Study methods... Help!

[Blessed!]

How do you study in general? How can you become more disciplined to study when you do not want to?

For context, I am almost done with college, but I don’t really know how to study. I never placed in effort in my classes because I was scared to fail if I did try (+ lazy perfectionist).

Now, I am slightly terrified because I know med school requires a lot of studying, hard work, and dedication. I want to start building better study habits now, so please help.

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[RNthenDoc]

I've... I've never heard of a lazy perfectionist before.

Setting a schedule and sticking to it is the way to go. Check out the Pomodoro technique!

 

[Blueprint Med School]

If you're always getting distracted, remove yourself from the distractions! Turn off your phone and put it away if you need to study, maybe get those apps that let you limit your time on certain websites for your computer, and go to a library so you won't be tempted to nap or do whatever else distracts you.

Think about your end goal: you want to become a physician. Don't even think about how difficult med school will be with poor study habits, think about this- do you want to have a lazy doctor? Do you think you'll be a meaningful doctor if you're lazy? How will your patients see you? That is all the motivation you should need to kick your bad habits.

Humans need routine. Right now, the idea of studying/going to class for most of your day in medical school might be daunting to you. But once you start, it just becomes part of your everyday life. After a month, two months, it'll be habit. You just need to get through those first months.

Kevin W, MCAT Tutor
Med School Tutors

 

[907914]

I never placed in effort in my classes because I was scared to fail if I did try

So what I am getting here is that....You are almost done with college, you have done well in your classes by intentionally not trying, and you are worried that now you have to try in medical school?

This seems a little...odd? But I sympathize. I too didn’t really have to try as hard as I should have in my classes up until this year, switching from just regular classes to actually needing to critically think and problem solve in my current program. Expecting a similar transition towards med school.

My biggest piece of advice for learning how to study basically echos the advice given above: Set a schedule, study it in a way that entertains you (cramming things into your head can get the job done, but you will enjoy it more if you find a way to make it fun like drawing or what have you), and ensure you integrate both short and long breaks at regular intervals in which you stand up and walk around with no distractions during your break.

 

[theKingLT]

How do you study in general? How can you become more disciplined to study when you do not want to?

For context, I am almost done with college, but I don’t really know how to study. I never placed in effort in my classes because I was scared to fail if I did try (+ lazy perfectionist).

Now, I am slightly terrified because I know med school requires a lot of studying, hard work, and dedication. I want to start building better study habits now, so please help.

I've... I've never heard of a lazy perfectionist before.

Setting a schedule and sticking to it is the way to go. Check out the Pomodoro technique!

I definitely second the Pomodoro technique.

Another thing I've noticed with myself is that the busier I get with other stuff in my life the easier it is to study, while the more free time I have, the harder it is to stay motivated. Seems counter-intuitive, becaue you would think more free-time means you should always be mentally rested to study, but when your day is packed with work, school, and/or other responsibilities, simple things like washing the dishes while listening to music become the best part of your day and make a perfect study break. Even studying itself becomes more enjoyable. Anyways I don't really know how you can operationalize this for yourself but just a curious observation. Maybe try to organize your weekdays so that it's only studying, work, house chores, and other responsibilities, and save the weekends for free time. Or pick up "active" hobbies. Like instead of watching TV, you can exercise, write a book, etc. These kinds of things will let you get a mental break from studying while keeping your brain in an active state.

Lastly, you said you're almost done with college, not done yet, so start studying hard now, even if you dont need it to maintain your grades! If your courseload is light, pick up a hobby which requires a lot of learning such as computer programming or learning a foreign language so you can push yourself to be more disciplined

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[Goro]

How do you study in general? How can you become more disciplined to study when you do not want to?

For context, I am almost done with college, but I don’t really know how to study. I never placed in effort in my classes because I was scared to fail if I did try (+ lazy perfectionist).

Now, I am slightly terrified because I know med school requires a lot of studying, hard work, and dedication. I want to start building better study habits now, so please help.

Go to your school's learning or education center

I can't sugar coat this, being a lazy perfectionist is a recipe for disaster as a medical student.

 

[Kardio]

How do you study in general? How can you become more disciplined to study when you do not want to?

For context, I am almost done with college, but I don’t really know how to study. I never placed in effort in my classes because I was scared to fail if I did try (+ lazy perfectionist).

Now, I am slightly terrified because I know med school requires a lot of studying, hard work, and dedication. I want to start building better study habits now, so please help.

Organization: You develop a long-term schedule derived from your coursework and set (realistic) daily objectives to keep yourself on track. Use Pomodoro's to maximize your daily productivity.

Studying: Create lecture-based Anki cards, do 'new' cards the same day you've made them, and keep up with the reviews. Include a jumble of cloze deletions, image occlusions and basic cards.

