stuck in a rut...please help :(

[pteryfossa]

So we are almost done with our first year and I still have not figured out how to study in medical school. I consistently score 10-15 points below average. I study 4-5 hours a day or at least sit with the book for that long but I guess the material just doesn't "stick". I do find the material interesting so it's not that. When I try to study, my mind seems to be everywhere else but on that page. I often gloss over a couple of paragraphs before I realize that I have been daydreaming.

I have really started to doubt my intelligence. I mean I consider myself lucky for being able to get into med school but now I feel that no matter what I do, I can't even be an average student. What's frustrating is that when I talk to some of the students in our class, I feel like I have more common sense or just understand things better than them yet, when it comes to exams I can't do well enough to even make a B.

I am worried that if I have this much trouble my 1st year, how am I going to pass 2nd year? I usually study till the last minute (studying 12-14 hours during exams) because the material I went over before somehow didn't "stick" so I have to keep reviewing it. And the more I study, the more I feel I am forgetting the basic informations. My grades in each subject have been almost the same no matter how I try to change up my study methods. I am tired but still motivated. However, I just don't know how to methodically go about studying a material so I can actually review it during exam week and not have to relearn it.

I tried talking to the school counselor but he gave me a study schedule in which I would study about 3-5 hours during the week and review that week's material over the weekend. But, I fall behind really quickly if I really try to understand a material (I guess I am a slow learner). I also don't pick up on what's important/emphasized in class.

Obviously, I am inefficient. But, I honestly don't know what to do to get out of this downward spiral. I am often tempted to think that I have ADD since I get distracted when I try to study (but I have a feeling a lot of student might feel that way).

Anyway, I would appreciate any advice you guys have for me. Obviously, my ideas aren't working anymore so I figured I will give others' ideas a try...

Thanks for listening...🙂

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[seelee]

So we are almost done with our first year and I still have not figured out how to study in medical school. I consistently score 10-15 points below average. I study 4-5 hours a day or at least sit with the book for that long but I guess the material just doesn't "stick". I do find the material interesting so it's not that. When I try to study, my mind seems to be everywhere else but on that page. I often gloss over a couple of paragraphs before I realize that I have been daydreaming.

I have really started to doubt my intelligence. I mean I consider myself lucky for being able to get into med school but now I feel that no matter what I do, I can't even be an average student. What's frustrating is that when I talk to some of the students in our class, I feel like I have more common sense or just understand things better than them yet, when it comes to exams I can't do well enough to even make a B.

I am worried that if I have this much trouble my 1st year, how am I going to pass 2nd year? I usually study till the last minute (studying 12-14 hours during exams) because the material I went over before somehow didn't "stick" so I have to keep reviewing it. And the more I study, the more I feel I am forgetting the basic informations. My grades in each subject have been almost the same no matter how I try to change up my study methods. I am tired but still motivated. However, I just don't know how to methodically go about studying a material so I can actually review it during exam week and not have to relearn it.

I tried talking to the school counselor but he gave me a study schedule in which I would study about 3-5 hours during the week and review that week's material over the weekend. But, I fall behind really quickly if I really try to understand a material (I guess I am a slow learner). I also don't pick up on what's important/emphasized in class.

Obviously, I am inefficient. But, I honestly don't know what to do to get out of this downward spiral. I am often tempted to think that I have ADD since I get distracted when I try to study (but I have a feeling a lot of student might feel that way).

Anyway, I would appreciate any advice you guys have for me. Obviously, my ideas aren't working anymore so I figured I will give others' ideas a try...

Thanks for listening...🙂

I am only an MS 0 so take this for what it is worth

First, you should talk to a professor/counselor about your problem. They (since they know you personally) might be able to give you more specific advice.

Second, you don't give a lot of details in your post about your actual study habits. If your studying is based entirely on reading then I am not surprised that you are having trouble. Reading is oftentimes the most inefficient way to study.

Some tips:
1. Get a timer and set it for an hour. Study a certain subject. Whenever you get up to go to the bathroom, get something to eat/drink etc. stop the timer. When the hour is up, move to a different subject. Keep rotating like this to keep your head from getting bored.

2. Avoid reading straight through. Read chapter headings, chapter intros, chapter summaries, figure captions, bolded text in that order. Undergrad texts have study questions (not sure about med school texts), if they do then work through those before your read anyfurther. Answer the ones that you can, the ones that you don't know you should be able to find where the answer is after skimming the chapter. Read enough to answer the question in your own words. Write/type both the question and your answer (great for future study and review). Writing out those answers in your own words will do wonders for helping you to internalize the material.

