Something to Prove, Nothing to Lose

[20170101 09:23]

Welcome to my studyblr! This is my first original post on this blog and I’m really excited for the new year :) These are some of my notes from my neuroscience class last semester and I’m kind of sad that it’s over because brains are cool dude (I’m a prospective neuroscience major so more brains in the future~). 

if you realize you’ve been studying for hours: grab a snack to refuel your body and watch a sitcom to refuel your brain. then back to the books.

if you’re feeling stressed out: take some deep breaths, text your friends, maybe stare at a wall for a few minutes. gather yourself.

if you can’t seem to focus: get moving and get outside. take out the garbage, check your mail box, maybe walk your dog. just get moving and get fresh air. it’ll help bring you back.

if there’s something else going on in your life and you can’t get it off your mind: write down what’s going through your head, sort of like a diary entry. it’ll help you work things out.

if you’re just mentally and physically exhausted: set a timer for 25-30 minutes and take a nap. any longer and you’ll hit REM and you’ll wake up feeling just as tired. once you wake up, get some caffeine in you.

if the material is boring as hell: find another way to study. see if there’s a crash course video online about it or draw out what you’re trying to learn in diagrams and pictures to make it fun.

if people around you won’t shut up: listen to some music. soundtrack and classical music is always good because they won’t absorb you as much as music with lyrics. white noise (like ocean waves, rain sounds, etc.) also works.

Magoosh: Great vocabulary builder. Has special SAT, ACT, etc. word sets you can use.

Mendeley: allows you to access hundreds of academic sources in pdf format from your phone.

Canva: allows you to make great graphics, cards, presentations, etc. also has a website.

Quick Graph: a good graphing calculator app

Kahn Academy: app filled with great videos, interactive lessons, etc. about all different topics. Also has a website.

Totem: app that gives you a view of the periodic table and in-depth information about the elements

Focus Keeper: my favorite pomodoro timer app

Google Classroom: it is 110% worth it to get the app version of this omg. You can upload things directly from your phone it’s amazing.

Google Calandar: it puts your classroom assignments on the calandar automatically and sends you notifications.

So it’s been about 3 months into medical school, and I just thought I’d share some smol thoughts!!

Learning to learn: this is so important. In my school, our curriculum is structured in a way such that we have a test almost every day. In the beginnjng, I stressed over getting good grades for each test, but looking at the big picture, each test is just a small percentage. Discovering your studying style and picking resources that work for you is so important in the long run!!

Take breaks: know yourself, what helps you relax, and set aside some time every or every 2 days to indulge in that. For me, it’s either exercising, watching tv shows, listening to music or just lazing on my bed. Spending time with yourself is key to preventing burnouts, which is all too easy to fall into when you’re in university. You’ll likely be more productive too after taking a break, and less likely to procrastinate!

Be flexible: not everything is going to work out like it should. We have to be flexible and adapt accordingly. Be it studying methods, schedules, plans with friends/family, etc. It took some time for me to deal with this as I’m more of a planner, and hate it when my plans are ruined!! But I’ve learnt to be okay with imperfection!

It’s ok to not know everything. This is so important. In any discipline you’re in, not just in medicinal school, learning is a life long journey. It’s impossible to know every small detail about everything- and IT’S OK!! Being comfortable with this uncertainty takes practice, but it’ll help your wellbeing in the long run.

On that note, it’s OK TO FAIL! So so important too. We all want to be high achievers and pass every subject with flying colours, and when we fail, we hit rock bottom. Being ok with failure + having a growth mindset means bouncing back stronger than before. RESILIENCE!! So important! Endurance shows how long you can last, but resilience shows how quick you can pick yourself up after a fall.

Learn from others. Everyone has different strengths and weaknesses. Next time, we will be forced to work in teams. Picking on others’ faults and shortcomings is not going to help. Instead, I’ve learnt to look at things and people optimistically, adapt to their styles and be open to ideas. You can always learn something from each and every one!

Focus on improving yourself and people around you. There’s no point comparing to students from other schools or programmes. Everywhere you go, there will be flaws in the curriculum, education system etc. That’s something we can’t really change, at least for now. What we can do is to improve ourselves, our skills and our knowledge. Complaining and comparing to others will not make us better than them!

