The first day of biology they bring up statistics that more than half the freshman pre-med students will not end up in the school of biology. I was surprised that the hardship of picking a major wasn’t over. When I came to college I never thought about the departments picking me. Biology is a gruesome major, but I always thought I could handle it. I got good grades in high school and my studying techniques always worked.
I learned after the first exam that my studying habits were not enough to pass biology. I began to spend a lot of time on biology. Even though, I wasn’t interested in learning about cell division I mastered it. Yet, my grades were lower than students who never attended any SI sessions and claimed they spent half the time I did. I had other classes and outside activities that I started to slack in. Sleep became a major issue for me. I wasn’t saving any time for myself. I ended up becoming the sickest I have ever been during finals week. Luckily, I survived just in time for winter break.
The class discussion on Five Strategies to Demystify The Learning Process, was important to me because it related to me struggling in the pre-med track. The article says you can be skilled at any subject when using proper studying techniques. The “Pomodoro Technique” is interval studying to better absorb material. The article explains this technique, “set a timer for 25 minutes and work until the timer goes off. At that point, take a five-minute break: stand up, walk around, take a drink of water, etc. After three or four 25-minute intervals, take a longer break (15 – 30 minutes) to recharge.” Personally, I could not get much done this way because it takes me about 15-30 to get focused. By the time I got into my work it would be break time, and I wouldn’t get anything done. Especially with the dense workload I had this technique wouldn’t work for me.
I agree that if you put your mind and heart to it you can do anything. But they fail to mention with that choice you must give up other things. I believe that you should be passionate about a topic, otherwise it prevents your success. I could have stuck with pre-med, but I would have had to give up lacrosse, my social life, studying abroad, and taking classes outside the strict track. It was my choice that I decided to find a topic that I am more skillful at and passionate about. The “Pomodoro technique” may work for some but I don’t think it would have changed the outcome of my science career.