New D1 students,
Congratulations and welcome to NYU College of Dentistry! You should be so proud of yourselves for successfully completing your first summer semester. Though the pandemic has changed the traditional course of dental school, the advice I have remains the same.
Dental school is one of the most exhausting, challenging, and rewarding experiences you will ever take on. As you know, the way classes are structured requires you to quickly synthesize large volumes of information for multiple didactic courses at a time. This, at times, can feel impossible and overwhelming especially when you have your first year operative course and practical exams thrown into the mix. If you, like me, came straight from earning your undergraduate or master’s degree, it can feel like you’ve barely had a second to catch your breath, let alone analyze what’s working in terms of study skills. D1 year is such an important and formative time to try out new study techniques. Here are a few things I learned about studying and time management during my D1 year!
Repetition is key when it comes to retaining dense material thrown at us in dental school!
Try using flashcards, making notes, writing things down, and drawing things out. If you haven’t figured out what kind of learning works best for you during your college/master’s program, now is the time to try out different techniques. During D1, I kept telling myself handwriting the information from the PowerPoint slides to paper was the only way I could retain anything. It would take hours, but somehow, when it was time to recall the information on an exam, I couldn’t do so easily. My stubborn attitude made it difficult for me to try anything different, so I stuck to this tactic, in most of my courses for far too long. Finally, at the beginning of D2 year, my friend sent me a video about active recall of information with flashcards, and everything changed for me. Active recall involves testing yourself with the material (in my case with the flashcards I made), instead of passively reading PowerPoint slides or notes. It took some trial and error, until eventually I developed a routine I could replicate for most subjects and classes! I knew I needed to review each lecture three times and test myself with my flashcards to fully be able to recall the information. I would record each pass through on a spreadsheet itemized for each upcoming exam to properly track my progress. Whatever study methods you use, make sure you are actively recalling the material and going over it as many times as you need to!
Work together!
Don’t be afraid to collaborate and study with others. I found this was a great way to review information and meet new friends! It can be really helpful to see the information from another person’s perspective. Group studying doesn’t even need to be done in-person; Zoom has helpful features (i.e. screen sharing, accommodation for large groups) to make virtual studying with friends possible. Last summer, I frequently studied with friends over Zoom for NBDE Part I!
Try not to compare yourself to others!
Just because something works for your friend or roommate doesn’t mean it will work for you! For example, I have a friend who studies best late into the night in the days before exams. A few times of doing this and I discovered I needed a good night’s sleep before exams to feel most awake and prepared. Similar to my flashcard method, I found my own routine! In the mornings before exams, I would wake up at least a few hours before, get ready, and spend the last hour or so before the exam reviewing a list of a few concepts I was still having trouble with. I attended class in-person every day, while others preferred to watch the podcasts afterwards. Don’t be discouraged if you find something doesn’t work for you; keep at it! Everyone finds their own patterns that work for them. Just because something works for a friend doesn’t mean it has to work for you in order to get good results. You WILL find your own ways that will lead to successful results!
In all aspects, D1 requires so much trial and error. Studying is just an aspect of the challenges the year can bring, but know there is so much support all around you. Don’t be afraid to seek it out – from friends, from upperclassmen, from your professors and faculty! You are as capable as you think you are…keep working hard. I know you can do it!!!
All my best,
Olivia Tardif (A D4 student)
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