The heavy rains yesterday signaled that the summer vacation is over. I'll be back to school soon. I guess the downpour was a reminder that I should start reviewing for our comprehensive exam (compre exam). Or maybe the sky also wept for me because I forgot some of the things I studied. The compre exam is on the first week of June.
There is only one week left to review! And I should be panicking right now.
There is only one week left to review! And I should be panicking right now.
| Time | June 2, 2014 (Monday) | June 4, 2014 (Wednesday) |
| 9-11 am | ANATOMY | PHYSIOLOGY |
| 2-4 pm | BIOCHEMISTRY | Family & Community Medicine (FCM) |
But I'm panicking and feeling a bit stressed. Really. The proof? My bedroom is unbelievably very clean and tidy. I cleaned it yesterday because I want to have a clear mind when I study. And having a clean study place is a big help.
Another sign that I'm about to seriously study? I am writing right now when I should have already started reviewing about 30 minutes ago.
It's just the first day of my review week and I am already behind my schedule!
Talk about procrastination. I'm an expert on that. I do other things first before I hit the books. I just wish that the books won't hit me if I don't pay them the attention they deserve.
With only seven days to go before the compre exam, there is not much time to review all the material. But does it really matter?
Even if I have all the time to study, I still won't reread and restudy all the lessons.
Don't ask my why I didn't review early. But just a hint — my summer vacation is all about work, work, work, and of course, relaxation & recreation.
Even if I have all the time to study, I still won't reread and restudy all the lessons.
Don't ask my why I didn't review early. But just a hint — my summer vacation is all about work, work, work, and of course, relaxation & recreation.
Anyway, not everything will be covered in the exam so why should I spend my time on the low-yield topics? Lame excuse, I know, but I'm only trying to justify my point.
But it looks like I have just proven how lazy I am sometimes (emphasis on the sometimes) when it comes to studying. I hope I sound convincing enough though.
But it looks like I have just proven how lazy I am sometimes (emphasis on the sometimes) when it comes to studying. I hope I sound convincing enough though.
I am a crammer at heart (more than I'd like to admit) but what I'm about to do is NOT cramming.
In denial about cramming? Uhm, NO! If I am to study a large amount of material in a short period for the first time (keyword is first time), it is cramming. But since, I have studied well (I'd like to believe it) the material before, I will simply revise — I will recall, refresh and recommit to my mind the must-know and high yield topics.
So what's my study strategy?
I'll repeat what I did when I reviewed for our final exam. It worked for me before, so I guess it will work again this time. Well, it has to work!
But unlike our final exams in which we had six subjects (Gross Anatomy, Physiology, Neuroanatomy, FCM, Biochemistry, and Histology & Embryology), we only have four for our comprehensive exam:
- Human Anatomy (Gross Anatomy, Neuroanatomy and Histology & Embryology)
- Physiology
- Biochemistry
- FCM
:: I review by organ system (e.g. Cardiovascular system). I don't review by subject or by discipline (e.g. Physiology). For example, when I review the cardiovascular system, I cover the basic science disciplines (Gross Anatomy, Histology, Embryology, and Physiology). Even if I have to juggle my notes and books, reviewing through this integrated approach is efficient for me. But for Biochemistry, it's a different matter. I have a separate study schedule for that.
The organ systems (Gross Anatomy, Histology, Embryology and Physiology):
- Musculoskeletal
- Cardiovascular
- Respiratory
- Lymphoreticular
- Renal
- Gastrointestinal
- Nervous
- Endocrine
- Reproductive
:: I skim through my notes and review books [mostly the Board Review Series (BRS) books]. Then, I answer the practice tests. But If I think that I don't need to review a certain topic because it's already engraved in my brain (self-deception!), I skip it and just jump to the practice tests.
Here are the materials which I use to review:
Human Anatomy
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| Physiology |
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| Biochemistry |
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| Family & Community Medicine |
Lecture notes
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:: I stick to my schedule. For a focused review to work, I avoid any distraction. When I review, I shut myself in my own world. No background music. No internet. No phone. It's just me and my study materials. 10 hours/day. Everyday for five days (Monday-Friday). This is not dedication, but (forced) discipline. But an effective way to study!
Here's my ideal schedule today and for the coming days:
6-8 am
| Quiet time, exercise, bath, breakfast |
| 8 am-12 nn | Review & answer practice tests |
| 12 nn-1 pm | Lunch, rest |
| 1-5 pm | Review & answer practice tests |
| 5-7 pm | Cook & eat dinner, house chores, rest |
| 7-9 pm | Review & answer practice tests |
| 9-10 pm | Read books for relaxation |
| 10 pm-6 am | Sleep |
Don't be fooled that I study for four hours straight. Of course, I take short breaks — 5-10 minutes each and about 20x in one review day. I guess, it's a loooong break after all.
It is a real challenge to review all the subjects in a short time. I chose to review late so I just have to deal with it. Anyway, it's time to review. Now. Wish me luck, dear friends!
It is a real challenge to review all the subjects in a short time. I chose to review late so I just have to deal with it. Anyway, it's time to review. Now. Wish me luck, dear friends!
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