Low to high gpa? How'd you do it?

[sdnlurkeress]

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I know this is a basic question and may have already been answered (if you could leave a link to the thread thanks) but I have been trying hard to raise my GPA and I have experienced a downward trend instead. I've done the calculations and based off of how I think I will end this semester I will have an overall gpa of 3.2 and a science of 3.0. 😳 For this reason I'm taking a gap year instead of applying this cycle and am not applying until after graduation. Doing the math the highest I could probably get for overall would be 3.4 and science 3.37 but I am not comfortable with that being the best I can do and possibly having to settle for less. I am tired of calculating and want to see results.

I understand a lot of people on SDN have wonderful study habits to back up their stellar gpas, whether it be for the past 4 years of undergrad or even the last year of your postbac program. I know its on the lower side but I really want to push myself to be able to apply after graduation. And if I do a master's program I want to pursue it with the confidence that I would get grades needed to make up for my past mistakes. What strategies do you have to offer?

In terms of study habits, I think my problem is that I spend so much time preparing my study material that I have very little time to review the information by the time exams come around. Typically I would spend 6 to 8 hours a day typing up notes for a chapter (for one subject), have it left unfinished and have to worry about my other subjects the next day. This strategy worked freshman year with a lighter schedule and course load but it obviously just isn't cutting it anymore. I truly believe that I am a hard worker but I spend too much energy in the wrong areas. With harder upper level science courses dense with lots of material to memorize coming my way I'm absolutely frightened and am losing complete confidence in myself. I honestly feel like I cannot go to anyone for help and I am sinking into a heavy depression. I understand that I am responsible for my grades, I just want to use smarter strategies for raising them so I can secure the grades I need to apply confidently to dental school. Thank you all for your help.

 

[DancingBull]

What is the point of spending so much time making study materials if you have no time in the end to actually study? I just straight up look at the powerpoint slides and memorize them straight up while trying to understand them at the same time. This strategy has worked for me in both UG and DS so far.

 

[sdnlurkeress]

The problem was for my Microbio class the teachers would not even have half of the material they actually wanted us to know in the power points and would not specify what portions of the chapter they wanted us to study. We would ask the teacher what we should focus on for the exam and he would just say read the book. So I would end up making mini-guides so I would actually focus on learning the material instead of getting lost in all of the material because it was really dense. I was taking biochemistry at the same time and a lot of material from that class would be in my Micro textbook and if I had just read the textbook I would've been overwhelmed with information that may have not been the professor's focus. The closest thing we had were these self-assessment quizzes that were released two days before the exam. They were always much more detailed than the power points and so were the exams. When I tried just focusing on what the teacher pointed out in class there would be information from other sections in the textbook that I looked over on the exam because it wasn't mentioned in the power points at all.

I would agree that the above strategy had helped a lot in Biochemistry but in terms of other biology courses at my school they have a very similar set up to this and since Microbiology is my new major (I switched beginning of my Junior year) I am worried about other courses and them being similar in format. I got a B in the class so its not like I'm afraid I am going to flunk anything but I really need A's to balance those out.

 

[joeeeey3]

I was in a similar situation 2 years ago, but SDN gave me lots of encouragement.
Let me try to do the same and help you out.

little background of me:
2.9 gpa freshmen year (sGPA was lower)
3.3 gpa sophomore year (sGPA was lower)
4.0 junior
3.7 senior
overall: 3.5

how did I improve it? it was very stressful
I really tried studying hard starting 2nd semester of sophomore year.
At that time I thought I was trying my very best, the best I can ever do with my capabilities, but I still ended up getting Bs in science courses.
Starting junior year, I tried harder. I honestly thought I could not possibly try harder than I did in 2nd semester of sophomore year, but now that I am used to the workload, I was able to push myself even further.
I was taking more courses in junior year than I did previous years, I was studying more, but I was not stressed as much.
So, I think it's all about quickly adapting and getting yourself used to the demanded workload needed for an A.
And also, you need to quickly recognize your professors' lecture style and recognizing what ways of studying will be the best to get that A.
For example, if ur prof just reads off his slides you might just need to memorize the slides. If your prof shows u slides (which he does not provide) but does not give you enough time to copy, then u take pictures of the slides. If your prof only shows diagrams and pictures, then you might need to sit in the front and record the lectures. etc etc

You also need to realize what you need to give up.
You can't expect to sleep all you want, chill with ur friends often, hang out with ur boyfriend/girlfriend, workout, play games and still get those volunteerings, research and stellar GPA. Depending on the person, you may not need to give up much, but you may also need to give up all.

