StudyNony

dark academia - acoustics n lots of hozier for that classical literature aesthetic 

cowboy music - western-sounding indie music for ppl who don’t like country music lmao

8tracks indie - if you’re one of the OGs who used 8tracks, these are the songs that were in like every single playlist

rainy - lots of oldies! i kinda imagined it as cafe music during the post apocalypse hehe 

soleil - warm-sounding songs!

surf rock - the sort of music that’d be in a summer indie film soundtrack

moomin! - it’s cottagecore, babey!

oranges and honey - lo-fi

Compiled my notes into study guides and uploaded them into PDFs as promised! Here they are:

The Science of Anatomy and Physiology

Atoms, Ions, and Molecules

Energy, Chemical Reactions, and Cellular Respiration

The Cell

Tissue Organization

 Images of Tissue Slides (Histology for Lab Practicals)

Endocrine System

Blood

Cardiovascular System: Heart

Blood Vessels

Immune System

Lymphatic System

Respiratory System

Urinary System

Regulating Bodily Fluids

Digestive System

Regulation of Nutrient Blood Levels

Reproductive System

Lab; Lab

Happy studying!

Before the lecture: 

print off or download lecture slides (if available) 

preview content or lecture outline the night before 

make sure you’ve got all the supplies you need (eg. highlighters, pens, paper, post-its, books, charger for laptop if needed) 

During the lecture: 

actually listen lol and try to understand what’s being said

annotate the lecture slides

if there’s anything the lecturer emphasises, highlight it!

add any additional information that’s not in the slides

bring a bottle of water and/or some gum to help you keep awake and focused

turn your phone off or put it away in your bag to keep distractions to a minimum

when using a laptop to take notes, it’s tempting to start looking at other websites… don’t do it lol

i see so many people in the lecture hall scrolling through their facebook feeds

or tumblr (!!!)

but it’s honestly just a waste of time to attend if you’re not listening 

After the lecture: 

discuss with friends!

talking about a topic or explaining a concept to someone can really help consolidate your own knowledge 

or even bring up points for clarification 

if there’s anything you don’t understand, send the lecturer an email or go to their office hours

look over notes made during lecture within the same day

listen to the recording and add any missed information to your notes

go through relevant parts in the textbook

review, review, review! 

weekends are a great time for this

the more you review, the better you’ll be able to retain the contents of the lecture 

So studying anatomy is nothing like any other topic, especially when you study it at uni level, where they expect you to know every single small component of the body! So this guide is going to be concerning the musculoskeletal system and the nerves (PNS) and arteries in the body. 

I have mentioned some of these tips before but I will put them in here aswell and so this can work as sort of masterpost. This is like a more “overall” type of masterpost. So if you want to have topic specific posts for example for nerves and arteries then let me know. 

1. Find a study partner. First and foremost anatomy is so much easier when you are two dealing with it. Me and my study partner used to do anatomy spots together and by doing it two people together you can discuss what it could possibly be. You get to hear their train of thoughts which sometimes can be better than yours. Also you will have someone to quiz you and correct you when you say something wrong. 

2. Accept that it takes time. First step to learning anatomy is dedicating a lot of time. It is not easy, you are cramming so much information into your mind and for it to stay there you will have to go over the same topic again and again and again. And I know it is really frustrating and you are going to spent maybe 10 hours trying to figure out the muscles of the leg and then next week when you review it again it will feel like a whole new topic, but this is all a part of the proces, just keep revising again and again and again. 

3. The Atlas is your best friend. Invest in a good atlas, they are a little expensive but they work wonders because first of all they give you an image of what you study. And usually the text book images are not enough. In an atlas you will have “isolated” images but you will also have images where relations are shown. HOWEVER if you dont want to buy an actual atlas then maybe buy Complete anatomy which is a computer program that I also reffered to in my “5 sites every med student should know about” post. Here you can play around with the structures, view it from different angles and add on to it with other nearby structures or remove structures. 

4. Say it out loud. Pretty self explanatory. 

5. Create an overview. Rather than focusing on the details try to focus on creating an overview. Anatomy is already so difficult so dont complicate things for yourself. And if you know the basics then learning the details will be so much easier. 

6. Use a whiteboard. Speaking of creating an overview, try using a white board for this. It is such a good way for creating an overview. I think because deleting and writing is so easy it kinda makes it less stressful than writing in a note book where ofcourse you worry about the aesthetic. Also try to do this with your study partner. You can plan on studying a topic together so lets say for example the muscles of the leg, you both at home study it, try to memorize it, look at it in an atlas and then you two meet. Now when you meet you get infront of a white board and start talking and writing about what you guys think is important and when you guys cant go any further then grab your notes and then add more on to the board. 

