Here are some study tips passed along by previous zoology students who did well in the course. They are color-coded (alternating black and maroon), so you can tell where one person's comments end and the next person's begin.

time budgeting:  Very IMPORTANT!  I usually started studying anywhere from a week  to 3 days in  advance of the test/quiz.  I know that probably seems like overkill, but believe me, I would have died if I hadn't studied that way.

flash cards: I tried to do that for one test, but it was way too time consuming to write all of them out!  Instead, I usually re-wrote my notes very neatly and concisely, in the process reinforcing the information in my brain.

studying with other people: I tried this too, and it usually worked fairly well, but sometimes the people that I was studying with had not studied at all beforehand, so that also took a great deal of time: they had to talk through everything and goof off a lot because they were not really wanting to study. :(  So, if a study session is in order, it is much better to refresh the memory BEFORE getting together with other people.

science center: I think I went there ONCE the entire semester.  Class notes were usually so complete and lectures were awesome, so I basically had all of the information in my folder/notebook!

book--to use or not to use?: The textbook was dumb [note: we won't be using this textbook anymore].  It was so jumbled together and full of random info that just muddied the waters!  I sometimes used it for a reference, if I did not know the classification of something or I wanted to make sure I understood something, etc.  The pictures were helpful, though.  The lab manual was great!  Not nearly so confusing and the diagrams were wonderfully helpful in studying for lab tests.

learning objectives/practice exams: The learning objectives saved my life.  Seriously, they were so complete and focused on the useful stuff, that I could go back through my notes and match things up, making sure I had all of the information and understood it all.  Practice exams were also good, helping me to see where my weak areas were.

taxonomy/classification: As far as the classification stuff went, sometimes making charts and lists of the various phyla/subphyla/classes/orders/etc, was helpful.  Then I could memorize them more fully and visualize the chart in my head.

powerpoint files: These were great!  I wish that they had been available throughout the whole semester.  When I could, I would familiarize myself with the information ahead of time, and then during lecture I could pay more attention to what was going on, instead of frantically scribbling down notes.

bottom line: MEMORIZE!  It was not enough to just have an idea of what different critters were.  When I memorized what the critter was, I would also make sure that I knew almost all of its characteristics, and how it differed from the other members of its phylum/class/whatever, and so on.  Then sometimes if I got stuck on a test, I would just try to remember specifics that fit in different areas.  I basically memorized most of my notes, and that way I could see the lists of characteristics in my head.

Whew!  is that enough?  :) I don't know how other people studied, but for me memorization was pretty effective, and paying attention in lab and lecture was also a plus! :)

Since there is a large number of information covered on a zoology exam, it was important for me to start studying at least a few nights in advance.  I did not find it helpful to read the book, but rather I studied my notes.  While studying my notes, it was important to pay attention to the details because those are what trick you in test questions.  I would usually study alone for the first couple of days and then the night before the test I would review with a friend.  We would usually go through our notes from beginning to end and ask each other possible test questions.  That was the only studying I did the night before the test.  I always took the sample exams and quizzes and if I wasn't sure about an answer I looked up each of the possible answers in my notes and read about them until I found the correct answer.  I found this very helpful because it helped me reinforce details I might have missed otherwise.  As for the learning objectives, I made sure I could answer each one completely.  One piece of advice I would give is to ask questions if you have them.  Going in and talking with Dr. Tracy can made a huge difference in your understanding of the material.  When studying for lab exams, I found it very helpful to study with a partner because one person could cover the answers in the lab book.  Also, make sure you put the time in in the lab, and ask questions if you have them because your lab test grade will reflect how much effort you gave during lab time.

Once in a while I studied with other people, but make sure the people you study with actually want to study. Before tests, I just read through my notes. I highlighted stuff that pertained to the learning objectives. It helped if I read them over a couple times each night starting like two days before the test. For the taxonomy, I wrote out all the classes and an example of each in their correct phylum. I used note cards sometimes just because the people I studied with did. I didn't use the books much except for diagrams. I think that's pretty much it. Hope that helps somewhat. See you around campus.

One student says of her study group: We studied together. We made color coded note cards. We reviewed all of the learning objectives and practice quizes until we got them. We tried to read the assigned chapters, but that didn't always happen.

My advice to your students would be first, go to class. If you have to

miss one or two it won't kill you as long as you get the notes, but

definitely try to attend all classes. Secondly, take good notes in class and

underline or star things that are repeated or have emphasis put on them.

Also, remember these things and look at them in the book and anything else

that the professor states can be found in the book. When studying for a test

I almost memorized my notes. If you can figure out a way to organize them, I

used a hierarchy method, it helps a lot. I also studied a lot of the diagrams

in the book and tried to be able to see them in my mind during the test. I

never used flash cards, but did organize on notecards a couple of times. I

always studied alone for zoology and usually for forty-five minutes to an

hour and then I took a five minute break so I didn't go crazy. When I could

I liked to study really hard the day before the test, but I always got at

least six hours of sleep: Never pull an all nighter. That's about all I got

for advice on how to do well in your courses. I think anyone can do well if

they are willing to work hard.

Regular studying, class etc:

(you are going to like this a lot, but it is really true!) - everything important is clearly discussed in class so paying close attention in class saves a TON of work outside!

- Reading chapter and highlighting.

- Print out powerpoint before class and then making notes on it.

Tests:

- The most important thing I did was to print out objectives and complete each objective as comprehensively as possible. The process of finding the information targeted by the objective and then the mechanical aspect of writing it down coherently helped me understand the concepts and helped fix the information in my memory.

- With taxonomy I made tables with columns of classes and rows of characteristics in a category (e.g. circulatory system) and then tried to identify patterns of similarities and differences.

- I took the sample quizzes once I felt adequately prepared and then used it to identify things I was still shaky on.

- I often sat with someone else we would quiz each other for awhile, often the other person seems to know things you don't!

I don't have any expert advice but I know I definitely couldn't have gotten the grade I did without the help of some classmates.  Three or four of us always got together a couple times before each test.  We had all made flashcards so then we combined all the flashcards and went through them.  Then we went through all the objectives and all the practice questions.  We found that going through all of this was a well rounded way to learn most of the information. Listening in class, taking notes, and individual studying before these group study sessions was also helpful.  

My study habits probably weren't the best but I hope I can be of some help.

The key for me was studying ahead of time.  As much as possible, I tried to look over my notes every day I had class.  I also started studying extensively at least a week before a test.  This way I didn't have to cram as much.  Instead, I could concentrate on learning the information I didn't know as well.  I also tried to do the practice exams ahead of time so that I could ask any questions I might have.  I normally sat with a group while I studied but we studied silently.  This way we didn't get distracted by each other but we could still ask questions. 

I would say to print off the notes you make available to students on the internet the night before class, that way in class the next day they are able to sit back and listen to more of what you say instead of writing down the notes in class as fast as they can.  Also, throughout the semester I would study by myself everything (book, practice exams, etc) and study about an hour a day.  When it came time to test I could know all my notes and [name withheld to protect the identity of the innocent] and I would quiz each other.