it's a team effort

it's only relatively recently that i've discovered how to study. seeing i'm graduating in six months or so, it's really about time! the secret is





and that's all i'm going to say about it.

seriously though, for me, it comes down to two things: 1) having someone next to me who's also studying, and 2) sharing what you've learnt with someone in a multitude of one page summaries. the first i discovered with lou. she has a lot more staying power than i have when it comes to learning about medicine. so when i feel like a break, i look up, see her nose deep in paediatrics, i sigh, kick myself, and say "perhaps i can last another five minutes". and what do you know, by the end of the next five minutes, i'm half way through learning about meningitis and i might as well finish it. yay-ness! it's so much better than the alternative, which is moping around for the entire day, eating bad food and drinking bad coffee, feeling slightly guilty, and having it all come to a head two days before the exam. the second tip i found out studying for semester 8+9 with brumbles. we divided the various blocks in half, and made concise notes with heaps of flow diagrams and pictures on topics such as "types of leg ulcers" and "groin lumps" - juicy. dividing the blocks in half meant we actually had to work through all the topics, just to be fair to the other person. of course, there are heaps of added bonuses to following these two tips. for me, these included getting to know my study buddy through "chat breaks", broadening my knowledge of popular music, and having excuses to eat junk food.

oh, and passing the exams with a shred of sanity intact =)