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[gnatcatcher]

probably sleeping less would be my guess

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6 hours ago, ilikebirds said:

probably sleeping less would be my guess

That's a good idea, but I need sleep for most of the things I will do, as they require some energy, therefore I have limited my schedule to 7 hours of sleep per night.

[Medase]

Space out studying before a test over the course of a week, briefly look over slides before lectures, record lectures for only the hardest classes so you can take in all details later (if needed), buy and study past tests religiously. Just a few I used to do. 

[Vivieeeeeee]

There's quite a bit I want to dissect (if that's the right word) with this approach:

1. GPA absolutely comes before your EC's and don't let people tell you otherwise. You can be an Olympic gold medalist but if your GPA isn't in the competitive range (3.8+ in general, 3.92+ if you are thinking UofT MD) your application will be discarded due to the first round GPA-cutoffs before the adcom even has a chance of viewing your glowing references and achievements. Therefore, given your suboptimal performance in first year, I strongly advise against overloading yourself with 20-30 hours of EC's in second year. At least take one semester to get back in your groove academically with 5-10 hours a week - develop your study habits. You said you didn't perform in 1st year because you were distracted and were not motivated - in other words, your study habits were bad and those things don't just change overnight. Your study habits and motivation are not a switch that you can flip on at will. You will need to take it slow and go steady, because unless you are thinking a fifth year/second bachelor/masters degree you are on your last chances GPA-wise. It's great that you are passionate about a lot of things outside the classroom - but be passionate and focus on the things inside the classroom first, as those things matter more when it comes to your application.

2. Getting 95% averages in universities (well again, depends on which university you go to - it may be common among premeds in some but absolutely a rarity at UofT, where I graduated from): first of all, is it truly necessary? OMSAS average conversions usually count 90% and up as 4.0 (again, depending on your school). Is it really worth doing so much extra studying for that 5% in a course that won't even be reflected on your application? If you want to study smart, those are the points you want to start considering. 

3. I don't know where you get your "facts" from, but the people I know who get 95+ averages all spend way more than 6+ hours studying per day. I'm not saying that's what you need to do in order to get in med school, but you harbour a very dangerous mindset and that is getting good grades can be bypassed by using "tricks" and "hacks". It's like people who refuse to go to the gym and diet to lose weight, but always seek out "cheats" like shady drugs advertised by their FB friends doing pyramid schemes. And of course those people get scammed in the end. In reality, people with good grades (save that 1% whose IQ is just too high; and neither of us belong in that category) all work harder than people who don't, generally speaking. Flashcards or anki decks aren't going to make the difference between a 70 and 95, they'll probably make the difference between 91 and 92, at most. If you want to start seeing real changes in your grades, you need to get rid of that shortcut mindset and sit down and put in the work honestly and earnestly, which again means prioritizing your grades over your EC's, discarding some of the latter when necessary. Surely if there was some studying method so effective that all you needed to do was study 2 hours a day and get 90+, it would be viral all over premed101 instead of being held like a trade secret (and even if such secrets exist, surely you don't expect people to just outright tell you those?) TLDR: those don't exist

3. "I am absolutely planning on not having a social life and friends"

This. is the fastest way you can get depression and I am not joking when I say this. You'll be lucky if you don't drop out of undergrad due to mental issues if you keep this up for over a year. Saw this happen multiple times firsthand. If anything, you need to get a support system of friends with similar goals so you can cheer each other on the way, not view cultivating relationships as a "waste of time" and cutting them off completely. You need someone to vent to. You need to practice being a good listener. And those skills don't have to be purchased through med school interview preps, they can be honed every single day by maintaining a close group of friends. You are going to be a doctor which requires interaction with people, you won't be burying your nose in books for the rest of your life.

And no, your 20-30 hours of slaving at EC's will not provide the balance you need if they don't have any normal social interaction (with friends), they only serve to tip it.

4. Extreme plans just never work, period. I know you are on a tight schedule but it is always much more feasible to implement gradual change than extreme change. Please, take it slow or everything will crash down on you. If you start gunning in premed, you will burn out in med. Most people I know who got in med are hard-working, but are not overly keen and understand the importance of leading a balanced lifestyle so that they can stay sane. Good luck.

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5 hours ago, Medase said:

Space out studying before a test over the course of a week, briefly look over slides before lectures, record lectures for only the hardest classes so you can take in all details later (if needed), buy and study past tests religiously. Just a few I used to do. 

