Share study techniques?

Started by SugarNaCl
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SugarNaCl

SugarNaCl

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Many predents on SDN have great stats and will get into dental school this year. Study techniques have a lot to do with academic success, so I thought it would be good to tell the others how we study so maybe we can all learn something. Are you a crammer? Do you use flash cards? Do you study a little at a time over a long time? Do you read all your assignments before class? Whatever you can think of. This can help us all prepare and maximize our study skills. Thanks 🙂 🙂 Personally, I'm a flashcard girl... but sometimes its too time consuming, and then I could definitely be a crammer in undergrad. That isn't a good study technique in my opinion 😳
 
SugarNaCl said:
Many predents on SDN have great stats and will get into dental school this year. Study techniques have a lot to do with academic success, so I thought it would be good to tell the others how we study so maybe we can all learn something. Are you a crammer? Do you use flash cards? Do you study a little at a time over a long time? Do you read all your assignments before class? Whatever you can think of. This can help us all prepare and maximize our study skills. Thanks 🙂 🙂 Personally, I'm a flashcard girl... but sometimes its too time consuming, and then I could definitely be a crammer in undergrad. That isn't a good study technique in my opinion 😳
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<-- Crammer
 
I am a huge crammer. I don't get that anxiety ambition until the night before, I study hard for a few hours and let it all go afterwards.

I also can't stand group study, I fly solo. 🙂
 
1. I read my notes into a voice recorder.
2. I save the audio file into my computer
3. Then I format the mp3 so that it plays very slowly and more quietly.
4. When I go to bed, I play the audio, along with meditation/subliminal music,
5. I make sure to use the repeat option to play the audio over and over again.

Purpose:
a. To accomplish two task: sleeping and studying
b. To incorporate the material subliminally
c. To save ~7-8 hours of wasted time
d. Repetition is key (see #5)
f. To live a more balanced life (time for both play and work)
 
major crammer. i study with my friend for big exams and we basically just throw out pop quizzes to each other every few minutes or so. i'm very disorganized when it comes to studying and i have to work on that.
 
For all crammers, use the method I described w/o the music. You will incorporate all the info subconsciously. Before you know it, you aren't cramming.😀
 
DDSY said:
1. I read my notes into a voice recorder.
2. I save the audio file into my computer
3. Then I format the mp3 so that it plays very slowly and more quietly.
4. When I go to bed, I play the audio, along with meditation/subliminal music,
5. I make sure to use the repeat option to play the audio over and over again.
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Do you really do this or are you joking?
I sort of did what you described with one professors..
he was a bit ridiculous , everyone was failing, my average was in the 80's and i needed it to go up.. for the final i recorded his lectures transcribed them and also played them on a loop while i slept.. I dont know if this actually helped me but his final seemed like a piece of cake when i took it.

The side effect is that i occasionally here one of his horrible jokes in my head.. :laugh: :laugh:
 
yeah, are you joking? if you aren't, i just may have to try that method. what program do you use to edit your mp3s? do you play them over headphones or on a stereo? how do you get rid of the static on the recordings? do you listen to lectures or just your recordings of your notes?
 
lemoncurry said:
yeah, are you joking? if you aren't, i just may have to try that method. what program do you use to edit your mp3s? do you play them over headphones or on a stereo? how do you get rid of the static on the recordings? do you listen to lectures or just your recordings of your notes?
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yeah me too. this sounds ridiculous, but h*ll, if i could sleep with a stack of books under my pillow at night and learn by diffusion i would do it!!!😛

i just have to go over and over and over my notes. also, i try to quickly figure out how a prof. designs their tests, like do they pick ?'s only from the notes or do you have to read the book as well. so far this strategy has worked well for me. i also can't study in groups. i have never gotten that concept. how do you memorize info. as a group? if i have a ? i will find someone to answer it and then i move on, no need for a group study format so far.
 
laelialudisia said:
yeah me too. this sounds ridiculous, but h*ll, if i could sleep with a stack of books under my pillow at night and learn by diffusion i would do it!!!😛

i just have to go over and over and over my notes. also, i try to quickly figure out how a prof. designs their tests, like do they pick ?'s only from the notes or do you have to read the book as well. so far this strategy has worked well for me. i also can't study in groups. i have never gotten that concept. how do you memorize info. as a group? if i have a ? i will find someone to answer it and then i move on, no need for a group study format so far.
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A 60% mix of sleeping with 40% actual studying (reading notes over and over, making a review page etc.) Not really a fan of group studying though. I too find it advantageous to think like the prof and try to nail those key concepts.
 
The conscious only make up a very small percentage of the brain. If you are in a room, the entire room would be the subconsious and a square centimeter would be the conscious. Learning subliminally will tap into this vast potential. Ever had times when someone asked you a question and out of sheer instinct, you answered quickly? The method requires that you are completely relaxed and implement the sheer facilities of your subconscious.

For more info, click here

Gl😉
 
I totally do that too! So glad to find out I'm not the only weirdo. I swear I learned dental anatomy by osmosis.
 
SugarNaCl said:
Me too! I prefer not parttaking in group study unless it's a group activity.
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I cram and don't like studying in groups either, especially for upper level classes like Ochem it seems like I just have to understand it for myself and other people just confuse me
and I've found for the most part that just studying from class notes is the best way to go
 
You guys have to study in undergrad? Good luck in dental school...😀

Just kidding! I was a crammer in undergrad...just can't do it in dschool though. I use flashcards and rewrite all the notes in an organized outline. For some classes this is impossilble to do. Read and retain as much as possible I guess.

