my first of six years of medical school is over!!! this has been a crazy year for everyone since we were all surprised with the stay at home order in March. just when you start to get into a routine it seems like life turns upside down haha. of course you all know how hard it is to do homework, classes, and exams using your computer screen as the only source of help and normalcy. I want to share a few study tips I've picked up along the way of my first year in medical school and how I find peace in the chaos, or lack thereof haha.
study tips-
☆ make your schedule the night before ☆
after I finish my work for the day I sit down and write my schedule out hour by hour for the next day. I noticed that this got boring REAL QUICK so I took it upon myself to find a cute planner online to use :)) I highlight things that are zoom meetings or exams that need to be done at a specific time and color code the rest. here's a pic ;)
☆ set 45 minute study timers ☆
45 minutes studying and a 15 minute break. it's harder for me to focus on schoolwork for a long period of time, but when I set a 45 minute timer I find I work much more efficiently knowing I have a 15 minute break ahead of me!
☆ be a master translator ☆
in some cases, I find that my professors phrase things in the most detailed way, which makes it difficult to understand. copying and pasting notes or slides the professor has already made is not helpful unless you understand them. take the time to research and truly understand the information. there are a lot of different ways you can do this, you could start by organizing the information based on cell types, body systems, or blood flow. I find that color coding cell types and body systems help me remember not only what cell type or body system they have, but also the function they have. for example, I highlight pseudostratified ciliated columnar cells with a green highlighter because the purpose of those cells are not only to secrete, but also to propel fluids like mucous (which is green) a specific direction. it may seem like a waste of time at first, but it will be worth it long term because the information will stick with you longer, and classes like anatomy and microbiology will always be applicable down the road for medical students.
☆ focus on BIG PICTURE stuff first ☆
when there's a lot of information you need to know, start with the big picture stuff. I bought a 3 foot roll of paper from amazon and anytime I have to learn a new concept I draw it out (color coding of course) so I can look at it all at once (I'm also an extreme visual learner haha). what's interesting is most of the time when you learn the big picture, all of the little details fall into place. for example, I used a giant piece of paper to write out the "big picture" of the immune system. once I finished I looked at it all at once and from learning how each type of cell differentiated into the other, it helped me piece things together from the two units before as well as the units after. then, I added in all of the little details where they fit into the big picture this way I could associate the details with the main function of the immune system. find a way that works for your type of learning that allows you to nail down the big picture first. here are some pics of some notes I've taken. :))
☆ repetition is key ☆
I take my professors notes and slides and create my own set of hand written notes that I have translated to make sense to me. even if I think I know all of the information I will sit down and read through my notes one after the other. by doing this I am repetitively putting the same information in my head which will help me associate the topics and functions more easily. notecards are the perfect way to practice repetition, and I like to add another layer to each topic by highlighting it with a certain color associating it with a cell type. even though repetition of material you think you know is boring, it does make a difference in how quickly you will be able to recall associated information quicker in the future.
☆ get at least 20 minutes of exercise a day ☆
in one of our courses last semester we read a book that emphasized the importance of exercise when trying to retain information. apparently it's very important haha. I use the peloton app which allows me to do a variety of exercises ranging from outdoor/indoor runs and cycling to bodyweight and core videos. they have a 30 day free trial so go to app store and try it out now! my favorite instructors are Jess Sims for bodyweight training (which requires no weights or anything so it's PERFECT for working out at home) and Becs Gentry core strength. seriously the most fun I've had working out. here's a pic of the app.
☆ get 6-8 hours of sleep a night ☆
the number of REM cycles you get each night plays an important role in how much information you retain the next day. 6-8 hours of sleep shows the most retention while it drops at 9 hours. I typically look at my daily planner to see what time I should wake up and start getting ready for bed at least 30 minutes before the time I need to be asleep. during that time I don't look at my phone because it's been proved that the blue light exposure from your phone has a direct correlation to the melatonin released in your brain. instead I do the thing that gives me most peace, which is praying. find something that gives you peace and doesn't involve electric screens, and do it before you sleep every night to prepare your body for sleep.