How long to study???

[DoubleOSevenn]

I keep hearing about people pushing their date back. I have friends who were planning on studying for the next month but are already so scared that they are pushing their dates back by a couple weeks as well. I have done some half assed studying and now i've got about a month left to get into gear. I'm hoping that is enough time. Is 5 weeks enough??

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[Roy7]

Everyones probably gonna flame me for saying so, but it's really a personal decision. No one studies like you but you. Only you can decide how much you can retain efficiently in however long you have to prepare.

Personally, I can never retain information conceptually for long periods of time w/out hitting it over and over again. So I'm going to take as long as my school allows (which is June 19th - damn them!).

But, some of my classmates feel that they can cram a ton of info into their heads in a short period of time, and it'll be there just as fresh for exactly 4 weeks - right after which everything floats away. Thus, they're taking exactly 4 weeks for their test (or however long the kaplan program is).

Think about what you've done to help you do well in lecture (study schedule wise)- apply those same principles to board review, and hope for the best. Anyone saying "any longer than 4 weeks is too much", doesnt know you, and is just saying that because he's doing/did that. Likewise, anyone saying "take it as late as possible" doesnt know your mental atrophy rate, and probably did/is doing that too. G'luck.

 

[mudphudwannabe]

That's more than enough time. 4 weeks is what people at my school are generally taking. I think I'm going to do 3 weeks after classes end, simply because I don't think I have the stamina to really study for 4 weeks straight. Sure, I could "study" for 6 weeks or longer..but it wouldn't be good, quality study time. I also have to start a clinical rotation on June 18, and I'd like to take some time to relax before that bomb drops. It's a matter of knowing yourself and your limits -- I think if you can really plan out your study time and stick with it, you'll be fine!

 

[shivasHeroLike]

Everyones probably gonna flame me for saying so, but it's really a personal decision. No one studies like you but you. Only you can decide how much you can retain efficiently in however long you have to prepare.

Personally, I can never retain information conceptually for long periods of time w/out hitting it over and over again. So I'm going to take as long as my school allows (which is June 19th - damn them!).

But, some of my classmates feel that they can cram a ton of info into their heads in a short period of time, and it'll be there just as fresh for exactly 4 weeks - right after which everything floats away. Thus, they're taking exactly 4 weeks for their test (or however long the kaplan program is).

Think about what you've done to help you do well in lecture (study schedule wise)- apply those same principles to board review, and hope for the best. Anyone saying "any longer than 4 weeks is too much", doesnt know you, and is just saying that because he's doing/did that. Likewise, anyone saying "take it as late as possible" doesnt know your mental atrophy rate, and probably did/is doing that too. G'luck.

great advice.