Lastly, it’s tough, but it will be worth it. One fail grade does not make you a bad doctor. What matters is the learning, and having the heart to serve people.

Hopefully this helps those who are reading this post, regardless of university/course, to consolidate thoughts, realign perspectives and remind yourself why you started this journey in the first place!

Medicine isn’t ‘the top’ (as I’ve seen some people and posts on tumblr say), it’s a certain career path that we have chosen. Most people just don’t want to be doctors, ya know? Your ‘top’ goal may be medicine, but that doesn’t mean it’s the same for everyone.

Of course studying medicine is hard work. I find it hard, I have to study a lot, I sometimes find it difficult to balance things. But you know what I’d find harder? A physics degree. The complex science they have to learn goes way beyond what we learn in med school. Or an English degree, because I suck at writing essays. Or a nursing degree, because even in their first year they have so many hours of placement and have to do night shifts. Or going to study for a year in freaking JAPAN like my friend did. Or being a policewoman. Etc. Most career choices/degrees are hard in their own way and give different challenges.

Preparing for your exams

Check whether you have anything you haven’t studied. If you do, list them out in a paper/document. Put them into three categories: 

1. Things you are not familiar with at all (that you probably haven’t paid attention during class, and haven’t read through them)

2. Things you have already gone through once and have a rough idea what it is about, but not clear with the details

3. Things you are quite familiar with, that you just want to go through them once again to memorise them

It is very important that you have every content of your exam syllabus on the second level around 2-7 days before your exams (depends on the amount of materials that is going to be on the papers)

So you should make a timetable to go through everything if you still have a few days/weeks

Don’t try to spend so much time actually memorising them for now. The key right now is to understand everything, so that they can be in your long-term memory. 

You can leave other small details and examples (that probably requires your short-term memory) till the last week/last three days before exams.

If you have the feeling that you MUST remember things word by word / very clearly, mark them with a red pen or something to make sure they stand out so you can quickly memorise them during the final review.

You can also make index cards during this stage

Which may help you to organise the information and help you to stay focus (without wasting you so much time in making full and comprehensive notes)

And to quiz yourself during your final review

Final Review - 2-3 days before your exams

Scientific research shows that we are all very good at recognising things, but that does not mean that we are good at recalling them (which is exactly what requires during exams)

So, instead of just reading your notes, definitely quiz yourself using flashcards, or just look at the heading of the notes and recall as much information as possible

“no I have to memorise everything first before quizzing myself”??

No, not really. It is known that even pre-quiz can help you to remember the information better! Quickly quizzing yourself once to understand which areas you are least familiar with so you can focus more on those chapters in your final review

It actually does activate your mind too since you will be curious about the information (after knowing you cannot recall them during the quiz) - that can help you to remember better

Memorise in the right way!

Auditory learner: read the information out loud / try to teach others

Visual learner: recall the information by writing them all out in a piece of blank paper (feynman technique)

You can recall the information better when you are in the same kind of environment (scientifically proven)

That is, if you exam hall is silent, it’s better for you to remember things in silence

Even works for your condition too.

If you take energy boosting drink while your are studying, you can probably recall the information better if you drink them before exams (same as NOT drinking energy boosting drink too)

Write a list of very important keywords / information / equations as a final summary

The morning before your exams

Try not to go through anything new, you probably can’t remember/understand them anyway

The best thing to do is probably simply to go through the summary sheet you made before exams. It will help you to recall all the information you have memorised + you won’t panic since it’s everything that you have already studied

Breakfast, remember. You don’t want to be starving during exams.

Find things to be excited about because your attitude will dictate your experience.

Plan a nice outfit for the first day of school. It doesn’t have to be very fancy, just something you will feel good wearing. The way you dress can improve your confidence. 

Get a planner. It’s helpful to have a book dedicated to school work and extracurriculars so that you stay on top of your game.

Write down your instructors/professors/teachers names, e-mails and office hours ASAP. You never know when you will need to contact them.  

Please be nice to your instructors/professors/teachers. Reach out and connect with them so that you have a professional relationship with them, as you never know when you will need extra credit or a recommendation letter.

Once you receive all of your syllabi, write all of your assignments/deadlines down in your planner/bullet journal/calendar. 

Start studying and put effort into doing work on day one. You will thank yourself during finals week.

