How to Study Science

Co-authored by Ronitte Libedinsky, MS

Last Updated: March 16, 2023 References Approved

Studying any subject is difficult, and exception when it comes to science. There is also no best study method that will work for everyone. Every person is unique, and every person needs to determine which study methods work best for them. If one method doesn’t work for you, try another method. Don’t give up. Once you’ve found the method that works for you, tweak it and perfect that method until it becomes natural for you.

Things You Should Know

Read all assigned material and take notes in class, then re-read it all after class too; make sure you understand every concept but don’t memorize everything.
Learn the format of assigned labs, and read all details before starting; be safe as you experiment, then record and submit your results.
Study on your own by reviewing material, creating flashcards, taking practice tests, doing homework, and following study objectives.
Plan regular study sessions with classmates and set clear goals for the group; take turns teaching one another, and be encouraging as you study.

Method 1

Method 1 of 4:

Preparing for a Science Class

1
Read the assigned material before class. Every science class you take will have an associated textbook. And your science teacher will probably tell you which chapters you must read in advance of every class. Take the time and read that material before the class.^{[1]
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Research source} Knowing what to expect during the lecture will help you absorb the lecture material more effectively.
- Highlight important terms and concepts in your textbook.
- Write down any questions you have. If they aren’t answered in the lecture, make sure to ask.
2
Take notes in class. Some science teachers simply go through the textbook in class. Others expand on what the textbook says. If your teacher simply regurgitates the textbook in class, it’s probably more important to pay attention to what is being said, rather than writing everything down. However, if your teacher is expanding on the subject matter, and outlining new concepts in class, make sure you take lots of good notes.
- Some teachers will provide students with copies of their presentation slides - this is extremely helpful. In this case, you only need to make notes in addition to anything already written on the slide, rather than needing to copy the whole slide.
- Some teachers may covertly (or overtly) tell you if the topic they're discussing will be on the final exam. Make a note of this. They’re giving you a freebie - take it!^{[2]
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- Consider sharing notes with other students. You might have made a note about something they missed, and vice versa. At the very least, make sure you have another student whom you can borrow notes from if you miss a class.
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3
Re-read the assigned material after class. And re-read your notes. Make corrections or updates to your notes where required. And highlight areas of the textbook where the teacher spent more time.^{[3]
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Research source} Make a list of any outstanding questions and email or talk to your teacher about them.^{[4]
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- Rewrite your lecture notes. Condense them this second time around.^{[5]
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- Create flashcards from critical terms and concepts.
- Re-draw important diagrams by hand. Science includes a lot of diagrams, visualizations, and charts, and memorizing them all isn’t an option. Drawing them on your own, by hand, will help you remember more of what the diagram means than simply what it looks like.

Method 2

Method 2 of 4:

Preparing for a Science Lab

1
Know the format of the lab report you need to produce. Most reports will require the following six sections: an abstract, an introduction, methods and materials, results, discussion, and references. Knowing this in advance will ensure you remember to capture all these items during the experiment, where required.
2
Read the details of the experiment before the lab. Know what the experiment consists of, what materials you’ll be using, and any knowledge (theories, concepts, equations, etc.) you'll need to know ahead of time. Re-read appropriate pages of your textbook or notes that related to the experiment you'll be performing. Make brief notes about these theories, concepts, or equations and bring them with you to the lab for reference.
3
Prepare for the experiment by having charts or tables ready for recording results. Determine what is required before the lab begins, and have these charts and tables ready to go when the experiment begins.
- Some lab instructors may provide tables to be used for recording results, in which case you do not need to prepare anything on your own.
4
Be safe. Know the lab rules and safety procedures. Follow the instructions of the experiment properly. Dispose of materials using the proper methods. Notify the lab instructor immediately if anyone is hurt.
5
Conduct your experiment and record the results. Follow the proper procedure for each experiment. Be able to identify the variables being used in the experiment, and how each one is controlled. Know what the results should be, and if your result is different, determine why that may be.^{[6]
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6
Write your lab report and submit it. Use the required format. Know how the concepts you learned about in the lectures are associated with your lab experiment and results. Include diagrams, charts, tables, pictures, etc., where needed. Cite all references properly and ethically.^{[7]
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Method 3

Method 3 of 4:

Studying Science on Your Own

1
Find a study location that works for you. Everyone has different priorities as to what type of study environment works best for them.^{[8]
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Expert Source

