Study Tips for Biology

Study Tips for Biology

     Here at Coe College, there are so many pre-medicine and nursing students. To be able to graduate in these fields, a lot of biology is usually taken. Our freshman year, for example, most of us have to take Cellular and Molecular Biology (the weed out class). We all struggle in that class, so here are a few study tips that helped me to struggle a little less.

     Biology is best defined as the study of living organisms. Given that there’s such a wide range of living organisms from bacteria/microscopic organisms to the biggest of animals, it can be an extremely hard subject. It’s all more or less just memorization; however, it is a lot to memorize in a short amount of time. Our brains are extremely powerful, but every brain is different, and there are so many ways to learn. Simply memorizing things to get things done isn’t going to work because to actually instill information it needs to be rehearsed in the brain more than once.

That being said, I took and studied notes before class; then when I got to class I recorded the lecture as well as revised my notes. The key to revising was to add and highlight things that my professor elaborated on/ emphasized the most. I did it for every chapter before the exam (each exam was every three chapters). Then, while studying for the exam I made a flow chart to show how each topic was connected so that I could easily make those connections during the test.

Homework really does help, because it gives you the chance to practice everything you’re learning. Also, having a friend to study with so that you can all compare notes and teach each other will help with rehearsal and keeping everything in your brain. I cannot stress this next point enough: TALK TO YOUR PROFESSOR. I couldn’t go to SI Sessions because I had work so often; and I needed money to come up with half of my tuition. If you’re in my shoes, then communicate that with your professor and schedule a set meeting time every week to go over material. It actually helped me.

I hope that these study tips work for you like they did for me; and if you have any other tips then leave them in the comments!

To Do List: Things You Shouldn't Forget About in College

To Do List: Things you shouldn’t forget about in college

Call your parents/ Guardians

-Just as much as you miss home they miss you. Don’t forget to check on them because their little babies (us) aren’t home anymore.When we’re stressed we tend to stress ourselves even more and forget about all of the people and resources who are here for us. Even just hearing my family’s voice, or their words of encouragement or that they believe in me or are proud of me motivates me to always be better and makes me so incredibly happy.

Don’t forget about your mentors

-We all have that high school counselor or mentor that helped us in some way at some point. Remember when they said “Keep in touch”? Do it! Call them whether it’s for advice, to catch up, or to vent about everything you’re stressed about. It definitely helps; especially if talking to your parents just stresses you out more and you need to talk (I’ve definitely been there too).

Take Care of you

-Being in a super hard class or having a schedule that is way too busy can take up so much time. First semester, there were so many nights I realized I hadn’t eaten since yesterday morning. There were so many hours of sleep that I lost over studying. I feel like our ability to learn and the health of our bodies definitely go hand in hand. When I haven’t eaten or slept it’s harder to retain information. Even when I get sleepy at night and ignore it, it's almost as if all of the studying goes to waste given that my brain is burned out and needs to rest.

Do things you enjoy when you get the chance

-We are all humans and we still have things we want to do, opportunities we want to take and people that we want to meet or have fun with. School is extremely important and may take up a lot of time but take a little time on weekends for yourself to reflect, do things you enjoy, and release stress you’ve been holding in all week. Life is learning, but life is also more than that so don’t forget to fully live your life!

I love college and learning how to adult. Part of growing up is finding a balance between juggling your work/school and personal life, keeping those connections that matter to you close, and remembering to stop and breathe and take care of yourself by doing those little things that are extremely important for your body to function. These are all things we forget about, so hopefully this checklist will help you remember!

Hair Talk: Maintaining Type 3C hair in College

Curls. They’re so beautiful, diverse, wild, and free. They exist in every race, and there are so many different types.

Regardless of how cute they may look, however, those of you who have curly hair know the hassle of having to manage it. They take hours to nourish and keep healthy, sometimes they’re so stubborn that it is impossible to reduce shrinkage, or keep them satisfied. In fact, I won’t argue with anyone who believes that maintaining curls is almost as difficult as taking care of a baby.

I am fully aware that taking care of hair here doesn’t make it any easier because the water is “hard water”. That means that water that has high mineral content (it is full of calcium and magnesium carbonates, bicarbonates, and sulfates). Being here, I’ve noticed that the hard water dries my skin and scalp out because the calcium makes its own coat on the scalp and skin. The pressure is also extremely low because unfortunately, the minerals also cause clogged pipes. In other words, it takes way too long to wash my hair, and when I get out it’s usually tangled and dry. 

Here’s how I manage my curls here:

1. Vinegar Rinse

Do you remember how I said that calcium builds its own coat on the scalp? Well, because vinegar is acidic, it works to remove the mineral coat so that your hair can retain moisture. I personally use white vinegar because it’s all I have, but most people say that apple cider vinegar works better. To create a vinegar rinse, I mix 1 tablespoon of vinegar with 3 cups of water.I put it on my scalp after shampooing and allow it to sit for a few minutes before rinsing it. I do this once every two weeks.

2. Curl Specific Products

Yes. There are some products that make our hair smell better for longer than others, but I take my hair health very seriously. It is important to use products with no parabens, sulfates, or silicones because they can dry out our hair, damage our curls, and destroy our curl pattern. Lately, I’ve been obsessed with Garnier Fructis “Curl Nourish” shampoo, conditioner, and leave in cream as well as pretty much all of “Mielle Organics” hair products. I also use coconut oil on my scalp and curls to nourish and reduce shrinkage (but not too much because if it’s too heavy on the hair that can destroy the curl pattern as well).

3. No Heat

If we use heat that is too high, or apply direct heat for too long or too often, the curl pattern can be lost, or it can break off and fall out. It isn’t terrible to put heat on hair, and it won’t automatically get heat damage just because it’s straightened once, but I personally only straighten it on super special occasions. When I do straighten my hair, I use ceramic irons, and a heat protectant. Currently, my favorite heat protectant is the “Lionesse Vitamin E Hair Serum with Aloe Vera”. The more natural the products, the better they usually are to use.

I hope that these tips work for you the same way that they work for me. Curly hair is definitely hard to manage, but it’s worth all of the time and effort. If they do work for you, or if you have  a more simple/ better working routine please let me know! I’m sure all of us are always looking for ways to better our hair; so let's help each other out!