Class Time vs. Self Study

[AJ James]

(1) For those who already have some time on SABA, do you believe you benefit more from being attentive in class or during your self study hours?
(I fully understand that both can play an important role, however, I want to get a general idea as to which plays a greater role in earning good grade at SABA.)

(2) Are the test based mostly on what you cover in class/notes or must one do a great deal of investigating outside the class structure?

Thanks in advance for any info. and/or suggestions... :)

AJ

[miasma]

yo aj. i've only been here since sept 06, but from what i've seen, there are those who put on their earphones and self study in class (as rude as that is) and those who listen to the professors religiously (like myself). both methods work as i have friends that sleep in class and still do just fine. some people learn better after classes on their own, while others learn optimally while in class when it is being taught. personally, i study an average of 5-6 hours a day outside of classes, and this seems to be average. the classes are not easy, but very doable if you learn how to manage your time efficiently. all the tests so far are directly out of the notes and sometimes specific things they say during class. textbooks are good for reference though. hope this helps, good luck.

[KingMo]

We have 4 hours of lecture every morning. Of those, I sleep on average for about 2.5 to 3 hours of lecture. Needless to say, I prefer to study on my own and am doing well in my classes.

Most of the material presented is given to you so you don't spend much time looking for info on your own. I try to study 2 or 3 hours a night, but I find that I'm not focused for a majority of that time and probably do about 1 hour of actual work per night. And needless to say, I study like mad the weekend before to catch up on all my slacking.

However, all the material is lectured during class...so if you manage to stay awake in class, I'm sure it helps tremendously. I guess I wouldn't know... 8-)

[AJ James]

Miasma: Thanks very much for your input. I'd think that there would be some consequences (perhaps indirectly) with the headphones in class... but I guess not.

Kingmo: LOL... Thanks for your input as well. All that matters is that it works for you! Glad to hear most of what you need can be found in class/notes. Best of luck.

If anyone cares to input... much appreciated....

AJ

[amyames]

ah, first semesters. gotta love them :)

Like they said, everyone works differently. Some students have to listen while in class, and others can slack off. Myself, I could slack off in 1st semester because most of the material you simply had to memorize. There weren't a lot of mechanisms to remember. Anatomy was especially great because the material was presented in word document format and the word documents were your bible. Thus, you had no trouble knowing what to do study. Sure, some concepts are more high yield than others, but for the most part, the word documents were all you needed. That being said, some ppl, like myself, could cram in 4-6 word documents of ~ 7-12 pages each the weekend before the test. Other students, could not. It's all about how well you can memorize the concepts and whether or not you are visual learner as well as a audio learner.

Now after 1st things are totally different. There are no word documents that spell out the concepts for you. You just have power point slides that may or may not explain the concepts. Often the slides are just graphs that you have to interpret, so you really have to listen in class if you want to understand the graphs. You can't sleep in class if you want to pass 2nd semester though some of my classmates are trying to test that very theory. I'll get back to you on the results!Additionally, if you weren't a book person in 1st, you'll become at least an avid BRS reader in 2nd! Bottom line: you can't just word associate and memorize terms. You have to actually understand the mechanisms and in order to do that, you must pay attention in class!!!!. In addition, more clinical scenarios are presented after 1st, so you have to be able to apply the concepts in 2nd-3rd order type questions (though granted we haven't gone passed 2nd order questions yet)....thus, even the students that were slackers in 1st are also spending at least 2 hours every night studying.

the best advice? learn to study well in 1st semester, so you won't struggle in 2nd and beyond. even if you can slack in 1st, don't do it. learn to spend at least three hours every night reviewing concepts because remember.....your goal is to learn the material well not to just pass the courses, but to do extremely well on USMLE step 1.

[confusedstudent7]

Just a thought...having been on Saba for 5 semesters and now taking step 1 (tomorrow), you get most of the material you need from class...and paying attention helps you a great deal...that's what i've realized throughout my semesters on saba..and suprisingly..some concepts that i was reviewing for step 1, i could actually hear my profs voice about that...the profs take a lot of time to find out whats being tested on step 1 and they try to present the questions in that manner...and sometimes...they mention stuff in class thats not in their notes...and those are heavily tested..(usually separates the As from the High B student)...so my advice...try your level best to pay attention in class, be active..take notes...ask questions...dont understand something...make an appointment w/ the prof and go to him/her...they are there for you to learn...and best thing is...they are willing to help...i'm getting help from even now!! this is how great they are...
so..best of luck..hope this helps...
And..enjoy ur time in Saba...no matter how much u complain of it while ur there...there is always a lil part...that will miss it..:)

[js_paramedic_1979]

Good points confused... Also, please attempt to act how you think a medical student should act.. Would you listen to headphones during class in elementary school?? How about nap time during story hour in first grade?? If in your mind you answered "no", it is probably best to not do that on Saba!! Only my opinion, but after 5 semesters I did see all of this...
js

[KingMo]

Believe me, if I could stay awake in class, I would. I really do try! :bored:

[howardhoavan]

well, to simplied thing
1. tentative listener during class.
well, I fall into this type of people. I tend to do well when someone teach me well. Honestly, I would be a very helpful if you can get at least 30% in class. When you enter 4 and 5, it is shitload of info. I just finnish block 2 on current 5th semester. I am telling you everyone have different approach and if it works for you, stick with it.

2. stack up.

[howardhoavan]

Well, to simplied thing
1. Tentative listener during class.
Well, I fall into this type of people. I tend to do well when someone teaches me well. Honestly, I would be a very helpful if you can get at least 30% in class. When you enter 4 and 5, it is shipload of info. I just finish block 2 on current 5th semester. I am telling you everyone has different approach and if it works for you, sticks with it. Personally, I like this method, at least when I am home I got pretty much about 50% from today material. It cut down the time of trying to understand.
2. Stack up.
Most of people who can stack up are people who have a good memory. If you read once and it sticks, you are fine. Remember that we have few people who doing well by just studying by them. HOWEVER, HOWEVER, not many of them. Be smart, just make use of your time accordingly. Even if you can not pay attention in class bc of various reason, just doing something that helps you down the road. A, B, C, dean lists, it does not matter. If you don't pass the step 1, it is notworth nothing.
3. everyone makes through undergrad, you pretty much know how to study. if you think you need to change your method of study, do it now. if it works, stick with it.
my 2 cents opinion.