i suck at studying

[iMD]

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hey guys/gals, ive been accepted (yay, i guess.. but that's another thread 😛) and ive been worrying about how im going to make it in med school.

has anyone here sucked really bad at studying or have really bad study habits and do ok in med school? i honestly dont know how ive gotten through undergrad. i come up to school with the intention of studying all day but end up surfing the web, watching shows on the web, talking to friends, etc. so in the 6-8 hours that ive dedicated to studying, ive probably put in about 30-45min of actual work (really). i have a real hard time focusing for an extended periods of time so i do this about 6-7 times before a test and it seems to have worked but i know i cant do this for med school. the thing is i KNOW i need to buckle down but i just cant seem to make myself do it. i hope med school can scare me into doing so.

it just seems like all my med school friends are capable of buckling down and study hours on end while it's hard for me to do the same. just wondering if there are any outliers in med school that share my problem 😀

 

[psipsina]

I have to take study breaks. I use kitchen timer and I set it for 45 minutes, I make myself keep studying until it goes off. Then I set it for 15 minutes and I take a break. At the beginning of the block I only have to put in about 4 hours a day (4-5 study sessions) which I can usually pull off in one day. As I get closer to the exam and I have to buckle down and pull 12 hour days its definitely harder to stay focused, but usually by then what I call "the fear" has set in and that pushes me.

 

[mercaptovizadeh]

hey guys/gals, ive been accepted (yay, i guess.. but that's another thread 😛) and ive been worrying about how im going to make it in med school.

has anyone here sucked really bad at studying or have really bad study habits and do ok in med school? i honestly dont know how ive gotten through undergrad. i come up to school with the intention of studying all day but end up surfing the web, watching shows on the web, talking to friends, etc. so in the 6-8 hours that ive dedicated to studying, ive probably put in about 30-45min of actual work (really). i have a real hard time focusing for an extended periods of time so i do this about 6-7 times before a test and it seems to have worked but i know i cant do this for med school. the thing is i KNOW i need to buckle down but i just cant seem to make myself do it. i hope med school can scare me into doing so.

it just seems like all my med school friends are capable of buckling down and study hours on end while it's hard for me to do the same. just wondering if there are any outliers in med school that share my problem 😀

Fear of failure works. You can pull very effective 16 hour days then. The fear usually kicks in about a week before the exam, assuming you have 2-4 weeks between exams.

 

[rock_climber]

i second the kitchen timer. i go for 50 minutes and then play Wii for 15, or maybe 20 if i'm kickin ass.

 

[Dr Roboto]

hey guys/gals, ive been accepted (yay, i guess.. but that's another thread 😛) and ive been worrying about how im going to make it in med school.

has anyone here sucked really bad at studying or have really bad study habits and do ok in med school? i honestly dont know how ive gotten through undergrad. i come up to school with the intention of studying all day but end up surfing the web, watching shows on the web, talking to friends, etc. so in the 6-8 hours that ive dedicated to studying, ive probably put in about 30-45min of actual work (really). i have a real hard time focusing for an extended periods of time so i do this about 6-7 times before a test and it seems to have worked but i know i cant do this for med school. the thing is i KNOW i need to buckle down but i just cant seem to make myself do it. i hope med school can scare me into doing so.

it just seems like all my med school friends are capable of buckling down and study hours on end while it's hard for me to do the same. just wondering if there are any outliers in med school that share my problem 😀

If you intend to study, then you shouldn't be around a computer and other folks. Find yourself a nice spot in the library if you have to.

 

[iMD]

well i need my laptop to look things up and im assuming notes/lectures are online in med school.... im going to need to be around the internet.

yes, i have that little self control 🙁 it's rather frustrating... i can only read for small small bits at a time before i go crazy and want to look away/do something else.

 

[Haro4130Frame]

.

 

[ZagDoc]

You'll be fine. I was a slacker in undergrad. Now I'm just one of the other lemmings rolling around with dividers for my syllabus, 5 highlighter colors, and an ipod full of 5 different 'study playlists'.

In med school, how much you WANT to study quickly becomes overcome by how much you NEED to study. I punch my ticket and put in my daily hours now. Don't study at home because I can't focus, so I leave and go to a coffee shop where they force you to pay for wifi.

It's all about making it part of your routine. Once its in your routine, you don't even think about it or debate over whether you 'should' study anymore. It's just what you do from 2-6pm (or whatever) ever day.