3. Study pdf slides. (If your prof hands them out). Go through the slides. For each slide, find a place in the text where it discusses that topic and write details in the margins of the slide (once again for future study). Pathways/structures/mechanisms, draw out on paper, over and over again untill you can do it without assistance. Lists of crap, flashcards baby flashcards. Don't use storebought flashcards either, making them yourself is a good way to learn the material.

4. Study in groups. Take turns teaching the material to each other. I can't stress this enough. Putting the information into your own words, either spoken or written, is the best way to retain and internalize it.

5. Talk to a psychiatrist about the possibility of having ADD. Taking medication for it can be a night and day difference.

Good luck, I hope this helps, and if anyone else has any suggestions, I would be glad to hear them.

Hope this helps. If anyone has additional study tips

 

[wahoo2009]

Reading your post, I really think you might benefit from studying in groups.
Studying in groups is more interactive and this may help you concentrate and "absorb" the material.

 

[HPSPpayissues]

I study 4-5 hours a day or at least sit with the book for that long

That should be more than enough. Don't read the entire book. Read your notes and if you don't understand them, go read! Also, readings should be done to reaffirm your understanding of major concepts- not to memorize details. That is what notes are for...

 

[HPSPpayissues]

Reading your post, I really think you might benefit from studying in groups.
Studying in groups is more interactive and this may help you concentrate and "absorb" the material.

Studying in groups isn't necessarily going to help him 'beat' the curve. There will be a ton of people studying and going over the material a lot more (which means more repetition) while he is chit-chatting with group members.

 

[njbmd]

So we are almost done with our first year and I still have not figured out how to study in medical school. I consistently score 10-15 points below average. I study 4-5 hours a day or at least sit with the book for that long but I guess the material just doesn't "stick". I do find the material interesting so it's not that. When I try to study, my mind seems to be everywhere else but on that page. I often gloss over a couple of paragraphs before I realize that I have been daydreaming.

I have really started to doubt my intelligence. I mean I consider myself lucky for being able to get into med school but now I feel that no matter what I do, I can't even be an average student. What's frustrating is that when I talk to some of the students in our class, I feel like I have more common sense or just understand things better than them yet, when it comes to exams I can't do well enough to even make a B.

I am worried that if I have this much trouble my 1st year, how am I going to pass 2nd year? I usually study till the last minute (studying 12-14 hours during exams) because the material I went over before somehow didn't "stick" so I have to keep reviewing it. And the more I study, the more I feel I am forgetting the basic informations. My grades in each subject have been almost the same no matter how I try to change up my study methods. I am tired but still motivated. However, I just don't know how to methodically go about studying a material so I can actually review it during exam week and not have to relearn it.

I tried talking to the school counselor but he gave me a study schedule in which I would study about 3-5 hours during the week and review that week's material over the weekend. But, I fall behind really quickly if I really try to understand a material (I guess I am a slow learner). I also don't pick up on what's important/emphasized in class.

Obviously, I am inefficient. But, I honestly don't know what to do to get out of this downward spiral. I am often tempted to think that I have ADD since I get distracted when I try to study (but I have a feeling a lot of student might feel that way).

Anyway, I would appreciate any advice you guys have for me. Obviously, my ideas aren't working anymore so I figured I will give others' ideas a try...

Thanks for listening...🙂

My estimation of your problem is that you become most inefficient when you try to force your study beyond your attention span. Some strategies for correcting this are:

• Set a cheap kitchen timer for 50 minutes (the attention span of most people).
• Study while the timer is counting down the time.
• When the timer goes off, set it for 10 minutes (your break time).
• On your break, get up, get something to drink, don't look at your study materials, walk away or just walk around and look out or the window etc.
• At the end of your 10-minute break, set the timer for 50 minutes and repeat the above.
• If your attention span is less than 50 minutes then adjust downward but don't make your breaks more than 10 minutes unless they are a dinner break.

The benefit of the above is that you force yourself to adjust to when your memory is most efficient. You also take advantage of learning when you mind is refreshed and ready to learn.

The next thing to do is make sure that you are organized in terms of your study materials. You need to have your text ( if you use one), your previous notes, your present notes and the syllabus that outlines what is to come in the next lecture.

Review your previous lecture and then study your present lecture within the context of how it relates to your previous lecture. Preview the key terms and objectives for your next lecture so that they are in your mind when you listen to the next lecture. Again, do this work in 50 (or 30) minute intervals (what ever your attention span) and don't try to sit for hours at a time. Physical movement can make your brain more efficient too.

