SI Objectives, Et Cetera

I’ve noted some observations from the Anatomy & Physiology class last semester, and I’ve come up with things you can do to develop a consistent and bullet-proof study technique.

If you want to get an A in this course, these should be your Cardinal Sins:

1)   Not writing next to each PowerPoint slide. Most of our learning takes place when we write things down. Even one word will suffice. Keep a separate notebook if you feel you need to take more detailed notes for an overall understanding of the course material. However, I personally feel the lecture notes are thorough enough to study from for exams, although it's good practice to browse through the textbook to look at diagrams/pictures that accompany keyterms.

2)   Not studying before the non-graded oral quizzes at the end of each chapter. Don’t ever do these quizzes for fun! I know it sounds weird, but take these quizzes seriously. This is actually a reason to turn this opportunity into one where you can identify/pinpoint weaknesses and to simulate real testing conditions. Therefore, the moral of the story is to study before every class.

3)   Don’t hesitate to ask any questions. It’s okay! It helps the educator guage the class’ general understanding of the material in lecture and it helps educators develop more effective presentations to benefit those that lack foundational knowledge. Remember that the relationship between the student and teacher is a partnership. We must work together in order to ensure that both sides are working effectively/efficiently, otherwise we’ll all fail together – and that is why point  #4 is a cardinal sin. Therefore, I encourage students (before coming to sessions) to bring a list of questions based on reading material and lecture notes, because it helps me address your weaknesses (we’ll quickly turn them into strengths!).

Add to your To-Do List

 SI Sessions - In these sessions, we will review things a little differently to help you put together the notes presented during lecture. I like to create diagrams and mnemonics to help facilitate key concepts/terms. I encourage you all to do the same.

More Information: Throughout this semester, I am going to modify this blog to include brief summaries of each video listed on here. I will leave last semester blog posts so that you can all leisurely browse through topics discussed last semester. Just note that we’re starting on Chapter 5 this semester rather than Chapter 1-4 (which are chapters that lay the foundation of this course – chemical composition and structure of livings things/Biology). Also, please check the blog postings on study strategies/techniques if you’re curious to see what you can do to correct habitual study strategies (that you feel aren’t working for you anymore). 

Good luck everyone! Stay tuned for the SI schedule (this Friday).