Study habits?!?!?

[Hypaspist]

So I've finally somewhat learned the most effective ways to study for myself in college (good old pandora, no laptop and a lot of water) and was just wondering what works for everybody else? Does anyone require pure silence? Or do you guys prefer a busy coffee shop/restaurant/cafe etc.?

I was talking to a nursing student that told me he couldn't study in his house with the cable plugged in, so everyday for the last five years he'd pop in a DVD of Lord of the Rings and get a good study session going for a solid few hours; for an all day study he'd do all three movies... I guess after seeing it so many times he can tune it all out. I just wanna know what works for everyone else!

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[Geneticist]

For me, silence is golden. Anything else is simply distracting. I prefer a large desk to spread my work out and a solid wooden chair that keeps me awake and focused on the task at hand.

 

[alwaysaangel]

I can't study in silence. If its silent then my brain runs off and is distracting.

So I always have a TV show DVD playing in the background. Something I've seen over and over and can tune out but moderately distracting so my mind doesn't drift.

 

[Geneticist]

I can't study in silence. If its silent then my brain runs off and is distracting.

So I always have a TV show DVD playing in the background. Something I've seen over and over and can tune out but moderately distracting so my mind doesn't drift.

Moderate distractions are less distracting than silence?

 

[LRAccord624]

Moderate distractions are less distracting than silence?

Yes. I have never been able to study in silence. I frequent coffee shops and bookstores, and when I choose a place I stay for 4-10+ hours. It also makes me feel like I am out enjoying the real world instead of spending my life in a silent library dungeon.

 

[StudyShy]

Pandora for paper writing. Pandora or silence for regular studying. I wear ear plugs to drown out the noise of two toddlers trying to kill each other.

 

[Geneticist]

Yes. I have never been able to study in silence. I frequent coffee shops and bookstores, and when I choose a place I stay for 4-10+ hours. It also makes me feel like I am out enjoying the real world instead of spending my life in a silent library dungeon.

Very true. I oftentimes look around the library to find that 99% of the people I saw just a few hours ago sitting around me have since vanished. That's a bit disheartening considering all those people that left hours ago are probably enjoying their free time somewhere with their friends... grr...

 

[MossPoh]

It depends on what I have to do.

I almost always use earplugs anymore though. I don't mind noise so much, but I hate being able to hear conversations. I'm really ADHD, so it just kills focus.

I tend to study away from my computer and cell phone and down in an area with the least amount of distractions possible for the more labor intense hard to grasp stuff.

If it is just reading and needing a change of pace then I go somewhere else. I have a hard time believing most people really LEARN better with music, t.v., noise on, especially since pretty much all research says otherwise. What I do think it lets you do is keep you from going stir crazy and lets you have minibreaks. In the beginning, it was difficult for me to do the silence thing. I'm one of those people who is ALWAYS listening to music or just puts on dvds in the background when doing just about anything, but when I stopped and trained myself to do things in silence, I got much better at retaining and covering stuff. The key has been to take breaks and go talk with people for a bit or listen to a few songs and then get back to it.

 

[alwaysaangel]

Moderate distractions are less distracting than silence?

Yeah, if its silent then my mind wonders and I start thinking about all sorts of random stuff and stop studying.

I blame the fact that we didn't have a place to study when I was a kid so we did homework on the TV tables with the TV on. My kids will finish their homework and THEN study.

I really wish I was able to study in silence. I would probably be more productive, but since I can't - I'm more productive with the TV on.

 

[Wermz]

Instrumental music or silence in some very isolated spot. I like to have a whiteboard available, space to walk around and think, or even a rubber ball to toss around. Occasional smoke breaks.

 

[GooseWing]

I prefer a large desk to spread my work out and a solid wooden chair that keeps me awake and focused on the task at hand.

I'm the same exact way! I need lots of desk space so I can spread everything out in an organized fashion with what I'm working on directly in front of me and any other stuff within arm's reach
Nice chairs are crucial. Lumbar support makes the difference.
I vary between requiring silence/enjoying some background noise. That being said, the music playing can't have lyrics so classical always works well.