I've had a friend carrying sleeping eyepatch, sound proof earplug, extra clothings, facial lotion everyday and literally live in the library. He slept on a couch in library or on a desk only 4 hours a day but he was still able to function quite normally with some power naps here and there. During exam periods, he went home only a couple times a week in the afternoon just to take a quick shower, change clothings and would come back right away to study.

if you want to be that top student in class, you need to start putting in exceptional amount of effort accordingly
you can't expect to get an A after trying a little harder than what average students do.
it's all about how determined you are to make those sacrifices, how badly you want to pursue your dream.
remember if you put in blood, sweat and tears, nothing is impossible
I sacrificed a lot (just like many other SDNers), but you will really feel rewarding once you get that acceptance.

Lastly, remember that your AADSAS calculated GPA could be different from what it says on ur official transcript.
on my transcript it says i have 3.32 but AADSAS calculated it to 3.5, so your GPA could be higher.

good luck

 

[Papasmurf1234]

It's all a matter of motivation. Something has to "click" and you have to really, truly want what you claim you are striving for. It's all very doable. More than anything, it's probably your own lack of confidence that is holding you back.

 

[ICUrunning]

I was in a similar situation 2 years ago, but SDN gave me lots of encouragement.
Let me try to do the same and help you out.

little background of me:
2.9 gpa freshmen year (sGPA was lower)
3.3 gpa sophomore year (sGPA was lower)
4.0 junior
3.7 senior
overall: 3.5

how did I improve it? it was very stressful
I really tried studying hard starting 2nd semester of sophomore year.
At that time I thought I was trying my very best, the best I can ever do with my capabilities, but I still ended up getting Bs in science courses.
Starting junior year, I tried harder. I honestly thought I could not possibly try harder than I did in 2nd semester of sophomore year, but now that I am used to the workload, I was able to push myself even further.
I was taking more courses in junior year than I did previous years, I was studying more, but I was not stressed as much.
So, I think it's all about quickly adapting and getting yourself used to the demanded workload needed for an A.
And also, you need to quickly recognize your professors' lecture style and recognizing what ways of studying will be the best to get that A.
For example, if ur prof just reads off his slides you might just need to memorize the slides. If your prof shows u slides (which he does not provide) but does not give you enough time to copy, then u take pictures of the slides. If your prof only shows diagrams and pictures, then you might need to sit in the front and record the lectures. etc etc

You also need to realize what you need to give up.
You can't expect to sleep all you want, chill with ur friends often, hang out with ur boyfriend/girlfriend, workout, play games and still get those volunteerings, research and stellar GPA. Depending on the person, you may not need to give up much, but you may also need to give up all.

I've had a friend carrying sleeping eyepatch, sound proof earplug, extra clothings, facial lotion everyday and literally live in the library. He slept on a couch in library or on a desk only 4 hours a day but he was still able to function quite normally with some power naps here and there. During exam periods, he went home only a couple times a week in the afternoon just to take a quick shower, change clothings and would come back right away to study.

if you want to be that top student in class, you need to start putting in exceptional amount of effort accordingly
you can't expect to get an A after trying a little harder than what average students do.
it's all about how determined you are to make those sacrifices, how badly you want to pursue your dream.
remember if you put in blood, sweat and tears, nothing is impossible
I sacrificed a lot (just like many other SDNers), but you will really feel rewarding once you get that acceptance.

Lastly, remember that your AADSAS calculated GPA could be different from what it says on ur official transcript.
on my transcript it says i have 3.32 but AADSAS calculated it to 3.5, so your GPA could be higher.

good luck

how did that happen, do you know? Or perhaps youre talking about the overall gpa without the +/-? Because I can see how that would help people especially if they have a lot of minus grades.

 

[joeeeey3]

how did that happen, do you know? Or perhaps youre talking about the overall gpa without the +/-? Because I can see how that would help people especially if they have a lot of minus grades.

