When this current module (maxillo-facial system) started, I was so sure I had gotten a grip on how to study anatomy. I thought I had learned my lessons from LMS (locomotor system) and that this second pure anatomy module would be a piece of cake. It has only been three days and I have realized how wrong I was.
Students like myself often forget about the essentials of studying. Sometimes we thing we have everything under control only to realize that we had lost touch with the basics of studying. What are the basics of studying? Well, I'm here to tell you that!
Efficient studying requires time. It's quite an obvious statement, but it is not to be taken lightly. Study time should not coincide with or involve social media, drowsiness or environmental distractions. Shut off your phone or put it away. If you're drowsy, just go to sleep to be honest. Find a quiet place to study if you have rowdy siblings.
Gather all of your study materials. Put everything in front of you, whether as a list or as a pile. This was another thing I often forget to do. When it comes to studying anatomy, the book is often not enough. You also have to consult the atlas as well as go through a couple of YouTube videos. If your course is also one where you are advised to consult different books, just do it. It really helps.
Give yourself small goals so you stay focused. Instead of scattered studying, make a list of things you have to complete. Five pages of chapter three? That's one goal for you to complete and having this concrete goal will remind you to stay on track so you get things done faster. I often end up studying in a scattered manner, flipping pages back and forth. While it helps me relate together concepts, I often end up with an incomplete chapter.
Use highlighters and colored pens. Write notes in the margins, or use stick notes. Make your book look pleasing, make it colorful enough to have it stick in your mind. I have started using colored highlighters on text heavy pages while annotating with colored pens in the margins and diagrams. It keeps me amused and helps me remember the pages and information more clearly than a simple reading would have done.
Go through the information again and again. Revise what you've learned at the end of the day, at the end of the week, whenever you get time! Don't let things pile up for the exams! Fortunately, I end up having tests every week or so, so I'm obliged to go through the material learned a few times. However, I'd still like to go through everything frequently enough that I have everything memorized and that's definitely one goal I need to set for myself.
These are five things that I realized I definitely needed to get my studying game back on track. Which of these do you practice? Do you find it hard to get in the right studying mood? What advice would you give? Have a nice day!
Students like myself often forget about the essentials of studying. Sometimes we thing we have everything under control only to realize that we had lost touch with the basics of studying. What are the basics of studying? Well, I'm here to tell you that!
Efficient studying requires time. It's quite an obvious statement, but it is not to be taken lightly. Study time should not coincide with or involve social media, drowsiness or environmental distractions. Shut off your phone or put it away. If you're drowsy, just go to sleep to be honest. Find a quiet place to study if you have rowdy siblings.
Gather all of your study materials. Put everything in front of you, whether as a list or as a pile. This was another thing I often forget to do. When it comes to studying anatomy, the book is often not enough. You also have to consult the atlas as well as go through a couple of YouTube videos. If your course is also one where you are advised to consult different books, just do it. It really helps.
Give yourself small goals so you stay focused. Instead of scattered studying, make a list of things you have to complete. Five pages of chapter three? That's one goal for you to complete and having this concrete goal will remind you to stay on track so you get things done faster. I often end up studying in a scattered manner, flipping pages back and forth. While it helps me relate together concepts, I often end up with an incomplete chapter.
Use highlighters and colored pens. Write notes in the margins, or use stick notes. Make your book look pleasing, make it colorful enough to have it stick in your mind. I have started using colored highlighters on text heavy pages while annotating with colored pens in the margins and diagrams. It keeps me amused and helps me remember the pages and information more clearly than a simple reading would have done.
Go through the information again and again. Revise what you've learned at the end of the day, at the end of the week, whenever you get time! Don't let things pile up for the exams! Fortunately, I end up having tests every week or so, so I'm obliged to go through the material learned a few times. However, I'd still like to go through everything frequently enough that I have everything memorized and that's definitely one goal I need to set for myself.
These are five things that I realized I definitely needed to get my studying game back on track. Which of these do you practice? Do you find it hard to get in the right studying mood? What advice would you give? Have a nice day!
