Revision Strategy : Class 11 Biology

Greetings Readers
Continuing with the series of posts on Revision Strategy, next up in the series is - Biology. This is a subject which is although loved by all Medical aspirants, gives them trembles and fear due to it's bulky and descriptive nature, with the difficulty of memorizing all the fine details. Biology may take up a lot of time of yours to fit it in your mind properly but everyone knows it's worth it. Still, I aim to help you make an efficient revision strategy where each second,each minute,each hour invested in churns out a good output.
Basically learning Biology can be divided into two parts - 

• Understanding dynamic concepts like life processes, biological cycles , reason of various fundamental activities occurring in nature, connecting various statements to teach other. The main thing is that this part is easy to understand than all that memorizing part but to understand it you have to pay proper attention and concentration and AVOID mugging up such basic concepts. Understanding may take time and you may still be confused, but it's way better than mugging up for long term.
• Second is the memorization part which consists of Animal,Plant and Biological Diversity Chapters;Morphology of Plants and Animals;Some parts of Plant Anatomy. These parts although aren't highly conceptual but still many small concepts may help you link all the facts and information involved in these chapters. So for these chapters,you need to have all the necessary information in a condensed form so as to help in revising it periodically, if you feel you have forgotten it.

Biology being a mix of above two divisions is quite variable in nature but easy to master once you pick the right way of studying it.
For understanding concepts,which should be your first priority as memorization can be done later on, attention in class is important. Whenever your teacher slows down explains something with patience repeats it, you should know that it's important. Try to get his/her words and then note it down with some coloured pen like red/green in you notes, to highlight it from other information. This will help you in making a concept map of the chapter. You know this chapter involves all these concepts and if you understand them, the reason giving and statement type questions of NEET/AIIMS are done.
You can practice such questions from Dr. Ali Objective Biology which has very carefully carved out all the conceptual statements from NCERT into such type of questions. In this way all your NCERT concepts will be covered up too. Additional conceptual questions may be given in your coaching modules, so cover them up too. If still problems persist, you can read out Biology by Campbell and Reece(PDF from the internet) as it has explained out very difficult seeming concepts in the easiest language possible along with colourful diagrams and flow charts.
Next up is memorization part. This is a bit tough part as not each one of us(including me) is an expert in memorizing large chunks of information so easily. But,take my word,it's not impossible! The problem of memorization comes with the presentation of information. Plain Black and White modules of coaching institutes with all the boring fonts wouldn't fascinate you in learning so much information.
This problem can be solved by various methods. First, if your teacher is helping you make readable and specific notes, that's well and good. If not, you yourself can make notes in your own handwriting and using various coloured pens like red,green,pink,violet along the blue and black. This will make the notes more readable and appear picture like and everyone can remember pictures better than plain text. Make some diagrams separately on your own, label properly and you will have a very clear understanding of those in your minds. Also, remember that it's not necessary to make such notes for all chapters, but only the ones you feel difficult to remember in order to avoid wasting time.
Also to fit all of this information in your mind,you need to practice a lot of questions.Yes,you heard that right - a lot of questions. The reason behind it that these questions will help to stimulate your brain again and again to put stress and remember that piece of information, which with continuous practice will shift it in your long term memory. Once it goes in your long term memory, it would be difficult to get forgotten than earlier. So do a lot of questions from your coaching modules, test papers, DPPs, Dr. Ali,MTG etc. The key is distributing all this information in form of separate questions and then fitting it in your memory.
Coming to the individual topics - 
Animal Diversity - The main thing is to remember the various taxa and their characteristics along with the examples. If you are able to connect examples with characteristics, most of the questions which can come are done. Also, for out of NCERT stuff, you can do Aakash/Allen modules but don't go too deep in learning useless classes and examples but stick to the pattern of the 2013-2016 papers rather.
Biological Diversity(including plants) - The pattern to be followed is similar to Animal Diversity but additionally you should make comparison tables of like sub-categories of a single category.For example - Comparison of Red,Green and Blue Algae in the topic Algae. Such questions may come as the plant and fungi and even bacteria contain quite directly comparable categories.
Plant Morphology - Pretty much memorization only but prefer learning NCERT examples and their characteristics rather than going in depth with the stuff given in coaching modules. Do more and more questions and then stuff will automatically click in you mind.
Plant Anatomy - This topic has conceptual part so do them carefully. Learn the characteristics of various tissues along with proper diagrams so that if the picture comes in AIIMS/NEET exams you can identify it easily.
Cell Biology - As such it's an easy topic so whatever you are doing at coaching is sufficient.
Plant Physiology - Many intricate concepts are difficult to understand at first sight, especially in Respiration and Photosynthesis, so take time and understand them clearly. Flow charts and good reference diagrams made by yourself can help here too.
Human Physiology - Again quite conceptual like Plant Physiology. So do it similarly. Also, do pickup additional concepts aside from NCERT to ace all the question that can come.
So,to end,basically Biology has to be done in a fun and interesting way to keep your mind focused to it and avoid getting bored.
Till next time
Bye!

