Failed a course need help planning for studying!

[george084]

I failed the molecular medicine first semester of MS1. Because of this I am going to be redoing the whole semester next year including anatomy. I'm going to be working part time this semester that I have "off" but I will also be going back through all the material from the semester. I want to create a study schedule / method that helps me with long term retention.

First semester, I used a combination of passive learning with class ppts and Rohen's which led me to do okay in anatomy (got a B), but for Molecular it was a nightmare. I did well on 1 test using the same methods but then failed the other three. (Got help i.e tutoring/school resources between each failure) I altered my study methods each time using Anki, then Pixorize/Picmonic, but struggled with retaining the little details so quickly. My school does the accelerated thing where anatomy is taught first then molecular. The final exam ended in me panicking/crying during the exam cause I knew I was very unfamiliar with the material.

Planning on using Anki but any tips on this? or other methods?

Also I will have access to the new material that I won't be in the classes for for systems based courses, would anyone recommend continuing to keep up or just focusing on the material from the first semester?

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[tomcruise9]

First of all: working and medical school are not compatible. Lots of my classmates flunked out of med schools because they worked while in med schools. I’d rather max out student loan, focus on study only...
Secondly: make appointment to speak with med school academic advisors, they are very helpful.
Thirdly: if you want personal opinion, message me!

 

[deleted849476]

I would recommend continuing with the systems based coursework at 100% effort, and not taking a job (even though I see how tempting that would be). Would hate to redo a year for semester 1 just to get to semester 2 and risk failing that. Re study the semester 1 stuff maybe over the summer a bit but more importantly do it right while you repeat that semester.

I'll keep my main piece of advice simple--if not tough-love harsh--because I am close with people in your same boat and this is what I would want to tell them: stick to your school's materials, don't get caught up with other media/modalities, and most importantly, when you study, sit down and actively read handouts/go over lecture slides. I mean sitting there, each slide/page, asking yourself, "Do I understand this?" be honest because you can only hurt yourself, and if you don't get it, sit there until you know it, and finally: memorize it as best you can up until the test by looking at it a few more times (again, actively!). Close your eyes and see if you can recite the facts you just learned, and if you can't, you probably won't recall it on the test.

You'll know you're doing all this right when it seems a little repulsive to sit there for so long and it's so difficult to stay focused because maybe it's boring, but your success will be when you motivate yourself and push through it and (Nike) just. do. it. I would NOT waste time with passive learning. I'm glad it worked in your anatomy, but IMO most classes will require 95% active learning where the other 5% is watching the lecture once (passive, which if you do handouts/lectures thoroughly enough you could probably even skip watching lecture). It can suck, I'm kinda procrastinating my day's studying right now, but I know that when I sit down (I shoot for 4 hours of legitimate solitude, active studying a day, not counting watching lectures), I get A's and B's. You can do it too. But that's just it, no professor or tutor or material or learning source will make it better, only you can do it for yourself.

Not saying youre exactly like this, but I knew a guy who dropped out after semester 1 because all he did was watch and rewatch lecture, spend hours taking screenshots of stuff and making his own Anki deck, and in general just relying on anyone other than himself (tutors, brown-nosing profs, lab mates, etc.) to answer his questions or "teach him" when all he needed was to do what I'm saying on his own and I'm sure he would've passed.

I get it, and I hate seeing people in this situation because I think they're led to believe success in class is more complicated than it is, but it's not. And if I thought I couldn't do what I just described because I don't have the motivation, I'd be thinking hard about leaving.

Best of luck to you! Fate's in your hands, but you can do it!!

 

[george084]

I would recommend continuing with the systems based coursework at 100% effort, and not taking a job (even though I see how tempting that would be). Would hate to redo a year for semester 1 just to get to semester 2 and risk failing that. Re study the semester 1 stuff maybe over the summer a bit but more importantly do it right while you repeat that semester.

I'll keep my main piece of advice simple--if not tough-love harsh--because I am close with people in your same boat and this is what I would want to tell them: stick to your school's materials, don't get caught up with other media/modalities, and most importantly, when you study, sit down and actively read handouts/go over lecture slides. I mean sitting there, each slide/page, asking yourself, "Do I understand this?" be honest because you can only hurt yourself, and if you don't get it, sit there until you know it, and finally: memorize it as best you can up until the test by looking at it a few more times (again, actively!). Close your eyes and see if you can recite the facts you just learned, and if you can't, you probably won't recall it on the test.

You'll know you're doing all this right when it seems a little repulsive to sit there for so long and it's so difficult to stay focused because maybe it's boring, but your success will be when you motivate yourself and push through it and (Nike) just. do. it. I would NOT waste time with passive learning. I'm glad it worked in your anatomy, but IMO most classes will require 95% active learning where the other 5% is watching the lecture once (passive, which if you do handouts/lectures thoroughly enough you could probably even skip watching lecture). It can suck, I'm kinda procrastinating my day's studying right now, but I know that when I sit down (I shoot for 4 hours of legitimate solitude, active studying a day, not counting watching lectures), I get A's and B's. You can do it too. But that's just it, no professor or tutor or material or learning source will make it better, only you can do it for yourself.

Not saying youre exactly like this, but I knew a guy who dropped out after semester 1 because all he did was watch and rewatch lecture, spend hours taking screenshots of stuff and making his own Anki deck, and in general just relying on anyone other than himself (tutors, brown-nosing profs, lab mates, etc.) to answer his questions or "teach him" when all he needed was to do what I'm saying on his own and I'm sure he would've passed.

I get it, and I hate seeing people in this situation because I think they're led to believe success in class is more complicated than it is, but it's not. And if I thought I couldn't do what I just described because I don't have the motivation, I'd be thinking hard about leaving.

Best of luck to you! Fate's in your hands, but you can do it!!

Thank you so much! This was very helpful!

 

[tomcruise9]

Look to the bright side of that, you have more time to "BREAK the BOARD" compare to your friends. Use your time wisely by devoting to just focus on study study study and step 1 step 1 step 1. You've gotta study differently to expect a different outcome.
Another tip is "do not listen to the guys who say they did not study at all and passing the exam with a flying color". I asked the academic advisor once and her response was "Do not listen to them, they either lied to you or they are no longer here"

 

[kuzy]

Look to the bright side of that, you have more time to "BREAK the BOARD" compare to your friends. Use your time wisely by devoting to just focus on study study study and step 1 step 1 step 1. You've gotta study differently to expect a different outcome.
Another tip is "do not listen to the guys who say they did not study at all and passing the exam with a flying color". I asked the academic advisor once and her response was "Do not listen to them, they either lied to you or they are no longer here"

Except Step 1 will be p/f for them...

 

[Cornfed101]

this playlist is basically all you need to know about Anki