#neuroscience studyblr

[captainofstudies]

Starting off the Easter Holiday by spending some time at my grandparents. Got a lot of notes to write up as well as a lab report and essay to write. If I just get on with it and avoid procrastinating I should be able to get it done with no worries.

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I’m about halfway through this book and i love it

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Chemistry and hangovers

[beebelljarstudies]

Taking Neuroanatomy Notes

As an undergraduate neuroscience major, I have some tips for studying neuroanatomy. I’m certainly no expert, so take my tips with a grain of salt. As always, this is just how I study; these methods may or may not work for you.

Don’t rely on printed notes - write your own notes.

The photo above is a copy of one page of notes my professor provided. I took these notes to class and would highlight them and annotate the sides. While this worked for in class lectures (the professor talked really fast), it was probably better if I had just handwritten the most important topics.

Printed notes and annotation won’t show you the structures! If you can’t write out your own notes, try to obtain the lecture slides and annotate those instead.

While you make your own notes - draw every diagram possible! 

Draw all your diagrams. I happen to be pretty good at drawing and I always feel that if I can draw it out without references, I know it. Combine that physical action of drawing with visual recognition!

For things like CSF or blood flow, draw out flow charts, use arrows, list structures one-by-one, etc.

Even if it it’s a crude sketch, it will help. This goes for learning tracts too, draw the end and start locations with flow diagrams.

If you like flash cards, you could draw the structure on one side and list the name/functions on the other side. I personally don’t like flashcards, but I know other students have done this. 

Keep drawing and labeling those diagrams!

Print out unlabeled diagrams from your lectures, textbook, or internet and label them. Label them and then correct your answers. Test yourself, rinse and repeat until you can do it without cheating and looking at your key. 

Color in sections of a diagram as you learn them. Start out with pencil and then cover/fill in the lines it with marker/colored pencil, etc. 

Be consistent with your organization schemes.

Keep fiber tracts the same color or shades of a color. Match your diagram colors with your functional notes. This helps keep it clear and easier to remember. 

I like to group areas by location and learn each section. For example I learn the functions of parts of the parietal lobe or the brainstem parts one-by-one. Studying parts of the hippocampus and then moving to sections of the spinal cord is simply confusing.

I generally write out structures from rostral to caudal so it’s clear (ex: frontal lobes, parietal lobes, occipital lobes, cerebellum) Most neuroanatomy textbooks seem to be organized in this fashion too. 

Be consistent with your studies.

Don’t let the idea that you can memorize the locations and functions convince you to study at the last minute. I made this mistake plenty of times. 

Study a little bit each day. Review one area a day. It takes time to learn to recall the names and functions.

Add it as a task to your schedule or bullet journal!

My Neuroscience Tips Posts: Part 2 (Latin Terms and Neuroanatomy), Part 3 (Memorization and Cranial Nerves)