You never want to drip solder. It'll just bead up if you do that. For the solder to work all metal that is to have solder applied also has to heat up to a good temp. First, I put a little dab of solder on my iron, and put it on the location to be soldered. On most points it only takes a couple seconds for it to bond good. On some GND points you may have to hold it a lot longer before the solder will melt. Then, I do the same for the tip of the wire. Finally, I get my wire into place, and solder the wire to the point.

You'll want to keep your soldering iron tip clean & tinned. I use this little round container (Solder Tip Cleaner) I got from Radio Shack to help keep the tip clean & tinned, but I also use a wet sponge to wipe off all the residue right before I get to work.

Having a 'helping hands" (a small device w/ alligator clips to hold your work) is invaluable for a lot of solder work b/c it's hard to hold everything, and balance the iron in your hand.

You'll also want to work under a magnifying glass w/ plenty of light. Those solder points are tiny!


**WARNING!**
It takes practice. If this is your first attempt at soldering I can almost guarantee you'll kill the card. Practice on an old piece of hardware first.