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I don't study !!
- Thread starter one11
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Have you tried changing up your study methods? I can't stand looking at Grant's all day long, so I use online exams and interactive atlases.
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Is this a, (poem), of .. some kind?
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You should probably study.
For your problem, this forum can't do anything but serve as a distraction. Take some responsibility for yourself.
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Failure to study when you know you need to, and everyone else around you is studying, is pretty silly and immature. Time to suck it up and hit the books. Med school is pretty unforgiving if you don't have some semblance of your act together. It only gets harder as you continue through med school, not easier -- although some people feel like it's easier because they have their acts together.
Look at it as a self preservation thing -- There are folks at many schools who fail to get things in gear and get the unwanted opportunity to take anatomy over again, and not for free. Don't go down this road, when you can avoid it.
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Have you seriously asked yourself if going to med school was the right choice for you? If you have trouble motivating yourself, maybe you should re-think your career choice. There is a much harder and longer road ahead. Don't take this post as a personal attack, I just want you to explore your options. 😎
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I definitely agree about not going home if you don't study there. I study more at home so I don't stay at school even though it would be fun to hang with my classmates, I'm just not as productive there. Try a bunch of settings, . . library, small group rooms or lecture halls at your school, coffee shops etc to see if one works better than the rest. Also maybe you could set up a reward system for yourself. It sounds lame but it can really work, like if you put in 3 hours a night for 7 days you get to do something/get something you really like, but if you don't pull it off you have to go without? The other suggestion I have is to try to look deeper into why you aren't studying when you know you need to and obviously at one point cared about medschool since you dragged yourself thru the whole pre-med/application process. When I procrastinate, it usually means that I'm depressed/stressed about something. I get the feeling that something bigger than "I just don't study" may be going on in your life. It may be something completely unrelated to medschool or it may be medschool itself. If you deal with that stressor you'll be in a much better spot to focus on what you need to do.
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Hey,
1) don't go home if you can't study
2) you're not going to learn the material in class, so if going to class and studying is going to make you REALLY tired and not want to study, just study and don't go to class. I know that's "AWFUL" advice, but at this point, I think you need to do the most that you can.
3) I can't believe you haven't learned what you need to study until now, but you need to figure this out and BE REALISTIC. SO....make a schedule that's realistic, start slow, and incorporate SEVERAL breaks. Don't arrange to study more than 5-6 hours in one day, and go somewhere that you like.
ie: I'm a ho for starbucks and it works for me, but then sometimes I change it up and go to the library.
4) GOOD LUCK!!
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I agree with other posters who've suggested that you change our study routine. Have you tried studying with someone else. During my first semester I studied with 2 other med students and it was worthwhile b/c sometimes it helps to be accountable to another person. This can backfire tho, if y'all aren't on the same academic level or if y'all just talk the entire time.
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Maybe your problem is not about studying, maybe its your motivation.
I know that during first year its hard to see your goal (MD) and sometimes our motivation wavers. Remember when you were a pre- med and you were uber- motivated? Back then if someone told you that licking the stuck gum off the bottom of his shoes would garantee you a med school admission you wouldnt think twice. Thats motivation!
First year is for many people the worst because they finally climb that mountain of med school admissions only to realize its only the first of many and taller mountains. You can see then why motivation can be quickly lost and everything suffers as a consequence. I recommend some reflection and serious thought about what you really want and what adjustments you need to do to get it going. Realize that while the next mountain is taller, thousands upon thousands have already scaled it so why not you? Realize that your ultimate goal is earning an MD after your name and realizing your dreams.
When you focus and find your motivation again, making the necessary adjustments in study habits and time management is not as hard mentally. Some students are lucky enough to have and keep that mental discipline from the start. Many make that adjustment immediately, while others are well into second year before they finally make make the mental adjustment. The point is that we as med students all have to make the necessary adjustments, find our motivation and then make the necessary changes in our habits. Just make sure you do that before its too late. As an earlier poster wrote, med school can be a pretty unforgiving place for those that dont adapt.
