While students often find different branches of science hard to understand, many of them struggle with biochemistry specifically. Despite the fact that biochemistry incorporates the concepts of chemistry and biology and is considered a complex field, it’s still not that hard to study.
Although biochemistry is hard for some students, you can easily understand the topics as long as you know how to study biochemistry.
If you’re having some trouble in biochemistry and think that it’s simply hard to understand, we’ve got you. This article will discuss general topics covered in a biochemistry course and explain why some students find it hard to study biochemistry. To help you achieve your academic goals in biochemistry, the text will also share 12 easy tips to study biochemistry with less effort.
What Is Biochemistry?
Before we discuss what’s so hard about studying biochemistry, let’s explain what biochemistry is all about in the first place.
Biochemistry is the study of chemical reactions and processes that occur in or are related to living organisms. Biochemistry combines the concepts of biology, chemistry, medicine, physics, and maths to study the processes at the cellular and molecular levels.
By studying and analyzing the chemical substances and changes related to living organisms, biochemistry explains how the chemistry of life works.
What’s Covered in a Typical Biochemistry Course?
Biochemistry is one of the broadest sciences that includes various branches and subspecialties.
Biochemistry can be divided into different branches, such as molecular biology, cell biology, genetics, immunology, enzymology, metabolism, animal biochemistry, plant biochemistry, clinical biochemistry, neurochemistry, and biochemical pharmacology.
While there are many different subspecialties of biochemistry, a typical biochemistry course covers a few main topics. As a biochemistry major, you’ll study the following topics:
- Biomolecules – nucleic acids, amino acids, proteins, carbohydrates, and lipids;
- Enzymes – enzymatic catalysis and enzyme kinetics;
- Metabolism – glucose catabolism, glycogen metabolism, gluconeogenesis, citric acid cycle, electron transport, oxidative phosphorylation, photosynthesis, lipid, metabolism, and amino acid metabolism;
- Gene expression and replication – DNA replication, DNA repair, DNA recombination, transcription, RNA processing, and protein synthesis;
- Cell signaling – protein interactions, signaling enzymes, second messengers, information transfer across the membrane, regulated protein degradation, and information processing.
To learn more about the general topics discussed in a biochemistry course, check out this textbook covering the fundamentals of biochemistry.
Why Is Biochemistry Hard for Some Students?
Although the topics covered in a basic biochemistry course seem pretty straightforward, some students still struggle with understanding different concepts. But what’s the rationale behind that?
The main reason biochemistry is hard for some students is that they don’t have adequate knowledge of the prerequisite courses of biochemistry. Some students also find biochemistry hard because they don’t know how to study the subject or prepare for biochemistry exams.
Having the right approach to studying biochemistry is crucial for understanding concepts ranging from basic to advanced. Determining the reason why you find biochemistry hard to study is key to finding a solution.
A Guide to Studying Biochemistry with Little to No Effort
If you’re majoring in biochemistry and you have trouble understanding even the basic concepts of biochemistry, here’s what you should do.
To study biochemistry with less effort, you should first understand what biochemistry is and why it’s so important in our everyday life. You should also check the syllabus before starting your study sessions. Besides, having adequate knowledge of biochemistry course prerequisites is key to understanding biochemistry. In addition, you should create a suitable study schedule and be consistent with attending classes. Moreover, you should always ask questions in class and use online resources at home to comprehend different topics. Finally, you should do revision sessions and create study groups to boost your performance.
Below are some quick and easy tips to make studying biochemistry less challenging while achieving your academic goals.
Tip 1. Understand What Biochemistry Is All About
Before you even start studying, you should learn more about biochemistry in general. Believe it or not, understanding what a particular subject is all about helps you better understand the specific topics covered within the course.
Besides, knowing what biochemistry is and how it works gives you further information about what to expect from a given biochemistry course. In this way, you can prepare yourself to take a course while setting realistic goals.
Professor Dave Explains from YouTube provides general information about biochemistry, helping you understand what this field is all about.
Tip 2. Be Aware of the Importance of Biochemistry
Undoubtedly, biochemistry is an extremely important scientific field. But why? Biochemistry helps us understand nutrition, metabolism, photosynthesis, fermentation, genetics, and cell signaling. Biochemistry is also crucial for studying diseases and explaining how living organisms work in general. Here are ten reasons why biochemistry is important.
Being aware of specific factors that make biochemistry important makes students more enthusiastic about studying the subject. This is because some students are curious about human nutrition while others are more invested in forensic evidence analysis.