__________________
www.DMDstudent.com
 
DDSY said:
The conscious only make up a very small percentage of the brain. If you are in a room, the entire room would be the subconsious and a square centimeter would be the conscious. Learning subliminally will tap into this vast potential. Ever had times when someone asked you a question and out of sheer instinct, you answered quickly? The method requires that you are completely relaxed and implement the sheer facilities of your subconscious.

For more info, click here

Gl😉
Click to expand...
i checked out the link and didn't see anything that would back up your method as being valid. was that the point?
 
Yeah, it's a joke.

But seriously, I didn't say it wouldn't work. I almost convinced myself to try it out.
 
bummer, i almost decided to give it a try. however, your article talked about music with barely audible messages, not playing normal volume while you sleep. who knows?
 
DDSY said:
Yeah, it's a joke.

But seriously, I didn't say it wouldn't work. I almost convinced myself to try it out.
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Aldous Huxley seemed pretty convinced in the power of hypnopaedia. If it worked for the World State, I don't see why it can't work for dental students.
 
HermeytheElf said:
Aldous Huxley seemed pretty convinced in the power of hypnopaedia. If it worked for the World State, I don't see why it can't work for dental students.
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lol you read into aldous huxely!!!......very interesting....you are gonna make one hell of a dentist!

p.s. just stay away from the nitrous
 
1. Alone- no study groups

2. Highlight- I use at least 5 diffrent colors where each color is a diffrent thing (more important, less imporatnt, TQ, and so on....)

3. Write (in points)- all the important things that I need to remmber

4. make a story- usually a song that reminds me what i need to remmber

All that I do a day or two before the exam, then on the day of the test I wake up at 5:00 am and read my notes....for me it workes...
Also I pay attention in class...I remmber a lot from lecture b/c i try to memorize while im in class....
 
shuna said:
1. Alone- no study groups

2. Highlight- I use at least 5 diffrent colors where each color is a diffrent thing (more important, less imporatnt, TQ, and so on....)

3. Write (in points)- all the important things that I need to remmber

4. make a story- usually a song that reminds me what i need to remmber

All that I do a day or two before the exam, then on the day of the test I wake up at 5:00 am and read my notes....for me it workes...
Also I pay attention in class...I remmber a lot from lecture b/c i try to memorize while im in class....
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Good stuff!!!😉
 
My personal favorite way of studying:

1) Study at night in bed,
2) get sleepy,
3) fall asleep
4) DREAM in science lingo.

The next day I'm taking the test, I'm wondering, " Hmmm...did I read about that last night, or did I make it up in my sleep?!?!?" Gotta love making up scientific crap during your "studies."
 
My psych class said that learning through listening to notes/whatever in your sleep is bogus, ie: learning a language in your sleep. But who knows. My original study habits were to not to study...but that didnt work to well. Now I just read a lot/do problems to get the concepts down and before tests try and write out everything I know on paper and clarify some things by looking back in the text. Its working out pretty well so far this year.
 
Who learns in their sleep? I've learned that I can sometimes walk thru walls when I'm asleep. Lord knows what other things my mind makes up when 😴
 
I use flashcards. Especially for biology. Remembering all those phylums can be a pain.
 
92CamaroLS1 said:
My psych class said that learning through listening to notes/whatever in your sleep is bogus
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I'm a psych major still finishing a few prereqs up for dent/med, and yeah, it basically is. I haven't heard of anything yet that shows significant support for that sort of thing 😉
 
L8DYV said:
lol you read into aldous huxely!!!......very interesting....you are gonna make one hell of a dentist!

p.s. just stay away from the nitrous
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On second thought, this might be a good idea once you start practicing if you're going to incorporate conscious sedation into your practice. While they are under you can play this on a loop: "Dr._____ is the greatest dentist the world has ever known. I feel no pain whatsoever. I am eternally grateful to him/her and will pay my balance immediately."
 
HermeytheElf said:
On second thought, this might be a good idea once you start practicing if you're going to incorporate conscious sedation into your practice. While they are under you can play this on a loop: "Dr._____ is the greatest dentist the world has ever known. I feel no pain whatsoever. I am eternally grateful to him/her and will pay my balance immediately."
Click to expand...

I can't tell who is serious and who isn't anymore on this thread, but that is just funny!:laugh:
 
I'm definitely a crammer, and i can't work in groups. So far it's working out for me.

I'll make notecards if i need to memorize a bunch of stuff in a short period of time.
 
Somehow flashcards does not work out for me, since I cant remember random pieces of infos. Im a picture girl, so I usually study by looking at pics and try to identify them. So far it works really well, especially in biology classes
Also, watch bio video about the topic u r studying helps alot.
 
I definitely like to study alone. I can get more things get accomplished. Although I must admit that I have crammed a day or two before a test, I've found that it's much more easier to study in increments over a longer period of time. I study my notes, go through the book and my notes and read and highlight important stuff, and sometimes rewrite my notes or use notecards (depending on the type of test). I also pay very close attention during lectures, even though some are boring as h3ll :laugh: .

But I definitely spend between an hour and two hours (or even more or less, depending on the content) a day studying for a week or a few days before the test. That way, the night before the test is more like a review and it doesn't seem like I'm overwhelming myself (like I did with my inorganic chem. final, even though I still passed it with a 99 😀 ).
 
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