As soon as you enter university, you will hear your seniors talking about the “third-year jump”, a phenomenon that will intrigue you! I found that phrase a little seductive, but as I finish the first semester of third year, I dedicate this blog to discussing the leap for the biological sciences.
The leap from the second to the third year has more to do with the student’s approach than with the content itself. Of course, the content will focus more on the details of the subject, but the way of dealing with it must change! For example, I recommend reading a lot of scientific articles on various subjects during the summer holidays before the start of the third year.
This practice will increase your information processing speed and allow the content you learn to be internalized as knowledge in your third year. It will also increase your understanding of the different subfields of life sciences and introduce you to many experimental techniques (essential for research proposals).
Another critical point is to make sure you have a note-taking strategy ready after two weeks – unique for each module! But along with these notes, keep prepared mind maps and flowcharts for final exam review.
And finally, don’t hoard questions or ratings – stick to a plan and you’ll be good to go! The leap is definitely there, but if you’re willing to work a little harder, you’ll be fine!
Hope that helps! Thanks for the reading!