 

[chiz2kul]

I have to take study breaks. I use kitchen timer and I set it for 45 minutes, I make myself keep studying until it goes off. Then I set it for 15 minutes and I take a break. At the beginning of the block I only have to put in about 4 hours a day (4-5 study sessions) which I can usually pull off in one day. As I get closer to the exam and I have to buckle down and pull 12 hour days its definitely harder to stay focused, but usually by then what I call "the fear" has set in and that pushes me.

Fear of failure works. You can pull very effective 16 hour days then. The fear usually kicks in about a week before the exam, assuming you have 2-4 weeks between exams.

I like that....The Fear. Its a HUGE motivator.

 

[GreenShirt]

Timers are a great idea to keep you on task. I use the Invisible Clock II which hooks on your waist like a pager and has a vibrating option. It's more expensive than a kitchen timer but you can use it at the library or bookstore without bothering people around you. You can also set like 50 alarms on it.

There's also some "How to Study" books out there too. Studying in medical school is a lot different than in undergrad. Be prepared for a lot of trial and error during your first year. You have to be more efficient and manage your time better so that you can have some free time to de-stress. It's worth the time investment to figure it all out.

 

[Vonsmack]

I second the poster who says get away from the computer. You don't "need" your laptop to study. Every med school prints out their notes/syllabus. Yes there are sometimes when you will need to get on to look up something on wiki, look at path slides or watch lectures online. But seriously, you can do 95% of your studying without your computer. Eliminate the distraction- because if you're not efficient in your studying you will waste a lot of time, and time as you will find out is a very precious commodity.

 

[AmiJack1983]

My study habits sound about the same, so I'm having the same fear of not being able to get my stuff done next year. Also, I've been out of school for a few years. Anyone else in the same boat?
Sorry, one more question: when do you guys typically call it a day?

 

[FrickenhugeMD]

My study habits sound about the same, so I'm having the same fear of not being able to get my stuff done next year. Also, I've been out of school for a few years. Anyone else in the same boat?
Sorry, one more question: when do you guys typically call it a day?

If the fear doesn't work for the first set of exams, doing poorer than you would have hoped is just as good of a motivator (although it comes a little too late).

I call it a day when I get to a point where I am tired enough to not be able to efficiently soak up the material I am reading. You will know when this happens. You will be looking at a lecture slide and need to read it a few times for anything to make sense. At that point I give up. I could will myself to go for another couple hours, but it is wasted time as I don't retain things nearly as well. I would rather spend that time with my GF or sleeping. I call it a night usually around 10:00 on nights that I study and watch a little tv to unwind, then head to bed around 11:00. Rest is a beautiful thing

 

[utorontograd]

I definitely agree. Timing your study sessions is a must. On weekends in my
first two years I used to do 9 x 1 hour study sessions during lax periods and
scale up closer to the exam.

I actually had a software developer create a custom web based timer
specifically for this purpose. It keeps a running log of all hours timed, so I can
make sure I'm studying consisently as I move along through the semester.

You can pause a session if you need to go to the bathroom or something.
Also, it has a visual notfication when a study session is over so as not to
bother anyone in a public place.

If anyone wants a link to it, PM me.

 

[Jwax]

I second the poster who says get away from the computer. You don't "need" your laptop to study. Every med school prints out their notes/syllabus. Yes there are sometimes when you will need to get on to look up something on wiki, look at path slides or watch lectures online. But seriously, you can do 95% of your studying without your computer. Eliminate the distraction- because if you're not efficient in your studying you will waste a lot of time, and time as you will find out is a very precious commodity.

Untrue. I think it is about 50/50 whether or not our syllabi are printed by the school for our purchase. Oftentimes they post our syllabus on blackboard or our school's page. Then there are all the slides to look at, which are also not printed. Some of us are tree-huggers (and cheapskates) which makes printing all this stuff on our own not an option. I do ~85% of my studying on my computer (the rest is looking at flashcards or textbooks).

If the fear doesn't work for the first set of exams, doing poorer than you would have hoped is just as good of a motivator (although it comes a little too late).

Agreed.

I hate studying. Passionately. Yet I do it frequently b/c there just isn't a choice. It is either study and survive or don't study and fail. You'll figure out a balance btwn slacking off and taking care of business that works out to your tolerable level of grades and your need to have a life.

