A HANDBOOK

How To Succeed In

Fundamentals of Human Biology I & II

(SCB 203 & 204)

by

Michael D. Gottlieb, PhD

---

 PRESS ON

Nothing in the world can

take the place of persistence.

 

Talent will not;

nothing is more common

than unsuccessful people

with talent.

 

Intelligence will not;

unrewarded genius is

almost a proverb.

 

Education will not;

the world is full of

educated derelicts.

 

PERSISTENCE FORGES RESULTS

 

---

Yes Virginia,

College Really Is Different From High School!

 

NEW FOUND FREEDOMS

Nobody Tells You When To Study.

Nobody Tells You How Much To Study.

Nobody Even Checks Your Homework!

THE IMPORTANCE OF GOOD GRADES

Professional and graduate schools want students with good grades.

Employers pay attention to good grades, because they are indicative of intelligence, good work habits, and ambition.

THE SATISFACTION OF A JOB WELL DONE

Success is a nice feeling.

Significant others will also enjoy your success.

The good student is a happy student, free of the anxiety and worry that goes with poor course performance.

Satisfaction in knowing that you have the know-how to tackle a job and get the job done well.

Success breeds confidence.

Success breeds self-esteem.

LEARNING ITSELF BECOMES A PLEASURE

Mastery of a subject often leads to the discovery that the subject is interesting in its own right.

Mastery of any subject provides you with tools that may help you to solve other problems.

You just might discover something new. Chance favors the prepared mind.

Enrich your life; enlarge your vision; you will become a more interesting person.

SECTION HEADINGS REVEAL:

1. What the chapter is about.

2. The organization of the material.

3. How the topics are related.

4. The importance of each topic is often indicated by the amount of text devoted to the topic.

A proper survey requires that you look at all the non-text illustrations too.

Always read the chapter summary, which is often at the end of the chapter. It gives you a survey of the main points of the chapter, unencumbered by details.

1. Questions make you interested in what you are going to read.

Everybody likes to find out the answers to questions.

2. Questions make you participate actively in what you are going to read.

You will be looking for the answers to the questions as you read.

 

3. Questions and answers test your mastery of the material.

Better to test yourself before the examination than at the examination.

3. Read & Reflect

	Read & read carefully!
	Read actively to locate the answers to the questions that you have asked yourself.
	Read to remember!
	Pay a lot of attention to all bold-faced, underlined, and italicized words and phrases.
	Read all Tables, Figures, Pictures, and Graphs.
	Don't be a martyr! At each sitting, read only as much as you can absorb without tiring.
	As you read, think of examples or create mental images of the subject matter.
	Relate the material to things you already know. Connecting new material with old makes it more meaningful and easier to remember.

4. Recite

PUT IT IN YOUR OWN WORDS

Reading is not enough.
Recitation makes you into an active learner.
People are under the impression that they will remember what they read. This is usually not the case.
You must not neglect this portion of your studying, even though it takes a lot of effort.

PUT IT IN YOUR OWN WORDS

	It reveals where you are weakest and where you should spend more time studying, the next time you study.
	Ask yourself what the bold-faced and italicized words mean, and recite the answers out loud.
	Make questions out of section headings and answer these questions out loud.
	Explain concepts and principles out loud to yourself and your study partner.
	Summarize each section out loud in your own words. What did you just read? Can you recite the important facts within the section?
	Recitation out loud keeps your attention on the task. (It is hard to daydream when you are testing yourself.)
	Check to see if your answers are correct. If not, go back to the section and find the answers.
	Quiz yourself, again, and again, until you can recite the answers correctly and in enough depth. Recitation lets you correct your mistakes.

5. Review

	Unfortunately, even if you learn something perfectly, you will forget it shortly, if you do not review the material periodically.
	The best times for review are immediately after first studying and again, just before an examination.
	Of course, repeated reviews are best.
	Quiz your study buddy. Both of you will benefit.
	Review by making a short written summary of the work.

CLASSROOM BEHAVIOR

Come prepared for class by reading ahead.
Listen actively to the lecture.
Be an active member of the class. Get involved. Ask & answer questions.
An active student is a happy student. It is more fun when you participate.

1. Listen carefully to what the lecturer is saying.

2. Record key words and phrases: words and phrases that the teacher writes on the board or repeats several times or uses body language to emphasize.

3. Reorganize all your notes as soon as possible after the lecture, making sure that your lecture notes make sense.

4. Fill in all omitted details and correct all errors.

5. Make sure that all words and phrases are well defined. Look them up in the textbook or ask your study buddy or teacher, if necessary.

6. Rewrite your notes completely shortly after each lecture. This will provide a good review and will make sure that you understand your notes.

7. Keep your notes neat and in one place.

8. Always sit in the front rows of the classroom!

LOGISTICS

Plan Ahead. Your time is limited. Calculate the number of pages that you must master each week.

Estimate the number of hours that you must study per subject per week. BE REALISTIC.

Space out your study time fairly evenly over the week.

Make a study schedule and stick to it!

Take frequent study breaks.

Give yourself a most generous reward after a study session.

MEMORY "TRICKS"

Study repeatedly to boost long-term recall; remember that overlearning improves retention. If you find that you have "extra" time, over study, go over it again, and again, and again, with a study buddy, of course!

Spend more time actively practicing and rehearsing the material. Make use of life's little intervals---study on the bus or while waiting for class to start.

Make material personally meaningful. You can weave the information into a story or set of images that make sense to you.

Use mnemonic devices such as rhymes or songs to remember lists of difficult items.

Study some every day.

Recall oral information such as lectures while it is fresh, and before you encounter any possible misinformation.

Minimize interference. Study right before sleeping. Don't study topics closely in time that are likely to be confused with one another.

Spaced or distributed learning is more efficient than massed learning or cramming.

Study for as long as you can maintain your concentration.

CHECKLIST FOR THE I MEAN BUSINESS STUDENT

I have designated my study place.	Yes!
I have set up my study schedule.	Yes!
I have contacted my study buddy.	Yes!
We have exchanged telephone numbers and have agreed to meet regularly.	Yes!
I agree to use the SQ4R method.	Yes!
I agree to follow the techniques described in this handbook.	Yes!
I will be a successful student!	Yes!