 

[ochemistry]

Instrumental music or silence in some very isolated spot. I like to have a whiteboard available, space to walk around and think, or even a rubber ball to toss around. Occasional smoke breaks.

Exact same thing for me, but without the smoking

 

[Long Way to Go]

good old pandora, no laptop

You can use Pandora without a laptop?

 

[IHOPness]

You can use Pandora without a laptop?

Yeah, you can use Pandora on an iPod.

I prefer studying in the library.

 

[kami333]

Yes. I have never been able to study in silence. I frequent coffee shops and bookstores, and when I choose a place I stay for 4-10+ hours. It also makes me feel like I am out enjoying the real world instead of spending my life in a silent library dungeon.

Same here.

I usually go to Panera or somewhere else that has comfortable booths and free refills.

 

[Ellipsis1104]

I heart pandora, but my stations have gotten really good, and still surprise me with obscure gems that end up distracting me.

Here lately, Trig only happens in the library w/ my iPod set to Kings of Leon, or Sarah Chang playing Vivaldi's Four Seasons (bipolar, I know).

Mostly, I like studying outside.

 

[Godric]

I tired studying in the campus library's but for me every time I saw a person pass by I would turn my head, or any slight noise I would turn around. And also a large amount of people I knew would come in the library and see me and want to study with me. That didn't work out too well.

So for me the best way was too, study in pure dead silence. I am a commuter and I have large gaps in between classes, so I found a class room, hardly any classes happen their, its nice room, temp controlled, has a computer in it, a white board, and projector. I like to walk around their , talk to my self lay down on a table and read or think.
I prefer to study their, its almost become my home, I spend more time in that building than I do in my own house and I am a commuter lol. I also don't tell many people about my room, but I do have a few friends that I allow in that room when I am studying their.

My commute is bad, so sometimes I go their in the mornings if I ever get to campus 45ish mins early, I like to go their, and take a nap. It really has become my room.
Sadly a friend invited his girl friend their, and she got her friends and another friend did the same, so I kind of need a new spot for next semester (and the years to come). I did yell at them all to shut up the day they all came into my room, and told them I never want to see them in my room ever again. I don't think they took to it too kindly.

 

[Techmed07]

I study with pandora as well. It was a God send for molecular biochem

 

[torshi]

silence or classical music.

 

[GooseWing]

I tired studying in the campus library's but for me every time I saw a person pass by I would turn my head, or any slight noise I would turn around. And also a large amount of people I knew would come in the library and see me and want to study with me. That didn't work out too well.

So for me the best way was too, study in pure dead silence. I am a commuter and I have large gaps in between classes, so I found a class room, hardly any classes happen their, its nice room, temp controlled, has a computer in it, a white board, and projector. I like to walk around their , talk to my self lay down on a table and read or think.
I prefer to study their, its almost become my home, I spend more time in that building than I do in my own house and I am a commuter lol. I also don't tell many people about my room, but I do have a few friends that I allow in that room when I am studying their.

My commute is bad, so sometimes I go their in the mornings if I ever get to campus 45ish mins early, I like to go their, and take a nap. It really has become my room.
Sadly a friend invited his girl friend their, and she got her friends and another friend did the same, so I kind of need a new spot for next semester (and the years to come). I did yell at them all to shut up the day they all came into my room, and told them I never want to see them in my room ever again. I don't think they took to it too kindly.

 

[Wermz]

Hahaha, +1

 

[WeAreNotRobots]

So I was thinking of starting a new thread on this, but I guess it kinda fits in here...

Anyway, I'm just wondering if people have had to CHANGE their undergraduate study habits/method in order to be successful in medical school. I know the volume, load, and intensity of medical school surpasses that of undergrad, but do students typically enhance and augment the approaches that they already know work well for them, or do they have to come up with different, more productive methods? We all learn well in different ways, yes, but I'm wondering if I'm going to have to re-invent some study habits for myself in order to manage the rigors of medi (yes, medi, i'm trying to start a new movement) school.

