Rileys Freaky Fridays

Either get together with someone and test yourselves or when you’re studying pretend that you will have to tutor someone and try to get methods on how to memorize things\make sure you completely understand something.

I find it better to be able to explain why x=y than just knowing that x=y

Go thru the material and create an outline. You may want to base this on a study guide if the instructor gave you one. Then, look over the key points in the book and make sure you have a good grasp on them. Then, focus on the problem areas for you. Look for extra help in a tutor, contact instructor, or use the internet for help (be careful!) and sit in on a study group. The book and your notes should have all the info you need. Good luck! Oh, make a condensed notecard with the key points and use that to study from while walking from class to class. Oh, also, think about making one of these:
KPGCO (kingdom, phylum, genre, class, order)- or whatever.
Best to you!

Write the facts down over and over again on a piece of paper. Every topic you’re learning, write it down again and again on a piece of paper till it’s lodged within your brain.

Works perfectly for me. Good luck.

rewrite all your notes in your own words & make flash cards.

I’m curious to know if this for a high school biology exam or a college exam. If this is high school, go ahead and memorize whatever you can and get the best grade you can. If this is college, I hope you aren’t planning to “major” in biology. High quality colleges and universities should be paying particular emphasis on understanding the subject matter, not just memorizing things. Obviously, the details are important, but tests that focus on simply memorizing, aren’t doing you any favors down the road. The tests should require short answer and essay questions. Biology is about living and dynamic organisms, where functions occur simultaneously. Simply rattling off “Kingdom..blah, blah..Species” doesn’t help your understanding of what is going on in the world around you.