How do I study "smarter", not harder?

[tiktaalik34]

Just got done with my finals for fall quarter! haha... Anyways, I'm currently a junior majoring in Physiology at UC Davis. I a 3.8+ gpa and have completed several extra curriculars on the side however I study wayyyy to much (at least 4 hrs a day). I study harder than any one I know. I know for a fact that I'm doing something wrong because I spend too much time studying. I recently have lowered my study time a wee bit by studying exclusively in the library and by eliminating music. I realized that music was a huge distraction and that I get much more work done when I'm in the library as opposed to in my apartment.

My study methods consist of listening to podcasts, reading notes and doing practice problems. I feel like I could be implementing more high yield study techniques to reduce the amount of time that I spend each day. Perhaps reading notes over and over is a bad technique? I also feel like sleep is a big factor. I usually get 4-6 hours of sleep a day, with 7 being the max (even on weekends). Any suggestions on how to study more efficiently?

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[Aubrey Graham]

Just got done with my finals for fall quarter! haha... Anyways, I'm currently a junior majoring in Physiology at UC Davis. I a 3.8+ gpa and have completed several extra curriculars on the side however I study wayyyy to much (at least 4 hrs a day). I study harder than any one I know. I know for a fact that I'm doing something wrong because I spend too much time studying. I recently have lowered my study time a wee bit by studying exclusively in the library and by eliminating music. I realized that music was a huge distraction and that I get much more work done when I'm in the library as opposed to in my apartment.

My study methods consist of listening to podcasts, reading notes and doing practice problems. I feel like I could be implementing more high yield study techniques to reduce the amount of time that I spend each day. Perhaps reading notes over and over is a bad technique? I also feel like sleep is a big factor. I usually get 4-6 hours of sleep a day, with 7 being the max (even on weekends). Any suggestions on how to study more efficiently?

Sleep more, turn off phone and other distractions, eat well, exercise.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[LChristmas]

I read somewhere that writing something equates to reading it seven times in terms of memory recall. This might be one way to study more effectively.
Set aside designated break times for 5-10 minutes every hour to allow yourself a guilt-free rest from studying. It's good for your brain and your eyes.

 

[baxt1412]

a lot of people have success with rewriting notes.


my preferred way of studying is find a small group of people who are reliable and focused and do small group studying. similar to problem-based learning. for example "explain the process of gene to transmembrane protein", etc. talking out loud and trying to trip people up by throwing in wrenches helps me. even if I'm not the one answering, it helps me as teaching someone else is another great way of learning/solidifying concepts.

 

[GCSDOC]

Just got done with my finals for fall quarter! haha... Anyways, I'm currently a junior majoring in Physiology at UC Davis. I a 3.8+ gpa and have completed several extra curriculars on the side however I study wayyyy to much (at least 4 hrs a day). I study harder than any one I know. I know for a fact that I'm doing something wrong because I spend too much time studying. I recently have lowered my study time a wee bit by studying exclusively in the library and by eliminating music. I realized that music was a huge distraction and that I get much more work done when I'm in the library as opposed to in my apartment.

My study methods consist of listening to podcasts, reading notes and doing practice problems. I feel like I could be implementing more high yield study techniques to reduce the amount of time that I spend each day. Perhaps reading notes over and over is a bad technique? I also feel like sleep is a big factor. I usually get 4-6 hours of sleep a day, with 7 being the max (even on weekends). Any suggestions on how to study more efficiently?

Most efficient method is to only study the professor's notes. Don't waste your time going through the book, it is inefficient. Consider that your professor's notes are compiled with information that he/she thought was important. If its not in their notes, its probably not going to be tested, and even if it were tested, it would be such a small percentage of questions. Also, don't study in large groups b/c it is inevitably more inefficient due to getting off topic and socializing, rather than studying. Be disciplined to focus the entire time you are studying (ie: no food, no music, no internet, etc) and you will have plenty of time after your intense focused session to listen to music, eat food, surf the web, etc. Its all about discipline and routine, good luck!

