Can you guys critique my study technique?

[MMForever]

I am entering the next semester and I just wanna improve and continue to get better. Overall, all I want to do is become efficient and remove things that are a waste of time?


To preface, I know that everyone has a different study technique and learn differently. What works for one person may not work for another. I also know that if something is working, then I should stick with it. However, I spend a very large amount of time studying and I just want to try to be efficient in my studying and study in a manner that helps me learn and not just waste my time.

My school currently uses PowerPoints a primary study tool. I am a slightly above average student but know that I can do better.

I attend all lectures and make sure to focus. When I get home, I study each PowerPoint by retaking notes on the PowerPoint on a separate word document. For some reason, just simply taking notes on word is taking a lot of time. Perhaps I am not focusing enough but I'm really going slow for some reason.

After making a word document, I do one of two things. I either print out the word document and reread it while highlighting. OR I will convert my word document into Quizlet flash cards.

It seems that a lot of my technique is just rewriting notes without actual studying. I'm also rarely having enough time to do everything I listed for each PowerPoint. It just seems like I'm wildely inefficient.

Can you guys list how you tackle each "PowerPoint" or critique my study method? I would like to improve during the next semester. Thank you

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[AlteredScale]

I am entering the next semester and I just wanna improve and continue to get better. Overall, all I want to do is become efficient and remove things that are a waste of time?


To preface, I know that everyone has a different study technique and learn differently. What works for one person may not work for another. I also know that if something is working, then I should stick with it. However, I spend a very large amount of time studying and I just want to try to be efficient in my studying and study in a manner that helps me learn and not just waste my time.

My school currently uses PowerPoints a primary study tool. I am a slightly above average student but know that I can do better.

I attend all lectures and make sure to focus. When I get home, I study each PowerPoint by retaking notes on the PowerPoint on a separate word document. For some reason, just simply taking notes on word is taking a lot of time. Perhaps I am not focusing enough but I'm really going slow for some reason.

After making a word document, I do one of two things. I either print out the word document and reread it while highlighting. OR I will convert my word document into Quizlet flash cards.

It seems that a lot of my technique is just rewriting notes without actual studying. I'm also rarely having enough time to do everything I listed for each PowerPoint. It just seems like I'm wildely inefficient.

Can you guys list how you tackle each "PowerPoint" or critique my study method? I would like to improve during the next semester. Thank you

As you said, eeryone will have a different study technique that works for them so take all suggestions (including mine) with a grain of salt. I would stop taking notes on word. That eats up so much time and it doesn't seem that you are giving yourself much room for multiple passes of the material.

If it were me I would just annotate what the professors says directly on the power points. If there are things that you still can't understand (pathways or what note) then write them up in a notebook but keep it minimal.

I would also stop wasting time attending lectures in person and start watching the lectures (if you have recorded lectures) at 2x speed. This gives you more time to digest the material in your own way.

Also, instead of recreating your entire note sheets into quizlet, just focus on specific minute details or things that just don't stick well (genetic markers, side effects of drugs etc etc).

Your main focus should be going through your annotated power point 4-5 times supplementing it with the notes you took and hammering those flashcards, increasing your use of the flash cards as exam dates come closer (in fact, you should look at those cards right before the exam as it may yield you a few points just based on photographic memory).

 

[MMForever]

As you said, eeryone will have a different study technique that works for them so take all suggestions (including mine) with a grain of salt. I would stop taking notes on word. That eats up so much time and it doesn't seem that you are giving yourself much room for multiple passes of the material.

If it were me I would just annotate what the professors says directly on the power points. If there are things that you still can't understand (pathways or what note) then write them up in a notebook but keep it minimal.

I would also stop wasting time attending lectures in person and start watching the lectures (if you have recorded lectures) at 2x speed. This gives you more time to digest the material in your own way.

Also, instead of recreating your entire note sheets into quizlet, just focus on specific minute details or things that just don't stick well (genetic markers, side effects of drugs etc etc).

Your main focus should be going through your annotated power point 4-5 times supplementing it with the notes you took and hammering those flashcards, increasing your use of the flash cards as exam dates come closer (in fact, you should look at those cards right before the exam as it may yield you a few points just based on photographic memory).

Thank you so much for the reply. Just to clarify, in lecture, I am actually taking notes on the notes section of PowerPoint. I don't think I can write fast enough in class to keep up haha. I then go home and take notes on the PowerPoint from class in Word. I do run into the issue of mindlessly copying over the PowerPoint so I try to be mindful of not just copying over and actually learning.

I have always wanted to try the print and annotate method instead of using Word. I am afraid to use a passive learning model where I simply read the PowerPoint. That's why I use Word. It keeps me "active" if I'm at least typing something out. However, I'm gonna try printing out the actual PowerPoints and highlighting. Initially I wanted to take my notes in word, print out the word document and then highlight that. However I don't know if that will waste too much time. It seems like I spend so much time just just recreating notes than studying them.

I have a quick question. Once you annotate your PowerPoints by hand, what is your next pass through? Is it simply re-reading the PowerPoint?

 

[AlteredScale]

Once you annotate your PowerPoints by hand, what is your next pass through? Is it simply re-reading the PowerPoint?

I understand your concerns. Passive learning happens a lot when you aren't rehashing notes. But one thing you can do to commit to active learning while annotating is mentally thinking about the material on that slide. I usually just make sure to voice in consciously to make sure it's there.

