understand lectures on Biology that will help you strengthen your foundational knowledege and revise key topics for the MDCAT.
Lastly, practice past exam papers and questions, and in that regard, MedAngle Premed is your best friend as it contains a huge question bank with explanations, Review Guides, and Learning Lists to help you excel.
Good luck with achieving a perfect score on your biology portion in the MDCAT!