UCAT Keyboard Shortcuts
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Staying on top of schoolwork can be tough.
Whether you’re heading back to in-person or online classes in 2022, it’s important to have good study habits in order to be successful.
We’ve put together some research-backed tips and tricks that can help you improve your success in class this year.
The Study Space
One of the most important reasons for having a dedicated area for study is that it sharpens the mind and improves concentration.
Top tip: Make sure your study space …
- Is comfy
- Is light
- Is quiet
- Is organised to limit distractions
Study near Nature
A study conducted by the University of Illinois concluded that the more trees and nature that surrounded a study area, the better students performed on academic tests. It's believed that there's a cause-and-effect relationship between being around nature and learning.
Nature has less disruptive behaviour, improves concentration and increases engagement.
Find an area to study that has a window and is surrounded by trees outside if you can.
You could even try doing your homework in the park from time to time.
Fitness
High cardiovascular fitness drastically improves your cognitive and academic abilities. I know fitness isn’t a priority when academic assessments are pilling up.
To reap the benefits of fitness, it doesn’t have to mean spending 2 hours a day at the gym lifting weights or running a marathon. Something as simple as a 10-minute walk around the block can have huge benefits.
In your study breaks, use one to go for a quick walk and you’ll notice the benefits.
Sleep
A study conducted confirmed that students who go to bed at 10pm or 11pm and get between 7 or 8 hours of sleep get better grades. It confirmed a relationship between poor academic performance and sleep issues.
Having a short sleep or a deficit of sleep was shown to be the highest predictor of poor school performance. If you struggle with getting to sleep early there are so many sleep tips and YouTube videos to help you rest better at night.
Get a Study Buddy
A UCLA researcher concluded that those who have friends that are attending the same classes and spent time studying together have higher academic results.
See if you can find one person in each class you can talk to or befriend to study with you. Being in the same environment, teaching each other can help both of you improve faster and retain more information.
MedView’s 1:1 tutoring allows you to have a study buddy who is knowledgeable in the subjects you need support in, helping you learn and upskill while feeling less alone.
Take a Music Class
This one, I’ll admit seems a little overwhelming if you’re already doing so many classes, extracurricular and leadership activities but there is a relationship between those who took music classes and achieved high results in English, Maths & Science exams.
Final Thoughts
To wrap up, it is important to remember to be kind to yourself. The kind of self-discipline, grit and resilience that becomes central to the existence of a medical student, aptly explains why getting into medical school is so difficult in the first place.
You will not be a gun at studying straight away, because good habits take time. Therefore, you should in fact expect and allow yourself to make mistakes along the way, because as a doctor you are going to be a lifelong learner anyway.
