Studying For Exams During Coronavirus

 It definitely is a lot different during these times of many online classes but that hasn't stopped medical/health related exams from being in person for me. In fact, they have actually offered a new challenge for me to try to be more efficient during my study time to get as much done as possible in such a short period of time. During these times for graduate students, I would definitely say that the level of independence and the high amount of stress placed on finding the sweet spot for focus, discipline, and adaptability has become of the utmost importance.

As weeks have gone by since school started, I decided to run experiments to find how I truly study and memorize or at least optimize for studying better when I'm on my own. It can sometimes feel difficult to write out so much information by hand or create so many flashcards but I've found these challenging moments to honestly be of the most value. When I study, I do it with the intent of learning more about myself and my weaknesses in focus. For me, studying in my bedroom all morning till the afternoon isn't that effective because I find myself tiring out pass 1pm and my work isn't as effective. Therefore, I've resolved to just spend this afternoon unproductive period in the gym working on strength. 

My nights of studying have been a lot more resilient I find myself at the library or at least outside of many and just dishing out as much information I can churn in one night. This blog post is even one done after a crazy pomodoro session of prepping for an exam I have tomorrow on Leadership in Pharmacy. I spent that time creating flashcards which I still need to go over before my exam tomorrow at least.

I would definitely say the Coronavirus hasn't made much of a difference in my study life. I'm used to studying alone and creating content alone but wearing a mask and staying super far away from people is definitely a noticeable shift. A lot of my favorite study spots got shut down including the library so there are some negative aspects but nothing too crazy. I mean, I can still find other places to study.

My upcoming exam is on Hormones, Contraception, and Animal diseases so these next few days are going to be a bit crazy for me but I'm determined to make this all work. I plan on knocking out my schedule with strict study periods to ensure that I'm being as efficient as possible with every minute. Of course, I do get distracted being human and having emotions I struggle with thinking about my friends and family and regular social thoughts which I struggled with even when life was still normal.

In short, not much has changed. Just like every other student these are just times to adapt to an ever changing study life. Stay focused and you'll get through this year for sure!

I hope you found something helpful here!

Here is a drawing I made of myself studying for online classes or in Zoom meetings as I struggle to focus and try not to enter dreamland.