Yes, Adithi, some things never change. Way back, when I was a medical student like you (a loooong time ago, considering I was your mother's teacher) I remember experiencing the same sick-in-the-stomach sensation before the impending exams. Even then, when the "information explosion" was not even a concept, the amount in front of you, waiting to be absorbed, seemed gigantic in comparison to the available space between your two ears.
What impressed me then, and continues to even today, was the amount of stuff you could cram into short-term memory, 24 hours before the exam. And then, poof! -- it was all gone the evening after.
We freely acknowledge that this cram-fest is not the way to go for long-term success with storing useful knowledge. Only such pieces that are taken slowly, mulled over and stacked will be of lasting benefit. In this regard, I would like to recommend a book that I found to be of fantastic, practical value. I only wish I could have read it when I was your age rather than a few years ago, in my declining years. Here's the source:
Sönke Ahrens -- How to Take Smart Notes -- One Simple Technique to Boost Writing, Learning and Thinking – for Students, Academics and Nonfiction Book Writers.
It's available as a KIndle book. One specific tool that I would strongly endorse is Nicklas Luhmann's "zettelkasten". The book outlines the methodology and there are a ton of sources available when you Google the term. Luhmann was one of the most prolific thinkers and writers in his field. He attributes his success to the device and his life long use of it. Set one up for yourself, now. There are many apps -- Evernote, Notion, Bear (iOS) -- which make this task easy and amplify utility many times more that the hand-written variety.
Before signing out, I would also like to point you to a very recent venture of mine. You can see it at {P}rescription. It's a broad-based forum for professionals interested in healthcare delivery. Your generation is the one that has to come up with solutions for our seriously inadequate health system. Join up and tell your friends about it.
As you would have realised by now, retired old folks like to prattle. But, as your mother would endorse, nothing has given me more pleasure over the years than dealing with young people and their active, inquiring, iconoclastic minds.
First off, thanks a lot for reading and subscribing to my newsletter! It really means a lot.
You're absolutely right, exams are now a total cram fest and I truly wish that real learning would be encouraged more than just the regurgitation of facts.
Thanks for the recommendation! A lot of my friends have recently ventured into digital note-taking, and have told me that once you cross the hard part of getting it set up and becoming used to it, it's a breeze in terms of using your time efficiently! I will make it a point to check it out immediately after my exams are over.
Also, I have recently subscribed to your newsletter and thoroughly enjoy reading the various articles linked in each issue. The forum you mentioned sounds extremely intriguing, I will definitely go through it and spread the word! Thank you. - Adithi
Yes, Adithi, some things never change. Way back, when I was a medical student like you (a loooong time ago, considering I was your mother's teacher) I remember experiencing the same sick-in-the-stomach sensation before the impending exams. Even then, when the "information explosion" was not even a concept, the amount in front of you, waiting to be absorbed, seemed gigantic in comparison to the available space between your two ears.
What impressed me then, and continues to even today, was the amount of stuff you could cram into short-term memory, 24 hours before the exam. And then, poof! -- it was all gone the evening after.
We freely acknowledge that this cram-fest is not the way to go for long-term success with storing useful knowledge. Only such pieces that are taken slowly, mulled over and stacked will be of lasting benefit. In this regard, I would like to recommend a book that I found to be of fantastic, practical value. I only wish I could have read it when I was your age rather than a few years ago, in my declining years. Here's the source:
Sönke Ahrens -- How to Take Smart Notes -- One Simple Technique to Boost Writing, Learning and Thinking – for Students, Academics and Nonfiction Book Writers.
It's available as a KIndle book. One specific tool that I would strongly endorse is Nicklas Luhmann's "zettelkasten". The book outlines the methodology and there are a ton of sources available when you Google the term. Luhmann was one of the most prolific thinkers and writers in his field. He attributes his success to the device and his life long use of it. Set one up for yourself, now. There are many apps -- Evernote, Notion, Bear (iOS) -- which make this task easy and amplify utility many times more that the hand-written variety.
Before signing out, I would also like to point you to a very recent venture of mine. You can see it at {P}rescription. It's a broad-based forum for professionals interested in healthcare delivery. Your generation is the one that has to come up with solutions for our seriously inadequate health system. Join up and tell your friends about it.
As you would have realised by now, retired old folks like to prattle. But, as your mother would endorse, nothing has given me more pleasure over the years than dealing with young people and their active, inquiring, iconoclastic minds.
May the Force be with you.
Arjun
Dear Dr Arjun,
First off, thanks a lot for reading and subscribing to my newsletter! It really means a lot.
You're absolutely right, exams are now a total cram fest and I truly wish that real learning would be encouraged more than just the regurgitation of facts.
Thanks for the recommendation! A lot of my friends have recently ventured into digital note-taking, and have told me that once you cross the hard part of getting it set up and becoming used to it, it's a breeze in terms of using your time efficiently! I will make it a point to check it out immediately after my exams are over.
Also, I have recently subscribed to your newsletter and thoroughly enjoy reading the various articles linked in each issue. The forum you mentioned sounds extremely intriguing, I will definitely go through it and spread the word! Thank you. - Adithi