How do you study? What are your methods of memorizing big amount of text?

by will-be-apostate 43 Replies latest jw friends

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  snare&racket

  Like Scott, I also studied at night.

  I spent the last 6 years at my desk or in the latter years in the 24hr medic library at the hospital, until 2-3am

  There is just so much information to consume. There were days I studied for 16 hours straight. But on average, I would do 9-5 am on the wards, 7pm-2pm in library. Revision days off, I would do 11am until approx 2am.

  I could never sleep before an exam, so I always studied the night before, all night. I don't advise it, I just couldn't sleep.My last exam week in Medicine included 4 exams. Monday to Thursday. With no revision time off. I slept saturday, then not until the Thursday afternoon.

  I must admit, I am glad these days are over. It was an unpleasant, stressfull time near exams. Also the cost of failure grew exponentially, the nearer I got to the end, so the pressure increased. I couldn't do the last 6 years again, but I am so glad I did it....
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  Scott77

  "...I spent the last 6 years at my desk or in the latter years in the 24hr medic library at the hospital, until 2-3am There is just so much information to consume. There were days I studied for 16 hours straight. But on average, I would do 9-5 am on the wards, 7pm-2pm in library. Revision days off, I would do 11am until approx 2am..."
  snare&racket

  Hard work at the cost of our discomfort does pay in the end. snare&racket 's graduation is a proof. By the way, there are night owls who are like that and will work better during that time.

  Scott77
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  Band on the Run

  I don't know how medical students stand the stress for so many years. Your college classmates are making more than decent wages. Once I started practicing, I finally had enough money to attend Broadway plays and fine arts concerts. I would see medical students as I left my bldg, I could understand why some animus existed. The hours worked were so much more than at large firms. Sleep is importanta to processing information. Medical students and interns are hazed.

  Between the bar exam fee and the cost of the bar review course, the total spent was about ten thousand dollars. No one views the bar exam as credible evidence that the student is ready to practice law. Indeed, the opposite is true. The exams give power to the states rather than the federal govt. It is an industry.
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  Scott77

  "...No one views the bar exam as credible evidence that the student is ready to practice law..."
  Band on the Run

  That's a good observation. Yet it can be stated that n o one who has not passed the bar exam is regarded as credible evidence that he or she is a good lawyer. I think, no one is permitted to practice law without passing bar examinations.

  Scott77
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  Zoos

  marked
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  Oubliette

  You've gotten some great tips. Additionally, you might want to read up on the concept of chunking, that is organizing facts and bits of knowledge into logical groups or "chunks."

  Here are some more links:

  • Improve Your Memory with The Chunking Technique

  • Chunking (psychology)

  Additionally, you'll remember more when things make sense and have meaning.

  For example, if I asked you to memorize this string of twenty random numbers, you'd probably find it difficult:

  • 10401100121513051349

  Take 30 seconds to study this string, look away and see how many you can write down on a piece of paper. How'd you do?

  If you're like most people, you probably got 7-9 of the 20 numbers correct, and most likely you did best with the beginning and ending numbers. (This is the primacy and recency effect).

  But if I explained to you their significance in British history you'd likely have a much easier time remembering them. (Scroll down to see the explanation).

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  • 1040 - Macbeth murders Duncan and takes the throne of Scotland
  • 1100 - First record of football in England
  • 1215 - Magna Carta sealed at Runnymede by King John
  • 1305 - Trial of William Wallace in London, execution at Smithfield
  • 1349 - The Black Death reaches England

  Now you have 5 chunks for 4 bits of information that both make sense and have meaning!
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  Zoos

  marked

  Ooops! I forgot I already marked this thread.
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  snare&racket

  "I don't know how medical students stand the stress for so many years. Your college classmates are making more than decent wages. Once I started practicing, I finally had enough money to......"

  It's not like that band, in reality our university pals often make more. My nephew on an internship will make as much as me as a doctor. He is doing economics.

  This is a huge misconception... the hours are terrible, the work is hard, the pressure is high, the law suits are inevitable, the pay is not great compared to what we could have earned elsewhere....

  As lame and cheesy as it sounds.....it really wasn't about the wages. I LOVE my job. I love being around and helping people.

  The wages are not terrible, in honesty I only found out how much I will earn very recently. I will be on approx £600 week after tax. I say that calmly but inside, it boggles my mind. I have lived off £3000 for over a year now. I have had no money for nearly ten years. To have money will be bizzare. Also I have free accomodation and no outgoings for the first year. It is not lost on me, as only 12 months ago I couldn't pay rent and hit zero in my bank with exams within weeks. I have no financial safety net and so had to request financial assistance from the uni.

  I also grew up very poor. We lived in homeless shelters, lived in a caravan on a farm, our homes were social housing in paticularly poor areas. All my meeting clothes were second hand by enlarge, until I was earning myself. I remember a non JW family friend, who used to be a neighbour, seeing my siblings and I with my parents at a shopping market and they gave my parents money and told them to buy us some cloathes. Goodness knows how we looked. I went to 12 schools in all, as we moved a lot. I mention this because it is relevant to the OP, my education got fuc**d up.

  Maybe this seems like a long rsnt, but maybe it explains how I can be so content with what seems like an amazing wage to me. I have spent 33 years worried about money and security. That fear id dissipating for the first time AND I get to do a job I love. I feel like I am the luckiest guy ever. I never saw myself becoming a doctor! I always wanted to be one, but it seemed impossible.... I did badly at school, I was a JW, we were poor.

  Education is astounding! It converts effort into social mobility, security and it can also give you a job you love.

  sorry for the waffle...
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  Iamallcool

  (Off Topic) One time I gave number 4 talk for 5 minutes without notes. They said that I did a great job. I did studied that talk very good. I now just do not remember what the talk was about.
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  Scott77

  Education is astounding! It converts effort into social mobility, security and it can also give you a job you love.
  snare&racket

  Thank you alot for sharing a bit of your background. I see some similarity with that of mine but with a different geographical background and job. Presenty and thanks to graduate education, Iam getting more dollars than I had obtained in the past. I feel content with it. As a Doctor, you will have an apportunity for upward mobility. You probably will be able to save more money due to your JW background. Spending less and saving more knowing that a frugal life is what you used to be.

  Scott77