• Question: How will i remember everything about science? its so hard

    Asked by 255furk43 to Chris, Joanne, Kathryn, Kieran, Sarah on 7 Nov 2017.
    • Photo: Joanne Duffy

      Joanne Duffy answered on 7 Nov 2017:

      You don’t have to remember everything! I definitely don’t, and neither do any of the scientists I know. You need to remember lots of information for exams, which is a pain, but in real life working as a scientist I’m always looking at books, and scientific papers, and using calculators and looking things up. The most important thing is to understand things, not to just “know” things. Never feel like you have to know everything off the top of your head. It’s like playing a video game, you don’t know every detail of it, but you figure it out as you go along, and some things just become second nature!

    • Photo: Kathryn Schoenrock

      Kathryn Schoenrock answered on 8 Nov 2017:

      It is to remember everything in science, but once you put in a bit of time studying things that you are interested it gets easier to understand. Then information starts fitting together like a puzzle which is very fun! I think the best thing about being a scientist right now is we have the internet to help us look up new information. We can look at experiments happening in China and use that information in our own- back in the day you had to call, or mail information back and forth which could take months and years! The downside is there is a lot of bad information on the internet as well so you have to be careful what you read and trust.

    • Photo: Chris Werner

      Chris Werner answered on 8 Nov 2017:

      No need to remember everything, which is why scientists specialise in certain areas. I don’t remember lots of science, as I wouldn’t have room for anything else. Once you understand things then its easier to remember. Even the best scientists were unable to remember everything so don’t feel pressurised in having to turn into an encyclopaedia!

      For exams you have to remember stuff, hence they’re called exams…to test you! But like the others say if you understand the stuff it makes it a lot easier. I remember a physics college lecturer telling me once if you try and remember everything you will fail, but if you understand everything you’ll get top marks. He was right. But I will say definitely learn your definitions, as they mark them word by word!

    • Photo: Sarah Guerin

      Sarah Guerin answered on 9 Nov 2017:

      Like everyone said- when you become a scientist you actually don’t have to remember that much, and when you’re doing science every day the most important things will stick in your head without trying! But for school you might find learning lots of science difficult- be patient, you mightn’t understand everything right away. I always find drawing diagrams helps me remember and understand things that are complicated.

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