M2 here, having trouble getting through the lectures in a time efficient manner (had the same problem last year). What I mean by a time efficient manner is being able to get through that days material after lectures. There is so much material and I'm putting the time in...but it just takes me forever to get through stuff and feel like I know it. I go to lecture, then look at the powerpoint slides with the note service. My school doesn't have a syllabus/information packet. I'm currently doing Infectious Disease...any ideas? Suggestions? Things I could try?
The key to second year (and first year for that matter) is organization of the material. Do you have a lecture schedule? If so, then you can preview the material in your recommended text before your lecture. When you preview, don't try to memorize but try to get the full picture of the scope of the material to be covered in lecture. When you get to lecture, only take notes on those things mentioned in lecture that are not in your text. At the end of your lecture, fill in any things immediately that you wrote poorly or need to complete. Later that evening, learn your notes but review the previous lecture's material and put the new material within the context of the previous material. On the weekend, review the entire week's material so that at this point, you are saturated.
Other things that are helpful:
If you have a shorter attention span, don't sit in one place for hours on end staring at your study materials. Set a timer for 50 minutes. At the end of 50 minutes, take a 10 minute break (walk around, get a drink) and then back to your studies for another 50 minutes. You brain needs a break to be most efficient.
Get a large(and I do mean large) white board and diagram concepts as you go along. Sometimes standing up and making a concept diagram can help you learn material better than just sitting and staring at notes. Make the material come alive for you so that you can get it into your long-term memory.
Check off things as you study them. By doing this, you see progress. Make a schedule, stick to it and check off as you go along. Be sure to schedule in time for things like a 30-minute walk after dinner or a swim on the weekend as a stress-reliever.
Don't try to study for Step I while you are studying for class. Step 1 study before you have completed your second year is pretty low yield and takes time away from your coursework study. Most schools give you more than enough time to thoroughly review for Step I. If you haven't learned the material in the first place, you can't review it. Learn it in the first place and review when the time comes.
If you can find one person who mirrors your study technique, work with that person on some things. Quiz each other, outline tedious materials for each other and explain them back and forth. Don't try to do a study group but have a study partner for selected things.
Finally, don't tell yourself that you are not "efficient". Don't let your "inner voice" tell you anything that isn't positive. You can learn to become more efficient and you can master this material. You don't have to be able to recite it back to yourself from rote memory to understand the concepts and apply them to problem-solving on an exam. Reward yourself when you stick to your schedule and get the day's work done. This can be as simple as a cup of coffee or some little thing that you love but have a reward that you have earned.
