Chapter 5 : Am I doing it right ( 4 )

5.4 How do I overcome the frustration of studying difficult subject?

Your mindset is very important. As a Believer you should regard every minute spent on studying as a good deed and hope that God will bless you. So, even if you do not understand something and it takes you longer to read, you will go on learning as you know that every minute and effort that you put in will be regarded as a good deed and virtue by God and the kindness will be rewarded in some other forms such as good health. It is important to be sincere in whatever you do. Seeking knowledge is not only for worldly endeavours but also something to bring to the Hereafter.

One should study to know and not to pass only. If you only study to pass, you may pass but you are likely to forget the facts. However, if you study to know, you will gain knowledge, pass the exam and still remember the facts. Should you decide to take up the challenge and plan to do your postgraduate studies, all these basic knowledge  becomes very useful.

Medicine is one of the fields where every line that you read and every fundamental fact that you learn will be used in your everday practice and examination. Thus, students should not be too exam oriented as the hnowledge is not only used to answer questions bu also to be applied when there are lives to save.

To realy learn the material, you need to sort, condense and organise it.

1. Condense, Summarise or Outline

            - Put ideas in your own words. No simple – minded copying

            - Use for any subject to see concept relationships

2. Draw and label yor own diagrams / pictures

            - Use for complicated systems

            - Increase visual memory

3. Create time lines

            - Use for chronological events or sequential system / processes

4. Make charts

            - Use to compare several theories / systems / processes

            - Organise / work problems

One good way  a studying a difficult subject that I find effective is by teaching others. This is due to the fact that in trying to make others understand a certain topic, I have to truly understand it first and for any questions asked, I have to read up further to explain to them. The human body is such that everthing is connected. Being good in one subject will increase your understanding in another.

Speaking from personal experience, as a medical student I was never satisfied if there were some areas that I did not understand. I would make sure that all the facts were well understood, and I always found ways to remember a subject, not only by mnemonic, but also by the logical way of understanding and thus remembering the points.

(How to become a good & successful medical student; Muhaya Hj Mohamad)