Don’t listen to your peers about what was on the test/exam if they get to take them before you. Do your own thing.

Don’t focus on how many hours your peers spend studying. Everyone completes work and studies at their own pace, there is no hour limit that you need to achieve to receive that A+. 

Don’t procrastinate a study session by planning what you’re going to study. A simple to-do list will work fine. 

Attend talks, conferences, events on campus to fully immerse yourself in university life. Sometimes professors are willing to give extra credit for attending talks/conferences (as long as it is related to their class).

Have a song that gives you hype. Whether you’re waiting for a big presentation or you’re nervous on the first day of school. I always listen to “Sorry” by Beyonce. 

Please do your own work and don’t plagiarise as it can ruin academic careers.

Please don’t share your work with other students in case they might plagiarise from you. Even if you think they’re your friend, it’s better to not share your work. 

Reflect and remember how lucky you are to be getting an education. School isn’t a punishment, its an opportunity for you to create a kick-ass foundation for the rest of your life.

Save your coin and make your morning coffee/tea at home. Invest in a travel to-go cup, I always use my Starbucks one. 

People will leave you alone when you have your earphones in. 

Have a couple of spots for studying on campus, where you can sit down and focus to do work in between lectures. I would have a couple of favourite spots in my uni’s library were I could study free from distractions. 

Don’t compare yourself to other students. We’re all on our own paths; therefore, the most important person you need to focus on is you! 

Visit my blog or follow me on Instagram from time to time for some study inspiration. You can contact me via my inbox on Tumblr or Instagram DM’s. 

In my experience, the only colleges that matter are renown colleges like Harvard or Yale. Otherwise, the degree you receive is the only thing that matters.

Another thing I’ve learned- grades don’t matter, unless they’re very good. Like Dean’s List good. You’ll receive your degree regardless if you have an A+ or a C- (some schools will even award degrees with Ds). Also your GPA resets every time you enroll in another college, so if it does dip below where you want it to, all is not lost!

january: fresh journals, black and white notes, bullet journals filled with motivational quotes, cold brew coffee, loves writing letters, finishes everything on time, a daydreamer, seems laid back but really they’re stressed about everything

february: doodles in the margins of notes, the person who lends you their pens, sloppy handwriting, loves motivational speeches and classical music, finishes easy assignments early but writes their essay the night before its due,

march: straight A’s, study playlists, the teachers favorite, color coded notes, everyone thinks they’re naturally smart (but really they’re spending every night studying), forgets to eat sometimes, hasn’t slept for what feels like years

april: open windows, listening to the rain and thunder, tea pots full of earl grey, a functionally messy desk, fairy lights, always losing their pens, a huge nerd, afraid to raise their hand in class in case their answer is wrong

may: cramming for tests, lives in the library, highlighters and sticky notes everywhere, drinks espresso, would definitely consider bringing their coffee pot to school, messy desk, if an assignment is due at 9:00 they’ll submit it at 8:59

june: late nights, smoothies for breakfast, hanging out with friends, takes notes on their laptop, minimalist, organized, says they’re studying but they’re actually on studyblr, tries to study everything at once and gets distracted

july: staying up late to read, learning new languages, focuses on the learning and not the grade, watches documentaries for fun, loves the classics, owns a thousand pens, takes studyspo pictures, hundreds of unread emails,

august: stationery shopping, getting ahead in class, iced drinks, spending weekends with friends, takes very little notes but does well in class anyways, a relaxed personality, healthy snacks, the master of self care

september: a morning person, new pens and folders, a perfectionist, audio records classes and re-writes notes, over works themselves, loves the smell of new books, competitive, “i’m gonna fail!” but ends up getting A’s and B’s

october: chai lattes in travel mugs, will study for three days straight and then not study for a week, snacking in class, uses washi tape and stickers, sleeps for eight hours but is tired anyways, terrible at accepting compliments

november: gratitude journals, mental health days, the baristas at their local cafe know their name because they’re always studying there, study groups, loves to travel but never travels, cinnamon in their drinks, trouble sleeping, sweet smiles

an ongoing list of things i’m learning that i wish i’d known sooner. feel free to add on to the list or ask me to make edits! if some of this seems obvious, i apologize, but a lot of it never occurred to me or took two and a half years for me to start doing. 