Ronitte Libedinsky, MS
Academic Tutor
Expert Interview. 26 May 2020.} Some examples might be: school or public library, classrooms, bedroom or home office, kitchen or dining room table, coffee shop, outside, etc.^{[9]
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- Try a couple of different spots before deciding which one works best for you.
- If you find more than one spot that works for you, alternate between them.
- Don’t pick a spot that’s a hassle to get to, you might find yourself making excuses that you can’t study because you can’t get to your study location!
2
Make a study schedule. Develop a study routine.^{[10]
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Expert Source

Ronitte Libedinsky, MS
Academic Tutor
Expert Interview. 26 May 2020.} Be consistent. Create a schedule that takes your classes into account, and assign yourself regular study time. Go one step further and assign specific tasks to complete during each study session based on your class syllabus.
- When making your study schedule, don’t schedule studying for one topic - say Physics - for six hours in a row one day. Instead, study multiple topics every day and space Physics out over a couple of days. This is called the distributed study method and allows your brain to absorb more information over a shorter period.
- Beware of other activities that may appear in your schedule and reduce your study time. These activities could include a part-time job, hanging out with friends, volunteering, etc. These other activities are important too, but like studying, they need to be done in moderation. Schedule this “fun” time in, but not at the expense of your study time.^{[11]
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3
Develop personalized study rules. You may be the only one providing yourself with motivation for studying science, so create rules and stick to them.^{[12]
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- Reward yourself with a treat (not just food) after every x hours of studying.^{[13]
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  Ronitte Libedinsky, MS
  Academic Tutor
  Expert Interview. 26 May 2020.}
- Start every study session with a review of previously learned material.
- Create a list of objectives for every study session.
- Tell someone to follow up with you about your studying every x hours.
- Turn off your cell phone and don’t check your email.
4
Take breaks. Take a short break at least every hour.^{[14]
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- Breaks shouldn’t just be to stop studying - get up, walk around, go to the bathroom, etc.
5
Stay healthy. Eat properly balanced meals at somewhat normal times every day. Exercise regularly. Go to bed and get up at the same time every day, even on weekends. Get a full night’s rest (6-8 hours) every night. Stay positive - if you find yourself becoming too stressed or anxious, seek help.^{[16]
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6
Recap material from your last study session. Whatever you ended with last time, start with this time. Review your notes and any problems you went through. Allow this review of materials to jog your memory.
7
Create a list of study objectives. Using your class syllabuses, make yourself a list of what you’d like to accomplish in this study session. Prioritize the list based on importance or deadlines, or a combination of both.
8
Avoid memorizing everything. Memorizing simply does not work - unless you have an eidetic memory like Sheldon Cooper. Remembering science concepts is important, but understanding the concepts is more important. It’s easy to forget something you’ve memorized, it’s a lot harder to forget something you’ve learned.^{[17]
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- If you do need to memorize something, such as the historical timeline for the invention of the telephone, try using memory tricks, such as mnemonics and repetition.^{[18]
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9
Understand what each concept or equation means. The absolute best way to learn a science concept or equation is to understand what it means - to be able to break it down into parts and understand how those parts fit together to result in the concept or equation.^{[19]
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Expert Source