I'm not sure what you mean but.....
those gpas are gpas for THAT specific year.
Overall gpa after each year was more like:
2.9 after freshmen, 3.1 after sophomore (so freshmen gpa and sophomore combined), 3.3 after junior, 3.4 ish after senior

I was enjoying college too much during my first several semesters of college haha

 

[ICUrunning]

I'm not sure what you mean but.....
those gpas are gpas for THAT specific year.
Overall gpa after each year was more like:
2.9 after freshmen, 3.1 after sophomore (so freshmen gpa and sophomore combined), 3.3 after junior, 3.4 ish after senior

I was enjoying college too much during my first several semesters of college haha

I bolded part of your first quote at the end so you may have missed it here it is again: i have 3.32 but AADSAS calculated it to 3.5
So I was wondering how did that happen?

Likewise, I partied too hard the first 2 years of college and I dropped the ball. Same position, brah.

 

[joeeeey3]

I bolded part of your first quote at the end so you may have missed it here it is again: i have 3.32 but AADSAS calculated it to 3.5
So I was wondering how did that happen?

Likewise, I partied too hard the first 2 years of college and I dropped the ball. Same position, brah.

my apologies for not being clear

overall gpa on official transcript: 3.42
science gpa calculating from official transcript: 3.32
overall gpa calculated on AADSAS: 3.5
BCP gpa calculated on AADSAS: 3.42
science gpa calculated on AADSAS: 3.33

im not sure of +/- stuff or the calculation that AADSAS did. but thats what it says
cheers

 

[joeeeey3]

and remember OP, life is not fair.
I've had three 10-year old students in my Orgo 2 class.
They were able to pull off a good grade without much effort.
But, you shouldn't mind them and just try everything you can till you get that A

 

[Blake1e]

IMO, rather than waste time typing up notes, read quickly (or skim) the lecture/chapter so you become acquainted with the material then create your own practice questions (multiple choice, fill-in-the-blank, etc). I prefer to do it with a pen and paper, but you could type it if you want. Creating your own questions forces you to understand (though most of undergrad is pretty straight forward) the material. Additionally, by understanding its easier to remember and by simply writing it down also helps with memorization.
So youre pretty much creating your very own practice test and answer key to go along with it. If youve ever taken a (practice) test after already looking through the answers, then youll know its pretty hard to not remember the answers and by extension the material the test covered. Doing what I suggest will shorten time you need to study and will lock the info in your head whether you want it in your head or not (its been a year since I took biochem and with a little effort I can still recall every rxn for a few pathways).

Ive always been a bit of a nerd, I ranked pretty well in high school. I had low GPAs for the first 2 years in undergrad for the same reason as ICUrunning and also for me girls can be a huge distraction to me to the point Im like a little kid with full-blown ADHD thats having way too much fun to do homework/study. What helped was realizing Im heading down an awful future and then solidifying that feeling by riding public transportation a lot, which in retrospect is kinda funny. So I cut the partying. As for my girls problem, 1) actively avoiding them all or 2) having a serious long-term gf. These 2 approaches helped immensely b/c they made my life more stable, less chaotic and distracting. Im currently doing the 2nd approach, I like it better, its less lonely and the 1st approach takes some serious dedication to do. If youre a girl the 2nd approach should work better for you, at least thats what some girls tell me.

So thats my secret for how I went from getting less than 3.0 GPAs every semester to getting 4.0s (or very close).

 

[Jerm174]

Just finished first year UG. First semester was a bit stressful. I couldn't keep up with the workload and got two fat, ugly C's. Second semester worked out better; I just got my grades back and finished the semester with a 3.7. I observed my professors' teaching styles, like @joeeeey3 mentioned. It was particularly useful to review past midterms because they are often very similar!! I actually learned how to spend less time studying but focus on what's important. I surrounded myself with like-minded people and became great friends with them! Being a commuter, I realized that sometimes it's just not worth it to spend 2 hours commuting to school for a 1 hour lecture, especially when I could be studying for an exam. I did however lack a big chunk of participation/attendance marks and because of that was 0.26% away from an A in physics 😡. Just goes to show you have to be really smart about managing your time!

 

[mal-predent95]

I am currently a freshman and ended this year with a 2.0 but a relatively low amount of credits (22)
is there hope???

 

[Roosevelt]

I am currently a freshman and ended this year with a 2.0 but a relatively low amount of credits (22)
is there hope???

there's always hope

 

[sdnlurkeress]

and remember OP, life is not fair.
I've had three 10-year old students in my Orgo 2 class.
They were able to pull off a good grade without much effort.

Wow I heard of one kid in university but three 10 year olds in the same class? Were they triplets or something?

