Best study methods for 1st years ?

[Hustler101]

I know everyone talks about finding what works for you but I definitely believe that some methods tend to be good on a widescale and some tend to suck.

Ex. Flashcards for pharm seem to be highly advised as is endless restitution for anatomy

Going into 1st year is it unrealistic to want to make handwritten notes on everything? I found that I never retain a thing when doing typed notes thoughtout undergrad.... but then everyone says that the volume is too high to take handwritten notes. Is that only the case if you rely on your notes for getting all the details down or what ? I had positive experiences taking down stuff that I *did not" know in a certain lecture throughout undergrad and just reading over stuff I knew.

Also about apps... I'm a fan of apps cause I can use them when at the gym etc. My question is how practical is it really? I bought a decent Anki deck for the mcat and went through is properly and not sure if it helped at all lol.... Does that mean Anki is useless to use and I shouldn't even bother? How about FC? Any other suggestions are welcome but keeping in mind I'm only asking about the curriculum and not about any sort of board prep.

P.S. I tend to be very strong in parts of anatomy and very weak in others... Is repetition always the answer?

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[DrKershaw]

Pardon me for being a broken record, but it really can't be stressed enough...finding what works for you really is the most important thing. Here's what I suggest: Dedicate yourself to one method for the first exam and make sure you are going at it 100%. If you get the result you want, then you've figured out what works. If you think you can do better, try something else. I was most worried about failing out after the first semester, but I was able to tailor my study habits to the grades I wanted. Based on that, I didn't come close to failing. The people who failed out (or did poorly) are the ones who don't change their study method. They just kept doing the same thing expecting a better grade each time....absolutely absurd if you ask me. If you can look back on how you studied and identify areas for improvement, you'll be fine.

I did handwritten notes on everything. It's the only thing that works for me and from the research I did on cognitive psychology and learning, it's the best way to retain all the information. Repetition is definitely a great tool, use it wisely and don't just repeat the stuff you know.

Group studying is also great if you don't mind spending 5x as much time with the material. It's not at all as efficient as going through the material by yourself, but if you have trouble sitting down and dedicating yourself to a few hours of study, then you'd probably be better off in a group. Group study can also be good if you can't figure out a concept on your own...then again, when I study alone and have a question, I just ask my good friend G. Oogle if he knows. Not only do I get a variety of perspectives, but I can be sure I'm being given the correct information.

Also, I only use the apps when I'm sitting on the bus or waiting in line for coffee. For me, the gym is a time to get away from everything, so studying at the gym kinda defeats the purpose.

Hope that helps, Good Luck!

 

[nonick123]

You have to find your own way, but here is what I do:
1) Read the text( either from books/ presentations) like a novel, just to get an overview of the material( 5-10% retention)
2) Then I read carefully ALOUD,highlighting the most important info and underlining the not so important stuff with a pencil/pen. This time, if I find a connection or something really complicated, i write it on sheet of paper(this happens rarely and I write mainly terminology). While reading, I also make mind maps to help me connect all the things.
3) After I'm done, I read only the highlighted parts and my short notes(these are the big concepts).
On the next day I review them briefly. My notes are really short so I don't spend much time writing. Thus, I can read the material 3-4 times before an exam if I start early and that's a sure way to A/B. It took me long time to figure it out, but this works for me. The key word in medical school is REPETITION. More passes= better grade(of course, while reading you have to be fully concentrated, not reading while chatting or watching TV.)

p.s. Oh.... and I don't get bogged down on a particular page, I just read it multiple times until it sticks. I also sometimes record the important points on a recorder(kind of weird) and listen to them on the bus/treadmill. Visit vark-learning.com to check your preferences for studying.

 

[YankeeCandle1141]

This foolproof method will work 100% of the time

Stop complaining about studying, stop worrying about studying, stop trying to figure out how to study, stop looking for shortcuts

....Just study.

 

[ortnakas]

Pardon me for being a broken record, but it really can't be stressed enough...finding what works for you really is the most important thing.

This, X 1000. To that end:

• If something works for you and you hear other people are studying differently, don't worry about it. How other people doesn't study doesn't need to affect how you study.
• On the other hand, if something ISN'T working for you, figure out how to change it, sooner rather than later. This is when you get advice from second-years, faculty, friends, etc.
• Don't get bogged down in resources-- sometimes if you review too many apps/review books/videos/other sources you don't spend enough time studying the book or lecture you were supposed to be learning from in the first place.

