help with study scheduling

[mcatsucksss]

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hey guys, im in dire need of some advice...
i feel like its getting dangerously close to my step1 exam but i have fallen SO far behind. taking mine in 37 days but as of right now i am not even done with 1 run of first aid yet (~70% of book) and only at 40% of the USMLE world qbank finished.

up until a few days ago i was in a funk and was barely studying each day. i would waste 6+ hours a day playing online games 😱 ! Ive uninstalled all games from my computer since then and have "gotten serious". But I cant help but feel that i screwed myself REALLY hard for not being more organized/disciplined. I just cant believe how much time ive wasted in the past month...

So as of right now I am very unsure of how to budget my remaining time... I keep setting goals like "i need to finish 30 pages of First Aid" or "i need to do 100+ UWorld questions a day" but at most i am getting like 20 pages or 80questions done in a 12-14 hour day. I feel I am just TOO slow and wont be able to get a 2nd run through of anything before the test. I'm at the point where I'm starting to freak out really bad and am losing sleep because of it.

I was wondering how bad of shape I'm in for the test and I would really appreciate any advice on how to proceed from here... If I'm really NOT ready for the test would it be wise to just skip it and take a year off? or should I just plow it and risk failing or being stuck with a really bad score?

thanks

 

[quepatho]

hey guys, im in dire need of some advice...
i feel like its getting dangerously close to my step1 exam but i have fallen SO far behind. taking mine in 37 days but as of right now i am not even done with 1 run of first aid yet (~70% of book) and only at 40% of the USMLE world qbank finished.

up until a few days ago i was in a funk and was barely studying each day. i would waste 6+ hours a day playing online games 😱 ! Ive uninstalled all games from my computer since then and have "gotten serious". But I cant help but feel that i screwed myself REALLY hard for not being more organized/disciplined. I just cant believe how much time ive wasted in the past month...

So as of right now I am very unsure of how to budget my remaining time... I keep setting goals like "i need to finish 30 pages of First Aid" or "i need to do 100+ UWorld questions a day" but at most i am getting like 20 pages or 80questions done in a 12-14 hour day. I feel I am just TOO slow and wont be able to get a 2nd run through of anything before the test. I'm at the point where I'm starting to freak out really bad and am losing sleep because of it.

I was wondering how bad of shape I'm in for the test and I would really appreciate any advice on how to proceed from here... If I'm really NOT ready for the test would it be wise to just skip it and take a year off? or should I just plow it and risk failing or being stuck with a really bad score?

thanks

If you have a pdf of FA, one of the ways to go through first aid faster is to split the pdf into chunks (using various free online programs - ask a tech-y friend how to do this) and then get your computer to read it to you. It sounds *****ic, and honestly, it sort of is, but if you're the kind of reader that gets bogged down (and I certainly am) this can help to speed up the pace.

If you have a mac, open it in preview and go to edit and click "speech". If you have a PC ask someone else how to do it.

Anyway, when it's reading the pdf to you, you can't just slow down.

Finished FA in about 4 days that way.

 

[lackli]

Hey! First of all take a deep breath and relax! You have plenty of time left 37 days is like 5 weeks. A lot of people get 4 weeks or so when they start studying and you're already a good way through your first pass and a decent chunk through Uworld. It sounds like you're in good shape!

Studying for step 1 can seem like this gigantic beast. Key is to break it down into smaller parts to keep you motivated throughout. Do you have an overarching schedule for all the topics? I've found that having a schedule (with catch up days etc) keeps me going; if I don't finish up a certain topic then I don't really have time to come back to it so I make sure I finish it the first time.

Also practice good study habits, if you can't study at home go to the library or coffee shop. Do you have a friend who you can study next to?

 

[coralis]

Whenever I find myself procrastinating a lot, I set a study schedule: like (Monday- Endo, Neuro, Psych + 100Qs) (Tuesday - Renal, Resp, Repro - + 100Qs) and so on... make sure you don't make unrealistic plans (like read 300pages today) .. that way I feel like I am in control and on top of my stuff, and the have the questions to bring your spirits up, or your motivation up. In fact... I just thought of this... you could do a combined set of 46 Q's on the topics you WILL cover that day, in the morning, and then another set AFTER you reviewed, that way it's like an instant progress report on how you did that day. You can be your own "watch guard" like that.

GOOD LUCK!!!!

 

[Proctodoc]

Hey OP, I am in the EXACT SAME BOAT. I didn't start studying until 3 weeks ago and I was so behind everyone else so I got further into a funk because I was thinking "if I'm this far behind, I'll never catch up so why bother". Wrong mentality for sure because I could have stopped thinking that way and just have doubled up on studying and be caught up by now. I am 32 days away and 50% through UWorld, about 70% through first pass of FA. I have been using Kaplan lecture for Biochem, using my own Pharm charts, and otherwise haven't used any other resources for studying.

Classmates have been studying 12+ hours a day and I find the most I can study a day is 8. It's 8 solid hours, but still not 12 solid hours 🙁 I feel really behind and am considering delaying (I would be behind one rotation but should still graduate on time) but since I'm already forgetting things I read weeks ago, probably best to just suck it up and take it.

Since we have the same problem, I suggest you take a big deep breath and forgive yourself for the slack and remember that there are others (such as myself) that have slacked off, and others only have 4 weeks to begin with to study. Next, map out what you need to cover and just cover high-yield stuff. Study smart! If you're reading over something 5 times and it's not sinking, goggle it instead or skip it just to keep the momentum going. If you're spending 4 hours reviewing one block of UWorld, then stop taking so many notes and just read. This advice totally goes for myself as well. Feel free to PM if you want to vent.