Hi guys!
This how to study video has been a highly requested so I thought this would be the perfect time to
make it since for most of us are starting a new spring semester.
This video will be a more comprehensive one compared to the video I made last semester
for finals.
So let’s get right into it.
Time Management.
Time management is important because time is a limited resource and often the amount
of studying we can do is limited by the amount of time we have.
So the first thing I would suggest is Creating a weekly schedule.
This is how I would approach it.
Block off classes, Block off studying time, Like I said before in a previous video, If
you treat it like a full time job then you should be devoting at least 35-40 hours per
week as a student.
With classes taken into account.
That leaves 15 to 20 hours a week studying.
This equates to 3 to 5 hours a day of study-time.
If you have a part-time job or a work study job block that off too.
Keep in mind that this shouldn’t come at the expense of study time.
It should come off of free time.
In HS going to class is mandatory--you get graded/parents.
In college it’s more relaxed.
It’s easy to skip class because attendance isn’t taken into account.
In med school, all the lectures are video recorded.
I personally did a mixture of attending class in person and listening to recorded lecture
at home.
I think it’s important to decide whether you benefit the most from attending class
in person or from studying at your own pace at home.
I will say that even when I stayed home and watched lecture videos, I never fell behind
on watching that day’s lecture.
whether attendance is mandatory or not at your institution is, the most important thing
is to never fall behind on that day’s lecture Ask questions and participate in class If
you are going to class, you should try to be an active participant of your lecture rather
than passively sitting and listening.
So that means asking questions and participating whenever you can to keep your mind active.
Taking Notes Reading class material and taking notes before class is really helpful and will
help you get ahead and stay better focused during class time.
I made a whole video on how I take notes for class so I will link it in the description
box below.
Office hours/review sessions: when I was in undergrad, if I felt like I wasn’t totally
getting something in class or if I felt like I wasn’t doing so well in a class, I tried
to go to as many office hours and review sessions as possible.
It really helped to put me on the same page as my classmates and helped me understand
exactly what my professors wanted me to know for my exams.
Usually if I invested my time into going to office hours and review sessions, I did pretty
well in that class.
So I highly recommend going to as many class activities outside of lecture.
Although people have different preferences when it comes to study location, I think it’s
important to know what works best for you- quiet library, cafe with some background noise,
home, etc.
For me, I like to study in quiet places with little to no background noise.
Once in awhile I can get some studying done in cafes, but my go-to places are libraries
and quiet rooms in school.
As for study music, I like no music at all or music with no lyrics.
Some of my favorite study music is linked in my Study with me videos over at The Strive
Studies channel so definitely check the new channel out if you need a study buddy and
some study music to go along with it!
Sometimes studying in the same place for hours can be tiring.
Switching study places and getting a change of scenery can help you refocus and boost
your productivity.
When I was studying for my board exam, I changed my study location from home to school depending
on how I was feeling.
If you guys want some tips on how to stay focused while studying or how to memorize
the materials that you’re studying, I will those two videos in the description box as
well.
Let’s talk about how to study for Exams Avoid cramming.
With the scheduling mentioned before, You should be studying a little bit daily anyway.
The best way to avoid cramming is to make a study schedule 1-2 weeks before the exam.Make
an outline of the content you need to study and decide how much you want to dedicate to
each topic.Once you’re done going over your notes for those topics, Do questions.
Questions questions!!!
Study Groups: if you like to study in groups, I think a great time to come together is after
everyone has finished reviewing the materials- so most likely shortly before the exam.
This way you can go over some challenging questions as a group and everyone is more
or less on the same page.
And… finally, Taking the ExamMake sure you get plenty of sleep the night before.
In undergrad, I pulled all nighters before exams from time to time but I never found
them to be helpful.
Since starting med school, I’ve never pulled an all-nighter but I tried to stay on top
of my study material little by little everyday.
Now I fully believe in getting plenty of rest before exams and relaxing as much as possible
the night before exams.
I hope you guys found this study guide helpful.
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That’s it for this week.
Thank you guys so much for watching!
Give it a thumbs up & See you guys in the next video! Byeeee!