Revision Strategy : Class 11 Physics

Greetings Readers
You may think that I have been highly irregular in making blog posts these days, but you know that medical college asks for a good amount of dedication as well, hence my irregularity.
Anyways, today I will be continuing with the Revision Strategy series and today it is about - Physics. The subject that majority of the aspirants worry about a lot, and don't seem to be very comfortable with it, although they want to give their best to it,too. So will be highlighting on how to extract the best out of your revision time.
See Physics,unlike Biology(and even somewhat Chemistry) is not a memory intensive,but more of a highly conceptual, intensive thinking and analytical skills involving subject. You can't mug up 45 questions and be done with it. The questions are well.....................infinite.
But, the one thing that sets Physics a class apart is that you CAN,yes YOU CAN do all those infinite questions with a finite range of well-tuned concepts. In Biology, you don't know what questions can come from a topic that the CBSE guys pick up from random books that you don't even know, but in Physics you know that if a question comes from Kinematics, you know the formulas , you know the procedure and let it take 1 min extra, you can get the right answer.No guessing, no confusion. This was a source of motivation for me while preparing for Physics. I knew if once I was clear with the concepts, let them throw any question and I will force them to give me a +4 marks. They simply can't  give me -1(or -5 rather) uselessly.Either I leave the question or get four marks. It was my hard work, my marks! They can't run away saying NCERT mentions this therefore this is correct.
So, be motivated for Physics as this is a subject which will fetch you "assured marks".
Next up is the question,"OK I am motivated to do Physics,but How do I improve my concepts to such a great level that NEET/AIIMS paper can't stop me with literally ANY question?"
Answer lies in being thorough with the smallest to smallest,basic to basic concept that exists. You should know that although teachers making you emphasize on important topics is good, but "coverage" of the syllabus is quite important. Topics like Surface Tension,Properties of Matter, Fluid Mechanics, Kinetic Theory of Gases,some concepts of SHM,Semiconductors even Communication Systems which were being looked upon as topics to just go through once are bringing the best new questions in NEET/AIIMS papers. In AIIMS UG Physics,the weight-age of  both the book 2 of Class 11 and 12 is more than the book 1 along with the increased negative marking, thus the difference in merit lists of the two tests(except top 100 although).
Coming to the topics,class 11 consists basically the topics Kinematics,Newton's Law of Motion and Friction,Work Energy and Power,Center of Mass,Rotational Motion,Gravitation,Thermodynamics,Kinetic Theory of Gases,Properties of Matter,Thermal Properties of Matter,Fluid Mechanics,Surface Tension, Simple Harmonic Motion and Waves. All topics are very fundamental to understand and none involves any gross memorization.
Looking at any normal student, he/she is first taught a particular topic at coaching, he/she makes notes in the class, then the teacher makes do some important questions in the class, which most students(including me) aren't able to do in first attempt. Anyways, we listen to the solution and note it down. So, first - NOTE DOWN all what your teacher emphasized on using special highlights like a red pen or a fluorescent highlighter. That will help you get important things "bounce" straight to the mind while revising.
Try to grasp important approaches and concepts by writing down the solution once by seeing and the trying to solve it by unseen approach. This will help your brain trigger a path to pick and solve that particular type of questions.
Once you are done with the teachers notes and whatever concepts you have learnt, it's time to apply all the concepts with a variety of questions. You can solve some 'marked important' questions of your coaching modules or DPPs that you would have marked while doing them for the first time. Also,you can take up new books(only if you have time) like DC Pandey(till JEE Main level). If any doubt,even the smallest one comes, do go and ask your teacher don't hesitate. This fine tuning of your concepts will make you different from others and will give you a leading edge over all other aspirants.
Taking about specific topics, Kinematics first, requires more of solving a variety of questions and learning several approaches of solving questions especially in Projectile and Relative motion parts. NLM and friction require sound concepts from theory, and the skill to apply them in quite different questions using the same NLM equations and coming to the answer.
Center of Mass and Rotational Motion involve first understanding basic concepts, solving some basic questions and then reducing all the complex questions to typical questions using some fixed approaches of solving the equations.
Gravitation is more formula specific so practice of standard questions would suffice. Properties of Matter has some tricky questions, otherwise the topic is simple once done with proper attention. Fluid Mechanics and Surface Tension have intricate concepts to understand, so do take time,understand them and solve the different types of questions.
SHM is highly fundamental and you need to have crystal clear concepts to solve the best of its questions. It took me at least 3-4 attempts to even understand what SHM was and how it's simple equations are involved in a lot of different questions. Waves is important too,but once you understand what a wave is and how the wave equation is represented, simple formulas will help you tackle the questions and the Doppler Effect too isn't much difficult too.
To end, I would like to say that Physics is something that's quite dynamic and it must be learnt and revised dynamically,not statically. Thinking,doubts,questions,discussion must go on to polish your concepts so that you excel in the NEET/AIIMS exams.
Till next time
Bye!