 

[PlaqueBuster]

4 hours of studying a day is not much and is actually pretty average. Don't compare yourself to others because everyone is different. Your GPA shows your success so far so continue with that. And in college you get 6 hours of sleep typically. Get used to it because thats pretty much what you need to live on for the rest of your medical education. 6 hours of sleep +4 hours of studying is 10 hours a day. You still have 14 more hours and I can tell you that those are not all classes. Just learn time managament. Discipline yourself to sleep everyday from 12-6am. Workout in the morning from 6-7:30am. I did this in college and it really helped me focus during the day. Weekends I slept like 9 hours lol.

 

[Mad Jack]

Most efficient method is to only study the professor's notes. Don't waste your time going through the book, it is inefficient. Consider that your professor's notes are compiled with information that he/she thought was important. If its not in their notes, its probably not going to be tested, and even if it were tested, it would be such a small percentage of questions. Also, don't study in large groups b/c it is inevitably more inefficient due to getting off topic and socializing, rather than studying. Be disciplined to focus the entire time you are studying (ie: no food, no music, no internet, etc) and you will have plenty of time after your intense focused session to listen to music, eat food, surf the web, etc. Its all about discipline and routine, good luck!

In my opinion, the bolded are terrible advice. The professor's notes may get you Bs easily, if available, but many don't provide them. Worse still, most of my science professors would specifically make 10% of the questions directly from the reading to make sure you were doing it- if you weren't reading the material, you basically weren't getting an A unless you were lucky.

 

[baxt1412]

In my opinion, the bolded are terrible advice. The professor's notes may get you Bs easily, if available, but many don't provide them. Worse still, most of my science professors would specifically make 10% of the questions directly from the reading to make sure you were doing it- if you weren't reading the material, you basically weren't getting an A unless you were lucky.

I think this should just be something you ask your professor. there is a ton of variance between schools i'm guessing. many assign books simply because they essentially have to but then everything you need to know will be directly covered in lecture, powerpoints, handouts, or they will tell you to reference a certain page(s) about a topic. other professors will teach one way but then test directly from the book. other professors will have a relatively equal mix, or others will do like you said and mix in a bit of book to make sure you are reading. I think the best way to approach this specific aspect of studying is to simply ask the professor. potentially foregoing 10% of the points on a test is a silly thing to do when you could easily skim the reading and probably get at least half of them through a brief understanding of the reading.


not going to lie, 4 hours per day is significantly more than I ever did in undergrad and I really don't consider myself incredibly smart. but I will be the first to admit my science courses easier than most people's.

 

[Mad Jack]

I put in about 40 hours/week studying and writing lab reports through most of undergrad. Paid off in grades, so it was worth it.

 

[MI3PEO]

You have to be willing to go the extra mile to read the book and read ahead to consistently make A's. Most of my professors throw in questions on the exam that you would only get correct if you read. That's the difference between an A student and a B student. Reading also helps you better understand the material and concepts.

I try to sit in the front row of every class, pay attention, take good notes, review the notes later that day, read, and take notes while reading.

Ultimately, you cant get around studying more. The difference between a 93% on an exam and a 100% is probably twice as much studying. It sucks, but it pays off.

 

[Lucca]

Some good advice here.
My strategies:

Take notes during class, never pull out ur phone. I put my phone in my backpack and zip it up because I might be tempted.

After class just glance at the previous days notes and remember what you learned in those classes.

At the end of a week rewrite all notes into a summary sheet. Try to condense as much info as possible. This is a long term strategy because A) it will be in an easily digestable format for the exam. And B) for the final you will eventually have 16-25 pages of notes for 16 weeks of class rather than 70-100 or whatever. If you dont understand something in the review you can always go back and read your real notes, ask the prof. Etc.

Teach someone else the material. Study groups basically let you do this and let others do this with you. Super effective.

Rereading notes before an exam is essentiallt useless imo. That's something I do once to figure out what I don't know and guide my practice problems.

Practice problems. This takes up most of my time one day before the exam. Grinding out problems from the textbook, homework, prof, lecture, etc. for whatever class (including concept questions for classes like Bio) until I'm confident I - at least - know all of the material.

