Hello 2010'ers,
I just got back on sdn, and read the last couple of pages here for you guys. Some of my classmates have different opinons on some things than I do apparently and that's ok, but my perspective is different on some things...
Yes, I do believe that you will find that sdn and this thread will start to dwindle as the year goes on...our 09 thread just kinda stopped.
First, the old tests issue comes to mind. While I purchased them and found them initially useless for a lot of biochem, I did find them very useful for other courses and tests. Unfortunately, I didn't discover that until the later part of second semester. For biochem the old tests are like from 10 years ago and you find that the questions and the professors who wrote them are not the same as your current material and the sections for the testing are mixed and don't match the same material, so it gets hard to match up relevent questions or information. So, I stopped using them and they sat in my desk drawer at home until second semester. That is when I discovered that they were starting to become useful for physiology, especially the questions involving Dr. Finerty who did duplicate concepts on new tests that were on the old ones...the last test in the neuro physiology section was most helpful for me using old tests. I also used them for geriatrics, they were helpful, but still, geratrics didn't seem that bad without extra info anyhow if you really study the lecture stuff. I wish I had referred back to them for other classes after biochem, but I forgot them at the time.....until the late second semester. So, I guess I paid 60 dollars to help me get about Five 90+ test scores (went over test questions over and over for those). Worth 60 bones to me. I wonder if I could of gotten better on other tests earlier on if I'd used them more?
NEXT, I do not believe in any way that DMU wants you to fail! I saw this, probably jokingly, commented above somewhere. When you get frustrated with the volume and schdule, just keep in mind that many many people just like you have managed the schedule quit well over the years even though they had stress. It's really time management over intelligence in my opinion. Know how YOU learn and how much time YOU alone need and schedule that time, always and stick to that schedule. If you need help with time management or study strategies, or you find you slacked off and now your freaking out, just know that you have many resources to help you, such as your advisor, big sib, the course instructor, tutors, study groups, classmates, review books (rediculously simple series, ie micro and neuroanatomy), sdn, etc... Also, most importantly, always remember that even if you just failed the last test and your not on track for the next one with the material yet, just know that the past doesn't matter, your present actions and approach matter, you can only control the present and future and if you readjust and nail the future tests and material all is good!
Last, going to class or not going? This one is to complicated to say, but I agree that some classes you are just as well or better to skip and just study the material, while others, you really need to go to lecture and catch the ideas the teacher is puttting out, in order to understand....well, I did anyhow. Then some say, and it sounds most reasonable to just get note pool and never go. In that case you must trust that they get it exactly right all the time and don't error the notes (they do, but not very much). Best advice is find out for yourself by trying it all.
There are a group of students in my class, that approach med school in a unique and highly successful way (they get 90+ most all the time). I would like to copy thier strategy for year Two if I can stick to it, because it seem so intuitively logical and effective to me. Basically what they do is get up early like 6 am go to school gym do cardio exercise, then hit the library and start reading the lecture material notes and then do this until lunch , taking breaks every so often to walk around and decompress. After lunch they get back to study in the library until 4 or 5 in library and add a second brief work out break in there somewhere, like at noon or at 4-5. Then go home relax enjoy life as if you just completed your day at work like the rest of Americans. This is tremendous way to get a lot done by way of study and stay on top of it. Oh, by the way, they also are very mindful of eating healthy (brain works best and fastest with good nutrition and blood flow). However, this whole strategy is tricky because you have to decide when a class might be worth going to or not and also to keep up the exercise and eating right. They find that they feel very sharp, motivated, and ahead of the material, full of energy and most importantly, they have time outside of school. The jist of the strategy is maintain high health for your body, mind, and spirit and treat school like your full time job every day and maximize that daily time to do so....
. I know the janitor plays but who else does or wants to give it a shot when we get together this fall?
Great idea huh?
