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What to do after you try sleeping on your textbook:
8/14/2014
This is most relevant for students preparing for the USABO simply because that's what I did. However, a lot of this advice also applies to IBO, so hopefully it'll help students in other countries!
Most questions on the IBO and national biology olympiads are based on the premier college freshman biology textbook:
Campbell's Biology.
While this book is used in tons of AP biology and entry level college biology classes, it's tested in much more depth for USABO. Here are a few reading tips:
- Diagrams: They are a lot more expensive to print than text, so they're there for a reason. If someone tells you a concept or keyword from a diagram, you should be able to draw that diagram out from memory.
- Details: Campbell's is a huge book absolutely stuffed with details. Do you need to be able to draw out the molecular structure of keratin? Probably not. Do you need to know the amino acids? Most definitely. Try to strategically learn the relevant details.
- Overall concepts: While details matter, don't get lost in them. Make sure you really understand the big concepts and main ideas. Often, if you don't know the details for a question, you can figure out the answer if you understand the concepts.
- Repetition: Read Campbell's more than once. It's a big book, but it's a lot easier to read through on the second or third time. Plus, you pick up a lot more of the details when you don't have to worry about learning general concepts.
- Focus: Not every chapter in Campbell's is worth the same amount. For example, all the diversity chapters and more systematics outside Campbell's sums to 5% of the test. Chapter 51 alone sums to 5% of the test. Read strategically. Check out past USABO semifinals and IBO tests to see what chapters you should focus on.
Another helpful textbook to use is Raven's biology of plants. While it is definitely possible to make finals without it (Varun did), we would personally recommend Raven's to people who have time for it. Here are a few tips for Raven's:
- DON'T READ IT UNTIL YOU REALLY KNOW CAMPBELL'S! Did that get your attention? It should, as this is the best thing to keep in mind regarding Raven's.
- If you're pressed on time, just read chapters 2, 19, 20, and 22-30. The rest of it helps, but not as much as going back to Campbell's and/or doing practice tests.
When it gets closer to testing time, or if you just want to take a break from reading, work on some practice tests from the resource page to see what you know and practice problem solving. Initially, if the USABO open exams seem hard, you may want to warm up on other easier olympiads such as the Canadian or Australian exams. Many USABO questions come from past semifinals/past IBO theoreticals. If you don't get any of the questions, ask a question in the forum!
Keep in mind, not everything in USABO and other national olympiads is in Campbell's or even Raven's. One advantage of taking tests is that you can learn specialized knowledge from the questions themselves. Make sure you look up anything you don't know, because these tests often repeat concepts.
Most importantly, stay interested! If you aren't crazy about biology, you'll probably be outcompeted by someone who is. Good luck! Comment or post on the forums if you have any questions, and we'll try to answer as quickly as possible. If you need more help, check out the tutoring section of the website.