If you are starting your medical school journey and want to perform outstandingly to improve your academic performance, you need to develop some study skills that enable you to perform better in class and on exams. In a medical school where teachers are less personally involved, the curriculum is much more rigorous, and classes are bigger, staying productive and motivated is no easy feat. Fortunately, there are some learning strategies that students can implement into their study routine to master their course material, perform well on their exams and become a successful student.
Here are some effective learning strategies every medical student should follow to increase their productivity and learn more things in less time.
1. Take Good Notes
Medical students will take a lot of notes during their lectures. Since a lot of information is usually presented to students at medical school, it is advised to develop good note-taking skills. Note taking can help you write down all the important points that you might not be able to remember at that moment in time. Summing things up through note taking will improve your comprehension and long-term memory while increasing your knowledge.
There are different note taking techniques available; you can choose the one that works for you. By finding the right style, you can take notes effectively, improve your retention and understanding of lecture material, improve your GPA and relieve a lot of stress when it comes time to prepare for board exams.
However, effective listening, good handwriting and the ability to record key points are the most important note-taking skills. Students can use different note taking apps to take notes. Evernote, Notability, Zoho Notebook, Bear, Simplenote, Microsoft OneNote, and Boostnote are a few best note taking apps medical students can use to manage information in medical school.
2. Prepare Yourself for Exams in Advance
It is always a great idea to create a study schedule and plan for exams in advance. Don’t leave anything for the last minute, as it is simply not the best approach for exam preparation. One of the best ways to prepare for exams is to take as many practice tests as possible. It helps you get used to the format of the questions and the time required to complete each section.
3. Study in Groups
Getting together with friends and studying in groups is a great learning strategy you can adopt. Study groups can help you get a clear understanding of the complex topics, complete your assignments faster and prepare you for exams. Studying in a group is one of the most effective ways to learn new things, try multiple learning and memorization techniques, improve your note taking and communication skills and learn a lot of information in less time.
4. Create a Distraction-Free Study Zone
Creating a perfect study place is important to boost your concentration levels and keep procrastination at bay. By maintaining your focus and keeping your productivity level high, you can ensure academic success. Some students need a distraction-free, quiet place to maintain their focus. While some can learn better when listening to music or taking short breaks. No matter if you choose a library, coffee shop, park, or your friend’s home, make sure the study space perfectly matches with your personality and learning style. It will eventually help boost your exam grades.
5. Know Your Learning Style
Every student learns differently. For students, finding how they learn can help them identify effective studying strategies that will prepare them for exams.
There are four types of learners:
- Visual learners usually learn best through visual aids such as images, graphs, videos, etc.
- Reading and writing learners can grasp information through reading and note-taking.
- Auditory learners are those who can easily understand information via listening and talking.
- Kinesthetic learners participate in different activities and experiment with new things to improve their knowledge and clear their concepts.
- You can discover the learning style that suits you best; it will help you to study well and understand the topic easily.
6. Beat Procrastination
Combating a procrastination habit in medical school can help you focus on your studies and make the most of your study session. It can be very easy to avoid doing assignments or preparing for exams when you have a lot of work to do. If you plan out your time, it will become easier to complete your assignments on time and make everything seem more manageable. Breaking down your time, setting realistic goals and setting deadlines for yourself can help you get your tasks done on time.
7. Take Very Good Care of Yourself
Medical school is a marathon of studying. While managing studying and extracurricular activities, students sometimes fail to look after their health. Remember, staying healthy is important to study smarter, secure a good GPA and prepare for a rewarding medical career. Eat a balanced diet, stay hydrated and set aside time to work out.
Don’t study all the time, participate in other activities that you like most to refresh your mind. Set aside adequate time to sleep at night. Besides sleeping, find different other ways to rejuvenate your mind so that you can be more efficient when you get back to studying.
Key Takeaways
So, these are some amazing learning strategies every student should follow to make studying engaging and productive. Effective study strategies can make the learning process enjoyable while keeping their motivation and productivity level high.
