save me from myself

[marktwain]

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yep its been asked before and answers were surely given...

can someone please help me find a way to kick start a steady study schedule and stop veering off my mark.
I love to study, love to work, and don't mind long hours but i need a nucleus upon which to build. I had earlier thought I was cured of this problem but could not stay the course and my strength petered off!
I have tried scaring myself with the consequences of failure but that just isnt working, then I tried to remind myself of the consequence of a pass with a score <90 and that isn't working either.
Its like I have hit a wall of demonic somnolence and I can't get up. I am fighting myself so to speak...call me crazy!
I have 3months to my exam in August and I need to wake up and stay focused,

somebody, anybody, please help...tell me what has come over me and what to do to get back on track

 

[ucsfstudents]

You're not alone. This happens to many students. First suggestion is to create a study schedule for the next 3 months. Once you have a schedule, you will be more motivated. Good luck.

 

[Tristy]

Definitely not alone. I have 52 days +/- to prepare and I also tried to scare myself about the consequences of not doing well on the exam (that was when I had about 3 months to prepare).

Now I have less time and I still could care less about it. I wish I could give you some advice but, ahem, I'm here to conmiserate (sp?) with you 😛 I've been on a medical leave this year and hitting the books now feels like an impossible task, and, like I said before, I really don't care about the exam. I took an NBME the other day, barely passed it... I hope I will change my mind in the next few days as I try to force myself to study. I think that's what would help you (and me, hehe), just "fight yourself" and do it, whether you like it or not. Oh man, I truly hate Step 1. Best of luck to you

 

[marktwain]

thanks Tristy for putting things in perspective for me and to ucsfstudents, I appreciate the advice but I am all about making the plans and some how just some how cant stick to them. I have made my own schedule, borrowed other people's and then sat down and dreamed the hours away...
Its like a nightmare I can't wake up from...I know I am screaming but I can't hear myself scream.

 

[PepperMD]

thanks Tristy for putting things in perspective for me and to ucsfstudents, I appreciate the advice but I am all about making the plans and some how just some how cant stick to them. I have made my own schedule, borrowed other people's and then sat down and dreamed the hours away...
Its like a nightmare I can't wake up from...I know I am screaming but I can't hear myself scream.

Disclaimer: The following is not intended to be rude, but truly to knock some effing sense back into you so you can stop posting and start studying.

#1: Your problem doesn't come from the outside, it's all you. You've gotta own that first before you can fix it. The way you describe it there's some supernatural external malaise paralyzing you. There's not. You simply aren't doing what you need to do at any given moment to progress, then you dwell on that failure, and the cycle continues. You have a choice in the matter and you need to remind yourself of that every time you aren't doing what you need to do. Be conscious of these choices as you're making them and evaluate whether your decisions are in line with your goals.

#2: Fear, consequences, etc, are often cited as powerful motivators for some, but often you'll find that such notions will ultimately be counterproductive. As you think, "I need to study or else I'll fail", you focus on the negativity of failure. Studying becomes inextricably linked to this unpleasantness, so you avoid studying because it stirs up these powerful anxieties. Instead, as hard as it sometimes can be, try to focus on the positive consequences of studying, whether it be how awesome it will be to see your dream score on your score report, the freedom to choose whatever specialty you want, and most of all, the peace of mind of knowing that you tried as hard as you could, without having to deal with the sting of regret.

#3: Take away your choice in the matter. Yes, this appears to contradict #1, but there's a bit of nuance. When you have to decide whether to study or screw around on the internet, for instance, which is more desirable? Of course screwing around is. Making these decisions is terribly hard because you have to weigh the immediate reinforcement you'll get from doing something fun now, to the delayed, somewhat more abstract reinforcement of a good score weeks or months from now. That's a really unfair choice because we're wired very much for the former. So why not simply remove the burden of such a choice? In a time of clarity and motivation, make some concrete statements of how your life functions. Write it out if it helps. Something like: "I study from 9 to 5". Recite it out loud. ACCEPT IT AS AN IRREFUTABLE TRUTH. Then, when you're faced with a moment of weakness, something good is on TV, you want to check your email one last time, you simply remind yourself of the truth. "I'd love to watch TV right now, but I STUDY FROM 9 to 5. PERIOD." No choice in the matter. It may take a few tries to make it work, but it can be incredibly liberating once you can operate under such a framework because you no longer have to make bad decisions and beat yourself up about them, because those decisions aren't up to you anymore.

#4: Depression is very real and can wreak havoc on the best of intentions, the strongest of wills, and the purest of motivations. Obviously, if you find your problems to be wholly pervasive (i.e. you're not just slacking off because you don't like to study), definitely seek appropriate counsel.

I wish you the best of luck. As others have said, it happens to us all but you have to pick yourself back up. Luckily, time is on your side.