environment: where you study matters. don’t do it where you sleep, if possible. i block out time to go to the library or coffee shop, but you can also try a park, empty classroom, study room, etc. 

pomodoro timer: as an ADHD student, using a pomodoro timer app has helped tremendously. other options include Forest and similar apps, but my brain tends to just go “okay, let the tree die then.” even this timer doesn’t always work for me, but it works often enough that i use it to study. 

cook on sunday: or whenever you have a free chunk of time. cooking takes a lot out of me so i usually do it twice a week, sunday and wednesday night. i’ll chop up a lemon, de-frost frozen chicken, rub it in spices and olive oil, and put parchment paper over it, then put that in the oven. + i make rice with chicken broth instead of water. together it’s a solid meal. simple recipes using as few ingredients as possible are a lifesaver for me. search “easy recipes,” “simple recipes,” and the like for tons of options. 

forgive yourself: it’s so hard for me to do and has taken time. you are going to have days where you simply can’t get anything done. it doesn’t mean you’re lazy. it doesn’t mean you’re a failure. even if you missed an assignment, you can still get a good grade in the class. furthermore, you NEED the recovery time. it is NOT time wasted. 

counseling: if you have on-campus counseling, take advantage of it. even if they aren’t your main therapist, or you don’t usually go to therapy, or you don’t get along with the first person you see. try going a few times and find someone to click with. having access to someone who can write a doctor’s note is vital. 

disability resources: if you need them, get in their program! do it! i don’t care if it makes you feel weird, if you don’t feel like you deserve it, etc. do it! do it! it’s one of the best things i did for myself on campus, and it’s the reason i can still go to school. 

tell professors early on: i have adhd, major depressive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, and borderline personality disorder. there are going to be days when, even with counseling and medication, i will absolutely not be able to go to class or pay attention or what have you. if a professor knows i’m dealing with this stuff, they’re more likely to give me a break than they would otherwise. 

plants are the bomb. name them. look up care sheets for them. talk to the people at plant shops, if you have any in your area. take them for walks. read about them. watch tv with them. sing to them. plants have saved my life many times over and they don’t ask much in return. 

stockpile your happiness. i keep a list of things that bring positive emotions to me, and come back to it when my mood starts to swing down: things to do, video links, music, vines of cute animals, whatever. conversely, keeping a playlist of songs that help you get through pain can be exceptionally important when it’s three in the morning and no one is texting back. 

there’s more than the national suicide prevention hotline. they get a lot of calls and are most concerned with whether you’re in immediate danger, and aren’t the best people to call in every situation. i say this because people reblog suicide prevention hotlines all the time, but don’t consider what the general purpose of each one is for. it can feel really shitty to be brushed off by someone who doesn’t think you’re “in crisis enough” for their services, so makes sure to have options saved beforehand. local crisis hotlines, text crisis hotlines, & online messaging crisis centers are important to keep on hand. 

look for off-campus resources, too. see if there are any organizations in the area that could help you that aren’t tied to the school. again, it is good to have as many options for help as possible. 

sometimes a rubber band on the wrist is the best option. or throwing ice cubes in the tub, or wrapping yourself in a blanket because it’s the only thing keeping you together right now. if i’m having the urge to self-harm, snapping a rubber band against my wrist is a safer option for me, even if it’s not THE safest option. like, ideally i would draw on my arm with marker, but if i’m in a bad enough state that won’t be enough for me, you feel? the safe coping mechanism that you’ll actually use is FAR more helpful than the safest option you never will. 

online community. i frequent the #actuallybpd and #actuallyadhd tags on tumblr because these are people that understand what it’s like, and can help me vent my frustrations when i have no one to turn to. just remember not to over-engage in discourse if it’s bad for your mental state, like it is for me.

look up pictures of the diaphragm and how it works. i literally didn’t know what my diaphragm looked like, so breathing was even harder than it would’ve been otherwise. looking up animations of it helped me learn how to breathe slowly and deeply, which was not actually something i knew how to do. 

white noise is the only way i can focus on studying. really. 

asmr, binaural stuff, etc. if it helps you and it’s safe, there’s nothing wrong with it. i know the jury’s still out on whether it “actually works,” but even if it’s placebo, it helps me calm down quickly.