Ronitte Libedinsky, MS
Academic Tutor
Expert Interview. 26 May 2020.} For each new concept or equation you should learn the technical definition, the step-by-step procedures, and the key examples.
- Use your own words to describe the concept, equation, problems, etc., and your own words to describe how the concept works, or the equation or problem is to be solved.^{[20]
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- Write an explanation, in your own words, of why a concept, equation or problem is true, or why a concept, equation or problem ends in a certain result.^{[21]
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- Link new concepts and equations to things you already understand.^{[22]
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10
Work through questions and problems. Most textbooks have questions and problems at the end of each chapter - work through these as part of your studying. Doing is always better than reading. When answering the questions and problems, do so in detail. Lay out the complete solution as to how you got to your answer, not just the answer.^{[23]
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- In addition to the questions and problems at the end of a chapter, go through example questions and problems from the textbook on your own. Redo the question or problem without looking at the answers to ensure you understand how it was solved.^{[24]
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- If you get stuck, take a deep breath and don’t panic. Take a short break and come back and re-try the problem a second time. The second time around start on a new page, slow down, double-check your work, and make sure your writing is neat and your solution is organized logically.
- When checking the solutions, pat yourself on the back for correct answers!
- Do a few questions and problems for one chapter or topic every day for a few days - don’t do them all in one day.^{[25]
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11
Do the assigned homework. You should complete all the homework they assign, whether it will be marked or not.^{[26]
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Research source} Once you receive your homework back (assuming it was handed in) review your marks and work through any problems you got wrong.
- If, after reviewing the problems you got wrong, you were unable to figure out where you made a mistake, go talk to the teacher. Ask them to help walk you through the specific problem and point out where you went wrong.
12
Create flashcards. Flashcards don’t work for everything, but they’re great for terms or concepts with specific definitions, diagrams or charts, and equations. You can write your flashcards in one of two ways - to use for testing yourself, where the question is on one side and the answer is on the back; or for review, where you use only the front of the card.^{[27]
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- Don’t feel you have to stick to actual flashcards (i.e. the small cards made of thick card stock). Some science topics are too complex for something that small. Feel free to use larger paper if required.
13
Take sample or practice tests. Do as many sample or practice tests as you can. And do not wait until you’re studying for the final exam to do sample or practice tests, do them throughout the semester.^{[28]
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Research source} Ideally the sample or practice tests should be similar to the ones you’ll do in class, but any test where you’re practicing the scientific concept is extremely helpful.

Method 4

Method 4 of 4:

Planning and Conducting a Group Study Session

1
Select group members with similar study objectives. Study groups are supposed to be groups of people studying - not socializing. That means group members need not be friends, but rather people interested in getting a good grade in the science class.^{[29]
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Trustworthy Source
Association for Psychological Science
Nonprofit organization devoted promoting trustworthy research and education in the psychological sciences
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- The ideal group size is 3-5 people.
2
Meet regularly. The study group should commit to meeting at least once a week throughout the semester. Meeting locations should be a place where everyone is comfortable, and ideally contains enough chairs and power outlets for every group member. Having a room with a whiteboard or chalkboard is also ideal.^{[30]
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Research source} Study sessions should last between 2 and 3 hours, and should include a couple of breaks.
3
Choose a study group facilitator - optional. This is one group member who is responsible to coordinate the meeting times and locations, keeping track of the time, and ensuring the group is following the overall plan (if one was created).
- A facilitator isn’t required, but is nice to have. However, this person needs to know they are not “in charge”, but are simply making sure things are organized and staying on track.
4
Create clear goals and objectives - optional. These goals and objectives can be created for the study group as a whole or each study session. If created for each study session, these goals and objectives would include what chapters or topics are to be covered during that session, and how the group members should prepare for the session.^{[31]
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- Having clear goals and objectives helps make sure the study group stays focused on what they want to accomplish.^{[32]
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5
Take turns teaching each other. Use your own words to teach someone else a scientific concept or equation. This will help you understand the topic more clearly, and will also allow your group members to provide feedback on anything that doesn’t make sense. Don’t just teach each other new or unknown items, but use this method to review any concepts you’ve already learned.^{[33]
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6
Encourage each other. Study groups aren’t just for studying, they’re also for providing each other with moral support and encouragement. Make sure you congratulate each other on a job well done. Turn feedback into a positive statement. Come up with fun and exciting methods to learn new materials in your group sessions.^{[34]
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Community Q&A

Question

What if I know everything in the books but forget it during an exam?

Community Answer

You may be nervous and need to calm down and clear your head. Inhale and exhale deeply; close your eyes and focus. Drink some water if you can. Keep inhaling and exhaling deeply and thinking with your eyes closed until you come up with the answer.
Question

Why is understanding better than memorizing something?

Community Answer

Because understanding is a deeper brain process and it sticks with you more. Once you understand something, you understand it for good. Pure memorization just doesn't make things stick as well in your mind. Understanding is true learning, and is the real goal and reward of education.
Question

What can I do if I have trouble when I have to explain things, even though I understand my classes when they are happening?

Community Answer

After your class, go home and write down the keywords you learned in class. Then try to connect the keywords to make a sensible sentence. Also, try teaching it to your pet or siblings. If you can't explain something in your own words, that means you don't understand the topic fully yet.

Warnings

Be careful about using science fiction (i.e. books, movies, TV shows, video games, etc.) as a replacement for science fact. Not all science fiction is based on actual scientific fact. Instead of using science fiction as a replacement, use it as an opportunity to research which parts are science fiction and which parts are science fact.^{[35]
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NASA
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