 

[tendecades]

my method: have somethin to do other than studyin ... so that when u do study, ull remember that u only hav a limited time, and so u gota concentrate

i tutor two kids from 4 to 5:30 everyday, and one more kid from 7 to 8:30 everyday.. and then i work out frm 9-10... in the mornin (7-2) im either at tutorials or lectures... so u can c i got a limited time to study... nd make the best of that time...

 

[Guyton Killah]

Dont stress your self that much. Med school is no different from high school. All you need is to study more. I do 20 straight hours every day and I am among the top 5% in my school.

 

[StIGMA]

Dont stress your self that much. Med school is no different from high school. All you need is to study more. I do 20 straight hours every day and I am among the top 5% in my school.

But you still wasting almost 17% of the day! I hope you mean 20 hours per week.

 

[Charles_Carmichael]

I've got a question about studying as well. Lately, I've fallen into the bad habit of reading out loud (whispering, sort of) whatever I read and even worse, rereading paragraphs again and again. With some big exams coming up, I'm a bit nervous to change this. It started last semester with biochem and I did really well in the class, so the method works, but it's so ridiculously time-consuming. Anyone have any advice on how to break this habit of rereading stuff?

 

[BORNagainSTDENT]

I have to take study breaks. I use kitchen timer and I set it for 45 minutes, I make myself keep studying until it goes off. Then I set it for 15 minutes and I take a break. At the beginning of the block I only have to put in about 4 hours a day (4-5 study sessions) which I can usually pull off in one day. As I get closer to the exam and I have to buckle down and pull 12 hour days its definitely harder to stay focused, but usually by then what I call "the fear" has set in and that pushes me.

so you force your self to study for 12 hours straight?

 

[BORNagainSTDENT]

do people usually study in groups, or only alone? I think I would need a group.

 

[FrickenhugeMD]

do people usually study in groups, or only alone? I think I would need a group.

I only study alone or with my gf. Group studying = social hour in my opinion. I also find people constantly asking questions annoying and wasting of my ever valuable time, but this might just be me. I like to relax, and if my relax time is cut down I get cranky

 

[sprinkibrio]

You'll probably be able to keep this up first year, but don't. Then you'll fail out of second year.

 

[meister]

I've recently come to the realization that I have the exact same problem whenever I am near a computer. If I take all my stuff and go sit in the library I am 10x as productive.

I suggest you find a nice corner of the library and force yourself to do it. Time to grow up. 🙁

Oh, and group studying is a bad idea.

 

[BORNagainSTDENT]

I really dont know what to study. I end up just being overwhelmed or studying the focusing on the wrong material.

 

[confuse]

Group studying might help motivate you in this case. Stick to small groups of 2 or 3 and find someone who is motivated in studying versus socializing and it should help you focus. I didn't like group studying first year bc I found that I was more distracted with the group. However, I realize this year that it's not that group studying is bad, it's usually the people that you study with that is the problem. Study with someone who is serious and motivated about doing well, who is also a good friend, and it will help you a great deal.

 

[physics junkie]

You'll do just fine. Your bad study habits will get knocked out of you when you see the sheer volume of information flowing your way. Starting to study at the last minute now means the week before. 😀

 

[BORNagainSTDENT]

You'll be fine. I was a slacker in undergrad. Now I'm just one of the other lemmings rolling around with dividers for my syllabus, 5 highlighter colors, and an ipod full of 5 different 'study playlists'.

In med school, how much you WANT to study quickly becomes overcome by how much you NEED to study. I punch my ticket and put in my daily hours now. Don't study at home because I can't focus, so I leave and go to a coffee shop where they force you to pay for wifi.

It's all about making it part of your routine. Once its in your routine, you don't even think about it or debate over whether you 'should' study anymore. It's just what you do from 2-6pm (or whatever) ever day.

How do you get your material on audio to put on a ipod? I'm assuming its given out by the teachers?

 

[coldweatherblue]

yeah I think you'll be okay.. I was the same, never studied much in undergrad, although the day before an ochem exam I'd put in a good 4-5 hours of cramming..

starting med school is like hitting the "reset" button; you'll kind of naturally adjust to the amount of material. I was worried I'd have trouble being motivated to study too but somehow when it's the week before exams and I'm staring at 600 pages of notes and a bill from the school for $12 grand I don't have that problem. Basically it gets to the point where you need to study so bad that all you really WANT to do is study..

 

[indo]

fear. Plus, everybody's doin' it.

 

[TexasTriathlete]

Don't worry. You'll step up your game. It just happens naturally once you get started.