First week of Tri-2 has already proven that this trimester will be a challenging one. Between Neuroanatomy lectures and quizzes on the meninges and cerebrospinal fluid, Anatomy textbook readings on the musculature of the superficial face, and discussions on how to take and assess vital signs and blood pressure, time is definitely precious and time management will be crucial this trimester. With the start of a new year, I bought a new daily planner with a multitude of space for notes and scheduling. To me, the key to success is organization and that begins with jotting down all my class times as well as plans for each day. It is refreshing to add a checkmark to completed tasks and seeing your small achievements throughout the day.

Another key to success is finding your groove. Every student studies differently and it’s important for one to find out what works best. Anyone that knows me (and has been to my apartment) will concur that whiteboards are “my thing.” I have 3-4 large whiteboards that have already made their appearance this week. In between zoom lectures, I notoriously lay on the ground and scribble notes on every inch of these boards with different colors. Once completed, I spread the boards onto different parts of my apartment so that wherever I am, I can always glance and re-read my notes. Using the physical motion of writing and utilizing different colors enhances my memory of these subjects. While it may be tedious and time consuming, I have found that using whiteboards has dramatically increased my long-term knowledge of material (and increased scores on exams). If you haven’t tried this study technique, give it a shot!

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