 

[NontradCA]

Eat clean and lift heavy, focusing on compound lifts. Do cardio 3x a week.

 

[Hustler101]

Pardon me for being a broken record, but it really can't be stressed enough...finding what works for you really is the most important thing. Here's what I suggest: Dedicate yourself to one method for the first exam and make sure you are going at it 100%. If you get the result you want, then you've figured out what works. If you think you can do better, try something else. I was most worried about failing out after the first semester, but I was able to tailor my study habits to the grades I wanted. Based on that, I didn't come close to failing. The people who failed out (or did poorly) are the ones who don't change their study method. They just kept doing the same thing expecting a better grade each time....absolutely absurd if you ask me. If you can look back on how you studied and identify areas for improvement, you'll be fine.

I did handwritten notes on everything. It's the only thing that works for me and from the research I did on cognitive psychology and learning, it's the best way to retain all the information. Repetition is definitely a great tool, use it wisely and don't just repeat the stuff you know.

Group studying is also great if you don't mind spending 5x as much time with the material. It's not at all as efficient as going through the material by yourself, but if you have trouble sitting down and dedicating yourself to a few hours of study, then you'd probably be better off in a group. Group study can also be good if you can't figure out a concept on your own...then again, when I study alone and have a question, I just ask my good friend G. Oogle if he knows. Not only do I get a variety of perspectives, but I can be sure I'm being given the correct information.

Also, I only use the apps when I'm sitting on the bus or waiting in line for coffee. For me, the gym is a time to get away from everything, so studying at the gym kinda defeats the purpose.

Hope that helps, Good Luck!

Thanks for the tips. I plan to put in 6-7 hours on just studying outside of class (which is triple what I did in undergrad) so hopefully it'll be fine.

You have to find your own way, but here is what I do:
1) Read the text( either from books/ presentations) like a novel, just to get an overview of the material( 5-10% retention)
2) Then I read carefully ALOUD,highlighting the most important info and underlining the not so important stuff with a pencil/pen. This time, if I find a connection or something really complicated, i write it on sheet of paper(this happens rarely and I write mainly terminology). While reading, I also make mind maps to help me connect all the things.
3) After I'm done, I read only the highlighted parts and my short notes(these are the big concepts).
On the next day I review them briefly. My notes are really short so I don't spend much time writing. Thus, I can read the material 3-4 times before an exam if I start early and that's a sure way to A/B. It took me long time to figure it out, but this works for me. The key word in medical school is REPETITION. More passes= better grade(of course, while reading you have to be fully concentrated, not reading while chatting or watching TV.)

p.s. Oh.... and I don't get bogged down on a particular page, I just read it multiple times until it sticks. I also sometimes record the important points on a recorder(kind of weird) and listen to them on the bus/treadmill. Visit vark-learning.com to check your preferences for studying.

I've studied similar to those... essentially leaving out stuff I know as I go through it. Thanks.

Eat clean and lift heavy, focusing on compound lifts. Do cardio 3x a week.

1580lb total checking in

 

[sunealoneal]

Flashcards for pharm seem to be highly advised

I didn't use flashcards. And I haven't written or typed any notes for most of the year. It all really does depend on how you personally learn.

 

[NontradCA]

1580lb total checking in

Fraudin.

 

[Hustler101]

Fraudin.

(srs)

 

[dfib slim]

I didn't use flashcards. And I haven't written or typed any notes for most of the year. It all really does depend on how you personally learn.

Did this for both years. Just sit back and take it all in.

 

[yanks26dmb]

What are thoughts on making Anki and/or Quizlet cards on the power points (or your notes of the material if thats how you roll)?

I too learn best by taking notes of my lecture material/book material...but I'm afraid I'll forget it if I'm just casually reading through it as I get closer to the test.

Also for anatomy...I assume flashcards are very helpful?

 

[JimmyB123]

Yes if anyone can post their study routines that would actually be amazing. So that we have guidelines to go off

 

[dfib slim]

Yes if anyone can post their study routines that would actually be amazing. So that we have guidelines to go off

Watch online lecture.
Read powerpoint the next day.
Read powerpoint again on weekend.
Take exam.

Rinse and repeat.

 

[ortnakas]

Ask second years at your school; they'll be able to give you the most specific advice.

 

[FistLength]

Simple advice is: don't be afraid to memorize the stuffing out of the material. Some of your professors may try to feel better about the material they are presenting and say "dont memorize the material, learn the material" but really it is likely you are going to end up memorizing because there is nothing to "learn". Except for some biochem, where learning and understanding mechanisms helps, many simply memorize and use mnemonics. My point in saying this is that, down the line if you see this happening, don't feel bad.

