Most students occasionally have difficulty in courses, including biology courses. If you find that you are slipping behind in the course, or if a particular topic is giving you an unreasonable amount of trouble, here are some useful steps you might take.

• First, the basics: attend class, take careful lecture notes, and read the textbook assignments. 

• Second, note that one of the most important roles of studying is to discover what you don't know, so that you can do something about it.

• Use the index, the glossary, the chapter summary and the text itself to try to answer any questions you have and to help you organize the material.

• Make a habit of looking over your lecture notes within 24 hours of when you take them--find out right away what points are unclear, and get them straightened out in your mind The CD-ROM can help by providing a different perspective. 

If none of these self-help remedies does the trick, get help! Other students are often a good source of help, because they are dealing with the material at the same level as you are. Study groups can be very useful, as long as the participants are all committed to learning the material. Tutors are almost always helpful and useful, as are faculty members. The main thing is to get help when you need it. It is not a good idea to be strong, and silent and drift into a low grade. But don't make the grade the point of this or any other course. You are in college to learn, to pursue interesting subjects, and to enjoy the subjects you are pursuing. We hope you'll enjoy the pursuit of biology.

Bill Purves     Gordon Orians        Craig Heller      David Sadava