Thank you for the advice everyone, its definitely been encouraging seeing how you guys changed your GPAs so radically. @joeeeey3 I definitely see your point that if I want to have extraordinary grades then I can't expect to just do a little more than above average because that literally gave me above average grades. Reading about your friend making his home in the library I think I'm going to have to find that sanctuary for studying as well as I have seen how that became an issue this semester especially. @Blake1e I actually started trying that method when reviewing some pathways for my final and it helped a lot. Typing questions was definitely faster and I think for somethings instead of writing down the questions I'll cut down on the time and ask them aloud to myself until its sticks. I'll definitely use that more next fall. @Jerm174 I like your point on surrounding oneself with likeminded people. My boyfriend gets much better grades than me working half as hard which is frustrating but I'll just have to ignore that. He's been supportive but I'm going to try and find people more eager to put the same (or more) amount of work into studying because that is definitely helpful. Looks like I'm going to have to make more friends!

 

[sdnlurkeress]

I did however lack a big chunk of participation/attendance marks and because of that was 0.26% away from an A in physics . Just goes to show you have to be really smart about managing your time!

My physics teacher gave us around 5 points of extra credit to our grade for attending one day of class. I normally just studied at home but I was so glad I went to class that day. 😛

 

[techyguy]

It's all a matter of motivation. Something has to "click" and you have to really, truly want what you claim you are striving for. It's all very doable. More than anything, it's probably your own lack of confidence that is holding you back.

Behavior = Ability * Motivation * Trigger

Behavior in this case is performing well in a class. I think ability roughly equates to IQ, in this equation. You can certainly look at your own prior record to see if you have some ability. IQ's are set at roughly age 3, though, IIRC.

So yeah, motivation is a big component. Motivation can be broken down into a lot of components, but I like the ideas of intrinsic motivation and extrinsic motivation. If all you're working for in the class is a grade, or for money later, that's extrinsic motivation. If you find yourself intrigued by the material and like it for it is, regardless of how learning it will effect outside consequences, then that's intrinsic motivation. I know I was told about a study once that compared the two and found that intrinsically motivated individuals tend to perform better on certain tasks, but I've searched for it and haven't been able to find it.

If your motivation is tied almost exclusively to becoming a doctor or a dentist later, and you fall on your face right out of the gate, you may lose all hope and find yourself spiraling downward. I should know...

Disclaimer: this is all Psych 101 stuff, and I'm far from an expert.

 

[LaughingGas]

Already great tips here.
Just to add few pointers:
- It's hard to motivate to study if you are getting crappy grades. Figure out why that's happening and think if you actually had done everything possible within your power to do well. I prioritized studying: for first few months I disconnected FB, didn't hang out with my friends and spend weekends reading. You start getting good grades, you will get motivated enough to maintain it.
-Everybody has different learning style, I changed mine about 4 times. For intro classes, I studied hard: read, take notes from both book and lecture -> beginning of upper div courses - underline important stuff in the book -> make a compressed notes from lectures or underline powerpoint -> now - just like Dancingbull suggested. As Blake1e said, it is easier to remember if you study the "WHY". I was able to cut down studying time from 6 hours a day to 1 hour a day.
Keep trying different methods and you will eventually find the one method that works best for you. Remember, study smart not hard.

 

[Miley Cyrus.]

Time management and scheduling your day by every hour is what works.

 

[sdnlurkeress]

Thanks again guys. I'm taking only one class with a lab this summer and will have Monday and Friday off so that'll be plenty of time for me to "experiment" with these strategies safely while reviewing for the DAT.

 

[Papasmurf1234]

Behavior = Ability * Motivation * Trigger

Behavior in this case is performing well in a class. I think ability roughly equates to IQ, in this equation. You can certainly look at your own prior record to see if you have some ability. IQ's are set at roughly age 3, though, IIRC.

So yeah, motivation is a big component. Motivation can be broken down into a lot of components, but I like the ideas of intrinsic motivation and extrinsic motivation. If all you're working for in the class is a grade, or for money later, that's extrinsic motivation. If you find yourself intrigued by the material and like it for it is, regardless of how learning it will effect outside consequences, then that's intrinsic motivation. I know I was told about a study once that compared the two and found that intrinsically motivated individuals tend to perform better on certain tasks, but I've searched for it and haven't been able to find it.

