Don’t you just love it when vacation ends and it's time to get back to school?
Me too!
But in all seriousness, it’s time to get back into the groove and if you need help
setting up your new quarter or new semester for success, then this video is for you.
What’s going on guys, Dr. Jubbal, MedSchoolInsiders.com.
At the beginning of a new quarter or new semester, you may feel amped and motivated to do things
differently.
But more often than not, we revert back to our old ways.
And once again, we didn’t exercise as much as we wanted to, and our grades are still
not where we want them to be.
This tendency of feeling good in the moment and allowing that burst of inspiration to
positively color your future projections is called affective forecasting.
And it doesn’t last.
I get it, I’ve been there.
But this time, we’re going to use that to our advantage.
First, it is critical you set up the systems that reduce friction throughout the quarter.
The most important one being to lay out all the important information in your calendar
of choice.
This is the foundation upon which you will build your study schedule and good habits.
More on that shortly.
I opted for Google Calendar, and would input a few critical pieces of information.
First, my “Class” calendar included my lecture and small group schedule, in addition
to the building name, room number, and professor.
Second, my “Exam” calendar included mid-terms and final exams.
The reason I included this as a separate calendar is two-fold.
First, it could be a different color than the Class calendar, helping my exams to visually pop
out from the rest of my schedule.
Secondly, I could schedule automatic reminders for all events in that specific calendar.
Therefore, for each exam, Google would automatically send me a reminder 1 week in
advance, again 1 day in advance, and then 1 hour in advance.
Lastly, I created a third calendar to include any other class-related events, which I creatively
titled “Class (Other)”.
In this, I input my professor’s office hours (again, being careful to include the building
and location), as well as review sessions and other events that were not part of mandatory
class or exam time.
Second, Structure Your Days & Your Weeks Now that you have a framework of what your
class schedule is like, it’s time to fill in your calendar with how you will spend your time.
The key is to not get too ambitious at this step.
It’s better to have a good plan that you can actually adhere to rather than a perfect
plan that you ultimately give up on.
If you were to fill a jar with large rocks and sand, you would first put in the rocks and
then fill in the gaps with sand.
We’re going to do the same thing here with scheduling.
Approach your schedule in the following order: First, make sure your classes and exams are
set from step one.
Second, schedule in regular exercise.
Do not overlook this step as it will help your grades in the long term!
This is going to be your activity of choice - something that you actually enjoy.
For me, that’s been weight training and cycling, but for you it could be running or
swimming or dancing or really anything else.
I aimed for 4 or 5 days per week, but of course figure out what works best for you.
Next, schedule in your meal times.
You don’t need more than 20 or 30 minutes per meal.
I still sometimes forget to eat meals because I get caught up with work or other things
on my plate.
No pun intended.
Last, schedule in your study time.
Again, be realistic here.
Are you really going to marathon for 5 hours immediately after coming home from class?
Probably not.
Instead, give yourself a short 30 minute break to unwind, destress, and then plan to do
a couple of Pomodoro cycles.
Now you may be wondering why I am suggesting to schedule study time last.
While study time is critical for your school success, your study schedule needs to work
into your life to be sustainable, rather than you forcing your life to meet your study requirements.
So for example, if you have dinner from 7-7:30, its easy to schedule study time before, then use dinner
as a break, and then study some more after.
In structuring your schedule, there are three additional elements to keep in mind:
First, regularly scheduled events are more likely to stick.
That means if you wake up at the same time, eat breakfast at the same time, and work out
at the same time, you’re more likely to be successful than if your workouts are at
8AM some days and at 8PM on others.
Second, use necessary chores or meals as breaks from studying.
I would often come back from class, do a couple hours of studying, and use laundry or groceries
or dinner as a large study break, and then study more when I got back home.
Third, don’t be too ambitious, and make sure you schedule in enough time for relaxation
and buffer time.
See if you can have either Sunday or Saturday completely free from any studying.
This will require you to be very efficient during the week, and it will also contribute
to a healthy social life and healthy mind, which ultimately is more sustainable in the
long term.
Remember, we’re going for a marathon here, not a sprint.
Number three, Get Your Materials in Order It’s key you get your materials in order
before classes start.
You don’t want to be falling behind because you don’t have books yet. That's a terrible way to start the quarter
Again, minimize the chances of getting derailed early in the quarter or semester, and you’ll
have a much better outcome.
That being said, you shouldn’t blindly buy every textbook listed in the syllabus.
To most effectively prepare for your class, I recommend you first speak with at least
2 separate friends who have already taken the course before.
Ask them what the professor’s testing style is like, if they teach or test straight from
the textbook, and whether or not the book is necessary.
If your two friends have conflicting opinions, then ask a third.
And when in doubt, err on the side of buying a book versus not.
Even better, ask your friends if you can borrow their books for the quarter.
I did this multiple times and returned the favor as well.
If you’re on a tighter budget, consider going to the library when you need to access
the textbook.
I personally did not do this, because if another student is using the textbook when you intend
to, it can completely derail your studying.
PDF’s and other digital copies of textbooks, if available, can be cheaper and
more accessible alternatives.
I generally bought books from Amazon or the campus bookstore, and would resell them
used on Amazon when the quarter was done.
You can also opt to rent books if you’d rather not deal with the process of selling.
And number four, Keep Busy (But Not Too Busy) Over the years I’ve become intimately familiar
with Parkinson’s Law.
Parkinson’s Law states that work expands to fill the time allotted to it.
I’ve found there’s a sweet spot during which I am most productive.
If I don’t have a plan for the day and don’t feel at least a little pushed for time, I’m just not as efficient.
Similarly, if I have too many things lined up for the day, my efficiency may be pushed
to the limit on that day, but the following day I’ll be drained and burned out.
As with most things in life, the middle is the sweet spot, where there’s a slight amount of stress to be helpful, but
not enough to be detrimental.
To achieve this balance, I suggest you kill two birds with one stone by joining interesting
and fulfilling extracurricular organizations.
If you’re a pre-med student, choosing your extracurriculars wisely is essential to bolster
the strongest possible application for medical school.
Do not look at this as a way to check a box.
Instead, see it as an opportunity to develop the skills and qualities necessary to be an
effective future physician.
Through these extracurriculars, you’ll learn additional skills, make new friends, and have
a lot of fun.
While I did research and volunteer in the hospital, I also competed with a dance team
and was a graphic designer for my university's events organization.
If you need help figuring out which extracurriculars to pursue and at which points during your
college career, I recommend you check out our Pre-Med Roadmap to Medical School Acceptance
Course.
In it, you’ll find everything you need to effectively plan out a successful college
career to set yourself up for a medical school acceptance.
It goes over everything from when and how to pursue research, including the various
types, to the timeline of letters of recommendation, optimal MCAT scheduling, recommended extracurricular
activities, and much much more.
It was created from the ground up by our team of top doctors with combined dozens of years
of medical school admissions experience.
This course comes with a 100% 30-day money back guarantee.
If you’re not satisfied for any reason, we’ll give you a full refund.
Talk about a good deal.
Visit the courses section on our website to learn more.
You can find a direct link in the description below.
Thank you all so much for watching and good luck with your new quarter or your new semester!
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