Classes that dont follow the book KILL ME.

[MEG@COOL]

---

Members don't see this ad.

I am in a class now that is totally off of notes. For the prereq to the class, cellbio, I had the 2nd highest grade in the class, rarely ever went to class and never felt like the class was going to kill me. I cant deal with out a book and may end up withdrawing from the class.

 

[Fermata]

Suck it up. Go to class.

Or, you could just get someone to give you a copy of the notes. Problem solved.

 

[Medikit]

Just don't miss class and take really good notes. It's actually easier since if you can take good notes then you are actually listening to the lecture and if you are doing that then it will reduce study time. Lecture based classes are the ultimate in cool.

 

[Fermata]

Just don't miss class and take really good notes. It's actually easier since if you can take good notes then you are actually listening to the lecture and if you are doing that then it will reduce study time. Lecture based classes are the ultimate in cool.

Of course they usually recommend a book which you buy and then never use.

That is the suckage.

 

[BaLeavaMD]

Meg, as a physician, you will have to think outside the box or the "book" all the time. You're gonna have to take this opportunity NOW to learn how to do that so you won't have such a hard time when you get into med school. Everything will not be laid out for you!

 

[LauraMac]

i hate classes that aren't out of the book. a couple hours of week in a lecture just isn't going to cut it. i need to read the book to learn what the hell is going on. but if the info. in the book isn't what we need to know, then i don't know what to do. i guess i just end up living in office hours. that's probably what you should do so that you can clarify notes and get more detailed explanations of stuff.

 

[VienneseWaltz]

Consider this an opportunity to practice your note-taking skills. On the wards, you need to be able to listen and write at the same time (and have it make sense), so if you can figure that out, you will be that much more prepared.

 

[leechy]

i hate classes that aren't out of the book. a couple hours of week in a lecture just isn't going to cut it. i need to read the book to learn what the hell is going on. but if the info. in the book isn't what we need to know, then i don't know what to do. i guess i just end up living in office hours. that's probably what you should do so that you can clarify notes and get more detailed explanations of stuff.

I'm very much the same way... get very little out of lectures, get a lot more out of spending a couple hours alone with the books.

 

[crys20]

I'm with ya'll. My ideal class is one where it's straight out of the book, I can ditch class, and just really learn. I will only go to class if it's an absolute must to doing well in the class or it majorly, majorly reduces study time. I had two quarters of physio straight out of Vander's text...I just ate the entire book and performed better than I ever had in any college class (like 96% avgs...and that is just not me 🙂 )

 

[MeowMix]

if you hate this class, you will really hate med school

 

[Fusion]

It's true that in med school, the majority of the material from which you study will come from a handout/syllabus that is provided to students at the beginning of a course. If you know the handout backwards and forwards, you will do well in the course. With this said, however, it is often necessary to supplement with a textbook or a condensed review-type book that teaches the basics and provides a solid review of the subject that you are studying (physio, pharmacology, etc.).

I can relate with the OP, because I took a few of courses during undergrad where the "recommended" textbook was practically useless, and nearly everything to know came from the professor's mouth and illustrations. I had no idea what to do for this course and basically started recording the lectures and going home and writing out the lectures verbatim. It was incredibly time consuming, but it was the only way that I would learn what was going on. Granted, my notes were awesome, but my grade in the end wasn't all that good b/c I spent so much time writing out the lectures that I didn't have enough time to actually learn the material as best I should have. Basically what I'm trying to say is that I feel your pain!

 

[hnbui]

yeah. I also agree with the original poster. I mean how do you actually study for a class when everything is from the lecture. I mean even if you are good at note taking it will not help you much, since note taking is basically just writing general princps. down to look at them in further depth later on. Everyone keeps on saying, how a class like this would help you with your note taking skills. No it won't! Think about it. Basically for a class like this you have to copy verbatim, which is ofcourse a bad note taking skill.

I had a course like this last year and i absolutely hated it. The crappy thing about the class was that the first test was straight from the notes. The second test was straight from the book, which was completely different from the notes. Professors should test their students on what the students know, not what the students don't know.

 

[45408]

I've got a prof right now who uses Powerpoint exclusively and dims the lights way down for lectures. I think I've fallen asleep in every one this semester. The next class is exclusively stuff he writes on the board, and I pay MUCH more attention.

 

[principessa]

if you hate this class, you will really hate med school

So true.

Consider this excerpt from a "study skills" talk given by our Dean of Education:

Dean: After you go to lecture, you should go home and spend no more than 45 minutes going over that lecture. You want to spend more time that night? Tough noogies! Imagine your apartment is filthy and your friend calls and tells you he's coming over in an hour. Do you spend that hour scrubbing the bathroom tiles with a toothbrush or do you run around your apartment frantically stuffing things into corners?

Student A: Following that analogy, wouldn't it just be best to go ahead and clean up your apartment entirely?

Dean: But what if you have 17 cluttered apartments?

Student B: So, do we read textbooks anymore?

Dean: Not really. Use them as references.

Keep in mind, this is Yale. I can't imagine what it's like at all those hard med schools.

I am certainly a textbook fan, but with so much stuff that you could read about, you just don't have time for superfluous materal, (unless you make time for things of particular interest, I guess). So take this as an opportunity to learn to get something out of lecture notes, because they will likely be your primary source in med school.

 

[jwill27]

I am in a class now that is totally off of notes. For the prereq to the class, cellbio, I had the 2nd highest grade in the class, rarely ever went to class and never felt like the class was going to kill me. I cant deal with out a book and may end up withdrawing from the class.

You people should keep in mind that all the info in text books is at least 6 to 8 years old, even in the newest edition. The reason that professors present lectures and make you study from those notes is that the information in more up to date. That's the whole point of being a professional. You have to keep up with the lates research in your profession. That's why the book is a good reference for the basic concepts. I guess if you are satisfied with learning antequated information, rely totally on the book. Keep up that practice as a doctor and you'll provide sub par care. If you want to be a real physician you will be current with the latest literature or rely on notes from people who are.

 

[jwill27]

Keep in mind, this is Yale. I can't imagine what it's like at all those hard med schools.

That is quite an arrogant statement.

 

[BobA]

I definitely feel the OP's pain. It's difficult for me to hear something once and know it, but when I can read it, take notes on it, do all of that again and again, I'm allright.

My friend at Rochester Med says that almost everything is out of the lecture. Moreover, she says that the stuff you need to know may not even be on the syllabus. She's got to go out of her way just to know what to study.

I'm really not a gunner: but in the past I've tape recorded lectures and later put on some headphones in the library and written everything out.

I know a friend at Georgetown Med School who got everything down on MP3 for his personal use.

Hope this helps!

 

[aeromed]

Wow....in college, I don't think I had a single class that was directly from the textbook. The books were only used for reference, if need be. We were never asked to memorize anything from the books: most tests were open book/notes because the profs knew the books wouldn't help us, anyways (all problem-solving exams). It was tough. I can't wait to have classes where I get to actually memorize! 😍

 

[CanIMakeIt]

Especially with the interview season peaking now......i miss one class and I have no idea where I stand...... and th eprof doesn't follow book much.... 🙁

And it is biochem to top it all.....so i am completely lost right now..... I was thinking about dropping but I guess I will hang in there and see.....