I managed to pass the Parasitology subject, the one that I failed two tests in a row. Thank God I dont have to repeat that subject. So, what's next? Third year, here I come.
During the third year I changed my study method few times perhaps? From compressing everything in the slides into an A4 paper, to mind maps, to short notes of only the points. I tried and failed and tried again. These are only my personal opinion, all of us have our own method
Mind map: Good to simplify things. But when I want to reread the notes, I actually forgot what it meant for each points that I wrote, it can become misleading when I want to reread the notes and I need to refer back to the main class note to avoid misunderstanding. So, mind map is good when I want to recall the information after I read them, like when I want to memorise the info. The note only made on scrap paper and not to be kept for future reference.
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| mind map |
Compressing everything: I got the feeling of satisfaction of transferring all the info into a piece of paper, but I realized its actually passive way of learning. I blindly copy everything without thinking, without understanding what am I actually writing. When I wanted to reread the note, I got confused with so many information in one page and I got dizzy.
Short notes of only the points: I can say this what works for me. I am a person who pays attention to detail, so when I do mind map and compressing the notes, I will loss the small details of each topic which make me feel uneasy everytime I read them. My short notes isnt really a short notes, I write full sentence of it, but in my own words so I write based on understanding the material and not blindly copy the words. It took more time to do this, but it saved me more time in future because I can reread the notes during my final year without spending anymore time making them again.
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| short notes |
Final Study Guide: From the short notes method, every final exam, I will make a study guide. It comprises of what I really need to focus. The content especially from past year final exam question.
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| final study guide |
Past Year Exam Question: I onlyyy realized this starting from third year! Answering past year question changed the game plan a lot! I didnt knew the existence of past year question in the library till I was third year,, huhu I know, I know..
Last and the one least favourite, Memorising. Since school, my learning technique is, continuous exercise. Exercise, exercise, and exercise. During school, we have lots of exercise books. I saved time from memorising things by doing continuous exercise, eventually I remember the formula, etc. But in university, I just realized I dont have that anymore, and in medicine, memorising is the key before you can practice what you've learned then you will remember effortlessly.
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| worksheet |
I started making my own worksheets, but when in fourth and fifth year no more time to do that, then, understand what you learn is the only fastest way to help you memorise, except for certain things like drugs, dosages, surgical protocol! there are more than 20 surgical protocol have to be memorised for the surgery exam! Those need Self-force-memorisation.
I want to say that, we must be dare to change for the better and not to stay at the same point in life. During the whole process of learning, not just my method, I also need to train and change my rebellious heart and thought, and attitude toward people, knowledge, and towards Him, the owner of all knowledge.
Finally got a D-list. To be continue.
