Make sure to use open lab time, if it's provided. Pictures and YouTube videos are nice, but they are not the same as the real thing.
Use these study strategies as you are holding and looking at the 3-dimensional models/specimens:
- Look at the list of terms and identify all of them on the object.
- Without looking at a list, point to and name all the parts of the object that you need to know. Then, check the list.
- Without looking at a list, point to and write down the names of all the parts of the object that you need to know. Then check the list. Remember, on a test you will have to write (and spell the word), not say it out loud.
- For each part you name, make sure you also know its function and/or significance.
Ideally, do this with a study group so you can quiz one another. You may be able to point to and name all the parts you know, but it is a different challenge to identify something that someone else has tagged, which is how the practical will be conducted.
Be assertive. Make sure you get the opportunity to do the lab. If you allow your partner or group to take over, you will not be prepared for the practical. You must practice your skills during the labs in order to learn the techniques.
Hill, Terry. Suggestions for Studying Biology.
Jaslow, Carolyn. Personal Interview. July 19, 2016.
“Study Tips for Biology Classes - TIP Sheets - Butte College.” Accessed August 2, 2016. https://www.butte.edu/cas/tipsheets/studystrategies/studybio.html. Used with permission.