[Free, Excellent Online Course]: Learning How to Learn

[Incis0r]

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One of the most common questions I receive from freshmen & sophomores is: "How do I learn? What's the best way to tackle the science courses?"

I recently took the "Learning How to Learn" course on Coursera. It's led by Dr. Barbara Oakley (a PhD) who is an EXPERT on this stuff. They also include interviews from people in all sorts of fields including science, math, humanities, etc. Furthermore, the content of the course is backed by science. In other words, it has evidence-based skills to improve your abilities.

It's a low time-commitment and a great way to improve your abilities in preparation for your pre-dental work. It's also a great way to prepare for dental school (I'll hopefully be starting dental school next year and I found much of the advice applicable).

Here is the link to the course: https://www.coursera.org/learn/learning-how-to-learn
Here is a link to a REDDIT post discussing the benefits of taking this course: https://www.reddit.com/r/GetMotivat...t_i_just_finished_the_online_coursera_course/

I hope this helps you guys take your game to the next level!

Your friend,
Always,

Incis0r

 

[super frank]

You're already accepted? Not surprised 😉.

 

[Incis0r]

You're already accepted? Not surprised 😉.

THIS IS WHAT YOU PICKED UP FROM ALL THOSE PARAGRAPHS I TYPED?

Haha just trying to be positive man. I edited it and inserted the word "hopefully."

 

[powerballwinner]

Dude i just finished that about 2 weeks ago after seeing it on reddit. Good course and really good concepts and tips students can follow!

Edit: It is also free

 

[Incis0r]

Good course and really good concepts and tips students can follow!

What was the concept you found most helpful? For me, it was the analogy of building a brick wall slowly instead of a crumbling one.

 

[fogorvostan]

Note: I didn't look at this course (like not even clicked the link).

Maybe other dental students can chime in, but I feel like the way I used to learn in undergrad is not anything like how I learn in dental school. In undergrad (and for my Masters degree), I used to take the time to make sure I fully understood concepts, drew things out to see connections, tried to see its relevance to previous lectures/courses/etc.

In dental school, I'm just like "oh god I have a week to memorize several hundred powerpoint slides for this one exam and then we also have 3 more exams this week and what is the absolute quickest way to stuff everything into my short term memory so that I can spit it back out on an exam and still make sure I get an A". For me personally, once I figured out that I should wake up at 3:30am-4:00am on exam days and review everything as quickly as possible, my grades skyrocketed from Bs to high As (and even 100%s).

 

[blablabla1]

Note: I didn't look at this course (like not even clicked the link).

Maybe other dental students can chime in, but I feel like the way I used to learn in undergrad is not anything like how I learn in dental school. In undergrad (and for my Masters degree), I used to take the time to make sure I fully understood concepts, drew things out to see connections, tried to see its relevance to previous lectures/courses/etc.

In dental school, I'm just like "oh god I have a week to memorize several hundred powerpoint slides for this one exam and then we also have 3 more exams this week and what is the absolute quickest way to stuff everything into my short term memory so that I can spit it back out on an exam and still make sure I get an A". For me personally, once I figured out that I should wake up at 3:30am-4:00am on exam days and review everything as quickly as possible, my grades skyrocketed from Bs to high As (and even 100%s).

Wait you literally just cram everything the morning of without looking at it beforehand?

 

[fogorvostan]

Wait you literally just cram everything the morning of without looking at it beforehand?

Depends on the exam. I usually start anywhere from 3 days before to the morning of. I'd say the bulk of my studying is the night before and the morning of. Our basic science exams are on Tuesday mornings, so I'll start those on Sunday. That's mainly the exception.

 

[Mason91]

Depends on the exam. I usually start anywhere from 3 days before to the morning of. I'd say the bulk of my studying is the night before and the morning of. Our basic science exams are on Tuesday mornings, so I'll start those on Sunday. That's mainly the exception.

Aren't you worried that you'll have a lot of materials to go over in detail for the board exam if you cram now? I crammed a lot due working full time in my undergrad so I suffered quite a bit when I was preparing for DAT.

 

[fogorvostan]

Aren't you worried that you'll have a lot of materials to go over in detail for the board exam if you cram now? I crammed a lot due working full time in my undergrad so I suffered quite a bit when I was preparing for DAT.

