To pass a test or an examination, you need to study effectively. Unfortunately, not many people know how to do this. Statistically, between 15-18% of medical students drop out of school each year. One of the most influential factors behind this factor is the type of environment they’re studying in. More often than not, medical students who fail either try to study where distractions are abundant or where studying isn’t effective.
Now that the pandemic has been restricting movement for over a year, it has forced schools to close down. As a result, understanding how to create the best study space wherever you are has become much more critical. That said, here are five ways medical students can create the best study space.
Eliminate any unnecessary distractions
Distraction is undoubtedly a significant factor that influences a student’s failure. A student may be trying to read, but they won’t assimilate much of what they’re reading. When you get rid of unnecessary, everyday distractions that would prevent you from reading, it will allow you to focus on the task at hand entirely. You would also notice that several medical concepts’ assimilation becomes way more effortless in the absence of distractions.
Thus, if you want to eliminate unnecessary distractions, make sure you figure out what distracts you the most. For example, if social interactions distract you the most, it would be best if you stayed away from people during your study time. As a medical student, there are many materials you need to study to pass your exams successfully. Luckily, there are 1500+ medical student video lectures we have available that talk about several topics.
Choose a suitable location to study.
Setting up an ideal study space can be pointless if you pick a terrible location. The location of the study space is as important as the concept of studying itself. If you choose a place where you can be easily distracted, it will prevent you from maximizing your study time.
That said, it is crucial to understand places to discard when choosing a suitable study location. Some of these are:
- Locations with high levels of activity like living rooms, kitchens. Believe it or not, many people doing several activities in a single place will most likely leave you distracted and unable to focus.
- Outdoor locations like gardens. In some cases, this can be an excellent place to study. However, in many other cases, you can easily be distracted by external factors such as insects.
Instead, try to choose a location that has a low level of activity. Doing this will automatically reduce distractions and allow you to focus entirely on your study time.
Maintain a high level of organization
An organization is another vital key to creating a great study space. No matter how beautiful your study space is, it becomes pointless if it is always disorganized. For one, a messy study space can sharply decrease your motivation levels, discouraging you from reading.
Additionally, looking for essential study material could potentially waste a lot of your study time. Thus, it is crucial to organize all your study material. You can do this in several ways, but the goal is to keep your study space looking functional and beautiful. When you have finished using materials such as pens and other stationery, keep them back in the space you have allocated for them. For books, you can decide to purchase a bookshelf or stack them neatly on your table.
Ask your family members or people around you for help
If you don’t ask the people around you for help, it could increase your chances of getting distracted. This is because the people around you won’t understand what you’re trying to do and wouldn’t give you space and time you need.
For example, being constantly called to perform the house activities is more distracting than you may think. By the time you run a few errands, you would have wasted a lot of time you could have spent reading and become too exhausted to continue studying. Thus, try to let family members and friends around you know what you’re up to. Inform them of your study time, which would ensure they don’t distract you during this period.
Design it to your taste.
What’s a good study space without a splash of your personality? To ensure you turn up to your study location every time, you must design it to your taste. If you try to follow generic methods of arrangement and designs, it may decrease your focus and motivation levels in the long run.
Capture your sources of information on mediums such as photos and posters and post it where you can see it as you’re studying. Do you enjoy natural light while reading? If you do, try to face your desk towards the light source of your room. Alternatively, you can also include artificial lighting that will liven your study space. Doing all this would prevent your study space from looking generic and bland.
Final Thoughts
Study spaces are vital if you want to increase your chances of reading effectively and faster assimilation. Luckily, this article has explained five main ways to do this, which are all equally important.