There are no dumb mistakes. This is a bad habit I had to correct from high school and am still working to correct. It is easy to say "oh i just made a dumb mistake here" which sometimes may be the case; however, 9/10 times I bet there is a small deficit in a fundamental part of your understanding or technique.

 

[ridethecliche]

I learned so much better when I started doing concept maps and trying to learn how things related to each other. I liked rewriting things, but also saying them out loud and thinking about what would happen if variables/settings were changed around slightly.

For test taking: Making sure I read the question was pretty huge. Slowing down was actually helpful as it saved a ton of time.

 

[Jabbed]

That feeling when you wander into the pre-med forum and people say that studying 4 hours a day is "wayyyy too much".

 

[miamiheatfan]

That feeling when you wander into the pre-med forum and people say that studying 4 hours a day is "wayyyy too much".

Lmfao right?! I wish that 4 hours a day was enough for me! I'll admit I'm not very efficient while studying and I definitely need to change my habits! I like this thread though

 

[Dr Van Helsing]

I have a 4.0 so far, I study about 4-5 hours a day, with a full class load. I would suggest combining many techniques to maximize the potential for retention. I make flashcards, rewrite notes (which is formally called rote-memorization), study in groups, do practice tests, etc. The one thing I don't do is reread. You will find many studies showing that rereading notes is an ineffective way of studying.. I have pre-nursing friends who study for their biology courses 8 hours a day, and they are making A-'s. I wondered why, so I studied with one of the girls one day. She was highlighting and rereading for almost that entire amount of time

Everyone above me has given some really solid advice. I would still try to get your 8 hours of sleep, despite the advice given above. I workout hard everyday and right now, if I can debulk my schedule to fit the sleep in, I do. I will have to adjust for medical school.

You are doing really well OP. I think it is proactive you came to the forums to better yourself.
Good luck.

 

[claduva94]

Don't memorize everything if there is an easier way to rationalize the information into a general rule. I'm looking at you OChem.

 

[altitudinarian]

A good reminder to help guide you with your studies: work accomplished = time spent x intensity. If you have focused study sessions that are geared towards specific goals/objectives, it decreases the amount of time you need to spend, because you're accomplishing a lot more within that time of focused studying vs. unfocused studying which leads to putting in more time. If you do focused study sessions over a period of time for a subject, it'll be more productive than cramming long sessions in once or twice here and there.

I recommend hitting up Cal Newport's book How to be A Straight-A Student in College. However, if you don't want to pay for the book, he has entire articles dedicated to study habits that he has accumulated over the years that have helped others, as well as time management skills for both the professional and student that are good too. You can search by the categories he gives: http://calnewport.com/blog/archive/

Other great websites and videos for learning how to study smarter, not harder are Scott H. Young's website and study skills course, Professor Rapaport's How to Study: A Brief Guide (
http://www.cse.buffalo.edu/~rapaport/howtostudy.html), and a Tumblr post by a medical student detailing her study habits through college and med school http://ladykaymd.tumblr.com/post/89760045716/how-do-i-study-for> .

Hope this helps!

 

[nOchemallday]

More sleep. More modalities. Read it, write it, say it, hear it, categorize it, associate it.

1. Do a cursory reading ahead of the class. You don't need to know every word, but you should be able to identify the big concepts and buzzwords.
2. During class you will hear the lecture, the topics covered should overlap with what you understood from your reading. Take notes on the things that are emphasized, there's no point in jotting down lists that will be available on ppt's. Record lectures if you find this style of learning especially useful.
   
3. Write notes during class, but then start a fresh, "final copy" notes afterwards. Supplement your lecture notes with the reading for specifics. And listen to your recording to verify all the big concepts (listen at 1.5x or more speed, certain professors are perfectly understood at up to 2x speed).
4. Your notes should categorize and associtate terms/concepts and "flow". Often things are taught so that the material progresses like a story (if it doesn't this is where your "final" notes should tell the story). X and Y fall under the same heading. X has this importance and is related to Y in what ways. We moved from X to Y because they share this in common, but they are different because___. Now that X and Y are covered, move to new category heading Z with topics A, B, and C.
5. (This step is where I personally solidify everything) I repeat the story out loud without my notes. I keep a mental tab of what I've covered and then after I'm done the list I double check my notes to see what I've missed. I repeat the story. If I was able to recall certain points without hesitation on the second pass, I don't continue with them on the third pass. After the 2nd pass, I check notes. Then perform 3rd pass. Anything I'm still missing just has to get memorized (read: crammed) as a standalone fact. Essentially be able to give a lecture about all of the material your professor lectured on in a condensed, high-yield package.

