Advice on Succeeding Academically in Health Science
Hello! I was recently admitted to the Health Science Interest Pathway program and have some questions about academic success.
I am 27, attended university for environmental studies but withdrew in my final year due to COVID-19 and financial hardships. I transferred to a different university for French Studies but withdrew last term because I couldn't take science labs as an arts student. I attempted to transfer internally to the health science program at my university but the deadline passed. Now, here I am at Queen's. My end goal is to attend dental school and I've been working as a dental assistant for almost three years now.
Throughout my bachelor's in environmental studies and French studies, I never had multiple choice exam. They were all essay-based, short answers, or matching--some courses didn't have any exams and were just presentations, group projects, etc.
Below are my courses:
Fall Term Courses:
- PHGY 170 Human Cell Physiology
- IDIS 173 History and Philosophy of Healthcare
Winter Term Courses:
- ANAT 100: Human Anatomy
- PHAR 100: Introduction to Pharmacology
Below are my questions:
- What are your general recommendations to succeed in health science/a science degree?
- How do you take notes? iPad, paper, Google Docs, Word, etc.
- Do you recommend a specific method? Cornell v flow chart v outlining v mind mapping
- What programs, applications, tools do you use to help you understand the materials? Chat, Atlas, Anki, etc.
- What strategies do you have for test-taking? As an online student, are some courses open-book exams?
- Any thing else you'd like to mention.
Thank you in advance!