Effective Learning
Remember anything with the method of loci
According to legend, Greek poet Simonides stepped outside the dining hall of a dinner he attended when the roof collapsed, killing everyone inside. Due to the extent of damage, they could not identify any of the victims. However, Simonides found that he could identify each victim by picturing the hall's
The re-reading myth: The 1 Habit that has been holding you back in your studies
When we think about study tips, we always think about things to add, the things that can finally break the code turn us into Einstein overnight. But what if we remove the habits that have been holding us back this whole time? One of these habits is re-reading. While it
Direct learning - the only way to learn
The easiest way to learn is simply by spending a lot of time doing what you want to become good at. If you want to learn how to write, write articles instead of reading books on writing. If you want to learn how to play the piano, play a song
Schools suck
I have never let my schooling interfere with my education. - Mark Twain Schools suck. Let me explain by telling you how a typical day in school looks like. “Let’s now proceed to how this bacterium will look like under a microscope, and try to identify the anatomy”, said
Trying to understand how to understand
Do you understand the importance of understanding? Understanding a concept well is important if you want the knowledge to stick, but not many seek it. Tim Urban has an analogy that compares knowledge to a tree “If you don’t fully get it, it’s like a tree in your
How to use mnemonics
One of the best ways to improve retention is by using mnemonics. A mnemonic is something that aids your memory, such as an acronym. For example, I memorise the bones of the hand by using the mnemonic Some Lovers Try Positions That They Can’t Handle, which corresponds to Scaphoid,
Find your atlas
When I started medical school, I was reading up on a lot of resources at once. I would jump from one book to another, even though I’m studying the same topic. One week I’m doing questions from this book; the next week, I’m doing practice questions from
Practicing metacognition in medical school
Metacognition is a strategy that can improve your learning in medical school. Metacognition means above cognition. In other words, metacognition is “learning about your learning”, or “knowing about what you know”, or “thinking about your thinking”. For example, a person uses metacognition if they realise that they have more trouble
How I (try to) stop procrastinating
I've been procrastinating on my studies recently, thanks to the coronavirus situation. Uncertainties about medical school and exams made my personal productivity go down. I wake up with plans on my to-do-lists, but I end up in bed, watching Netflix. I wasn't doing anything, but I was more tired than
How I Make Online Classes Bearable
Looking at your screen to learn medicine sucks. I did not go into medical school to watch lectures at 2x speed. You can't learn medicine by watching lectures; you need to see the signs and symptoms with your own eyes and examine your patients. If William Osler were still alive,