7. MAKE IT VISUAL!. This is the most important step! Use bones, pay attention in your dissection classes, if you have the upportunity to touch, feel and look at structures then DO IT! This is the best way to learn. Spot as often as you can.

8. Make up rules. you can find a lot of them online, or just make some up yourself, me and my study partner did, for example the muscles  M. erector spinae: I (m. iliocostalis) Like (m. longissimus) Standing (m. spinalis). If you turn it into a “game” then remembering it will be much easier.

And most importantly dont stress your mind that much. Allow yourself to take breaks, because over feeding your mind with knowledge in a short period of time can also be very damaging since you will waste time and not remember most of what you studied.  

Good luck, stay motivated and stay dedicated

Love 

A lot of us have difficulty when it comes to learning all types of new information. Especially when we’ve got other priorities to worry about. After much experimentation, I’ve found that the following tips helped me make the most of my time and also helped me plan much more fruitful study sessions!

- Designated Study Area.

A coffee shop, the library, a desk, or even your bed. Figure out where you are most comfortable studying - The right location provides comfort, no distractions and is quiet. Another factor to consider is timing. Are you a morning person, an evening person or a night person? Combine the time with the location and there’s your study area!

- The Key to Success is Time Management.

Plan your time using a simple schedule template, or make a simple to-do-list. The trick is to complete short tasks in a reasonable amount of time; like going over 5 pages of a textbook in approimately 15 minutes. Keeping a written schedule keeps you in line, and this way you won’t forget the tasks you need to complete for the day!

- Note Taking.

Personally, I like to keep a hardcopy of the days lecture and just scribble down any information that I think is important. BUT, there are some pretty cool note-taking strategies out there that you can utilise. Check out The Cornell Method, Mind Mapping, and the Split Page Method. Active learning produces more results than passive learning - so write down those notes and stay active!

- Meet the Syllabus.

The syllabus outlines the most important learning outcomes/ learning goals, and thats pretty much all you need to plan a productive studying session. 

Bid farewell to all that extra, unnecessary information. 

- What is your learning style?

Are you a visual, auditory, verbal or kinesthetic learner? Experiment with all 3 and find out which one works best for you. You don’t necessarily need to stick with one! Do you study better alone or do you prefer group study?  

- Bite-sized Learning.

Do not try to cram in a huge amount of information all at once. Instead, try breaking information down into learnable, manageable chunks. Combining this method with tip #2 will help you make the most of your time.

- Review, Review, Review!

It’s scientifically proven that the more you review material, the easier it’ll be for you to recall it when needed. So, take another look at your notes a couple of days after you make them, then again a week later, and so on.

Hi Everyone! 

Update: I am now officially done with my second year! I know i’ve been MIA on here for a while now - but that’s only because I was drowning in textbooks and assignments! I will be writing a whole other post on what my second year in medical school was like - so watch out for that :)

I, for one, can not just rely on one method of learning. Meaning, I’ll jump from videos, to textbooks, to flashcards. In this post I’m going to list some of my holy grail youtube channels that have helped saved me. 

1) Handwritten Tutorials

https://www.youtube.com/user/harpinmartin

Every video in this channel is short, but not so much that you feel like you’re missing out on information. Definitely one to save as a favourite!

2) Armando Hasudungan

https://www.youtube.com/user/armandohasudungan

The best thing about this channel is the fact that there are over 300 videos, covering a wide range of core topics in endocrinology, neurology, physiology and pharmacology. Another pro is the presentation of topics (otherwise considered snooze-worthy) in an artistic manner!

3) Speed Pharmacology

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-i2EBYXH6-GAglvuDIaufQ

Raise your hand if you’ve ever fallen asleep trying to read about the mechanism of action of opioids, their side effects and contraindications. I know I have. Fret not, for this youtube channel will introduce you to a world where pharmacology is actually interesting.

4) Wendy Riggs 

https://www.youtube.com/user/wendogg1

Wendy Riggs is a very down-to-earth professor in Northern California, and she covers a wide range of  topics in Anatomy, Physiology and General Biology. 

5) Anatomy Zone

https://www.youtube.com/user/TheAnatomyZone

A better way to learn anatomy is to supplement your textbook information with videos from this channel. The explanations and visuals provided are absolute gold.

1. Don’t schedule classes before 9:30

2. use study resources

3. GO TO CLASS

4. always bring headphones

5. find a coffee shop

6. always carry a snack

7. print out lecture slides

8. steal bananas and fruit from the dining halls

9. bring a water bottle everywhere

10. sit near the front of your classes

11. find a study parter (emphasis on only one other person!!!)

12. never forget a phone charger

13. learn the bus system

14. say yes to anything you’re passionate about

motivation comes from within (ง︡’-‘︠)ง