Hopefully a ton of MS2-4's can provide me with some insight. Thanks.

 

[WeAreNotRobots]

bumpity bump bump

 

[Wafflyw]

I tired studying in the campus library's but for me every time I saw a person pass by I would turn my head, or any slight noise I would turn around. And also a large amount of people I knew would come in the library and see me and want to study with me. That didn't work out too well.

So for me the best way was too, study in pure dead silence. I am a commuter and I have large gaps in between classes, so I found a class room, hardly any classes happen their, its nice room, temp controlled, has a computer in it, a white board, and projector. I like to walk around their , talk to my self lay down on a table and read or think.
I prefer to study their, its almost become my home, I spend more time in that building than I do in my own house and I am a commuter lol. I also don't tell many people about my room, but I do have a few friends that I allow in that room when I am studying their.

I'm exactly like that. Sadly, I can't focus on material in front of me if there is even the slightest of distractions. It's frustrating, especially since I haven't figured out a unique studying method that suits my personality.

Anyway, I'm just wondering if people have had to CHANGE their undergraduate study habits/method in order to be successful in medical school.

Yes, I'm wondering the same thing!

 

[k12123]

(good old pandora, no laptop and a lot of water)

No laptop? haha until you have to type something of course lol

 

[alwaysaangel]

Anyway, I'm just wondering if people have had to CHANGE their undergraduate study habits/method in order to be successful in medical school.

My study habits didn't change significantly, although a few things did.

In undergrad I typically read the textbook and the course lecture notes and that was good enough to do well. I would clarify significant concepts on my print outs of lecture notes and that was what I reviewed prior to exams.

That didn't work in med school. There was too much volume and the textbooks were just absurd. In med school I had to embrace review books and practice questions.

I would typically read the applicable section in a review book prior to lecture or the same day. Then I would review the lecture notes and add significant concepts/clarify in the review book. I would then do practice questions (either old exams or Qbooks) and write significant concepts from the questions in the review book.

Way less reading, a lot more learning from questions. Especially when it was time to study for the steps.

When I do have to read I don't have the attention span I used to. I'm a far worse reader now. So I do a very quick pass through highlighting a few important concepts. Then I skim through again to reread those concepts and add any notes in the margins. Thats all I have time for.

I'm sure my methods will change again next year when I get to residency. Right now I am really trying to get better about reading journals. I wish I had made more of an effort to do so in med school.

 

[slatermd]

My study habits didn't change significantly, although a few things did.

In undergrad I typically read the textbook and the course lecture notes and that was good enough to do well. I would clarify significant concepts on my print outs of lecture notes and that was what I reviewed prior to exams.

That didn't work in med school. There was too much volume and the textbooks were just absurd. In med school I had to embrace review books and practice questions.

I would typically read the applicable section in a review book prior to lecture or the same day. Then I would review the lecture notes and add significant concepts/clarify in the review book. I would then do practice questions (either old exams or Qbooks) and write significant concepts from the questions in the review book.

Way less reading, a lot more learning from questions. Especially when it was time to study for the steps.

When I do have to read I don't have the attention span I used to. I'm a far worse reader now. So I do a very quick pass through highlighting a few important concepts. Then I skim through again to reread those concepts and add any notes in the margins. Thats all I have time for.

I'm sure my methods will change again next year when I get to residency. Right now I am really trying to get better about reading journals. I wish I had made more of an effort to do so in med school.

Thanks for writing this.

 

[rHinO1]

My study habits didn't change significantly, although a few things did.

In undergrad I typically read the textbook and the course lecture notes and that was good enough to do well. I would clarify significant concepts on my print outs of lecture notes and that was what I reviewed prior to exams.

That didn't work in med school. There was too much volume and the textbooks were just absurd. In med school I had to embrace review books and practice questions.

I would typically read the applicable section in a review book prior to lecture or the same day. Then I would review the lecture notes and add significant concepts/clarify in the review book. I would then do practice questions (either old exams or Qbooks) and write significant concepts from the questions in the review book.