 

[Hustler101]

Yes if anyone can post their study routines that would actually be amazing. So that we have guidelines to go off

I second this

 

[Hustler101]

What are thoughts on making Anki and/or Quizlet cards on the power points (or your notes of the material if thats how you roll)?

I too learn best by taking notes of my lecture material/book material...but I'm afraid I'll forget it if I'm just casually reading through it as I get closer to the test.

Also for anatomy...I assume flashcards are very helpful?

What's the best way to use Anki for stuff like physio, micro, biochem, etc. ?

 

[yanks26dmb]

What's the best way to use Anki for stuff like physio, micro, biochem, etc. ?

Won't be ms1 for another month...

 

[AlbinoHawk DO]

I've posted about this before, but for purposes of this thread, here goes again what worked for me:

In anatomy, use anki only for images to identify things. For learning the material, write out 2 page max summary of each lecture.

For classes since I use anki only for histology or when we had to identify structures in neuroanatomy. When I watch lecture, I split my screen with lecture on the left and the powerpoints on the right side of the screen. I highlight things that seem important on the powerpoint and type in some brief text for context. Then after each lecture I make Quizlet cards. I make about 6-9 cards per lecture hour (Only card rule exception is pharmacology because there are multiple drugs. I make a separate deck). Why 6-9? Because we only get 3 questions per lecture hour, so I know beyond 9 cards I'm going too much into detail instead of focusing on the important things. When making cards, I use concepts such as "Explain the process of wound healing" and always attach an image related to it because it helps me recall the card. I also keep the text as short as possible, so if the card says "See full text (press T)" then the card has too much information and I shave it down. I only study this and very rarely go back and see the powerpoint. I go over every card when I study. The ones I don't know I flag. Then I go over the flagged ones again. Repeat each time.

Some people have told me you can emulate what I'm doing with anki, but I don't care because what I'm doing works for me and I don't want to waste time figuring out the anki interface.

However, find what works for you. That's all that matters. I've seen all kinds of crazy methods of learning. I know a guy that listens to each lecture 5 times and that's it. He never jots down a single note. I know someone else who makes only handwritten notes and pauses the video like a million times. It works great for him. At one point I experimented with flow charts for diseases. It worked okay, but the Quizlet method was better.

 

[ray656712]

+1 for Quizlet.

I'm a second year now, but going in to first year I was told that flash cards are a horrible idea for med school. I had used them all throughout college, and I didn't really know what else to do, so I kept making cards. For first semester (cell, anatomy, biochem), I would say I studied 95% by cards. I would turn the entire powerpoints into Quizlet decks. I would turn each point in to a question, and ask it several different ways throughout the deck. It worked very well.

Second semester (phys, immuno, neuro), I relied a lot less on cards, as the info was mostly conceptual. I still made a lot of cards, but started keeping composition notebooks for each subject as well. I would make drawings, charts, pathways etc.and put them into the notebook. It was nice because I was able to look back through and tie concepts together. For phys, I made super extensive charts on the computer.

A friend of mine is an Anki buff, and I tried to make myself like it, but it's just so much different than what I am used to.

As for study plan, the first week of first year I would try to memorize everything, and would not move on until I had a lecture memorized (dumb). I quickly fell behind. A second year told me her study plan, and I've been doing that ever sense. After class, I come home and go through whatever lectures were covered that day, one time. (make cards, charts, or whatever I needed to do). I usually would spend maybe 2-3 hours per 50 minutes of lecture...just however much time was needed to really understand the concepts. I didn't go to bed until that day's stuff was done. I did that all week, so that on Friday I would cover Friday's material, and then I was completely done with that week. I used Saturday and Sunday to review all of the material from that past week (going over the notecards, mostly).

I know 2-3 hours per 50 minute lecture seems (and probably is) extensive, but by the time I was done with that first pass, I would say that I knew 75-85% of the material pretty well, so it was worth it because most of the time, after the weekend review, I was good to go without review the material any further.

 

[miere]

anatomy/histo-
visualize everything
rest my head inside some cadavers for a while (hope the brachial plexus will whisper sweet nothings into my ear)
stare at powerpoints and netters until i burn a hole

biochem/micro/physio/embryo/concept stuff-
understand the concepts
teach the concepts to an invisible person
stare at powerpoints until i burn a hole

also this