How to Honor Classes

[mln]

---

Members don't see this ad.

For students who have been honoring classes throughout med school--
How do you approach your studying?

First year of school, I was a Pass kind of student, but not because I wasn't trying -- my studying was just very disorganized. I didn't approach lectures systematically, didn't condense notes so had way too much to go over again before an exam, and would cram and not sleep much the week of an exam.

This year, I've managed to become more organized and get up to High Pass, and just keep barely missing Honors by less than 1%. How I approach studying now is watch lecture, take really good notes & condense into an organized, condensed format & tables. I spend about 6 hrs per day condensing. I review each week's packet of condensed notes over weekends. Then, the week before the exam, I reread my condensed notes a 3rd or 4th time & further condense the information I don't know and points emphasized in class into a 20 page summary for the exam. I read this summary an additional 2-3 times before the exam. I try to be active in learning by making my own notes & creating tables and stuff like that. I also make sure I sleep 8 hrs/night the week leading up to the exam. However, like I said, I just keep missing that elusive Honors grade. I was hoping people who have been honoring their classes could give some advice or tell me how they prepare for each exam. I have one more round of exams this year, & I am right on the brink. Any comments would be greatly appreciated 🙂 Thanks!

 

[SocialistMD]

Honors comes from knowing the details as well as the summary. Continue to do what you are doing, but add a complete review of your entire syllabus over the two days before the exam. You'll find that your summaries are very good and that it won't take long to go through your entire block's worth of notes because of them, but there are some little details that you completely forgot while studying your summaries that will invariably show up on the exam.

 

[Its_MurDAH]

For students who have been honoring classes throughout med school--
How do you approach your studying?

First year of school, I was a Pass kind of student, but not because I wasn't trying -- my studying was just very disorganized. I didn't approach lectures systematically, didn't condense notes so had way too much to go over again before an exam, and would cram and not sleep much the week of an exam.

This year, I've managed to become more organized and get up to High Pass, and just keep barely missing Honors by less than 1%. How I approach studying now is watch lecture, take really good notes & condense into an organized, condensed format & tables. I spend about 6 hrs per day condensing. I review each week's packet of condensed notes over weekends. Then, the week before the exam, I reread my condensed notes a 3rd or 4th time & further condense the information I don't know and points emphasized in class into a 20 page summary for the exam. I read this summary an additional 2-3 times before the exam. I try to be active in learning by making my own notes & creating tables and stuff like that. I also make sure I sleep 8 hrs/night the week leading up to the exam. However, like I said, I just keep missing that elusive Honors grade. I was hoping people who have been honoring their classes could give some advice or tell me how they prepare for each exam. I have one more round of exams this year, & I am right on the brink. Any comments would be greatly appreciated 🙂 Thanks!

Read all the way up till the exam (ours are at 9am). That way everything is really fresh and you can breeze through the test!

I use the three scan system (I made it up):
Really try to memorize EVERY detail the first read-through even though you feel your brain is going to blow up. Then relax. A few days later, closer to the test, read the stuff a second time. This time I try to physically cover up the text and try to recall everything I can about certain headings in my syllabus from my first read. If you did the first part right, you should be able to remember about 40-45 percent of the material. Go through the entire syllabus this way constantly talking to yourself and pretending like you are teaching someone. Break the text down into your own language. Cuss if you must. I would suggest sitting alone in a room during this second read-through and away from people. The third time is when you seal the deal. The night before the test you open the text up and you scan through everything as fast as you can and try to see what you can remember, at this point you should be able to remember atleast 80-85 percent of the material, maybe more. This last perusal should get you upwards of 95 percent retention of the text. At this point in time, close the book, walk outside of the closed room you have been in for the past 10 hours and walk to a window. Enjoy the sunrise, get a bagel, sharpen your pencils, chug a redbull, and get ready to take the test.

*Obviously the percentages will vary based on person to person, and also the subject matter. This is just my experience with this "method". This arose out of laziness more so than anything else. I wanted to spend as little time as possible with the material and this works out well for me since I am not one to study every day - there are games to be played, shows to be watched, songs to be downloaded. Also, the internet doesn't surf itself.

Warning:
This will most likely give you honors but isn't the best study method for boards prep.

 

[HEADintheCLOUDS]

Read all the way up till the exam (ours are at 9am). That way everything is really fresh and you can breeze through the test!

I use the three scan system (I made it up):
Really try to memorize EVERY detail the first read-through even though you feel your brain is going to blow up. Then relax. A few days later, closer to the test, read the stuff a second time. This time I try to physically cover up the text and try to recall everything I can about certain headings in my syllabus from my first read. If you did the first part right, you should be able to remember about 40-45 percent of the material. Go through the entire syllabus this way constantly talking to yourself and pretending like you are teaching someone. Break the text down into your own language. Cuss if you must. I would suggest sitting alone in a room during this second read-through and away from people. The third time is when you seal the deal. The night before the test you open the text up and you scan through everything as fast as you can and try to see what you can remember, at this point you should be able to remember atleast 80-85 percent of the material, maybe more. This last perusal should get you upwards of 95 percent retention of the text. At this point in time, close the book, walk outside of the closed room you have been in for the past 10 hours and walk to a window. Enjoy the sunrise, get a bagel, sharpen your pencils, chug a redbull, and get ready to take the test.

*Obviously the percentages will vary based on person to person, and also the subject matter. This is just my experience with this "method". This arose out of laziness more so than anything else. I wanted to spend as little time as possible with the material and this works out well for me since I am not one to study every day - there are games to be played, shows to be watched, songs to be downloaded. Also, the internet doesn't surf itself.

Warning:
This will most likely give you honors but isn't the best study method for boards prep.

actually you didnt. You must have read a post of myne where I described this same method that EYE made up! It is copyrighted btw, so you owe me 2$100 in rolaties for using it!

 

[taponthecloud]

build a memorial to them.

 

[ClockworkDoc]

build a memorial to them.

This is the type of response I look forward to when I read these forums

 

[mln]

Thank you all for the responses! 🙂