Describe the top students at your school. What are they like?

[Dynomite]

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Since some can't seem to handle the other thread.

So what are the top students like at your school? What sets them apart?

 

[bigfrank]

Smart, hard-workers. Most are fun and nice, some are not.

 

[sacrament]

Since some can't seem to handle the other thread.

So what are the top students like at your school? What sets them apart?

They post a lot on SDN and have astrology-themed avatars.

 

[bigfrank]

7,500+ Or 1,000+ postings?

Astronomy or Astrology?

😉

 

[dontstuddy]

when they look in the mirror in the morning they see my face.

Actually, usually the ones in the top of the class are the ones that look miserable because they don't have a social life, or they are crazy smart and don't seem to study much at all.

 

[Saluki]

I will be the top student at whichever school I decide to go to next year.
You will recognize me by my curly dirty blonde hair, my love of kids, kittens and puppies, and the fact that before every exam I look very green around the gills.
PS- I'm kidding (about the top student part, the rest is true 😀 )

 

[MEG@COOL]

They look like a youthful bob newhart.

 

[katrinadams9]

I only know a few of the smart ones in our class. The ones I know of are very shy, introverted, and quiet. They are almost always in class. One of them we all refer to as "question girl" because she's always asking questions in class and is usually the first one up to the professor before and after class. They are very nice people and hard to hate even though they are the gunners.

 

[Clemson Doc]

I only know a few of the smart ones in our class. The ones I know of are very shy, extroverted, and quiet. They are almost always in class. One of them we all refer to as "question girl" because she's always asking questions in class and is usually the first one up to the professor before and after class. They are very nice people and hard to hate even though they are the gunners.

Don't you mean introverted?

 

[katrinadams9]

Don't you mean introverted?

Yup. sorry about that... I shouldn't be on SDN and studying at the same time!

 

[thackl]

I like the top dogs in my class. It's the wanna-be's that can't be there despite constant studying and bitching about test Q's/grading all the time who I can't stand.

 

[tupac_don]

I only know a few of the smart ones in our class. The ones I know of are very shy, extroverted, and quiet. They are almost always in class. One of them we all refer to as "question girl" because she's always asking questions in class and is usually the first one up to the professor before and after class. They are very nice people and hard to hate even though they are the gunners.

So I gotta q for you, how is someone, very shy and quiet yet at the same time extroverted?

 

[Rafa]

So I gotta q for you, how is someone, very shy and quiet yet at the same time extroverted?

Already explained further up in the thread. 🙂

 

[ddmo]

About the only common theme is that they are both intelligent and hard working. Some study 24/7, some study about as much as the avg students. Some are extroverted and some are introverted. You really can't generalize their characteristics. I will tell you that the majority of the most in your face people in our class did not honor the year. Meanwhile, many of those who did you never would have suspected.

Now, obviously you are asking because you want to be like them in their academic performance. I can't tell you what the rest of them do, but I can tell you what I did and did not to earn year end honors, ~95%ile.

Didn't:
Ask teachers questions
Study every waking moment
Shout out answers before everyone else
Use a 50 color pack of highlighters
Highlight at all
Re-listen to lectures
Re-copy notes or make sheets
Worry about conceptual minutia

Did:
Go to class
Study at the library
Study more than average
Take notice of details
Know that clear-cut facts are high yield
Underline and write notes in the margins
Read the notes in their entirety a min. of 3 times
Use a different color pen and underline everything I didn't know on pass #3
Read my "blue (pen color) notes" on the morning of the exam
Drink beer
Spend time with girlfriend (we study together sometimes)

Now, every person has their own system, this just happens to be the one that has worked for me. You will need to tailor the amount you study to your own ability to memorize. I am lucky to have a good short-term memory, which helps for exams, but not things like boards or pimping questions.

The single most important things however are determination and perseverence.

 

[automaton]

don't respond well to criticism

 

[bigfrank]

OK, ddmo, got it:

Highlighters -- bad
Blue pens -- good

 

[liverotcod]

OK, ddmo, got it:

Highlighters -- bad
Blue pens -- good

Finally! The Answer!

