Working your way through school and uni life can be challenging, not only do we have to understand complicated concepts, we often have to memorise an insane amount of information, equations, and processes. We also often have to be able to successfully and safely complete lab-based assignments!

As the pressure on you to pass tests increases, science students often find themselves with a ton of concerns that can really impact your academic success. Whether it's understanding complex scientific concepts, managing heavy workloads, coping with laboratory experiments, or researching for projects, there is a common thread of anxiety that binds science students together. 

In this blog post, ABEL explores the top 5 topics that weigh heavily on the minds of science students like you. We offer some practical tips to help you navigate through these stressful times successfully, improve your marks, and hopefully free-up some spare time for you to enjoy yourself!

Understanding What is Required from Science Students 

Why we study science

Studying science is fundamental to our future lives. Not because we expect all students to go on to be scientists! But because it provides the foundations for understanding the world around us. 

Importantly, learning science improves critical thinking, builds problem-solving skills, and instils a methodical approach to inquiry—all of which are invaluable in personal and professional life. 

Studying science also encourages curiosity and innovation, which can lead to breakthroughs that benefit society as a whole. From the smallest particles to the vastness of space, science helps explain natural phenomena and drives technological advancements. Additionally, science literacy is increasingly important in making informed decisions about health, the environment, and policy. 

For those of you aiming to have a career in science, strong foundational knowledge is crucial for success in specialised fields and research. Understanding science therefore opens doors to various opportunities and equips us to contribute to the progress of humanity. Big stuff!

Often, your understanding is reflected in your grades. So try to do the best you can!

Getting good grades in science can really help you in the future, by not only opening up a wide range of job opportunities, but also by greatly increasing your ability to grasp complex subjects and solve problems. These “soft skills”  are highly valued by universities and employers, and will help you in areas from DIY to stopping scammers!

Importantly, the analytical skills you develop through studying science are applicable to many career paths, not just those directly related to science — problem-solving skills lead to better job performance, and getting to grips early with computers and other pieces of technology will help you in and out of work.

Ultimately, the most important thing is that doing well instils a sense of achievement and builds your confidence, empowering you to feel that you can succeed in whatever you turn your hand to.

So what are the most common problems that us science teachers help our students overcome? We list the Top 5 areas we receive requests for help with below, then give you some help and advice to easily overcome each problem.

1. All the Sciency Words! 

Science is full of complex terminology, and students often struggle to understand and use the required Technical Vocabulary correctly in English.

2. Writing Lab Reports 

Writing detailed, structured, and accurate lab reports in English is often a challenging task for many students.

3. Getting the Grammar Right 

Writing scientifically accurate and grammatically correct sentences can be a real headache for many students.

4. Showing Critical Thinking and Writing Critical Analyses 

This is where you get the top marks, but writing coherent arguments in English, backed with scientific evidence, can be a struggle for many students.

5. Understanding and Using the Sciency Stuff 

Knowing how to correctly use the stuff you’ve been learning in class in projects and exams is half the battle, which then gives you the confidence to develop your understanding.

1. Technical Vocabulary

Let's face it, the technical words we use in science can feel like a whole other language we have to use in addition to English! 

Getting to grips with complex terms like "photosynthesis", “thrust” and "mitosis" can be a barrier to understanding and using scientific concepts. Not only do you need to grasp the meaning, but you also need to be able to use scientific terms accurately and correctly.

The following tips can help you to develop your scientific vocab skills:

Break it Down: The Power of Roots, Prefixes, and Suffixes

Many scientific terms are built from smaller word parts with Greek or Latin roots. 

By learning these frequently used root words and prefixes/suffixes, you have more tools to figure out what many scientific words mean. For example, "hydro" means water, "photo" means light, and "synthesis" means to put together. 

Understanding the parts of words helps you figure out that "photosynthesis" is the process by which plants use light to create their own food. So learning a few key prefixes and suffixes can unlock a whole world of scientific terms. Here are some common examples:

ABEL's top tip to learn and recall scientific vocabulary is to:

Make it Visual.

Science is inherently visual. Diagrams, models, and even cartoons can be powerful tools to help you understand complex concepts and the vocabulary you need. 

Create visual aids and copy them out as many times as you can to learn new terms off by heart.

Lab reports are more than just recording data. They are a way to communicate your scientific findings and show your understanding. They tell the story of your experiment, from hypothesis to conclusion, allowing others to understand your methods, easily see your results, and even see how you might improve the experiment.

Every good lab report follows the same structure, so if you can learn what each bit needs, you’ll be getting great grades throughout your school life.. Think of it as a scientific journey with clear signposts:

• Introduction: Set the scene! Briefly introduce the topic and explain the purpose of your experiment. What question were you trying to answer?

• Materials and Methods: List all the equipment and materials you used. Describe the steps you followed in detail, like a recipe for scientific discovery!

• Results: Let the data do the talking. Present your findings clearly, using tables, graphs, and figures where appropriate.

• Discussion: Analyse your results. What do they mean in the context of your hypothesis? Are there any unexpected findings you can explain?

• Conclusion: Summarise your key takeaway points. Did your experiment support your hypothesis?

• Evaluation: What could have affected your Results and how would you fix these problems if you did the experiment again?

If you want real, in-depth help with each section, see our in-depth blog pages about lab reports here.

