well, i've found that time in class is time wasted for me (i don't really have a very long attention span and am NOT and auditory learner). So i dont go to class. I use review books (love BRS), the textbook, class handouts, and old notes. The problem is that since each lecture is taught by a different professor, different professors give out very different study materials. some just give us a copy of their powerpoint, some give a 10 page pseudo-book chapter. and the old notes aren't always the best either b/c we've had a lot of faculty/syllabus changes since last year so it's not always commensurate. for this reason i'm thinking of buying the current noteservice notes, but i've been resisiting b/c they're expensive.
i probably spend about 7-8 hours a day studying every day. This might seem like a lot to some of you smart folks, but i'm a bit dyslexic and memorizing piles of random crap is NOT my forte.
If it comes down to it, i'd rather do well on the boards than my exams, but it's a little scary how well everyone else is doing.
Ok, I think I know why you perform subpar on class tests vs. standardized tests. For one you say that you have very short attention span and dont' go to class. Now you don't necessarily have to go to class to do well. However, you MUST listen to this stuff either on mp3 format or video streaming, whatever your school offers. B/c let me tell you, professors give you a lot of tips in lecture on what they focus on, and what they don't focus on. Sometimes they blatantly say what to study and what not to study. I often find myself on the test getting a question b/c I distinctly remember the professor emphasizing this point in class and if he didn't I am not sure I would have gotten it. Also it points you to the direction of material that you might not have thought is important, but your professor does.
I use to be like you, I use to do really well on standardized tests, but not as good on class tests compared to my knowledge base (in undergrad) however, I found going to class makes that difference. I find the med school classes to be to tough to be paying attention to at a sitting but if you have the lectures taped, it's a whole different ballgame.
Also reading review books is great for boards, not so great for class.
I am telling you from personal experience, as I am similar to you. I find classes very pointless, and can't keep my concentration for long periods of time. However, when I listen to the lectures on mp3 or video streaming and crank up the speed to 1.5+ look out. You can rewind, pause, and it's really concentrated info. You can easily keep concentration for 10min at a time, which is 20 min of lecture. Plus you can pause when you see you are losing conc, restart where you are not sure of something. It does wonders for me. And the more you use it, the faster speed you can listen to it and the quicker you pick it up.
I mean to do really well on the exams, you have to go to lectures, b/c otherwise you will have to study twice as hard as the guy who goes to lectures.
If you have mp3 or video streaming give it a try and see what you think, you may find you really like it. And I promise you if you get the info from lecture in a concentrated way like this it's much more powerfull then sitting in a lecture and dozing off. To me it's equivalent to going over the material twice.
p.s. Also to do really well in class, stick strictly to the notes, unless you completely don't understand so you need to reference a book, but only reference, do not rearead info on what was taught in a review book. You are just using valuable time and spreading yourself in. The key in the game of doing well in class is studying what is emphasized by your professors.