 

[thackl]

Interesting to see it laid out this way. I'll interject 😛

Didn't:
Ask teachers questions (same here, unless I scibe)
Study every waking moment (me either, hell no!)
Shout out answers before everyone else (been guilty of it once or twice when I get excited about figuring something out on the spot, but try not to)
Use a 50 color pack of highlighters (nope)
Highlight at all (absolutely not)
Re-listen to lectures (never)
Re-copy notes or make sheets (make sheets on the first pass, these become the basis for test week studying.... only put high/med yield. Read 2x more times test week and highlight the crap that doesn't stick 3rd pass)
Worry about conceptual minutia (waste of time)

Did:
Go to class (not I, though I did a little better when I used to go)
Study at the library (coffee shop, freinds, home...... in that order)
Study more than average (about avg)
Take notice of details (only the important ones, choose understanding over memorizing when applicable)
Know that clear-cut facts are high yield (without a doubt)
Underline and write notes in the margins (I do the sheet thing)
Read the notes in their entirety a min. of 3 times (yes!)
Use a different color pen and underline everything I didn't know on pass #3 (highlighter for me!)
Read my "blue (pen color) notes" on the morning of the exam (yes)
Drink beer (got one right now 👍 )
Spend time with girlfriend (we study together sometimes) (wife and kids here)

 

[werd]

in my experience it's hard to tell the top people apart from everyone else. the people that are "gunners" or just jerks seem to be the "second-tier" kids who want it like hell but just aren't there.
describing some people that i know are in the top 10% or so... an quiet girl who seems pretty nice, an outgoing and really gregarious guy who does lots of extracirriculars, a sort of conceited guy, a guy that seems aloof and disorganized but apparently is not. that's all i really know, there's not really a set of personality traits, except to say the exclusion of the kids that are out to get or unfriendly to others. which makes the universe balanced.

 

[AStudent]

Asian

 

[humuhumu]

How do you guys know who the top students are? Do you hear about their grades somehow? Do you just conclude they're at the top based on your conversations with them?

 

[Ypo.]

Did:
Go to class (not I, though I did a little better when I used to go)

Have to disagree with this. I listen to about half of the online lectures, the other classes I just read the notes and if there is something I don't understand, I get a tutor or hash it out with someone who does understand it.

 

[Pembleton]

The top students in my class work very hard, even during 20 minute breaks between lectures. They also have many resources: text books, review books and notecards. They are also the ones who will have copies of old tests and hoard them away from others.

 

[ddmo]

OK, ddmo, got it:

Highlighters -- bad
Blue pens -- good

It's not the writing device, but how it's used. I use one blue pen on the final pass of the notes, and review only what I underline on the morning of the test. Compared to people who either highlight every word but a,an, or the. Or, those who use 15 different colors to turn their notes into some version of an acid trip. I think that people do that and become distracted from the material. Also, when you highlight too early, you are likely to not highlight something important, then skip it later since it's not highlighted.

ddmo, Founder: Anti-Highlighter Club of America

 

[rpkall]

Some people are just bright, talented, motivated, genuinely nice people who want to work hard and learn the stuff for themselves and their future patients. Others mean well, I guess, but they let their self-esteem ride too high on their ability to get good grades--they are motivated by anxiety ("What if I can't be at the top?") and a need to define themselves as individuals by their quantitative successes in medical school. The latter group is the one you want to steer clear of, in my opinion. Some percentage of this group will resort to nasty competitive behaviors to achieve their end (often that percentage is very small, but I would assume it varies by school and situation).

 

[azzarah]

Some people are just bright, talented, motivated, genuinely nice people who want to work hard and learn the stuff for themselves and their future patients.

WOW, just like me! 😛

 

[Rafa]

Or, those who use 15 different colors to turn their notes into some version of an acid trip.

Made me laugh. 🙂

 

[myodana]

most of them drink a lot. and they have very focused and efficient study methods.

 

[bigfrank]

It's not the writing device, but how it's used. I use one blue pen on the final pass of the notes, and review only what I underline on the morning of the test. Compared to people who either highlight every word but a,an, or the. Or, those who use 15 different colors to turn their notes into some version of an acid trip. I think that people do that and become distracted from the material. Also, when you highlight too early, you are likely to not highlight something important, then skip it later since it's not highlighted.

ddmo, Founder: Anti-Highlighter Club of America

Coming from the #1 student of a top 10 medical school:

I like highlighters!!!

 

[liverotcod]

Coming from the #1 student of a top 10 medical school:

I like highlighters!!!

Frank, are you really #1? Sweet.

 

[Ypo.]

OK, ddmo, got it:

Highlighters -- bad
Blue pens -- good

Crayons. Crayons are the answer. I get the 240 pack that comes with the sharpener in the box.

 

[bigfrank]

Frank, are you really #1? Sweet.

😎

Thanks for your kind words.

P.S. I like your signature line. One of my daughter's favorite books.

 

[The Engineer]

Excellent, fast memorizers. That is all I can say. Granted this does not describe all of the top students but does describe a significant portion of them. They will get a ~95% on the exam but have no idea what the information means. Someone once told me: "I have absolutely no idea what they were talking about, but I got an 87 on the test." These people make me sick.