Dr Who
I know that during first year its hard to see your goal (MD) and sometimes our motivation wavers. Remember when you were a pre- med and you were uber- motivated? Back then if someone told you that licking the stuck gum off the bottom of his shoes would garantee you a med school admission you wouldnt think twice. Thats motivation!
First year is for many people the worst because they finally climb that mountain of med school admissions only to realize its only the first of many and taller mountains. You can see then why motivation can be quickly lost and everything suffers as a consequence. I recommend some reflection and serious thought about what you really want and what adjustments you need to do to get it going. Realize that while the next mountain is taller, thousands upon thousands have already scaled it so why not you? Realize that your ultimate goal is earning an MD after your name and realizing your dreams.
When you focus and find your motivation again, making the necessary adjustments in study habits and time management is not as hard mentally. Some students are lucky enough to have and keep that mental discipline from the start. Many make that adjustment immediately, while others are well into second year before they finally make make the mental adjustment. The point is that we as med students all have to make the necessary adjustments, find our motivation and then make the necessary changes in our habits. Just make sure you do that before its too late. As an earlier poster wrote, med school can be a pretty unforgiving place for those that dont adapt.
Dr Who
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I had a hard time sitting down and forcing myself to study. My dad suggested to me that I buy a timer, set it for 20 minutes and not get up. I put up a piece of paper next to the timer and put an X down for every 20 minutes that I was able to sit and study. After the end of every 20 minutes, I did something else like play with my dog, call a friend, etc. It was slow, but it worked. Now, I only use the timer if I can't get myself motivated. There were days when I couldn't even sit and study for the whole 20 minutes, but I at least tried. It gave me something to focus on instead of the overwhleming chore of studying.
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I think some of the other posters are being harsh. Many people managed to get by in undergrad with horrible study habits because frankly, they were smarter than most people in the class, so didn't have to work too hard to stay at the top of the class. Now, they find themselves in an environment where this strategy no longer works, and they don't know what to do.
I would suggest doing one of two things (or both) and they both rely on being accountable to somebody other than yourself.
1. Form a study group. Yeah, people always say this, but they work because you may not want to study - but if you know that your friends are going to be getting together at 6:00 pm and start asking each other questions, you won't want to look stupid.
2. Get a tutor. You may not need the actual tutoring, but just knowing that at a certain time of day, you will be reporting to somebody may help you get motivated to stay on a schedule.
Good luck! Let us know what strategies you develop.
I would suggest doing one of two things (or both) and they both rely on being accountable to somebody other than yourself.
1. Form a study group. Yeah, people always say this, but they work because you may not want to study - but if you know that your friends are going to be getting together at 6:00 pm and start asking each other questions, you won't want to look stupid.
2. Get a tutor. You may not need the actual tutoring, but just knowing that at a certain time of day, you will be reporting to somebody may help you get motivated to stay on a schedule.
Good luck! Let us know what strategies you develop.
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Look up 'depression' and decide if you have the constellation of symptoms. If you are clinically depressed, get some help. Surely there are counselors available at your school.
You've gotten lots of excellent advice on this thread to help you figure out the problem. So now, take charge of the situation. You worked too hard to get where you are now to screw it up. You do not want to pay an extra year's tuition to repeat failed classes.
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Try to make studying anatomy fun. At times, I loathe that subject myself. Why not getting together with a group and hitting the anatomy lab. Its amazing what fun you can have at midnight on a friday night in the anatomy lab with a good group of friends (just don't do it too much).
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Have no idea how u do anat at ur school but just being around in the lectures mentally plus the disection can do most of the gross part of the subject as far as embryology is concerned you shd take up langman for general embryology...and try the netter atlas thats better than grants i suppose ...dont loose hold now coz u wil hav to take it up later...stop being a lamer.....just do it!