Stop reviewing things you already know cold.
I usually do steps 1, 2, 3, and 4 on a per class basis. Step 5 at a good summative point, for instance prior to a mid-term or big quiz. With this I almost never exceed 1 hour study for 1 hour lecture. (Finals are no more than 4 hours study for every 1 hour taking final exam; I study almost exclusively by 4 and 5 for finals - save for updating notes after prior tests). Within about 2 tests I realized I get a ton more from having solid steps 4 and 5 and get almost nothing from step 1. You'll realize how you learn best by whichever way helps you retain the information quickest. For some classes the fastest method of learning can change.

 

[altblue]

Anyways, I'm currently a junior majoring in Physiology at UC Davis. I a 3.8+ gpa and have completed several extra curriculars on the side however I study wayyyy to much (at least 4 hrs a day).
Like others have said, keeping a 3.8+ GPA + extracirriculars is a lot of work, and as long as you have some free time, don't worry too much. While you can study more efficiently, the yield from better techniques might be low and not worth the stress of using them consistently.

 

[GCSDOC]

In my opinion, the bolded are terrible advice. The professor's notes may get you Bs easily, if available, but many don't provide them. Worse still, most of my science professors would specifically make 10% of the questions directly from the reading to make sure you were doing it- if you weren't reading the material, you basically weren't getting an A unless you were lucky.

I disagree, but there is clearly so much variance. I have > 3.7 bcpm and not once did I open one of bcpm text books aside from doing required hw problems. Learn from the professors notes, apply what you learn from the professor to assigned problems in the book. <---that is the most efficient method. You don't learn through just reading, you learn through synthesizing what you read by applying the information to solve problems.

 

[Mad Jack]

I disagree, but there is clearly so much variance. I have > 3.7 bcpm and not once did I open one of bcpm text books aside from doing required hw problems. Learn from the professors notes, apply what you learn from the professor to assigned problems in the book. <---that is the most efficient method. You don't learn through just reading, you learn through synthesizing what you read by applying the information to solve problems.

Depends on the course and whether you professor provides notes I guess. Mine provided zero notes, and none of them used Powerpoint so I didn't even have slides with presenter notes to work off of. Plus there's always those book only questions that they'll throw in, particularly in my bio courses.

Going to every lecture, reading through the book while taking notes by hand instead of highlighting, and doing all of the practice problems got me straight As.

The big exceptions to this are Orgo, Physics, and Chem. There isn't much to be gained from reading. Most bio/immuno/genetics/etc courses you can learn a great deal from the readings.

 

[tiktaalik34]

Anyways, I'm currently a junior majoring in Physiology at UC Davis. I a 3.8+ gpa and have completed several extra curriculars on the side however I study wayyyy to much (at least 4 hrs a day).
Like others have said, keeping a 3.8+ GPA + extracirriculars is a lot of work, and as long as you have some free time, don't worry too much. While you can study more efficiently, the yield from better techniques might be low and not worth the stress of using them consistently.

Lol, the thing is my free time is almost non existent now. All I have time to do these days is hangout on the weekends. I used to workout a lot but had to put that aside. My gains are going away little by little haha... I know that I can make some changes to my study habits so that I can study more efficiently and have time to do other stuff.

 

[tiktaalik34]

I appreciate all of the advice in this thread haha. It's great. I guess the major improvements that I need to make are 1) sleep 7-8 hours daily and 2) impliment other study habits besides re reading notes

I seriously just re read notes like crazy for my bio classes. I feel like maybe thats my issue. I'll try to use flashcards and summarize my notes every day.

