#little world of a student

May 17th 2022

First night in E.R. ✅

May 5th 2022

Exams are coming

Hello everyone,

Here I am after another exam session. As usual, I would like to share with you my study method to help someone who is struggling with the same exams. Also, I would appreciate it if you gave me your feedback and advice to improve my approach.

So, let’s start.

Microbiology is a unique subject, and many students have difficulties with it. It might seem all about mnemonics, but it is fundamental to understand the mechanisms at the base of infection, clinical manifestations, diagnosis and therapies of viruses, bacteria and parasitics.

First of all, I thinkattending lessonsis vital. Books are full of notions that might be confusing and having an idea of what to focus on can help, at least at the beginning. I went to classes, took notes, and tried to understand the basics of microbiology.

After classes, I made mind maps trying to organize notions: a branch for microorganism’s structure, one for the cycle of replication, one for symptoms and pathogenesis, one for diagnosis and one for prophylaxis and therapies. I used X Mind for my digital maps, and I find this app extremely efficient (and also, it is free).

Behind having assimilated these basic notions, I read the book and inserted more details on my map. Integrating with the book was fundamental to understanding the mechanisms of pathogenesis and infection. Also, adding information can make it easier to remember the essential ones.

When classes were over, I started reading all the material again and used my mnemonics techniques. I think it is useless to memorize notions at the beginning of the study because, sometimes, understanding the concept makes it easier to learn it. For example, knowing the mechanisms of action of an antibiotic will help to remember which bacteria can defeat. Anyways, some notions (such as the name of some antibiotics or antiviral) need to be learnt by heart. For this purpose, mnemonic techniques (acronyms, short stories, etc.) are a great help.

Next, I started recalling all the topics many times. Trying to explain the matters out loud helped me comprehend whether I had learnt them or not.

Last, I recalled all the subjects with my usual studybuddy. This part is essential because she always knows something that I do not and vice versa.

Also, we do all the previous exams together. It may be unfair, but the best way to get a high score on the test is to understand what the professor focuses on.

I have to confess that I studied the day before the exam. By the way, it was a complex situation. Generally speaking, I advise resting before an exam to be relaxed and stress-free during the test.

And, that’s it! Let me know whether you agree with my study method or you would change something. Also, good luck with your studies