Studying

[josh rousseau]

I didn't take notes in paramedic school and was top of the class. I think taking notes during a lecture is a yuge waste of time and energy.

Here is one of my favorite examples to illustrate the point: We're learning about the lungs, and the instructor puts a slide up that says "drowning - death due to submersion in water" or something like that. Probably more than half of the class wrote that down. Like, did you really need to write down a definition for drowning?

Obviously everyone knows what drowning is and writing down a definition was pointless. Those people were more focused on the act of taking notes than they were on thinking about/understanding the material.



Here's what I recommend instead: show up to lecture with a stack of blank index cards instead of a notebook. Any piece of formation you want to make sure you don't forget, put it on a card. Put a prompt on one side, and the answer on the other side. For example: Name the chambers of the heart /// LA, RA, LV, RV. Review these cards every day. As you go through the cards, separate out the ones you got wrong and review those again.

When reading your text book, take notes directly onto flash cards again, and look at some of those cards every day. This is the key to learning - seeing the material multiple times, and ACTIVELY testing your knowledge of it. It's much harder to answer a question on a flash card than it is to passively read what you wrote in a notebook and say "yup I knew that".

I like that idea sir appreciate ur help. I have been taking note cards as well as highlighting anatomy is honestly the only things I am stressed about just wanna achieve my liscense and get in the field class is stressful

 

[josh rousseau]

You have to do a surprising amount of writing as an EMT. May as well get in the habit of using punctuation now...

It’s so funny I thought about that as son as I was called out on my poor punctuality.

 

[Gurby]

It’s so funny I thought about that as son as I was called out on my poor punctuality.

I see that apostrophe and period, moving in the right direction.

 

[josh rousseau]

I see that apostrophe and period, moving in the right direction.

Lol baby steps.

 

[mgr22]

Seen a lot of bad things and bad people growing up just wanna do good and be the person people feel some sense of relief when they see

Sounds good to me, Josh.

 

[jdemt]

I waisted the first half of medic school trying to take notes. In the end I just listened and asked questions because note taking in itself became a distraction. If you want to keep track of the topics you discussed I would record the lectures and listen to them while you drive or whenever you have a spare moment.

 

[josh rousseau]

Sounds good to me, Josh.

The simple things

 

[josh rousseau]

I waisted the first half of medic school trying to take notes. In the end I just listened and asked questions because note taking in itself became a distraction. If you want to keep track of the topics you discussed I would record the lectures and listen to them while you drive or whenever you have a spare moment.

Well medic school expands on the basics so u have a good idea I’m just trying to learn the basics

 

[Benjamin123]

I’m am still in EMT school so I don’t have the wisdom some of these people have, but I will tell you what has helped me. Reading the chapters we will be going over in class, before class starts as opposed to after. This way I can have an idea of what they’re speaking about. Also put in the time. My work place is pretty chill so I will carry my study guides with me and look at it periodically through at the day. Or if I’m taking a dump im studying. This has helped me really understand the material thus far. Just absorb the material bit by bit. I know it’s a lot, most of us in my emt class are feeling the weight of the course work, but don’t let it stress you out. Just study more

 

[josh rousseau]

I’m am still in EMT school so I don’t have the wisdom some of these people have, but I will tell you what has helped me. Reading the chapters we will be going over in class, before class starts as opposed to after. This way I can have an idea of what they’re speaking about. Also put in the time. My work place is pretty chill so I will carry my study guides with me and look at it periodically through at the day. Or if I’m taking a dump im studying. This has helped me really understand the material thus far. Just absorb the material bit by bit. I know it’s a lot, most of us in my emt class are feeling the weight of the course work, but don’t let it stress you out. Just study more

Ya I get what ur saying I will do that after I get caught up appreciate the feed back brotha best of luck to you through school and in the field

 

[Flummox]

Hey Josh, fellow BLS student chiming in. I only learned how to study effectively in the last couple months and it's gotten me a 96 so far in my class. Here's what helped.

Knowing your learning style is pretty helpful when figuring out how to study. I'm a kinetic learner so note-taking is a lifesaver for me because rewriting information helps it stick in my brain. Other strategies I've heard of that might be worth the old college try include recording a lecture or key points from the book and listening to it during your free time (for auditory learners), or drawing diagrams/charts of organized information (for visual learners).

If I could give you only one piece of advice it would be that you have to really take an active role in studying if you want to actually absorb the material. Reading the same paragraph over and over again is just going to make you frustrated and waste your time, because if you've read it once, your brain already recognizes the words when phrased in that order. Try making flash cards for vocabulary words, teaching a friend about what you're studying, or writing your own short answer questions based each section of the chapter. Don't forget to use the reviews in the textbook as a resource, especially the critical thinking questions. Every time you study, ask yourself how you could apply what you're learning to a real-life situation.

Do yourself a favor and answer questions during lectures, read the supplemental material, and volunteer to demonstrate during labs. Standing around with your hands in your pockets will only earn you a lot of really stressful exams and razzing from the instructors.

Hope you find this useful. Good luck with school!

 

[josh rousseau]

Hey Josh, fellow BLS student chiming in. I only learned how to study effectively in the last couple months and it's gotten me a 96 so far in my class. Here's what helped.

Knowing your learning style is pretty helpful when figuring out how to study. I'm a kinetic learner so note-taking is a lifesaver for me because rewriting information helps it stick in my brain. Other strategies I've heard of that might be worth the old college try include recording a lecture or key points from the book and listening to it during your free time (for auditory learners), or drawing diagrams/charts of organized information (for visual learners).

If I could give you only one piece of advice it would be that you have to really take an active role in studying if you want to actually absorb the material. Reading the same paragraph over and over again is just going to make you frustrated and waste your time, because if you've read it once, your brain already recognizes the words when phrased in that order. Try making flash cards for vocabulary words, teaching a friend about what you're studying, or writing your own short answer questions based each section of the chapter. Don't forget to use the reviews in the textbook as a resource, especially the critical thinking questions. Every time you study, ask yourself how you could apply what you're learning to a real-life situation.

Do yourself a favor and answer questions during lectures, read the supplemental material, and volunteer to demonstrate during labs. Standing around with your hands in your pockets will only earn you a lot of really stressful exams and razzing from the instructors.

Hope you find this useful. Good luck with school!

I have done a lot of this and I have gotten great grades the problem is I over Analyze things so much that if I don’t know exactly how the heart works all the parts and the steps in order I think I’m gonna be screwed in the field I have done great on all my tests and quizzes but just feel like everything in the book needs to be known I was stuck on the reproductive systems for an hour two paragraphs thinking to myself am I gonna really need to know how reproduction happens I knew the answer was no but still over analyzed it