Science is all about clear communication. Precise language ensures your answers are clearly understood and can be graded easily. Imagine if a method used "a little bit" instead of “50 mL” in an experiment, there’s no way everyone would understand what to do and get comparable results.

Common Grammar Mistakes in Scientific Writing:

• Subject–Verb Agreement: Make sure your subject and verb agree in number (singular or plural). For example, an incredibly common mistake is to treat “data” as a singular term. The correct use is: "The data were analysed" (plural data, plural verb).

• Use the Right Tense: Scientific writing primarily uses the past tense to describe what was done and the present tense to state general truths. Maintain consistency throughout your report.

• Run-on Sentences: These monsters create confusion by not using proper punctuation. Use a comma and a coordinating conjunction (e.g., and, but, or) or break the sentence into two to make sure your meaning (and marks!) is not lost.

Tips for Mastering Scientific Sentence Structure:

• KISS! Simple is Best: Always use clear and concise sentences over complex ones. Revise your work and break down complex ideas into smaller, easier-to-understand sentences.

• Active Voice is Your Friend: The active voice emphasises who did what, e.g. “I tested all the different materials available”. Use the passive voice sparingly.

• Mix Up the Length of Sentences: A mix of short and long sentences keeps your writing engaging.

• Transition Words are Key: Use words like "however," "therefore," and "consequently" to connect ideas and create a logical flow.

4. Critical Thinking and Critical Analysis

When it comes to writing scientific reports, students often focus on just presenting their data, rather than analysing it critically and writing about that as well. 

Critical Thinking in Scientific Reports: Why Does it Matter?

A scientific report isn't just a load of observations. It's a place where you show that you understand your  findings, this is usually based on things you have been doing in class. So treat the lab report as a place to develop your understanding and show your teacher you know your stuff! 

To show strong critical thinking skills and hit the top marks, you need to:

• Go beyond the "what" all the way to "why": 

Don't just report what happened; explain why it happened. Describe how your results link to your hypothesis and give a deep scientific explanation based on what you have been learning in class. 

Can you include more information that you have found on line?

• Identify limitations: 

No experiment is perfect. Describe any potential sources of error and explain how they might have affected your results. This can be hard for some students who think they are perfect (yes, we’ve met a few!), so remember that you are evaluating the Method, not the scientist.

• Write a clear conclusion: 

Don't simply state your findings, describe what you think they mean. You can even suggest how to expand the experiment and propose future research directions.

How to Develop Your Critical Thinking Muscles:

1. Question Everything (Respectfully):

• Challenge your hypothesis: Did your results confirm or contradict it? Why? Are there alternative explanations for your observations?

• Examine your methods: Were there any limitations in your experimental design or data collection that could have impacted results?

• Analyse external factors: Did any external variables influence your experiment (e.g., temperature, sample size)?

2. Dig Deeper into the Literature:

• Did other students or studies get similar results?

• Or have other people reported different results? This is fine if so, but you must try to explain the discrepancies.

3. Pre-empt questions:

• Imagine presenting your report to a panel of scientists.

• Anticipate their questions and imagine how you would answer them to show your findings in a positive light.

Critical Thinking in Action:

Let's say you conducted an experiment on plant growth. Your data shows that plants exposed to one type of music grew taller. To show critical thinking you could ask yourself:

• Does this prove beyond all doubt that Reggae music caused the growth? Could there be other factors at play?

• How does this finding relate to existing research on plant growth?

• Are there potential applications for this discovery (e.g., improving agricultural yields)?

By asking these critical questions and clearly using their answers in your writing, you elevate it from a mass of notes to a high-scoring report!

We know that learning science can feel like a never-ending cycle of memorising facts and equations. Science teachers were once students who couldn’t see the point of remembering the water cycle!

But why is it easy for some people?

Here's the secret: understanding and using science go hand-in-hand. When you can use your scientific knowledge to solve problems and answer questions in real-world scenarios, that's when you get these “Ah moments”. Suddenly, science isn't just a jumble of terms, it's a powerful tool that helps you make sense of the world around you.

So, how do we unlock this scientific understanding?

Make Connections: Don't compartmentalise your learning. Look for connections between what you're learning in science and with your other classes. For example maths for calculations, PE for how the body moves and needs nutrition, and English for clear explanations. We only put all learning into “boxes” like maths and PE for ease of teaching, it’s really all the same stuff….

Think Like a Scientist: Science is all about asking questions and finding answers. Don't just accept facts at face value. Be inquisitive. Challenge yourself to understand the "why" behind the "what."

Embrace the "Ah Moment": Science isn't just about textbooks. Try to spot scientific concepts in action in your daily life, from things like laundry detergent adverts to watching a BMXer on a vert ramp. 

You could even visit museums, watch science documentaries, or conduct simple experiments at home. That "ah moment" of understanding a real-world action is incredibly empowering.

The Benefits of True Understanding:

The more you apply your scientific knowledge, the more confident you become. This confidence fuels your understanding, creating a virtuous cycle of learning. You'll not only excel in science classes, but you'll also develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills that benefit you in all aspects of life.

• Science is a journey, not a destination. Put the effort in now and you’ll really benefit from it later. Try to enjoy the process of learning and discovery.

• Don't be afraid to ask questions. There are no daft questions in science, scientists get things wrong all the time! Sometimes just asking a question out loud helps us to work out the answer, leading to understanding.

• Have fun! Science is all about exploration and curiosity. Let your excitement for the natural world guide your learning. 

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