Dear Dr. J,
How do I prepare for the lectures during the week of block exams? Sometimes I don’t get the lectures until a day before the exam.
Not a Crammer
Efficient Learning
Strategies and tips from the Academic Support team at Touro University California
Category Archives: Motivation
Enhance Study Strategies-Use Apps
Student Panel Describes Apps That Have Helped Enhanced Academic Success
Study Apps Student Panel Synopsis: 8/29/2017
Study Apps:
- Quizlet: Quizlet is a mobile & web-based study app where you can search millions of study sets or create your own. Improve your grades by studying with flashcards, games and more.
- Cost: FREE
- Website: https://quizlet.com/
Practice Beyond Mastery: Study For Mastery
How to activate your brain’s ability to learn:
In music, you have scales. In Jiu Jitsu, it’s drilling. Most of us just call it practice. Whatever you label it, many believe that greatness, heck even mere competency, requires training a skill well past proficiency. It’s continuing to practice your free throw even after you’ve nailed every shot. It’s playing through that song one more time even though you’ve made no mistakes. Scientists call this training past the point of improvement ‘overlearning.’ And a recent study in Nature Neuroscience suggests that it might improve performance by altering chemicals in the brain that “lock” in training.
A Balancing Act
I had a lovely conversation with Grace Nguyen, Vice President of Finance for SGA and on the board of CAPA as a student liaison. My question for her was: How do you manage the dual MPH, PA program and stay active in extracurricular activities?
According to Grace sticking to a schedule is essential. She manages her big priorities first. Her first semester in the program she just worked and worked and did not do anything fun. She was miserable.
Compulsively Obsessed with the Internet
Dear J&B,
I am always distracted. I try to study but I find that I’ve spent 2 hours reading Reddit and I haven’t been able to focus. Once I sit down to study I’m on Facebook. I live alone and even when I study in my apartment I can’t keep my mind focused.
Compulsively obsessed with the Internet.
5 Ways to Stay Focused
5 Simple ways to stay focused on your goals
Do you struggle with reaching your goals? The reality is that most people do struggle. When you set goals for yourself, you undoubtedly have the very best of intentions. You want to succeed with your goals and reap the many benefits that come with making successful and important changes in your life. However, there is something that you may fail to account for in your goal planning i.e. life itself. Just when you are ready to take the necessary actions and make those vital changes; life gets in the way and you are unable to remain focused on your goals. If you cannot remain focused on your goals, you will lose momentum and fail to make the progress you desire. This soon leads to a loss of confidence and motivation.
Stay Humble: Advice from a third year student
By Brian Bush, COM 2019
Hi, my name is Brian Bush, and I’m a third-year medical student from Touro University. Having just finished my first clinical rotation in pediatrics, I can safely say that the third year of medical school is quite different from the first two. Instead of going to lectures or labs in the morning, I am going to the clinic or the hospital. Instead of my laptop, pens, and papers, I am now armed with my white coat, stethoscope and reflex hammer. I have a real hospital ID badge that says ‘Administration’ on it—which is a nice change of pace from the volunteer badges I am used to wearing.
J&B: I’m worried I’ll never catch up
Dear Dr. J & B,
I am already getting behind and I’m worried I’ll never catch up what do you recommend?
Behind the Wheel on Mare Island
A year in the life of a med student (with tunes)
Med student Danielle Saenz made a wonderfully joyful video by using a second or two recorded during each day of her grueling fourth year, set to upbeat music. The good news is that it looks like she found lots of opportunities to live life in between epic bouts of work and study.
[This Is How You Eat A Buick from Danielle Saenz on Vimeo.]
