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I used to think I had studying completely figured out.
I mean obviously. In high school, I was a straight A student, took almost every AP class available, and usually scored well without too much stress. I felt SO confident in my ability to learn material quickly and perform on exams. Then that all changed…
When I got to college and started taking more rigorous STEM courses, that confidence dropped.
The study habits that used to work for me stopped being enough.
I remember sitting in lectures thinking I understood everything, then opening an exam review and realizing I was missing the deeper level of application these classes expected.
I used to be the girl who aced exams in high school. Then I became the girl crying over a D- on a college physics exam. WHAT WAS HAPPENING?!?!
But now, I’m the girl going to MEDICAL SCHOOL. All because I learned how to study differently…
I quickly realized that it was not just about recognizing information anymore. It was about using it under pressure, in new situations, with limited time.
That shift forced me to rethink how I studied from the ground up.
Over time, I realized that different premed STEM courses require different study strategies. Adjusting your approach based on the class is often what separates the A students from the B ones.
Here is what worked for me in some of the most challenging classes I took:
Physics
Practice problems were everything. Repeating them over and over mattered far more than re-reading notes or watching solutions.
A big part of learning came from sitting with a problem even when I did not immediately know how to solve it. That discomfort is what actually builds real problem-solving ability over time.
The key shift for me was learning to stay in the process instead of rushing to the answer key.
Organic Chemistry
This is one of the most infamously difficult classes for premed students, as it requires both heavy memorization and a deep understanding of the material.
What got me through this class (and what became one of my FAVORITE study tools throughout college) was my whiteboard! I would draw mechanisms over and over and over again until they felt automatic, almost like muscle memory.
While I was drawing, I also made a point to talk it out loud. That helped me understand why the electrons were moving the way they were, instead of just memorizing the steps.
Biochemistry
Anki became the backbone of my studying for this class. Instead of relying on pre-made decks, I made my own, which forced me to actively process the material as I learned it rather than passively reviewing someone else’s organization.
For pathways like glycolysis and the Krebs cycle, I combined repetition with the chain method. This approach helps you remember long sequences by linking each step to the next in a structured “story,” so you’re not just memorizing isolated facts but actually reinforcing how each part connects to the one before and after it. Over time, it makes complex pathways feel more intuitive and easier to recall under pressure.
The biggest takeaway was realizing that there is NOT a “one-size-fits-all” study method that works for every class.
Each subject demands something slightly different, and learning to adjust early makes the workload feel much more manageable over time!
What worked in high school got me started, but what I built in college is what actually carried me through. Use these methods to ACE your classes!!
Siena Palicke
Siena Palicke
Pre-med student matriculating into Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine Summer 2027, content creator and founder of Palicke Tutoring.
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