Before I annotate to lectures, I make a first pass of the material. A very a quick one as a matter of fact. This is to mentally map out what's composed of that lecture and is not for memorizing. Then I listen to the lecture and annotate. Once I annotate I am essentially done with most writing or note taking for the most part. So let's say monday there's 2 lectures. Sunday night I will do a first pass. Monday I will annotate those and if possible, do another pass that day (so that's three passes of the material the same day). I always ensure I save time to do a first pass of the material for the following day.

These passes are re-reading but not passive re-reading. I will mentally connect topics and see if I can mentally remember aspects of multiple slides. I always start with clinical presentation then work my through pathophys (usually takes a lot of time because I go from large concepts down to biochemical or molecular concepts), treatment, pertinent epidemiology, and pertinent Ddx (does this disease present similarly to other disease) and work my thinking through how I could differentiate between the two.

As the exam comes about I make sure to go through all the material 4-6 times. At a certain point it's mind numbing to just sit there and scroll through power points but again, it's how you mentally are going through them. Reading them does not good. It's memorizing, assimilating, and applying that material and thinking of different ways the material would be asked in a question.

Sorry I probably made that way more complex than expected haha.

 

[DOFOSHO]

power points are crap. read books, watch videos.

 

[68PGunner]

I have a study group of four. We split duties in term of creating condensed notes based on objectives on a word doc for lectures. We make it a priority to finish the condensed note for the day lecture by midnight.

For my own study, I do the following:

1) Spend 5-10 mins scanning through the lecture slides before listening to lecture.
2) Listen to the lecture at 1.8-2.2x with the condensed printed note and annotate my own note on the already condensed note
3) Identify key topics on that lecture through First Aid and annotate notes on there. I identify these topics as super high yield that should be known cold
4) Review my notes on Saturday or Sunday by reading them first. Afterward, I use a blank sheet to cover explanation under each objective, allowing me to explain and each objectives in my own word. I also use USMLERx to knock out a few quests here and there.

 

[68PGunner]

...

 

[68PGunner]

My mentioned method takes me about 1 hr of work for about 1 hr of lecture. My retention is really high considering the amount of work I put into it. Also, FA sometimes has cool diagrams that put all the minute details into a big picture.

For these things, I draw them out in a separate notebook for my exam study and Step 1 prep down the road.

 

[Dr. Death]

I am entering the next semester and I just wanna improve and continue to get better. Overall, all I want to do is become efficient and remove things that are a waste of time?


To preface, I know that everyone has a different study technique and learn differently. What works for one person may not work for another. I also know that if something is working, then I should stick with it. However, I spend a very large amount of time studying and I just want to try to be efficient in my studying and study in a manner that helps me learn and not just waste my time.

My school currently uses PowerPoints a primary study tool. I am a slightly above average student but know that I can do better.

I attend all lectures and make sure to focus. When I get home, I study each PowerPoint by retaking notes on the PowerPoint on a separate word document. For some reason, just simply taking notes on word is taking a lot of time. Perhaps I am not focusing enough but I'm really going slow for some reason.

After making a word document, I do one of two things. I either print out the word document and reread it while highlighting. OR I will convert my word document into Quizlet flash cards.

It seems that a lot of my technique is just rewriting notes without actual studying. I'm also rarely having enough time to do everything I listed for each PowerPoint. It just seems like I'm wildely inefficient.

Can you guys list how you tackle each "PowerPoint" or critique my study method? I would like to improve during the next semester. Thank you

I do a similar thing as you. I don't attend lectures though, I prefer to do it at my own speed and be able to pause to take notes. As the professor talks I type down in Word the things they say that I don't already know and bold the concepts they really emphasize. I then watch the lectures again to make sure I didn't miss anything. Then I'll just make 3-4 additional passes through my word document to cement those concepts in my head.

 

[AlbinoHawk DO]

I am entering the next semester and I just wanna improve and continue to get better. Overall, all I want to do is become efficient and remove things that are a waste of time?


To preface, I know that everyone has a different study technique and learn differently. What works for one person may not work for another. I also know that if something is working, then I should stick with it. However, I spend a very large amount of time studying and I just want to try to be efficient in my studying and study in a manner that helps me learn and not just waste my time.

My school currently uses PowerPoints a primary study tool. I am a slightly above average student but know that I can do better.

I attend all lectures and make sure to focus. When I get home, I study each PowerPoint by retaking notes on the PowerPoint on a separate word document. For some reason, just simply taking notes on word is taking a lot of time. Perhaps I am not focusing enough but I'm really going slow for some reason.

After making a word document, I do one of two things. I either print out the word document and reread it while highlighting. OR I will convert my word document into Quizlet flash cards.

It seems that a lot of my technique is just rewriting notes without actual studying. I'm also rarely having enough time to do everything I listed for each PowerPoint. It just seems like I'm wildely inefficient.

Can you guys list how you tackle each "PowerPoint" or critique my study method? I would like to improve during the next semester. Thank you

What I did was listen to lecture at 1.7-2x and make a few flashcards (~12-15) per lecture hour on what seemed important that they discussed. Then I'd go into FA and add into the flashcards things that were missing from my notes. Go over the entire deck once a day and that's it. Wasn't scoring in the high 90s, but 80s was enough for me.