7 study tips from a medical student

When studying medicine, you are often faced with a huge amount of material, about which you should know most of it in a short time. It's often extremely discouraging and a single question precedes all others: "How am I supposed to get all of this in my head?"

I've definitely been in this situation several times and I know how overwhelmed and demotivated one can feel in such moments. So here I'm happy to share a few tips that have helped me conquer massive amounts of stuff while still looking after my mental health; if you neglect them, you often lose the energy and stamina for learning very quickly. Studying is a marathon, not a sprint!

Tip #1 Divide the amount of fabric into small parts

The best place to start is by skimming through all of your materials to estimate how many topics you can divide the material into and roughly the scope of each topic. So you can break the big picture down into smaller bits that are much easier to conquer and that you can work your way through bit by bit.

If you still don't know where to start: most textbooks have already thought about the order of the topics, so: usually just start with the first topic, the rest almost always builds on it.

Tip #2 Make a study plan

For me personally, nothing works without a study plan. It brings structure to everyday life and gives you the feeling that your success is in your hands and you know for sure: if I follow the plan, I'll definitely be finished by the deadline.

If possible: build in a few buffer days and a few repetition days before the final date, this gives you extra security if something comes up or if your concentration just doesn't go so well on one day. The learning plan is also not a rigid structure. It can be changed at will during execution. It is important, however, that you keep the rough framework so that you can safely finish the material.

Tip #3 Poll each other

Learning together with fellow students is much more fun and it doesn't feel as bad as sitting alone in front of the book. Talk to 2-3 friends about when you will learn something, so after a day of learning you can talk through topics, explain things to each other and, above all, discuss things with each other.

So you can see where your strengths and weaknesses lie and you can firstly change your learning plan again and repeat the topics that didn't go so well and secondly take a breather when you see that learning is actually something in some places has brought. In addition, answering questions and discussing solidifies knowledge immensely!

Tip #4 Visualize progress

You often have the feeling that you haven't accomplished anything and that the mountain just isn't getting any smaller. That's why it's important to visualize your progress and keep it in mind . With the learning plan, for example, it worked well for me because I always ticked off the topics that I had worked on.

Every time I was able to tick a box, it was a kind of mini-triumph and I knew that I was already taking a small step in the right direction. After a few days you will see how many topics you have already ticked off and you will notice that all the work is actually making a difference.

Tip #5 Set study-free times

Extreme important! Nobody can keep up 24/7 learning in the long run. Set a time when you stop studying at the latest, take a break in the evening and do something that you enjoy and offers balance : work out in the gym, go out to eat something nice with friends or throw yourself with your friends and your favorite series on the couch.

Sometimes take an afternoon off to do something fun. Don't feel bad about doing anything other than eating, sleeping, and studying. You might be able to do the latter for a few days, but over time it drains you extremely and the study time is used much less efficiently, which in turn drains you even more, and you end up in a nasty vicious circle. After all, we are still humans and not machines and humans cannot work 24/7.

Tip #6 Don't lose sight of the big goal

Especially in the pre-hospital setting, it often happens that because of all the memorizing, at some point you think: "Why am I actually doing this to myself?" You rarely have the feeling that you actually have all the knowledge that you stuffed into your head, concretely can use in the medical profession.

Unfortunately, I can't currently assess whether you'll need the knowledge later. But what I can say is: no course of study is easy and, especially in medical studies, there is always a certain amount of ambition involved, because it feels like there are always obstacles being placed in your way. So if you're in a phase where you think: What's all this for? Think about the final goal you want to achieve: to become a doctor .

On the way there you often have to bite the bullet, but in the end it's worth it because you can do the job you really want to do. In concrete terms, the colored boxes in the textbooks that make the clinical references always help me. That way you can get a little more interested in the subject. And if all of that doesn't help at all, here's the favorite saying of clinicians: Everything gets better after the Physics course!

Tip #7 Enjoy the time

Even if it should be stressful at times and you have to learn a lot. You should try to enjoy every single second . Have fun with classmates, go out, or just do awesome stuff you've always wanted to do.

During your studies you have more freedom than anywhere else. Enjoy the time when you are so young and full of energy and don't take your studies too seriously.

How did you like the post? Were you able to take something with you? Feel free to write it in the comments.

Warm greetings,

your medical student

@studymedizin_