If your motivation is tied almost exclusively to becoming a doctor or a dentist later, and you fall on your face right out of the gate, you may lose all hope and find yourself spiraling downward. I should know...

Disclaimer: this is all Psych 101 stuff, and I'm far from an expert.

Interesting analysis....but I disagree. Whether your GPA is linked to your IQ...perhaps...perhaps not. IMO, it doesn't matter where your motivation stems from. Motivations, like everything else, change over time. Freshman year I had a 3.0 cum gpa (with my spring quarter at 2.7) and my newly found motivation was "extrinsic" as you call it, as I wanted to do well for the sake of the possibility of obtaining a lucrative job. That motivation got me 4.0s throughout the rest of my collegiate career. Now, my motivation is different. Sure, the motivation to make a lot of money is still there but now there is also respect, happiness, self worth, etc...

 

[techyguy]

For study/homework time and task management, look into this technique:
Pomodoro Technique

Basically, you set a timer and work 25 mins, then 5 min break, then on the fourth one of these "pomodoros," you take a 15 minute break. When I do this, I actually do keep the ticking clock going. There are all sorts of free iPhone/Android/Mac and maybe Windows apps for this. I don't always need it, but I stay focused much better when I know my 5 or 15 min. break to fool around on the internet is coming up soon.

 

[techyguy]

Interesting analysis....but I disagree. Whether your GPA is linked to your IQ...perhaps...perhaps not. IMO, it doesn't matter where your motivation stems from. Motivations, like everything else, change over time. Freshman year I had a 3.0 cum gpa (with my spring quarter at 2.7) and my newly found motivation was "extrinsic" as you call it, as I wanted to do well for the sake of the possibility of obtaining a lucrative job. That motivation got me 4.0s throughout the rest of my collegiate career. Now, my motivation is different. Sure, the motivation to make a lot of money is still there but now there is also respect, happiness, self worth, etc...

How could your grade not be linked to your IQ? IQ is a measure of intelligence - intelligence is defined in a lot of ways, one being the ability to recognize patterns, namely the ones in the material you're trying to learn. Now, certainly there is some IQ threshold above which anyone should be able to grok Organic Chemistry, Biochemistry and A&P and the like, but, intuitively, the higher your IQ, the easier you'll find this, and the less motivation you'll need to sustain to get the grade. Thus the equation.

Intrinsic vs. extrinsic motivation is a big can of worms. I may try to come up with some studies later. I wasn't giving any prescription directly related to the thread title anyway, but I thought it was worth mentioning.

 

[distressstudent]

Well an IQ test does not accurately measure what it is meant to measure. If you look up the research on it, using IQ as a predictor of academic success is actually very shaky. There are so that says yes IQ is great; while there are other studies that says no no IQ doesn't tell you jack squat. Ultimately, the IQ test is a great test to conduct to determine people who have learning disability ( why it was designed in the first place). But to identify people who are exceptionally smart, the IQ test falls short. But that's a huge huge cans of worms and so let's not get into that.

But yeah that Behavior = Ability * Motivation * Trigger stuff sounds great.

just a few notes. I see some people bringing in the "type" of motivation into the equation; I believe that's not appropriate. The only thing that should be accounted for is the intensity of your motivation aka how passionate are you.

 

[Papasmurf1234]

How could your grade not be linked to your IQ? IQ is a measure of intelligence - intelligence is defined in a lot of ways, one being the ability to recognize patterns, namely the ones in the material you're trying to learn. Now, certainly there is some IQ threshold above which anyone should be able to grok Organic Chemistry, Biochemistry and A&P and the like, but, intuitively, the higher your IQ, the easier you'll find this, and the less motivation you'll need to sustain to get the grade. Thus the equation.

Intrinsic vs. extrinsic motivation is a big can of worms. I may try to come up with some studies later. I wasn't giving any prescription directly related to the thread title anyway, but I thought it was worth mentioning.

I never said IQ was a measure of intelligence nor did I say it wasn't. The problem with quantitative labels like "IQ" leads to people being overly obsessed and spending all of their time and energy worrying about whether they are "intelligent enough" to succeed academically. It serves as an excuse for lazy people who say, "Oh, my IQ is just average so I can never get the good grade that guy gets". I can tell you that during my freshman year (and all of my pre-collegiate years), I couldn't focus for more than 15 minutes at a time and my ability to retain information was nonexistent. But once I found my motivation, I was able to study for 5, 6 or even 7 hours straight without blinking an eye.

