Whether it’s the US Medical Licensing Exams (USMLEs) like in my case, or another standardized exam – studying for these tests is a PROCESS. For better or worse, these exams are often big deal and they can open or close doors. I took USMLE Step 1 and 2 somewhat recently and I found the studying process grueling and tiresome. The number of times I said “I’m losing my mind” while studying is way too high, so I thought it might be a good idea to talk about how to NOT lose your mind when studying. I’m definitely employing these tips as I start my studying for USMLE Step 3 now. I’ve also written about productivity before, so also check out that post if you’re interested in the topic.
First on this list has to be the most obvious tip but it needs to be said because I think it’s the most important thing of all. When there’s an exam that tests not just “reasoning” or “logic” but actually a lot of information (like the medical licensing exams), starting the studying well enough in advance is the make-it or break-it factor. If you can do a little practice every day for a long time rather than cramming, that is going to help a lot. I’m currently doing 20 UWorld (the question bank I’m using) questions per day and keeping up with Anki (flashcards). This way, I will make it through all of UWorld once before I start doing practice tests and I won’t feel like I’m cramming. There’s a lot of research on how spaced repetition is key for effective studying, so that’s what my goal is here.
Sleep Hygiene
You won’t retain information if you’re not getting proper sleep, so I really recommend making sure you plan for 8 hours per night. Build it into your schedule and protect it. For me that means making sure I don’t have coffee after 5 PM because I won’t be able to fall asleep otherwise. I also like the night shift mode on my phone.
Environment
The environment that you’re in can really affect your productivity, and as such, I think it’s worth taking the time to go wherever you’ll be your most productive. Obviously there are a lot of restrictions now in public spaces, but if you work better in certain environments than others, keep that in mind. Sometimes we think that the time spent traveling to a coffee shop or wherever else might not be worth it, but if you can increase your productivity, it usually is, in my experience. If you’re not able to change locations, at least make sure you’re sitting somewhere with the best natural light. Our brains respond to natural light in a different way than they respond to office type lighting, so it’s worth trying to be near a window if you can.
On that note, I also think it’s helpful to ensure that your sleeping hours and wake hours correlate well with the natural light. There’s something that feels less depressing to me about studying during daylight than in darkness. I used to be quite the night owl, but even then, I always noticed that I did my best work during the daytime, not at night. Shifting my schedule to wake up an hour or two earlier and getting those couple extra hours of sunlight has been really helpful in upping my productivity.
Breaks
Besides making sure your environment is optimal, figure out what time a break is most helpful for you. Do you sense yourself losing focus after lunch? If so, that might be the best time to go for a walk or to the gym. We all know that breaks are important, but timing your longer breaks to be at the time when you are at your least focused is helpful. And making sure that you do something you feel good about during a break is also important. Whether that’s a quick workout, meal prepping while listening to a podcast, reading for fun, or whatever else – if you feel like you made your break somewhat productive or that it wasn’t a complete waste of time like scrolling on social media can be, you might not feel as stressed in general.
Screen Time
And speaking of social media, I think setting a time limit for certain apps on your phone can be incredibly helpful. You can have a friend or family member make a password for bypassing the time limit so that you can’t bypass the limit on your own. This ensures that you literally CANNOT spend more time than you want to on certain time wasting apps.
On another screen time related note, I’ve got to say that it’s important to give your eyes a rest. If your studying involves using a computer, I do like that 20-20-20 rule where for every 20 minutes of screen time, you look away at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds. It helps reduce eye strain. I think this is all the more reason for why you shouldn’t always scroll on your phone during your breaks.
Scheduling
Some people do best with taking breaks and scheduling time for fun. I find that as I get closer to the exam date, I am unable to enjoy things that are supposed to be fun and I prefer to just study. It sounds really intense, but if I can’t enjoy the fun things, I’d rather not schedule them for near the exam date. I sort of just accept that the few weeks before an exam are going to be the time where I just put my head down and work and that the relaxation will come afterwards.
I feel like this post might have been really obvious, but so many people have asked for it. Chances are you already knew most of this, but you might still have needed to hear someone say it again. Or to emphasize that these things made a big difference in helping them achieve the result they wanted. I definitely employed all of these things more when studying for Step 2 than Step 1 and I did a lot better because of it. So just trust me, all these little things add up. And good luck with whatever you’re studying for that led you to this page!
