My advice for new M1s:
-Do some sort of exercise at least 6 days a week. Don't do an hour of weights at the gym, that's not what I'm saying, but at least 30 minutes of cardio and/or stretching. I've gotten into a routine of alternating bike riding and yoga and it seriously has done wonders for my studying. Even if you're overwhelmed with material and feel behind, that's even more of a reason to take a break and get your blood flowing -- you'll retain far more. The worst students in our class are the ones that rely on 15 hour marathon study grinds.
-Every school is different but I would highly recommend against note taking during lecture unless it's something that was blatantly left off the slides. Make sure you review the slides BEFORE going to lecture, and actively listen while you watch/attend. It helps some people learn by doing some chicken scratches as the professor speaks, and this is fine, but seriously do not do detailed note taking unless you have a real ***hole for a professor that put zero effort into his/her slides (this is far more rare than it was in undergrad).
-Watch your diet, seriously. If all you eat is junk while you study, all your brain has to work with is junk. Not only that, cooking can be a great outlet and I've found it to be a very therapeutic break from studying. That guy studying all night in the library pounding 6 bags of Doritos for dinner? He's not the top of the class, I promise.
-On that note, make sure you SLEEP. A minimum of 6 hours every night, no exceptions. I try my absolute hardest to make sure I get 8 hours, but sometimes that's just not feasible. It may have worked in undergrad, but if you're trying to conquer med school exams on zero sleep it's only a matter of time before you fail one. The one exam I failed was the one I only slept 3 hours before, and it was my best subject (worst grade prior in that class was 95%). Also if/when you do fail an exam, know most of us have been there and you are certainly not alone. It sucks, it's embarrassing, but just focus on the retake (if that's your school's policy) and move on.
-When you study, cut off all non-essential electronics and put your phone on silent. Give special family/friends their own ringtone so you can be contacted in an emergency. The hour on, 15 minutes off method is amazing -- far more helpful than I thought it would be. Set a timer for an hour, and sit in silence with the material until the timer is done. After the hour, take 15 minutes to do whatever your heart desires, then repeat.
-If the sun is out, don't waste it. Whether it be to study, or during a break, I've found fresh air and some Vitamin D to be a great outlet to help refocus.
-Lastly, and this is super important, don't let anybody scare you into thinking med school is harder than it really is. I promise you will work much harder than you did in undergrad, and time management is absolutely essential, but I have yet to put more than 50 hours of work into any week thus far (including lecture, studying, seminars, etc.). There are serious diminishing returns on studying in med school; getting an 80-85 is relatively easy, getting a 95-100 requires literally triple the study time. It's up to you whether that's worth it or not.
