HOME STUDY ACADEMIC SURVIVAL TIPS Robbie Ashworth MA
HOME STUDY & ACADEMIC SURVIVAL TIPS Robbie Ashworth, MA Office of Academic Support Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine Marshall University, Huntington WV
Wellness ■ Number one, breathe. Number two, when in doubt, see number one. ■ Ensure your own physical, psychological, and emotional well-being and then that of your family and loved ones. The healthier you are the more effectively you can help others. ■ The more secure that you feel the easier it will be to move forward with some sense of normalcy, or what counts as normalcy during these times. ■ Be patient, forgiving, and compassionate with yourself and others. Your productivity will be contingent on your energy, attention, and emotions, which may all fluctuate throughout any given day. Expect variability. ■ Don’t hesitate to reach out to your school’s resources if you need any assistance with these areas. We are all here to support you however we can.
Contingencies ■ As I’m sure many of you have already done, create contingency plans. Consider logistics for social distancing, essential travel and transportation, grocery store visits, and other nonnegotiable errands and activities. ■ With this planning firmly in place, it can be somewhat easier to focus on your medical education. Remember, medical school is hard in the best of times, and you will carry-on to the absolute best of your abilities. ■ Finally, reach out. Don’t hesitate to call, text, email, Doc. Halo, etc with others. Maintaining connections, even in a crisis, fosters positive mental and emotional well-being. ■ Part of contingency planning is being comfortable with change and realizing that even with the best planning, things change. Faculty and staff are working toward keeping you as informed as possible on shifting deadlines and changes.
Space ■ Creating a dedicated study space can help you to compartmentalize your studies away from the rest of your home life. ■ A dedicated study space can allow you to shift into “study mode” when entering your space. ■ As you are able, try to keep your space entirely dedicated to your academics and free of unnecessary distractions. Often, “Out of sight” very much equals “Out of mind. ” Keep only what you are studying directly in front of you. ■ Some students thrive in an enclosed space entirely free from distractions; others, at the kitchen table with others coming and going throughout the day. Work in a space that is ideal for your needs, situation, and preferences.
Time, Scheduling, Task Management ■ This will vary with the individual and their unique needs and responsibilities, but a daily agenda with specific tasks, goals, and times can be helpful in navigating your day. ■ The “study/break” pattern I recommend is the 50/10 – 50 minutes of concentrated focused study followed by a 10 -minute break. Other patterns include 25/5, 90/15, or whatever pattern works for you. These can also change depending on the time of day and your focus/energy levels. ■ A timer can help you to monitor your time during studying and taking a break. ■ In terms of task management, I’d recommend keeping two different lists: Academic and Personal To-Do Lists ■ An Academic To-Do List would consist of the activities you have to complete for the current block and/or Step study, remediation planning, etc. ■ The personal list captures all the other responsibilities that you have.
Attention ■ In the best of times, our attention is sabotaged by technology. Today, technology is our primary tool for literally everything in our lives. ■ I encourage students to use whatever screen time monitoring function is provided on their cell phones. This provides data on what apps you spend the most time using. Some phones let you set usage limits on certain apps, which can be helpful. The function is also an eye-opener in terms of how you actually use your phone as opposed to how you think you use it. ■ There are many technology tools that you can use to help minimize digital distractions on your phone as well as your laptop/desktop browsers. Some of these include the following: Stay. Focused, Rescue. Time, Forest, Leechblock. A quick Google search can provide many more. It’s not that you are incapable of paying attention, but sometimes it’s helpful to have a reminder when we almost unconsciously click into our favorite distraction app without thinking.
Sleep, exercise, nutrition ■ I realize that I mention these at every turn, but they are all three so important for effective learning, retention, and performance. ■ Sleep hygiene includes consistency in sleep-wake patterns; minimizing screen-time prior to sleep; and even room temperature and sleep surface quality. ■ You. Tube is filled with guided exercise routines you can practice from home. Previous medical students have raved about “Tabata” workouts that are quick and high-energy. ■ Seems most of us are cooking from home currently (which may or may not be a good thing) but consider meal planning and bulk cooking.
Mindfulness ■ For mental health, resiliency, and improved concentration and learning, I’ll again recommend a mindfulness practice, which has been demonstrated to have clinical effectiveness at just ten minutes each day. ■ Of course there’s an app for that: Headspace, Mindfulness, Breathe, Centered, Ten Percent, and Calm ■ You may also find free resources and guided meditations at Koru Mindfulness at this link: https: //student. korumindfulness. org/resources. html
On a personal note ■ We each deal with stress, anxiety, and uncertainty in our own ways. Some ways of coping are more effective and healthier than others. Ultimately, you must decide what is best for you and your family at this time. ■ I often advise students that the only thing that they have any control over is their minds in the current moment, right now. The past is just that, past. The future is not guaranteed. What I do right now, at this present moment, helps to inform and shape the moment that comes after, and after that. ■ Please, stay well. Find what is best for you at this moment. The earth will continue to spin, and we will all move forward in our own way. ■ Reach out if you need any assistance at all.
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