 

[altblue]

Lol, the thing is my free time is almost non existent now. All I have time to do these days is hangout on the weekends. I used to workout a lot but had to put that aside. My gains are going away little by little haha... I know that I can make some changes to my study habits so that I can study more efficiently and have time to do other stuff.

Oh okay, upon rereading the thread I can see that. Sorry for not noticing.

I struggle with ADHD myself, so I may be either a really good or bad source of information. I wouldn't recommend rereading your notes without a purpose in mind. Do so to make sure you have the basic concepts down, or to look for other minor points you may have just copied down without understanding. And flashcards for bio classes are extremely useful (especially with image occlusion in Anki) -the Anki thread on this board is a major resource and it has been extremely helpful for me. Make sure you have an intermediate level of understanding of the material before you memorize, though - it's a bit faster and far less frustrating when the flash cards make sense.

If you can have some fun outside of your schedule, like, well, partying, hanging out with friends, or seeing a movie, that could help too. Sure, you'll be missing 1-3 hours of potential studying, but you might focus better and work more efficiently if you're mentally "recharged".

I'm still working on many of these things too, but I hope some this can help you.

 

[FutureOncologist]

I used to do what you did--study for 4 hours/day on a subject or two (or three if I was really stressed out!) But how I got the 4.0 for my last two years took a lot of work to perfect. What I did was this:

• I chose a class to study. For example, if a biochemistry test was coming up in a few weeks, I would get started RIGHT NOW.
• Now that you've chosen the class, chose A SPECIFIC TOPIC in that class. This gives you direction. For example, I have chosen Biochemistry. What have we covered? Oh, we covered carbohydrates. Let's start there.
• So, now that you have direction and depending on how heavy the material is, it should take you a maximum of an hour to an hour and a half. This is where you turn off your phone, log out of facebook and SDN, and turn off the music. FOCUS HERE. Time is precious and you don't have all night to just sit in the library if you have other commitments to prepare for the next day. Focus on studying carbohydrates. THE BEST WAY TO LEARN is Self Testing. There are several ways to do this. The way I did it was 1.) rewriting notes in my own words and 2.) having a non-science friend listen to me as I teach him about what I learned in terms he can understand. If you can reword the material and have someone who has never taken a college-level biology or chemistry class understand what you learned, then you have mastered the material. Attached is more ways to self-test and study.

Boom, if you do this every day, then you will become a 4.0 student. This is literally how I made A's in 300-500 level science classes. Other things to note.

• Studies show that if you take 90 minutes to study a subject every other day, then you learn so much more and better than studying every day for 3-4 hours in one sitting
• Environment that you study in is important
• Incorporate ways that you learn the best. I also drew things out (still do in medical school) to help me see the bigger picture. If you're a visual learner like me, I highly suggest doing the same. If you work well with a group of people, then do it. Whatever you need to get that A.
• I got this from The A Game written by Dr. Kennith Sufka, a psychology professor and researcher at the University of Mississippi. He inspired me to be where I am today. I highly suggest you get this book (a very easy read.)

If you have any more questions, please don't hesitate to private message me.

 

[TexasSurgeon]

Just got done with my finals for fall quarter! haha... Anyways, I'm currently a junior majoring in Physiology at UC Davis. I a 3.8+ gpa and have completed several extra curriculars on the side however I study wayyyy to much (at least 4 hrs a day). I study harder than any one I know. I know for a fact that I'm doing something wrong because I spend too much time studying. I recently have lowered my study time a wee bit by studying exclusively in the library and by eliminating music. I realized that music was a huge distraction and that I get much more work done when I'm in the library as opposed to in my apartment.

My study methods consist of listening to podcasts, reading notes and doing practice problems. I feel like I could be implementing more high yield study techniques to reduce the amount of time that I spend each day. Perhaps reading notes over and over is a bad technique? I also feel like sleep is a big factor. I usually get 4-6 hours of sleep a day, with 7 being the max (even on weekends). Any suggestions on how to study more efficiently?

You have a 3.8+. Why are you asking this question.

 

[FutureOncologist]

You have a 3.8+. Why are you asking this question.