 

[CoitusInterruptus]

How do you study in general? How can you become more disciplined to study when you do not want to?

For context, I am almost done with college, but I don’t really know how to study. I never placed in effort in my classes because I was scared to fail if I did try (+ lazy perfectionist).

Now, I am slightly terrified because I know med school requires a lot of studying, hard work, and dedication. I want to start building better study habits now, so please help.

Adderall Or Modafinil

 

[Blessed!]

Go to your school's learning or education center

I can't sugar coat this, being a lazy perfectionist is a recipe for disaster as a medical student.

Thanks for the honesty. Hopefully I can turn things around before it’s too late.

 

[zebrastrippedwall]

How do you study in general? How can you become more disciplined to study when you do not want to?

For context, I am almost done with college, but I don’t really know how to study. I never placed in effort in my classes because I was scared to fail if I did try (+ lazy perfectionist).

Now, I am slightly terrified because I know med school requires a lot of studying, hard work, and dedication. I want to start building better study habits now, so please help.

I totally relate!!!! I use the pomodoro method, but I find that my mind gets fatigue after 4 sessions, 2 hours, of intense studying. Does anyone else feel that way?

 

[V781]

You need to rediscover what it is that motivates you. Was there a particular person that inspired you in this field? It may even be something so simple as a change in study atmosphere. I personally like dim, warm light, dark cherry wood and stone, the sound of a fireplace crackling or some roman cathedral music...it really gets me into the studying mood.

Most people require a break every 30 minutes to an hour, so do take it. Once you start feeling like you need a break, you probably would be wasting your time pushing through it. Step away for a moment and then get right back to it in full force.

 

[deleted1005514]

I totally relate!!!! I use the pomodoro method, but I find that my mind gets fatigue after 4 sessions, 2 hours, of intense studying. Does anyone else feel that way?

Try taking a long break after 2 hours. Take an hour and go to the gym, cook, do laundry, or even watch a tv episode, then do another 2 hours. Eventually your mental stamina will improve.

 

[deleted1010363]

How do you study in general? How can you become more disciplined to study when you do not want to?

For context, I am almost done with college, but I don’t really know how to study. I never placed in effort in my classes because I was scared to fail if I did try (+ lazy perfectionist).

Now, I am slightly terrified because I know med school requires a lot of studying, hard work, and dedication. I want to start building better study habits now, so please help.

I always "Pre-studied" the material of a class before the course started. That always seemed to help for me. It allowed me to go into the class with a general foundation of knowledge of what was being taught.

 

[deleted1011020]

How do you study in general? How can you become more disciplined to study when you do not want to?

For context, I am almost done with college, but I don’t really know how to study. I never placed in effort in my classes because I was scared to fail if I did try (+ lazy perfectionist).

Now, I am slightly terrified because I know med school requires a lot of studying, hard work, and dedication. I want to start building better study habits now, so please help.

If you have an iPhone, start getting into the habit of keeping to-do lists using an app (Things 3) and use a calendar to manage your time (Fantastical).

Furthermore, if you do a lot of studying on an iPad, use it’s single app mode and set a really long password to prevent you from switching out ([see here](https://www.howtogeek.com/252670/how-to-put-an-ipad-into-kiosk-mode-restricting-it-to-a-single-app/)).

On Mac there’s several apps available. If you’re interested I can post some that I’ve used and am currently using which track your time automatically and block distracting sites/programs.

 

[Blessed!]

If you have an iPhone, start getting into the habit of keeping to-do lists using an app (Things 3) and use a calendar to manage your time (Fantastical).

Furthermore, if you do a lot of studying on an iPad, use it’s single app mode and set a really long password to prevent you from switching out ([see here](https://www.howtogeek.com/252670/how-to-put-an-ipad-into-kiosk-mode-restricting-it-to-a-single-app/)).

On Mac there’s several apps available. If you’re interested I can post some that I’ve used and am currently using which track your time automatically and block distracting sites/programs.

Yeah that would be really helpful. Thanks!

 

[deleted1011020]

Yeah that would be really helpful. Thanks!

For time tracking I use TimingApp. You basically can create rules to assign how productive a program/website/etc is. Over time what results is automated feedback of how productive you’ve been on your computer.

For blocking distracting apps and websites I use Focus.

There’s alternatives to each of these. I’d look it up on ProductHunt.

 

[theKingLT]

I totally relate!!!! I use the pomodoro method, but I find that my mind gets fatigue after 4 sessions, 2 hours, of intense studying. Does anyone else feel that way?

Yes! I workout for like 30 mins ans it regresshes my brain. I have a whole list of home ~30 minute workout routines that I use mostly for that purpose

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