 

[rahulb]

start abusing adderall

 

[EBI831]

3 months? i wouldn't worry about it. shoot, i'd go on vacation. i have 5 weeks maximum...now if i lose a few days. game over.

 

[marktwain]

OUCH!!!

Pepper MD...I needed that...I mean the chill was there and at the same time there was the nuggets of wisdom.
Well played.
After I posted that thread I found what I was looking for my mojo, thanks to you I doubt there will be a relapse.

truth hurts but rocks😀

 

[Knicks]

Disclaimer: The following is not intended to be rude, but truly to knock some effing sense back into you so you can stop posting and start studying.

#1: Your problem doesn't come from the outside, it's all you. You've gotta own that first before you can fix it. The way you describe it there's some supernatural external malaise paralyzing you. There's not. You simply aren't doing what you need to do at any given moment to progress, then you dwell on that failure, and the cycle continues. You have a choice in the matter and you need to remind yourself of that every time you aren't doing what you need to do. Be conscious of these choices as you're making them and evaluate whether your decisions are in line with your goals.

#2: Fear, consequences, etc, are often cited as powerful motivators for some, but often you'll find that such notions will ultimately be counterproductive. As you think, "I need to study or else I'll fail", you focus on the negativity of failure. Studying becomes inextricably linked to this unpleasantness, so you avoid studying because it stirs up these powerful anxieties. Instead, as hard as it sometimes can be, try to focus on the positive consequences of studying, whether it be how awesome it will be to see your dream score on your score report, the freedom to choose whatever specialty you want, and most of all, the peace of mind of knowing that you tried as hard as you could, without having to deal with the sting of regret.

#3: Take away your choice in the matter. Yes, this appears to contradict #1, but there's a bit of nuance. When you have to decide whether to study or screw around on the internet, for instance, which is more desirable? Of course screwing around is. Making these decisions is terribly hard because you have to weigh the immediate reinforcement you'll get from doing something fun now, to the delayed, somewhat more abstract reinforcement of a good score weeks or months from now. That's a really unfair choice because we're wired very much for the former. So why not simply remove the burden of such a choice? In a time of clarity and motivation, make some concrete statements of how your life functions. Write it out if it helps. Something like: "I study from 9 to 5". Recite it out loud. ACCEPT IT AS AN IRREFUTABLE TRUTH. Then, when you're faced with a moment of weakness, something good is on TV, you want to check your email one last time, you simply remind yourself of the truth. "I'd love to watch TV right now, but I STUDY FROM 9 to 5. PERIOD." No choice in the matter. It may take a few tries to make it work, but it can be incredibly liberating once you can operate under such a framework because you no longer have to make bad decisions and beat yourself up about them, because those decisions aren't up to you anymore.

#4: Depression is very real and can wreak havoc on the best of intentions, the strongest of wills, and the purest of motivations. Obviously, if you find your problems to be wholly pervasive (i.e. you're not just slacking off because you don't like to study), definitely seek appropriate counsel.

I wish you the best of luck. As others have said, it happens to us all but you have to pick yourself back up. Luckily, time is on your side.

*Slowly clapping*

 

[Terpskins99]

My advice: study early in the day.

Literally, first thing in the morning, drill with questions... always timed. Block of 20-55... whatever. Then make sure you review all of your answers, sometime before the day is through.

After that, use whatever study routine you want. Just make sure that you ALWAYS do your morning questions.

Everybody hits the wall at some point. Its ok. The key is, you make sure you keep doing something every day no matter how lousy or apathetic you feel. Hitting questions first thing in the AM is a little bit of an accomplishment and helps a lot in alleviating any guilt you may feel for skipping the rest of your study routine for a day. Plus you're continuing to train your mind into getting used to answering questions while its bright outside, while you're a little sleepy and when you least want to (all 3 will stay true on test day).

 

[deleted103644]

In case you're having trouble avoiding Hulu when you're supposed to be doing USMLEWorld, this might help if you use a Mac. I don't have the link on me, but just google "selfcontrol" and maybe "slambert" and you should find it. He offers it as uncompiled code, so you need to install XCode if you haven't already to compile it. (Install DVD or developer.apple.com.)

The version he's got let's you block a blacklist or everything but a whitelist for up to 12 hours at a time. I tweaked mine a bit, and now I can't access anything but test questions and email for the next 2 months. (If you want me to send you that compiled version I can, but I won't be checking SDN much.)

Unfortunately this doesn't work for my iPhone, so that is still occasionally distracting. (And how I'm posting this now.) ;-)


Other advice: if you have cable, cancel it or have a friend put on parental controls.

 

[Tristy]

Terpskins99:

Wonderful advice about doing questions in the morning 🙂 I wanted to do some questions now and I just can't do it, my brain can just knit and that's all, lol (the knitting is a long story, haha). I'll take your advice: first do questions, then get on with everything else. TY!!