Dental school study habits

[Pre-Dent Jeff]

My dental school pours on a ton of material on my science based classes, way more than undergrad. I've noticed that my study habits in undergrad (reading lectures and forming an outline) aren't practical because of the amount of info that is tested on.

So I'm curious what other study methods you guys use for dental school. How many hours do you all study each day?

Extra info: we have a test material from 10-15 hour long lectures on each exam. Attendance is supposedly mandatory for the lectures, but attendance isn't taken and isn't factored into the grade.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Blake1e]

Same here, my study habits from undergrad, which was making practice exams, arent holding up too well now. So much info and making practice questions takes some time.

My method now is a combo of making practice exams and just taking notes on what I think is important. I study hard about 3-5 days a week for 5+ hours each time. Since its a ton of info and I dont really learn much from sitting in class listening I sometimes skip and study all day on my own. Attendance policy in my school is pretty much the same as yours.

My best tip for handling and processing all this info is to focus on this to the exclusion of other things. Save the social life for breaks. When I follow my own advice things dont feel so bad, but when I try to balance school with a healthy social life thats when things get messy, at least for me thats how it is.

 

[CleverThought]

I make quizlets for every test and just go through those before each exam. Gotten me by in D1 and now nearly half of D2 year.

 

[PaxRoma]

Everyone studies differently, and there are usually lots of materials per test. Have you tried study in group? I found group studying is the most helpful for gross anatomy.

 

[bjpenn]

Figure out the most important things out of every lecture. Make notes and condense. Go over with group study and look at old exams.

 

[free99]

Anki.

 

[Lock_Jaw]

My dental school pours on a ton of material on my science based classes, way more than undergrad. I've noticed that my study habits in undergrad (reading lectures and forming an outline) aren't practical because of the amount of info that is tested on.

So I'm curious what other study methods you guys use for dental school. How many hours do you all study each day?

Extra info: we have a test material from 10-15 hour long lectures on each exam. Attendance is supposedly mandatory for the lectures, but attendance isn't taken and isn't factored into the grade.

Slides. Study guides. That's about it. I rewatch every lecture for anatomy embryo and histo at 2x.

 

[Medin2017]

Anki.

this is an old post, but were your classes mandatory? Wondering if I have enough time to anki

 

[TanMan]

Old post indeed...

I think it depends on how you study. Are you a crammer or a slow and steady type of learner? I think if you figure out what's the most effective way you study, stick with that. I was a crammer. I'd study the night before in a class I probably never attended and somehow passed.... hahaha.

Something that people don't seem to discuss here in terms of selecting a dental school: How frequent are the exams? The best schools to go to have one exam at the end of the quarter/semester. That way, you don't have to distract yourself with studying until the last week. Mandatory attendance classes are terrible, but usually groups form to sign each other in if its tracked, or if there's quizzes, there's usually an exit route after the quizzes are done. If you have to be stuck in one of those classes, just study there.

PS: If you sign others in, do NOT misspell their name.

 

[Snowmead]

My dental school pours on a ton of material on my science based classes, way more than undergrad. I've noticed that my study habits in undergrad (reading lectures and forming an outline) aren't practical because of the amount of info that is tested on.

So I'm curious what other study methods you guys use for dental school. How many hours do you all study each day?

Extra info: we have a test material from 10-15 hour long lectures on each exam. Attendance is supposedly mandatory for the lectures, but attendance isn't taken and isn't factored into the grade.

best advise i got from my upper class was : stop going to all the classes. I would go to certain classes but often i found myself not having time to study for exams if i attend every single class. it is possible because our lectures are all recorded at our school.
i focus on slides. i got a study buddy we should split evenly (10~12 lecture slides per exam so about 6 ppt per person) and make an outline of the slides so it is easy to read and faster to go through them. i found this cuts down alot of time making outlines and i can spend more time studying.