 

[Mediumrare]

To be honest, just bust your ass like your life depends on it an you'll be surprised at the results. Buck up and don't accept a "B." That would be... Illogical.

 

[CoFe2]

It's all a matter of motivation. Something has to "click" and you have to really, truly want what you claim you are striving for. It's all very doable. More than anything, it's probably your own lack of confidence that is holding you back.

THIS

I got a B in every single science class I took freshman and sophomore year despite spending all of my spare time in the library studying. I wasn't happy with it but I learned to accept it because I remember thinking I was inferior to the smarter kids in my class and that the A's were meant for people like them... not me. It took until my junior year to realize "you know what? I AM one of those people" and honestly as soon as I convinced myself of that everything changed. I've gotten an A in every science class since.

I don't know if I necessarily study more than I did then but I think my study time is more efficient. Instead of trying to figure out what the prof. will be testing me on, I just try to understand and learn everything. It's silly trying to spend hours examining things trying to figure out what you do and don't need to memorize... that doesn't work.

 

[techyguy]

Well an IQ test does not accurately measure what it is meant to measure. If you look up the research on it, using IQ as a predictor of academic success is actually very shaky. There are so that says yes IQ is great; while there are other studies that says no no IQ doesn't tell you jack squat. Ultimately, the IQ test is a great test to conduct to determine people who have learning disability ( why it was designed in the first place). But to identify people who are exceptionally smart, the IQ test falls short. But that's a huge huge cans of worms and so let's not get into that.

But yeah that Behavior = Ability * Motivation * Trigger stuff sounds great.

just a few notes. I see some people bringing in the "type" of motivation into the equation; I believe that's not appropriate. The only thing that should be accounted for is the intensity of your motivation aka how passionate are you.

Do you have links to any studies that say IQ doesn't measure what it's supposed to measure? That sounds interesting. However, I never said that IQ had a particularly strong correlation to grades, I just said it's a factor. Also, see below, about a threshold. A quick googling shows that "working memory," has an effect, too, which is another "ability," in the equation. I should've added that, but that's why I added my disclaimer (wasn't even a psych. major =).

I never said IQ was a measure of intelligence nor did I say it wasn't. The problem with quantitative labels like "IQ" leads to people being overly obsessed and spending all of their time and energy worrying about whether they are "intelligent enough" to succeed academically. It serves as an excuse for lazy people who say, "Oh, my IQ is just average so I can never get the good grade that guy gets". I can tell you that during my freshman year (and all of my pre-collegiate years), I couldn't focus for more than 15 minutes at a time and my ability to retain information was nonexistent. But once I found my motivation, I was able to study for 5, 6 or even 7 hours straight without blinking an eye.

I agree that getting hung up on questioning ones own intellectual ability is a problem, that's why I posted the equation, and then emphasized that motivation matters. That doesn't mean we should ignore any part that can be quantified if it's statistically significant, though.

That's also why I mentioned the idea of a threshold. What is the lowest IQ someone can have and still make an A in Organic? I bet it's pretty low, actually. Or, no doubt there is some line on a graph of IQ vs. Organic Chemistry grade where the correlation is 0, and motivation takes over.

Anyone who is questioning why they're not making the grade, can try to assess those 2 or 3 pieces of the equation. Do you have the ability? Well, how have you done in the past? How well could you have done if you'd had your head in the game? Then move on to motivation.

Lastly, I didn't want to draw this discussion out. Organization skills and time management are probably what this thread should be talking about anyway. I still haven't read through the suggestions to make my own, except the pomodoro one.

 

[techyguy]

I don't know if I necessarily study more than I did then but I think my study time is more efficient. Instead of trying to figure out what the prof. will be testing me on, I just try to understand and learn everything. It's silly trying to spend hours examining things trying to figure out what you do and don't need to memorize... that doesn't work.

Actually, I think making topic lists for tests, and trying to break down what you will be tested on is a good thing. If your answer ends up being something close to "everything," then good. It's an organizational skill.

The keys:
1) Don't get behind, so that you're prioritizing what you're learning and leaving some things off.
2) Recognize that you will not be perfect, and you'll have to amend the list and adjust priorities based on your own seat-of-the-pants assessments of your strengths and weaknesses.
3) Consider Hofstadler's Law for study time:
Hofstadter's Law: It always takes longer than you expect, even when you take into account Hofstadter's Law.