Not OP here, but I've known many people in UG that got their 3.8+ GPAs that almost LIVED in the library.

Sure, you can drive to CA from NY, but if you can just fly there, why not fly?

 

[altblue]

Not OP here, but I've known many people in UG that got their 3.8+ GPAs that almost LIVED in the library.

Yup. I was one of them, everyone from my coworkers to my SO pointed this out, and I'm trying to branch out now and have fun outside of class too <3

Having no life while studying will make 2 years of undergrad feel like 4, and puts one at risk of burnout. Really.

 

[ayocaptain628]

Just got done with my finals for fall quarter! haha... Anyways, I'm currently a junior majoring in Physiology at UC Davis. I a 3.8+ gpa and have completed several extra curriculars on the side however I study wayyyy to much (at least 4 hrs a day). I study harder than any one I know. I know for a fact that I'm doing something wrong because I spend too much time studying. I recently have lowered my study time a wee bit by studying exclusively in the library and by eliminating music. I realized that music was a huge distraction and that I get much more work done when I'm in the library as opposed to in my apartment.

My study methods consist of listening to podcasts, reading notes and doing practice problems. I feel like I could be implementing more high yield study techniques to reduce the amount of time that I spend each day. Perhaps reading notes over and over is a bad technique? I also feel like sleep is a big factor. I usually get 4-6 hours of sleep a day, with 7 being the max (even on weekends). Any suggestions on how to study more efficiently?

i'm a 4.0 student about to graduate summa and honestly, i don't think 4 hrs is "wayyyy too much"
i'm about 3-4 hrs myself, i think. and i always work full time and do ECs.
nevertheless, i think it's good on u for always trying to improve ur study habits

honestly, there are a few things about studying that some students just neglect:
1. you have to be adaptable, each class will require a diff. way of studying.
i always have a period of "reconn" which is the start of class -> after the first exam,
that period is where i figure out how much studying is required

for ex. my neurobiology class, the exams were complete fill in the blank and multiple choice so i only need to study enough to make educated guesses. in contrast, my orgo class required me to know/explain conceptually what happened in a mechanism which required a different effort.

2. make use of dead time. additionally, going to class CAN be a form of dead time.
for me, my fallback strategy was always re-reading notes tbh (i guess it gets a bad rap tho lol?)
when there was dead time, i just re-read my notes to keep things productive.

if my classes did not have mandatory participation and i learned from my reconn. period that i could learn the material faster on my own, i would ditch class and learn the material on my own.

edit:
i think in sum, to make a more effective study method:
1. try to really find all the sources of dead time in your schedule and seize it
2. study incrementally everyday. take lecture notes and then review those lecture notes the same day. then review them again briefly on the next day. incorporating active recall in these reviews will reinforce the material even more ("oh and i remember what comes next in the notes is this b/c it provides the perfect transition from discussing this")

 

[fusion09]

You should read a book called Make it Stick if you have some time. I enjoyed it and it just goes through different techniques to make learning easier. It also goes through myths that people believe that actually work that don't have evidence to back it up, like just rereading a textbook. I don't know if it would help you, but it might be something to look into.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0674729013/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1419009584&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SY200_QL40

 

[tima]

Not OP here, but I've known many people in UG that got their 3.8+ GPAs that almost LIVED in the library.

Sure, you can drive to CA from NY, but if you can just fly there, why not fly?

I am confused. Is it faster to drive or fly from CA to NY?

 

[Garurumon]

This whole thread is gold. I'm glad I snooped in here to read all the really helpful advice. Some of them I'm familiar with, but I'll try to use new study methods as well to bump up my GPA.

 

[FutureOncologist]

I am confused. Is it faster to drive or fly from CA to NY?

Please tell me you're joking.

 

[optimistic3]

I appreciate all of the advice in this thread haha. It's great. I guess the major improvements that I need to make are 1) sleep 7-8 hours daily and 2) impliment other study habits besides re reading notes

I seriously just re read notes like crazy for my bio classes. I feel like maybe thats my issue. I'll try to use flashcards and summarize my notes every day.