On the weekend, review the previous week's worth of materials and prepare for the upcoming week. Set your study schedule at this time too. If you find that you have fallen behind the class, go immediately to where the class is and use the weekend for catch-up. Don't let yourself get more than one lecture behind in the first place and let this be for an emergency situation.

Allow yourself at least 6 hours minimally on a weekend to get completely away from studying and school work. If you have been efficient enough, then take a day but minimally, you need to take six hours. Go to the movies, spend some time with your SO or play some video games. Don't drink alcohol as that can reduce your efficiency. Save the drinking for holidays when you don't have anything to study.

Finally, stop beating up on yourself if you can rote recall everything in your coursework. Do as much as you physically can get done and go for increased efficiency. Stop listening to people who tell you that they only study a couple of hours and get honors (they lie). Congratulate them and move on. You can't afford to compare yourself to others (pre-med syndrome). It is a complete waste of valuable study time.

Being a good student has very little to do with intelligence and everything to do with adapting your study habits to the tasks at hand. This takes experience and analysis on your part to make the changes that you need. A low-IQ savant can recite the entire New York phone directory but they don't have much understanding of other things and don't adapt very well.

 

[seelee]

Studying in groups isn't necessarily going to help him 'beat' the curve. There will be a ton of people studying and going over the material a lot more (which means more repetition) while he is chit-chatting with group members.

Good point, the obvious benefit of a group study session is how efficient the group is.

I usually meet with a group once a week for an hour per subject. We review key points and take turns teaching each other. Going over the material verbally can really help retention.

I definitely would not do more than 10-20% of my studying in a group.

Also, when I am reading, sometimes if I read quietly out loud (not loud enough to disturb other mind) I can stay focused longer.

 

[Tiger26]

I basically stopped reading when I saw 4-5 hrs/day. For some people that's enough. For you, it's not--study more. Hell, double that and study ten hrs/day and try not going to class for a while. You're kinda at the point where you have to do whatever it takes to be good at this, because at the least, you can't really afford to fail and have that kinda debt w/o a degree in this economy.

I had the same worries as you did 1st year, so instead of overanalyzing it, I just studied my tail off pretty much every day, all day 2nd year and I started doing well.

 

[WellWornLad]

I basically stopped reading when I saw 4-5 hrs/day. For some people that's enough. For you, it's not--study more. Hell, double that and study ten hrs/day and try not going to class for a while.

I strongly disagree. While it may work to increase your study time, it's a Pyrrhic victory when you end up burning out. 4-5 hours a day should be more than plenty if you attend lectures.

Sounds like you're not really using your study time efficiently. I know several people who seem to study every waking hour, yet end up barely passing. When I see them, they've got their laptop out with a million windows open, listening to music, and answering text messages. Complete and utter waste of time.

On my worst weeks, I put in about 20-25 hours of study time. Off weeks I can cut that down to maybe 4-5. When I study, however, it's all out. No music, no noise, no people within 20 meters if I can get away with it. No phone, no computer unless I absolutely have to (radiology, etc.). If I'm not fully rested, I won't bother studying unless it can't be avoided. I make sure I've eaten before starting. Sometimes I indulge in caffeine. I also find that ginkgo biloba helps me focus, but it could just be a placebo effect. No clocks - I'm done studying when I'm done with whatever material I wanted to cover, or physiological needs keep me from fully concentrating (bladder, sleep, hunger, whatever).

Focus is absolutely key - you have to be invested in the material, picturing it in your head as it is being described on the page. It's very, very difficult to truly concentrate on material if you're just passively reading it. If you find yourself daydreaming, forget it. Deal with whatever is distracting you and come back to studying when you're ready to concentrate.

Besides focus, active learning is most important. Write down important points in your own words. When you read something you don't understand, stop and think about it. At the end of logical sections, retread the material in your head as if you were describing it to someone else, and if you can't do that, go back until you can.

Before tests is the time to go into "light reading" mode and quickly cover all the material. If anything strikes you as unfamiliar or hazy, write it down so you know what to go back over.

 

[MDpride]

My estimation of your problem is that you become most inefficient when you try to force your study beyond your attention span. Some strategies for correcting this are:

• Set a cheap kitchen timer for 50 minutes (the attention span of most people).
• Study while the timer is counting down the time.
• When the timer goes off, set it for 10 minutes (your break time).
• On your break, get up, get something to drink, don't look at your study materials, walk away or just walk around and look out or the window etc.
• At the end of your 10-minute break, set the timer for 50 minutes and repeat the above.
• If your attention span is less than 50 minutes then adjust downward but don't make your breaks more than 10 minutes unless they are a dinner break.

