O método de revisão que me aprovou em medicina na USP

Summary

In this video, Ana, a medical student at USP, shares her personal study and revision method that helped her succeed in highly competitive vestibular exams. She emphasizes the importance of active study, repetition, and creating personalized review sheets with crucial information she feared forgetting. Ana explains how her method, which involves revisiting content multiple times, especially difficult concepts, and reviewing previous material before starting new topics, played a key role in her success. Her approach is a practical and efficient way to retain and recall complex information under pressure.

Takeaways

• 😀 Active study is crucial: Engaging with the material by testing yourself ensures better understanding and retention.
• 📚 Repetition is key: Re-reading and revisiting material multiple times, even months after studying, helps reinforce memory.
• 📝 Use revision sheets: Create personalized revision sheets for each subject, focusing on details you’re likely to forget and revisiting them regularly.
• 💡 Mistakes are valuable: Track your mistakes from exercises and exams, and include them in your revision sheets to avoid repeating them.
• 🖋️ Don’t worry about aesthetics: The functionality of your notes matters more than their neatness—focus on usability, not perfection.
• ⏳ Spaced repetition: Review your revision sheets frequently throughout the year, especially before exams, to retain critical information.
• 🧠 Active learning over passive: After reading a section, test yourself on it immediately. If you can’t explain it, you haven’t absorbed it.
• 🔄 Reinforce previous knowledge: Before starting a new topic, review the previous one to keep important details fresh in your mind.
• 📅 Structured review schedule: Create a study schedule that includes daily active reading, weekly revision, and intensive monthly reviews of all materials.
• 🎯 Focus on what you forget: Identify what you forget the most and make sure it’s always included in your revision process.
• 💪 Consistency matters: Regularly reviewing your revision sheets and notes will help you retain the material even after a long period, especially leading up to exams.

Q & A

What was Ana's initial perception of her memory and intelligence?

Ana initially believed that her memory issues were due to being less intelligent than others, and she thought that she might have a problem with memorization. She later realized that this was not the case.

What did Ana learn about the process of memorization?

Ana learned that memorization is a gradual process and that normal people, like herself, need to review information multiple times—often more than five or six times—to truly retain it.

How did Ana approach her studies after attending class?

After attending class, Ana would study the material again in the afternoon. This second contact with the subject involved reading the theory, doing exercises, and correcting mistakes, which allowed her to deepen her understanding.

What was the role of exercises in Ana's study method?

Exercises played a crucial role in Ana's method. She would practice exercises from various vestibular exams, correct her mistakes, and then revisit her notes to reinforce the material she had studied.

How did Ana incorporate her mistakes into her study routine?

Ana used her mistakes as a tool for further learning. Whenever she made an error in an exercise, she would add it to her revision sheets, helping her remember what to focus on in future studies.

What was the revision method Ana used during her studies?

Ana used a revision method where she wrote down the specific information she feared forgetting in the future on dedicated sheets, such as key facts or formulas. These sheets served as a reference for quick reviews before exams.

Why did Ana avoid creating traditional summaries?

Ana avoided creating traditional summaries because she found them less useful for her method. Instead, she focused on noting down critical information and mistakes that she would likely forget but were important for exams.

How did Ana use her revision sheets to improve her memorization?

Ana frequently revisited her revision sheets, reading and rereading them as she progressed through her studies. Over time, this helped her internalize the information, making it second nature by the time of exams.

What was Ana's approach to studying before starting a new subject?

Before starting a new subject, Ana would review the material from the previous subject to ensure that the concepts were fresh in her mind. This helped maintain continuity and better retention of knowledge.

What is Ana's advice regarding the appearance of notes and summaries?

Ana advises not to focus on making notes and summaries look perfect or beautiful. She emphasized that the focus should be on utility and how effective the notes are in helping you recall essential information.