Study Skills

[Shayla Flowere]

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So I'm a second semester sophomore, and I've been working to raise my grade after an abysmal second semester of Freshman year. Currently I have a 3.02, which I am hoping to raise to a 3.20 by the end of this semester. I completely revamped my study techniques last semester and I'm starting to get a feel for what I need to do to get the grades I need but I still feel that I'm not quite there yet, and I know that I really have no time to waste figuring this out. Do any of you have study tips that you think I should try to become more successful in my course work?

 

[mcatjelly]

What are you currently doing?

 

[Shayla Flowere]

Currently I skim the lecture really quick before class, rewrite my notes for that week, and do the homework. For exams I usually rewrite the notes and try to make quizlet cards for the material like three to four days before the exam.

 

[FlavivirusProtease]

What kind of learner are you? Visual, Auditory, or Tactile?

 

[mcatjelly]

Gotcha, thanks. So medical school has taught me the necessity of studying smarter vs. harder, and it seems to me that you're spending a lot of time on passive learning methods (i.e. writing and rewriting notes). Rewriting notes is a very, very low yield study method and I recommend cutting that out entirely. Instead, if flashcards are working for you, make the first pass through your notes organizing them into flashcards and switch to studying primarily from those vs. your notes. Anki is a great (but initially confusing) flashcard service that forces you to use spaced repetition of the material.

You should also prioritize application of the material earlier on. The test should NOT be the first time you recall and apply concepts. Use your textbook's questions, buy a workbook, or find random quizzes online related to whatever you're studying. It's the best way to retain the information as well as to figure out your weaknesses/gaps in knowledge.

Whatever you do, NO MORE REWRITING NOTES. 🙂

 

[Shayla Flowere]

What kind of learner are you? Visual, Auditory, or Tactile?

I'm mostly a tactile learner but highly visual for some subjects. Not Auditory at all.

 

[Shayla Flowere]

Gotcha, thanks. So medical school has taught me the necessity of studying smarter vs. harder, and it seems to me that you're spending a lot of time on passive learning methods (i.e. writing and rewriting notes). Rewriting notes is a very, very low yield study method and I recommend cutting that out entirely. Instead, if flashcards are working for you, make the first pass through your notes organizing them into flashcards and switch to studying primarily from those vs. your notes. Anki is a great (but initially confusing) flashcard service that forces you to use spaced repetition of the material.

You should also prioritize application of the material earlier on. The test should NOT be the first time you recall and apply concepts. Use your textbook's questions, buy a workbook, or find random quizzes online related to whatever you're studying. It's the best way to retain the information as well as to figure out your weaknesses/gaps in knowledge.

Whatever you do, NO MORE REWRITING NOTES. 🙂

Thanks so much for the tips! I'll definitely try the flashcards as my first source of learning. What about for math?

 

[mcatjelly]

Thanks so much for the tips! I'll definitely try the flashcards as my first source of learning. What about for math?

You're probably already doing this, but tons and tons of problems. Again, if you don't like your textbook, buy/rent/outsource online a workbook with good, thorough solutions so you can get continued practice with the equations and concepts behind them.

 

[RavMedLife]

So I'm a second semester sophomore, and I've been working to raise my grade after an abysmal second semester of Freshman year. Currently I have a 3.02, which I am hoping to raise to a 3.20 by the end of this semester. I completely revamped my study techniques last semester and I'm starting to get a feel for what I need to do to get the grades I need but I still feel that I'm not quite there yet, and I know that I really have no time to waste figuring this out. Do any of you have study tips that you think I should try to become more successful in my course work?

This is what I do...
At the beginning of my freshman year I found the smartest possible people I could to study with, and I'm talking kids who got perfect SAT/ACT valedictorian type kids. I figured if I study with them, and I knew most of what they knew I'd do well. I read through lectures before class and have a general idea of whats being taught. Go to lecture, be lazer focussed to learn the info and get out of there. The night I learn it I review it and make sure I understand it, each and every lecture. Before exams, I first lightly review all the stuff I was confident about after lectures until I'm pretty confident with it as a whole. Then, I meet up with my brainiac friends and quiz each other for hours with made up questions or whatever we have available. The name of the game is to go into every exam knowing EVERY possible thing they teach and be 100% confident with it before walking into an exam so you know even if you mess up, you'll still prob get over an 80. At the end of the day, as long as it takes, be proactive and get the material in your head. Last thought, ALWAYS talk to former students in the class your taking and review the old exams, because chances are you'll see patterns on how a professor asks questions and maybe see something you were unsure of even if you thought you knew everything.
To prove this works, I did this, and aside from one math class, I've never gotten anything other than an A and i've taken genchem,orgo,ecology, molecular bio, biochem psychology, etc...