The benefit of the above is that you force yourself to adjust to when your memory is most efficient. You also take advantage of learning when you mind is refreshed and ready to learn.

The next thing to do is make sure that you are organized in terms of your study materials. You need to have your text ( if you use one), your previous notes, your present notes and the syllabus that outlines what is to come in the next lecture.

Review your previous lecture and then study your present lecture within the context of how it relates to your previous lecture. Preview the key terms and objectives for your next lecture so that they are in your mind when you listen to the next lecture. Again, do this work in 50 (or 30) minute intervals (what ever your attention span) and don't try to sit for hours at a time. Physical movement can make your brain more efficient too.

On the weekend, review the previous week's worth of materials and prepare for the upcoming week. Set your study schedule at this time too. If you find that you have fallen behind the class, go immediately to where the class is and use the weekend for catch-up. Don't let yourself get more than one lecture behind in the first place and let this be for an emergency situation.

Allow yourself at least 6 hours minimally on a weekend to get completely away from studying and school work. If you have been efficient enough, then take a day but minimally, you need to take six hours. Go to the movies, spend some time with your SO or play some video games. Don't drink alcohol as that can reduce your efficiency. Save the drinking for holidays when you don't have anything to study.

Finally, stop beating up on yourself if you can rote recall everything in your coursework. Do as much as you physically can get done and go for increased efficiency. Stop listening to people who tell you that they only study a couple of hours and get honors (they lie). Congratulate them and move on. You can't afford to compare yourself to others (pre-med syndrome). It is a complete waste of valuable study time.

Being a good student has very little to do with intelligence and everything to do with adapting your study habits to the tasks at hand. This takes experience and analysis on your part to make the changes that you need. A low-IQ savant can recite the entire New York phone directory but they don't have much understanding of other things and don't adapt very well.

How much should one be able to remember at the end of term of what they have learned in the beginning of term?
likewise for what they have learned in the beginning of year?

I don't remember much of what i learned in the beginning of the year as well as in the beginning of term.
will that affect my board study?

 

[njbmd]

How much should one be able to remember at the end of term of what they have learned in the beginning of term?
likewise for what they have learned in the beginning of year?

I don't remember much of what i learned in the beginning of the year as well as in the beginning of term.
will that affect my board study?

With a review, you will likely recall much of the material that you have learned as long as you have learned it in the first place. Boards do not require rote memory recall for the most part but an ability to apply what you have learned.

 

[silas2642]

What do you mean, you're reading books-- which books are you reading. Are you reading textbooks? You said that you are almost done your first year; where are you at school?

 

[pteryfossa]

I like the 50 min timer idea but the problem is I have problems focusing even for that amount of time until couple of days before the exam. When I am in the mood, however, I can study for a couple of hours straight. At that time, I tend to get bogged down into the tiniest details and thus at the end of my study period, I don't get through the material. That's my theory anyway...
When I study, I usually read textbooks. I don't know if I should go to class though as I don't seem to get much out of it.

Also, I have a problem because I can't focus when there is anything around me. It almost seems like an ideal study environment for me would be in some corner, with no visual or auditory distractions, and no people. Is this abnormal?

Thank you guys for your advice 🙂

 

[Cp22kjer]

Thanks for taking time to reply.... WellWorn and njbmd. I haven't started yet but you both give great advice on ways to approach the massive amount of material.

 

[ChichiMD]

Practice. practice. practice. I find that studying is great but doing practice questions helps solidify whatever i read or helps me understand correctly what i thought i did previously.

Also, seeing things helps me retain it so when I took medical biochemistry, I made a big picture (of the top of my head- not copying one from a txt) of how all the pathways connected. I saw it every morning while I got dressed for school..

These arent life guidelines or anything but something I think really helps me.

Oh yea... I know I have to study waaaay more than the average chap to do well. So if you know this....act accoridngly.

 

[OncoCaP]

Lots of great suggestions here already. Here are some ideas to consider: get some sample questions and then study material with the objective of being able to answer those questions correctly from memory. These could be multiple choice or more objective/essay type questions (fill-in-the-blank lists, diagrams, and tables are popular). Try to figure out what format of the material works best for you (short reviews and/or tables vs longer explanations / case studies). Are there any subjects that seem to come more easily or are especially difficult for you? Also you might try studying more or less, with textbooks or more with notes. Try to find what works best for you. Don't get discouraged. Keep up the effort to learn the material.