Holy Grail

As I said before, I’ve really struggled with classes where you have tons of seemingly random facts and names to memorize… namely, med micro and pharmacology. For the last part of last block, I tried out a new way of studying, and it increased my exam grade by 20 points. Since it worked, I figured why not apply my new method of studying to my new block? So I did. After all these semesters of struggle, I think I have finally figured out the holy grail to good learning for me.

Disclaimer: different methods work different ways for different people. One just has to figure it out what it is. This just happens to be mine.

Holy Grail to Good Learning for Pharm:

1. Attend lecture. Record audio for each slide on ipad. write notes on slide.

2. Go back home, skim over the entire lecture. Write an outline of all the categories and drugs, trying to keep it all within a page or two.

3. play back and listen again to the lecture. fill in details you may have missed into the slides. go through each slide, and fill in the details into your written outline. make connections between pieces of information as needed.

4. Review and talk through your notes with a study partner. Come up with mnemonics or ways of remembering as needed.

5. Create simple questions from your notes, preferably those where the answers are the drug names.

6. Go over questions by yourself.

7. Go over questions with a study partner.

8. Skim over everything briefly in preparation of exam.

This new method got me a 98 on my recent exam.

I should have started this a long time ago, but as I can’t turn back time, all I can do now is look forward. I will be studying like this from now on to really prepare me for my exams.