#studying techniques

[artificial-box]

The only way I can get myself to study is by pretending Spamton is teaching me, history is gonna cook me alive

[medical-magpie]

The weird and the unhinged

a guide to the stuff that got me through med school

Believe it or not but studying between 6 and 10 hours a day, 6 days a week for two years straight, taking a grand total of maybe 5 weeks off during that time and balancing all that with hospital placement sometimes require a bit of creativity to get the synapses to connect.

When I was studying for the entrance exam I had this very fancy classical music playlist that lasted 12 ou 13 hours so I could listen to it everyday on repeat and I really did romantise the days spent at my desk. Naturally, I tried to defrost that approach when I was studying for the specialty exam.

It didn’t work. Chopin couldn’t bring me to focus, neither could Dvorak nor could Desplat. The spell was broken.

So I leaned into more unconventional ways to set the tone.

1. The candle timer

At one point my brain figured the pomodoro timer was an arbitrary rule and that we could be done whenever we wanted. That’s when the. Candle timer came in.

For that trick you’ll need a huge ass candle, I used the big Yankee Candle jar and on a couple of occasions some church candles, the only thing is that they must take a long time to burn. Then I marked off where they had to burn before I could snuff them out. That’s where the jars are nice because if you blow them before the wax melts to the edge then they start to excavate or whatever and that’s washing the candle.

2. The fancy drink reward

One of the arbritary rule that never stopped working, not like the pomodoro one, was the fancy drink reward. I drink a worrying amount of tea if my GP can be believed. Around a full pot and a half a day.

So each day I brewed my first batch while planning my tasks then off I went to work.

At midday if half the task were gone I could swap out the tea or switch to the cold brew in the fridge, if not it was a second brewing of the morning pot.

At 5pm when I took my snack break if 75% of the tasks were done I could do a fancy drink. By fancy I mean, taking the time to prepare a matcha, making a latte or a fruit mocktail. If not, third brewing of the kettle or water.

3. The online class workout

Pretty self explanatory, I’d put the recording of a lecture and hop on a treadmill and walk/jog for the whole thing. No note taking. No flash card making. Just walking to the voice of a lecturer explaining the treatment plan of tuberculosis.

But wait it get worse.

4. The online class nap

I had a class where lecturers across the country came together to make a podcast with bite size summaries of the chapters. Nephrodio if you speak French give it a try.

I’d pick an episode, put it on and lied down for the 15-20 minutes of the episode. Eyes closed hoping for some osmosis I guess.

5. The discography Saturdays

You know how on Saturdays it’s really hard to get going because you already had five very full days ? And the world tells you to slow down because it’s the weekend so it’s time to rest ? Well med school doesn’t care about that. So for those long days spent at my desk I let go of the pomodoro and used Spotify instead. Here’s how.

After breakfast, id look at my schedule for the week to check whether im on track or behind (i was never ahead) and also where my energy level was. Then id pick an artist with multiple albums and I used them to pace my day.

Woke up early, feeling energised or just really behind ? Queen, Taylor Swift, Lana del Rey, 5+ albums some lasting over 2 hours.

Woke up later, less energy, on time and no so many things to do ? Lorde, Arlo Parks, Alexandra savior.

Adapt to your music taste and to your schedule.

6. The true crime podcasters compagny

And when all else failed, when nothing could get me to focus that’s when the true crime podcasters came there, couple of conditions for it to work with my brain.

Only one main voice, occasional second voice allowed because following a conversation is hard.

No theatrics no additional audio, I dont want theatrics or drama. I don’t like them when the podcast has my full attention and I downright hate them when they’re background noise.

Ideally in English to have a distinction between what in studying and what I’m listening.

And that’s about it for my weird tricks, feel free to add on!

[kketisha]

Here are some tips for getting the most out of study.

1. Pick a place and time

Everyone has their own idea about the best place and time to study. Whether it’s your bedroom at night or the library after school, find a study space and a regular study time that works for you and stick with it.

Set up your study space – Your study space should be quiet, comfortable and distraction-free. It should make you feel happy and inspired. Decorate it with your favorite pictures or objects. If you want to listen to music or burn incense, pick a space that lets you do that.

Find your best time – Some people work better in the morning. Others work better at night. Work out which time suits you and plan to study then. Don’t study much later than your usual bedtime – pushing yourself late at night can make you too tired to study properly.

2. Plan your time

It helps to have some plans in motion so you can make the most of your study time.

Make to-do lists – Lists break tasks down into manageable chunks. At the start of the week, make a list of the things that you need to have done by the end of the week. Make a to-do list at the start of each study session too, so that you’re clear about what you need to be doing with your time.

Use pomodoro method – Set alarms to remind you about the end of your study session. Take short breaks before continuing studying. A regular reminder keeps you honest and your plans on track.

3. Discover your learning style

Most of us have a preferred way of learning. Get to know the learning style you’re most comfortable with and study in the ways you learn best.

Note that these styles are just a way to think about different studying techniques. Try each of these out and see which ways you prefer.

Auditory learners prefer to learn by listening. Try reading your notes aloud and discussing them with other people. You might like to record key points and play them back.

Visual learners prefer to learn by seeing. Try using colors in your notes and draw diagrams to help represent key points. You could try to remember some ideas as images.

Tactile/kinesthetic learners prefer to learn by doing. Try using techniques like role-playing or building models to revise key points.

4. Review and revise

At least once a week you should go back over the things you’ve studied in class. Thinking things over can help you to understand the concepts and help you remember when you need them the most.

Quiz – Try out Kahoot! or other online tools. Quizzes are great ways to get confident about what you know and find out what you still need to learn.

Make your own study materials – Think up some practice exam questions or create your own flash cards to help you study. This way you learn it all twice: once when you make the study materials and once when you use them to revise.

[jeiasacads]

20/04/19 - an actual whole new world

a hop, skip, and a train ride later, i managed a visit to my future alma mater. (yes, i’m comfortable enough with posting my face on here, hello to you!) the campus is sprawling with european architecture. additionally, it’s the oldest in asia. my father and grandfather had studied here, and now i’m doing the same. looking forward to the august schoolyear! 

side note: the first photo isn’t mine, i took it from the university’s twitter account. it matched well with my photo on the right, and looked really pretty. ehe.

[thispaper]

10/1/17 (2/100 days of productivity)

[artificial-box]

Just studying some Latin

[artificial-box]

Tenna has joined the studying session

[pervagatus-ille-scholar]

TLDR: I heavily dislike the Cornell studying technique. I wish ill tidings on the Cornell studying technique

I absolutely hate the Cornell studying technique. It is the sod under my shoe. It is the closest thing I currently have to a mortal enemy. If someone makes me use the Cornell studying technique I will spontaneously combust at that moment and I hope however delivers my eulogy puts emphasis on the fact that my cause of death was the Cornell studying technique. Fuck specifically one of my grade 4, 5, 6, 8 teachers for forcing me to "try out" that studying technique. I don't care if it's an effective method of note-taking, I would rather die. The rage I feel towards this studying method is indescribable. I hate it, it looks ugly, even if it's effective and I try to use it I would not be able to learn anything due to my anger and fury over having to force my eyes to witness the horrors that is the Cornell studying technique. I am Prospero and the Cornell studying technique is my Caliban except I never forgive them and will always feel the fires of fury coursing through my veins each time I am reminded of that fucking abomination in the disguise of a learning tool