I am a high school freshman going on sophmore and I need help studying for USABO. So far I have done a couple of chapters of Campbells Biology 9th Edition as this is what the test questions are based of of. But I have a couple of questions about how to study? My goal is IBO.
Should I take notes as I read or just read the book?
Should I wait to take AP Bio?
How much should I study per day?
How many chapters should I read per day?
After I am done, what should I do?
People who have gotten to USABO camp and beyond, please help.
Thank you in advance.
First of all, don’t aim for the IBO. The chances are highly unlikely unless you literally think in biology. You WILL be competing against juniors and seniors who have devoted their whole lives to biology, took AP Biology/college biology classes, and probably read Campbell’s/Raven’s/Albert’s multiple times through. Of course there’s always a chance in making it, but it is slim until you reach that caliber.
- You decide. No one can tell you whether you should or should not take notes. It's all based on how YOU study, not how people on CC or even successful individuals in the USABO study. If you think you'll study better with notes and retain more information, go ahead. If it is too much work with no or minimal reward, don't. The goal is to learn biology, not to make a 500 page note document, but if the note document helps you in review, do it.
- Do not wait until AP Biology. Note that reading out of a textbook =/= taking a class for most cases, so acknowledge that you most likely will not be as prepared as the ones who took AP Biology; once you acknowledge that and set your goals accordingly in your first two years, you shouldn't be disappointed. You will be at a huge disadvantage, but it can be remedied with hard work.
3/4. This is your decision. Do what it takes to read the book and review before the test in February. You should finish the book by winter break so that you can review and perhaps start Raven’s and Albert’s. You will not retain all of the information that you learn by reading the book, so review is crucial and helps put the details in long-term memory.
- Read Raven's Biology of Plants and Albert's Molecular Biology of the Cell. Do practice problems. Review notes or online resources. Talk with experts and teachers. REVIEW. I didn't review or practice for the USABO/USNCO competitions which led to dismal scores, so don't make the same mistake I made, look at what you don't remember, and do practice problems often.
You’re a freshman. You will have 4 more years. Don’t stress about the Olympiads until sophomore year, so let this year be a learning experience, not a goal-oriented mission. Prepare but don’t be obsessed with results.