I know everyone studies differently but simply rereading notes never helped me. What I did learn from was REWRITING the notes - not word for word regurgitation but trying to reword them and summarize them in a different way with adding little asides, pictures, things like that. Reading the textbook and taking notes from it this way also really helped me learn this way BUT it took forever so I don't know if I'd call it efficient. I did always get an A in classes where I was able to do that, though.

I guess what I'm trying to say is writing/summarizing notes and textbooks is much more effective than simply reading.

 

[Uafl112]

All of these techniques are good with the assumption that you are actively studying rather than passively reading everything.

I recently started using a technique where you read a certain amount of pages and then without looking at your book, you begin writing down everything you remember in your own words and in an organized manner. Then go back and see if you got anything incorrect. If you did, go back adn restudy that concept. Also, try writing down different concepts on a large construction paper and then connect each concept together. Learn all the rules and all the exceptions. As someone said above, dont simply memorize, but make it a rule that you can follow (orgo).

oh, and study early.

 

[tiktaalik34]

Thanks for all of the great posts in this thread. This will truly help me in the winter! Hope you all are having a great break so far

 

[Evisju7]

Flashcards are my key. I learned this from a psychologist. He told me that I must actually know what I'm learning, not just read over the review page. So, make flashcards and test your knowledge.

 

[f4reignbeauty]

What I did during undergrad, is I would take a particular course and separate it by subject matter. I would then write out everything I knew (based only on what I recalled from lecture.) Once I did that, I reviewed what I wrote and compared it side-by-side with what the professor taught to see if there were topics that needed clarity. Then I used supplemental materials ( i.e. books, Khan academy, YouTube videos, lecture notes) to solidify those areas.

Using that method, led to a significant increase in my grades. For the most part, I still remember the content because I was studying to retain and understand the information, rather than to regurgitate it.

 

[phunky]

Writing things down and figuring out how they fit into a larger context is always what worked for me. Everyone's different though. We can't tell you the best way for you to study.

Some people just learn faster than others too, and I think to some extent it's not something you can control.

 

[Hospitalized]

i'm a 4.0 student about to graduate summa and honestly, i don't think 4 hrs is "wayyyy too much"

Man, how can you manage a 4.0 without learning to always capitalize "I" as a personal pronoun? I'm not trying to criticize you, I'm just genuinely curious about how this happens. I know we are on the internet where everything and anything goes, but this is beyond me. Isn't there some intuition to practice proper communication for a 4.0 student?

On topic, transferring my class/reading notes in my notebook to a blank sheet of printer paper is really effective. I can usually fit an entire chapter on half of one side. For practice problems, I generally use whiteboards and different colored markers. It really helps with visualization. Putting pieces of formulas that are difficult to remember in a different color, then using that color on the opposite side of the equation as the part of the answer is particularly helpful. Works great for organic chemistry as well.

 

[moy505]

I put in about 40 hours/week studying and writing lab reports through most of undergrad. Paid off in grades, so it was worth it.

So then how did you adjust to med school? If it took you 40hrs to study /do lab reports in ugrad then did you have to increase your study hours like crazy in med school? I also studied that much in college and I'm a bit worried.

 

[Mad Jack]

So then how did you adjust to med school? If it took you 40hrs to study /do lab reports in ugrad then did you have to increase your study hours like crazy in med school? I also studied that much in college and I'm a bit worried.

I went up to about 25-60 hours a week of studying in medical school. Wasn't so bad, most weeks it was closer to 30 hours, near block exams it'd be closer to 60. I did fine, never really had any problems or failed any exams.

 

[moy505]

I went up to about 25-60 hours a week of studying in medical school. Wasn't so bad, most weeks it was closer to 30 hours, near block exams it'd be closer to 60. I did fine, never really had any problems or failed any exams.

That's comforting to hear lol. So how'd you manage to do well in med school without substantially increasing the number of study hours? Did you just figure out a way to get through the material faster?

 

[Mad Jack]

That's comforting to hear lol. So how'd you manage to do well in med school without substantially increasing the number of study hours? Did you just figure out a way to get through the material faster?

You get more efficient, it just happens.