Not particularly. It's a lot easier to learn material the second time around and basically nobody fails part 1 of the boards at our school* unless they truly didn't prepare or had another issue (e.g. someone last year had a baby right before she was scheduled to take part 1). My current plan is to give myself 4 weeks to study immediately after finishing spring quarter, which is what most of my friends who are D2s did.

*I'm pretty sure most, if not all, schools have an extremely high pass rate as well.

 

[Cello]

I generally get all of the conceptual material down during class and then again during the weekend. I cram all of the memorizing the night before, and then in the morning I print out "key" stuff I need to remember that didn't stick as well and review on my way to school. I also get A's using this strategy. I will point out though that @fogorvostan and I are two of only ~50-60 people who show up to a class which should have ~200 students in it.

 

[Incis0r]

I generally get all of the conceptual material down during class and then again during the weekend. I cram all of the memorizing the night before, and then in the morning I print out "key" stuff I need to remember that didn't stick as well and review on my way to school. I also get A's using this strategy. I will point out though that @fogorvostan and I are two of only ~50-60 people who show up to a class which should have ~200 students in it.

How do the other 140 do it? Do you know?

 

[Cello]

How do the other 140 do it? Do you know?

All of the lectures are recorded. However, they are posted a day later.

I fail to keep up if I don't go to class, and then I get stressed, and then I don't memorize well because I am too pressured. For me, going to class is actually very beneficial. When I have missed class occasionally, I have to work a lot harder to learn those lectures later at home whereas normally I would be doing a 2nd pass and reinforcing knowledge I already got from the lecture itself.

 

[Incis0r]

I fail to keep up if I don't go to class, and then I get stressed, and then I don't memorize well because I am too pressured. For me, going to class is actually very beneficial. When I have missed class occasionally, I have to work a lot harder to learn those lectures later at home whereas normally I would be doing a 2nd pass and reinforcing knowledge I already got from the lecture itself.

You've really identified how you learn best- that will bring you great success in the future 🙂

 

[fogorvostan]

All of the lectures are recorded. However, they are posted a day later.

I fail to keep up if I don't go to class, and then I get stressed, and then I don't memorize well because I am too pressured. For me, going to class is actually very beneficial. When I have missed class occasionally, I have to work a lot harder to learn those lectures later at home whereas normally I would be doing a 2nd pass and reinforcing knowledge I already got from the lecture itself.

Exactly this.

 

[Incis0r]

I'd say the bulk of my studying is the night before and the morning of.

I'm glad this works for you- and clearly, your excellent grades reflect that you are doing things right.

I just don't think this approach will work for me, which is fine (to each their own). I like to take the night before an exam off just to decompress and rest. I think I would be in a state of constant stress if I were trying to study hundreds of slides that would be on an exam less than 24 hours before it took place.

I prefer a more gradual pace- learn as you go and do a little bit each day.

But congrats on your 100% grade!

 

[fogorvostan]

I'm glad this works for you- and clearly, your excellent grades reflect that you are doing things right.

I just don't think this approach will work for me, which is fine (to each their own). I like to take the night before an exam off just to decompress and rest. I think I would be in a state of constant stress if I were trying to study hundreds of slides that would be on an exam less than 24 hours before it took place.

I prefer a more gradual pace- learn as you go and do a little bit each day.

But congrats on your 100% grade!

10 weeks ago, I swore up and down that I would never study the night before. I thought that my roommate was literally insane when she told me that she wouldn't be able to start studying until 2-3 days before an exam, with the bulk being the night before. I told her she procrastinates, I told her that she should manage her time better, etc.

I was totally wrong. Unfortunately, we just don't have the time to not study the night before anymore. When you have multiple exams a week (2-4), classes, sim, presentations, etc, it literally eats up all of your time. I'm also lucky because I don't have other obligations besides classes (no wife/husband that needs attention, no kids to take care of, no organizations to be president of, etc.)

Besides, the sheer panic of "oh my god wtf did I get myself into" keeps me going. 😉

Basically, don't rule it out as an option because it's going to happen eventually (maybe not every exam, but it will hapepen). At first, I felt like I was a failure at managing my time but now I'm like, well it is what it is.

 

[Toothout]

You're already accepted? Not surprised 😉.

THIS IS WHAT YOU PICKED UP FROM ALL THOSE PARAGRAPHS I TYPED?

Haha just trying to be positive man. I edited it and inserted the word "hopefully."

We are all already accepted, we just don't know yet. 🙂

 

[Watergrizzly]

PANIC MODE ENGAGED