I hope you all have a great winter break.
It's now time to get back to work, so let's go over some key concepts to make sure you
start this quarter or semester off on the right foot.
What's going on guys!
This is Jay from MedSchoolInsiders.com.
First, it's important to do some reflection on last semester; did things work out for
you in the way you planned?
Were you able to achieve your academic goals?
Your health and fitness goals?
Personal goals?
If not, it's time to sit down and assess what did and did not work for you.
Telling yourself that you will just try harder will only set you up to fail.
Instead, you should work to create a new plan and set of habits to bring you closer to your
goals.
Now, reflection doesn't just mean figuring out what did not work, also look at what things
did work for you; did you try a new study style or flashcard system and if so, do you
think it helped improve your grades?
If studying right before bed helped your retention rates, keep doing that.
If you tried some of my tips on sleeping that increase your productivity, stick with them.
As it is the new year, I know a lot of you have set up some New Year's resolutions.
I went over my thoughts on discipline and New Year's resolutions in this video above.
In short, most resolutions are doomed to fail because they are created out of these brief
moments of inspiration.
Making New Year's resolutions requires almost no action.
The simple thought of intending to eat healthier gives us instant gratification, makes us feel
good and we don't actually go carry out the tasks required.
Now, this tendency can be attributed to effective forecasting where we use the current moment
to predict how we will feel in the future.
So, when we make these New Year's resolutions, we feel good in the moment and we predict
that we're gonna feel good about it in the future.
But when you actually go work towards it, those actions don't make you feel as good
as you expected and so you put it off.
Procrastination is something we all have dealt with.
Therefore, choosing discipline and habit over choices is what will allow you to actually
make the changes that you want.
If you haven't already, check out The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg, link is in the
description below.
One key message from this book is that changing a habit is easiest during large life events.
While a new semester or a new quarter isn't necessarily a significant life event, it's
a great opportunity to start with a clean slate and redefine your habits.
Let's jump to some concrete examples.
First, preparation is key.
Before your first day of class, go through each class and organize details about lecture
schedule, assignment due dates and exams.
I personally used Google Calendar for scheduling and Google Tasks for reminders.
On Google Calendar, I had one calendar just for classes and a separate one just for exams.
This allowed me to set up automatic reminders for my exam calendar about one week out then
two days out etc.
So, every time an exam was approaching, I was given these regular reminders.
You could also put office hours on a separate calendar which may increase the chance of
you taking advantage of that opportunity.
That being said, I know you guys have different preferences.
Some of you prefer physical calendars and planners but I prefer something digital that
syncs across all my devices.
Leave a comment below on what works for you so that others can learn from your experiences
as well.
Next, make sure you have all of your materials prepared ahead of time.
Know which textbooks and other materials you need ahead of class.
Some required textbooks aren't actually that necessary but others are crucial to your success.
It's a tricky balance because you also don't want to wait too long to get the important
books and subsequently fall behind.
On a college budget, you may opt for ordering books online versus going to the student store
to save some cash.
In these instances, keep in mind that shipping the book takes a couple of days even with
Amazon Prime.
Ask people who have already taken the class for what is necessary and what you can do
without.
You can also order your books ahead of time with Amazon and return the books you don't
use if you decide against them.
Careful though because third-party sellers may have more stringent return policies.
Now, you should also be talking to others in the class.
One of the best ways to know what to expect from a class is to speak with someone who
recently took it.
As above, ask them what resources were necessary but also lecture style, podcasting options,
exam questions etc.
Also find people you know in your class or make new friends for group studying in the
future.
Start your good study habits immediately on day one.
I've been there and I know how tempting it is to not do any work the first week of a
quarter or semester.
After all, there's so much time until midterms right?
Don't fall into this trap.
Start studying on day one even if it is only for 30 minutes and there's not really much
to study for.
This builds good habits and momentum.
Use a calendar to plan out your study time if you know you're just going to put it off
each day with a plan.
If you're studying on day one, your friends might be looking at you funny but you'll be
glad you did.
It'll pay off with more time for fun, more time for exercise, less stress come exam time
and of course better grades.
Now similarly, start your fitness and health habits on day one as well.
I find that a routine works best for me.
If I plan to go to the gym every day before dinner, I'm more likely to stick with it than
if I were to go different times each day.
It's the beginning of the quarter and a new year, everyone is gonna be at the gym but
in three weeks when midterms roll around, that numbers gonna drop rapidly.
Setting up a routine will allow you to maintain consistency at the gym even when midterms
roll around.
Again, habits and discipline are stronger than your willpower.
Even better, going to the gym first thing in the morning leaves you feeling energized,
productive and happy for the rest of the day.
Try it out for yourself.
If you guys have any questions or other suggestions that you would like to share with others,
leave them in the comments below.
If you liked the video, make sure you press that like button.
New videos every week, so hit subscribe if you have not already and I will see you guys
in that next one!