Advantages/Disadvantages of Attending NON-mandatory Lectures

[kopitar]

Only a few months into my first year I am still trying to strategically plan my time to accommodate the ridiculous amount of material that is shoved in my brain every day. How is everyone else dealing with the issue of whether or not to go to class?

also any tips on pick-me-ups throughout a long day, and also strategic napping/comas

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[iatros]

Only a few months into my first year I am still trying to strategically plan my time to accommodate the ridiculous amount of material that is shoved in my brain every day. How is everyone else dealing with the issue of whether or not to go to class?

also any tips on pick-me-ups throughout a long day, and also strategic napping/comas

i go to some, i skip others.

in some classes, i zone out and play on FB or SDN... often i'll skip those classes and study independently. i also have strategic napping locations. i may occasionally take a nap during a non essential class so i can be fresh in the afternoon for studying...cuz you cant study if you're straining to keep your eyes open.

i have also made peace with the fact that i probably wont make a 4.0 in med school so there's less self imposed pressure to study ALL the time- this was really hard to overcome in the first few weeks of school. i give myself enough down time to maintain my sanity...also having adequate down time makes studying more productive for me.

 

[kopitar]

i go to some, i skip others.

i give myself enough down time to maintain my sanity...also having adequate down time makes studying more productive for me.

Thats what im thinking- you can study ALL the time but the productivity goes down exponentially. Napping too. I kno a few students that avg 4hrs a night of sleep; some because of studying and others just because. That would be disastrous for my studying.

 

[Rollo]

I'm a second year and I feel that I've developed my study habits at this point.

I don't attend any class.

However, PCOM records all of the lectures that are available for streaming usually by the same afternoon or latest by the night. I almost always listen to any clinical lectures we get while physio, path, micro, and pharm lectures I don't bother listening to. Reason is that Guyton's, Robbins, CMMRS, and Katzung are great resources that I read in to for a certain topic and look over the powerpoint.

My system is so efficient that I only end up spending same amount of time going over stuff and taking notes as the amount of time that the lectures run for. This means for a 4 hour lecture day, I end up spending about 4-5 hours that same day and I've pretty much grasped the concepts and memorized key features.

Obviously, over the weekend I go over all the material once memorizing more and more detail.

But you get the idea that I'm not slaving away 8 hours a day and 12 hours a day on weekends.

For downtime, I take 10-15 minutes break every hour and usually after 2-3 hours of studying, I end up taking an hour break. Watch TV, food, or gym.

This system has worked great for me so far. I'm probably in top quartile of my class and I feel that I'm understanding the material well. Above all, I keep my sanity!

Ultimately though, focus on developing YOUR OWN study habits. Don't worry about the guy who spends 10 hours a day studying and certainly don't worry about the guy who crams a week before the exam.

If your school records lectures, then I'd suggest you stop going to lectures.

 

[PunkmedGirl]

I'm a second year and I feel that I've developed my study habits at this point.

I don't attend any class.

However, PCOM records all of the lectures that are available for streaming usually by the same afternoon or latest by the night. I almost always listen to any clinical lectures we get while physio, path, micro, and pharm lectures I don't bother listening to. Reason is that Guyton's, Robbins, CMMRS, and Katzung are great resources that I read in to for a certain topic and look over the powerpoint.

My system is so efficient that I only end up spending same amount of time going over stuff and taking notes as the amount of time that the lectures run for. This means for a 4 hour lecture day, I end up spending about 4-5 hours that same day and I've pretty much grasped the concepts and memorized key features.

Obviously, over the weekend I go over all the material once memorizing more and more detail.

But you get the idea that I'm not slaving away 8 hours a day and 12 hours a day on weekends.

For downtime, I take 10-15 minutes break every hour and usually after 2-3 hours of studying, I end up taking an hour break. Watch TV, food, or gym.

This system has worked great for me so far. I'm probably in top quartile of my class and I feel that I'm understanding the material well. Above all, I keep my sanity!

Ultimately though, focus on developing YOUR OWN study habits. Don't worry about the guy who spends 10 hours a day studying and certainly don't worry about the guy who crams a week before the exam.

If your school records lectures, then I'd suggest you stop going to lectures.

See this is why I need to get accepted at PCOM.

 

[Cheshyre]

also any tips on pick-me-ups throughout a long day, and also strategic napping/comas

Sleep regularly. I find that if I keep to a certain schedule, I feel way more refreshed with only 6-7 hours than if I suddenly slept 10 hours. You're more awake in class and more productive when you study.

I actually go to most lectures, skipping only those by the professors who just read off slides.

Take a deep breath, step back, and look at your habits. Study smarter, not harder. Efficiency is key here.

 

[IvyHopeful20]

I'll probably go to all lectures until my first set of exams in medical school just for my sanity. Then that will be that.

 

[Hextra]

See this is why I need to get accepted at PCOM.

As someone who was super excited about getting one acceptance, I can't tell you how happy I am that it was PCOM. Were I to go back in time knowing what I know now, any school with mandatory attendance in lectures would have been scratched off my list.

The fact that PCOM has a system to let you go over the lectures on your own time is icing on the cake.

 

[PunkmedGirl]

As someone who was super excited about getting one acceptance, I can't tell you how happy I am that it was PCOM. Were I to go back in time knowing what I know now, any school with mandatory attendance in lectures would have been scratched off my list.

The fact that PCOM has a system to let you go over the lectures on your own time is icing on the cake.

Did you get into GA or PA???

 

[Hextra]

Did you get into GA or PA???

GA

It would seem that both sites abide by the same rules regarding lectures, labs, and use of technology.

 

[GraceEuphoria]

Up until this past week, I have been attending class around 90-95% of the time (with the exception of the 7:30 lectures here and there lol) and while I find it beneficial for my mental health, I could definitely see myself becoming a non-attender for next year. Right now though, I really enjoy getting that contact with my profs so that they know who I am. Plus some of them utilize the powerpoints in a certain way that if you're not there, you can't tell what they're pointing to and all that.

DCOM provides recorded lectures as well and I LOVE IT. As far as dealing with all of this- I would just recommend NOT killing yourself. Make sure you're getting six hours a night at least. Sleep in on the weekends! I may not be acing through, but I am passing everything with basically A's and B's in sight. I am 100% confident that if I did nothing but study, got myself all sleep deprived, and never had any fun (which I definitely DO NOT let happen right now lol), I would be getting the very same grades I am now. Mental health is everything. Just do your best!

 

[kopitar]

Study smarter, not harder. Efficiency is key here.

so incredibly true- a lot of the gunners in my year are getting averages on exams

 

[Jrsharp70]

When you can watch the lectures in fast forward, it really keeps your attention better. Plus, you get the professor's emphasis, less time spent, and can skip/rewind/pause.

Even our best lecturers are better in fast forward. I can say with confidence that in the near future, schools will adopt video lectures, and review sessions will be held for Q&A and discussion.

Definitely have to read book/PPTs ahead to make sure you aren't lost in lab though. Lectures typically aren't posted until that evening and labs correspond to the lecture of the day.