Way less reading, a lot more learning from questions. Especially when it was time to study for the steps.

When I do have to read I don't have the attention span I used to. I'm a far worse reader now. So I do a very quick pass through highlighting a few important concepts. Then I skim through again to reread those concepts and add any notes in the margins. Thats all I have time for.

I'm sure my methods will change again next year when I get to residency. Right now I am really trying to get better about reading journals. I wish I had made more of an effort to do so in med school.

how hard is it to get old exams for practice Q's?

 

[alwaysaangel]

how hard is it to get old exams for practice Q's?

Completely depends on your school. Some don't allow them and lock down the exams. Our school had students in the class above us organize them and scan them so all of us would have access.

If you can't get old exams then just get a question book for it. Pre-test does a decent job and makes a book for almost every subject in med school.

 

[WeAreNotRobots]

My study habits didn't change significantly, although a few things did.

In undergrad I typically read the textbook and the course lecture notes and that was good enough to do well. I would clarify significant concepts on my print outs of lecture notes and that was what I reviewed prior to exams.

That didn't work in med school. There was too much volume and the textbooks were just absurd. In med school I had to embrace review books and practice questions.

I would typically read the applicable section in a review book prior to lecture or the same day. Then I would review the lecture notes and add significant concepts/clarify in the review book. I would then do practice questions (either old exams or Qbooks) and write significant concepts from the questions in the review book.

Way less reading, a lot more learning from questions. Especially when it was time to study for the steps.

When I do have to read I don't have the attention span I used to. I'm a far worse reader now. So I do a very quick pass through highlighting a few important concepts. Then I skim through again to reread those concepts and add any notes in the margins. Thats all I have time for.

I'm sure my methods will change again next year when I get to residency. Right now I am really trying to get better about reading journals. I wish I had made more of an effort to do so in med school.

this exactly the type of input i was looking for: a good before-and-after breakdown. thanks!

how did you know you had to adjust your approach? was it through suggestions from profs/mentor students, or just figuring out on your own that the status quo wasn't good enough?

 

[rHinO1]

Completely depends on your school. Some don't allow them and lock down the exams. Our school had students in the class above us organize them and scan them so all of us would have access.

If you can't get old exams then just get a question book for it. Pre-test does a decent job and makes a book for almost every subject in med school.

Thanks, I'm lucky enough to be attending the same school as you, so I hope they keep passing down old exams.

 

[alwaysaangel]

this exactly the type of input i was looking for: a good before-and-after breakdown. thanks!

how did you know you had to adjust your approach? was it through suggestions from profs/mentor students, or just figuring out on your own that the status quo wasn't good enough?

People had told me textbooks didn't work, so I took their word for it and tried for the core notes, review books and lecture slides. I quickly realized that even the core notes were pretty cumbersome and adjusted accordingly. The question thing took me a while. I wish I had started sooner - for me its SUPER effective because it keeps my attention better than reading does and its more applicable learning.

 

[alwaysaangel]

Thanks, I'm lucky enough to be attending the same school as you, so I hope they keep up passing down old exams.

They do You guys are super lucky. They've really been improving the curriculum and the deans we have now are incredible and always putting all their effort into better learning. Its way better than it used to be.

Although - be sure you do the questions AS YOU GO ALONG. Don't study the exams for the tests...its a nasty, easy habit that a lot of people pick up - and they regret it when they hit Step 1.

 

[WeAreNotRobots]

People had told me textbooks didn't work......

nice, thanks for taking the time to share. it's good to know that i can't be dead-set in the strategies that have worked for me in past, and i may have to be open to change as i find my footing during the first few months of class.

 

[patel2]

I prefer to study in a quiet place but I have my rituals. I'll listen to one or two songs on pandora, check facebook, email, start some g-chattin, SDN, misc'n, for like half an hour then I'll try to bust out as much work as possible before a break, without internet distractions. And with lots of addy's/coffee if available, as my studying is not always natty (srs)

 

[Wafflyw]

My study habits didn't change significantly, although a few things did.