Knowing that biochemistry is what provides solutions to so many real-life problems will make it much easier for you to study and understand the subject.
Tip 3. Carefully Read the Syllabus and Course Outline Before Starting to Study Biochemistry
Another tip for studying biochemistry easily is to always read the syllabus first. For some reason, students often ignore the syllabus and think that it’s only for making the course look more professional. The truth is that a course syllabus is an excellent tool for setting expectations. After reading the syllabus, you’ll get a better idea of how your grade will be determined and how to study to achieve your personal goal.
Besides, you should also read the course outline to identify the main topics that will be covered within a given biochemistry course. This will help you determine if you need to review related course material you’ve already studied before.
Tip 4. Make Sure You Have Adequate Knowledge of Biochemistry Course Prerequisites
For any course you take at a university, there are prerequisite courses you need to complete first. For example, general chemistry is a prerequisite course of organic chemistry, which is a prerequisite of biology. And all these subjects are prerequisite courses of biochemistry.
Without understanding the basic concepts of chemistry, biology, math, and physics, you won’t be able to study biochemistry, no matter how hard you try. And if you find biochemistry pretty challenging, you may have missed some of the key topics covered in chemistry and biology.
Tip 5. Create a Suitable Study Schedule
Studying regularly is essential for achieving your academic goals in any subject and biochemistry is no exception. Creating the best study schedule for you and developing regular study habits can significantly boost your performance.
Having a suitable study schedule not only helps you understand the concepts of biochemistry but also prepares you for upcoming quizzes and exams. By studying regularly, you won’t have to be anxious or stressed out before biochemistry exams.
Tip 6. Avoid Missing Classes or Skipping Chapters
If you find biochemistry hard to study, you should avoid missing classes in the first place. While missing a single or a few lectures mightn’t seem to be a big deal, it’ll add up at the end of the semester. In fact, attending lectures and seminars is one of the best ways to understand both basic and advanced concepts of biochemistry.
In addition, you should never skip chapters just because you don’t find them interesting. Each chapter of your biochemistry textbook helps you understand the next one. Keep in mind that chapters are there for a reason, so make sure you read them carefully.
Tip 7. Make Sure You Understand the Concept Before Moving to the Next One
Studying biochemistry is not quite about reading chapters of a textbook. It’s more about taking your time to understand pretty much every single sentence. Since different topics of biochemistry are linked to each other, you should ensure that you understand a given concept before moving to another one.
After reading a particular chapter, spend some time contemplating the information. If everything seems pretty explicit and you don’t have any further questions, you can definitely move to another concept.
Tip 8. Ask as Many Questions as You Need to Understand a Given Topic
Unfortunately, many students are too embarrassed to ask questions during lectures. They often avoid speaking up in class just because they don’t want to appear less intelligent than their classmates. In reality, there’s nothing wrong with asking questions, no matter how stupid they may sound.
If there’s something you don’t understand in biochemistry, make sure you ask as many questions as you can. This will not only help you study biochemistry but also motivate other students to ask questions as well.
Tip 9. Use Online Resources to Deepen Your Knowledge
No matter how many lectures you attend or how many questions you ask, sometimes it’s simply not enough to understand a particular topic. If this is the case, you should definitely consider using online resources, especially YouTube videos by chemistry, biology, and biochemistry professors.
The Organic Chemistry Tutor offers detailed video tutorials about chemistry, organic chemistry, biology, biochemistry, and more, helping you easily understand different concepts. Khan Academy videos may also help you with understanding the theoretical part of biochemistry.
Tip 10. Take Notes
Whether you enjoy writing or not, you should consider taking notes during your biochemistry lectures. The reason for this is that note-taking keeps you focused in class while making it easier for you to pay attention to details.
Besides, having class notes is ideal for studying at home as you already have the basic outline and some of the key concepts that will help you understand more advanced ideas.
Tip 11. Do Regular Review Sessions
No matter how hard you study and how well you understand particular aspects of biochemistry, you may still forget some concepts as your brain gets loaded with tons and tons of information.
To avoid something like this from happening, you should do regular revision sessions. While you can use your notes or create flashcards, you can also answer the questions provided in your textbook or use online quizzes and flashcards instead.
Tip 12. Join a Study Group
Last but not least, you should consider joining a study group if there are some aspects of biochemistry that you don’t really understand. Being in a study group will allow you to share your knowledge with other students, helping each other to get better at a particular subject.
In addition, your peers may ask questions you may have never thought about. This will allow you to deepen and broaden your knowledge of biochemistry.