In undergrad I typically read the textbook and the course lecture notes and that was good enough to do well. I would clarify significant concepts on my print outs of lecture notes and that was what I reviewed prior to exams.

That didn't work in med school. There was too much volume and the textbooks were just absurd. In med school I had to embrace review books and practice questions.

I would typically read the applicable section in a review book prior to lecture or the same day. Then I would review the lecture notes and add significant concepts/clarify in the review book. I would then do practice questions (either old exams or Qbooks) and write significant concepts from the questions in the review book.

Way less reading, a lot more learning from questions. Especially when it was time to study for the steps.

When I do have to read I don't have the attention span I used to. I'm a far worse reader now. So I do a very quick pass through highlighting a few important concepts. Then I skim through again to reread those concepts and add any notes in the margins. Thats all I have time for.

I'm sure my methods will change again next year when I get to residency. Right now I am really trying to get better about reading journals. I wish I had made more of an effort to do so in med school.

Thanks for this!

 

[sc4s2cg]

I have to have the perfect environment to study:

1. No noise.
2. Either alone or with people
3. No internet whatsoever, including laptops, iPods, phones, library computers
4. A mildly uncomfortable chair that I cannot recline in, "cuddle up" in (pull my legs in under me, sit on them, and study by looking over the side), or otherwise make myself comfortable in.

The hardest part in studying for me is, really, getting started to study. At home, locked in my room, is the hardest to get un-destracted while at the library on some obscure, 8th or 10th, floor is the easiest.

After an hour or two of forcing myself to study, I usually get in the zone and get interested in whatever I study. Be it the electrical circuit, ribosomes, or government organizations.

My study method:

1. Read assigned readings, usually after lecture, and take notes. Draw out concepts as needed.
2. Once readings are done, go over class notes, reference drawings.
3. Redraw and reexplain everything to myself.

Of course, this is usually easier if I study with someone I don't know. So I was thinking of emailing my classes and see who responds to be a study partner for that class.

 

[BushidoBrown]

I study like this:

3.9 gpa, 40 MCAT

 

[Essene]

I'm quite the scatter brain. My mind loves to wonder to anything besides what I'm trying to focus on. Coupled with that I am addicted to Netflix, Pintrest, Facebook, League of Legends, and wine. When I want to study for four hours, or more, I close all of my browser tabs besides those I need for research and two others. I also uninstall League and disable my fb.

The other two tabs are a rain-sound site and Tibetan music (via Youtube).

 

[Signorina]

Pandora? I now prefer 8tracks. There are nice playlists tagged "study" and "concentration."

 

[Essene]

Rain Sounds

PLUS

Classical Music

OR...

Tibetan prayer wheel music

The prayer wheel one i play on repeat.

 

[C J Dono]

I prefer silence, because I can hear myself think. Sometimes I will put classical music on when doing anything math or essay related.

 

[Served]

I study like this:

3.9 gpa, 40 MCAT

 

[Essene]

I prefer silence, because I can hear myself think. Sometimes I will put classical music on when doing anything math or essay related.

Ahhh... what's that called..... Tinnitus.. I know it's not the exact same thing; but whenever the room/floor is too quiet and the streets have been lulled into a low exchange of sounds... I can't stand it. I have to have some kind of noise even if it's just the sound of a fan whirring when I sleep/study.

 

[rolliespring]

rock music when doing math or science, jazz or classic when writing a paper

 

[Skull Pell]

I'm quite the scatter brain. My mind loves to wonder to anything besides what I'm trying to focus on. Coupled with that I am addicted to Netflix, Pintrest, Facebook, League of Legends, and wine. When I want to study for four hours, or more, I close all of my browser tabs besides those I need for research and two others. I also uninstall League and disable my fb.

The other two tabs are a rain-sound site and Tibetan music (via Youtube).

Nice! Someone else who also plays League of Legends here. I'm probably headed down the uninstall route cause I always feel like playing it ..and then feeling guilty afterwards when I have something due the following day.