That is extremely helpful. I like that you gave me some actual tips that I asked for, and I have heard of those too. Did you ask the professor before recording lectures? Also, do you feel like quizzing yourself a lot helped you instead of rereading the textbook or notes? What do you mean by spaced out studying? Let me know, thanks.

[m_jacob_45]

If your goal is to get into med school, you definitely don't need to not have a social life or friends or do fun things. Schools actually ask about these things to try to get a sense of if you have work-life balance. Anyway, to answer the part of your question about study strategies, think of your university schedule like a 9-5 job. If you have big gaps between classes or before classes in the morning or after classes end in the afternoon, you should be using all the time between 9 and 5 to study or do other productive things like your ECs. Then, I would say you should be aiming for about 6 hours a day of studying (this can be in the 9-5 hours or later if you did not manage to study for approximately that amount of time.) About 6 hours was the amount of time that worked best for me, it may be slightly different for you. Also, it depends on the class, but for more complicated courses, I did also find it helpful to record lectures, especially ones where the slides are not comprehensive. For classes that are more practice-based like O-chem, I would make sure to do all practice questions available, try to find past exams if they exist, and if there are office hours, definitely make use of them. Essentially, do not walk into an exam without being sure that you have fully understood every concept and can apply them in new situations. Also, its helpful to go over previous exams even if you did quite well to see where you went wrong or if you can learn more about the prof's testing style. I found that with some profs, I was essentially able to predict their exam questions by 3rd/4th year after having them for multiple classes. Good luck! 

[Intrepid86]

Do an experiment. Try studying 6 hours a day consistently for one semester to see if you can get that 95 average, because in all likelihood you'll struggle to achieve that score even with all your time devoted to studying, nevermind directing 20 to 30 hours a week towards ECs.

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25 minutes ago, Intrepid86 said:

Do an experiment. Try studying 6 hours a day consistently for one semester to see if you can get that 95 average, because in all likelihood you'll struggle to achieve that score even with all your time devoted to studying, nevermind directing 20 to 30 hours a week towards ECs.

Yeah I’ll try. It’s not about studying for longer, it’s about studying smarter. I’m already done two of my courses, so they will mostly be review. I actually have 2-3 ECs only per day, so I have 6 hours left to study, either in the morning, between classes, or after classes. I will do that, but I do not want to just read the textbook (too much in depth) or the lecture notes (not enough in depth). I was hoping to find a method where it’s just the perfect amount of information, that I can study from, and also some useful study methods that guarantees me at least a 90 or higher. I basically just want to know what smart people do, and 95 students do. If I can at least study to get a 95, and aim for a 95, with all my ECs and everything, I might manage to get a 90. Thanks though for the suggestion.

[Medase]

8 hours ago, afnanjuma said:

That is extremely helpful. I like that you gave me some actual tips that I asked for, and I have heard of those too. Did you ask the professor before recording lectures? Also, do you feel like quizzing yourself a lot helped you instead of rereading the textbook or notes? What do you mean by spaced out studying? Let me know, thanks.

As long as you don't share the recordings and make it obvious that you are recording, no prof will notice to say no lol. Quizzing is definitely important to test your understanding to see whether you should study a concept more, whether its in the textbook or notes. I like to think of it as not rereading, but retaining what I read through active understanding and connecting the dots for various concepts. 

When I mean spaced out studying, I meant don't cram all your studying the day before an exam. Spacing out your studying allows you to retain more, but ofc there will be days you gotta cram before an exam, just keep this as last resort, for now. 

[gnatcatcher]

19 hours ago, afnanjuma said:

That's a good idea, but I need sleep for most of the things I will do, as they require some energy, therefore I have limited my schedule to 7 hours of sleep per night.

everyone's different but I usually feel 6 is enough. 5 and im too tired but do what's best for you obviously 

[MedicineLCS]

There is no "hack" to 95% grades. What makes those grades happen is a combination of:

1. Being details oriented. Losing 1 mark for formatting on every lab? Good luck breaking 95 in some courses. You simply can't afford to make silly mistakes. 

2. Generous marking schemes. This is the big one. Getting a 95+ is essentially impossible in some programs at my school, subjective marking on essays will kill excellent mark's. A course with a high participation grade, easy MC tests, and little else has been my sweet spot. 

3. A great memory combined with sharp critical thinking. As you may have guessed, a rare quality. If your Prof likes playing "Remember the slides" on tests your memory comes in. If they love application questions, your critical thinking. You can't really hack this, you can simply get more efficient. I listen to my notes while driving. I also will put my tablet on the treadmill stand and flip through slides. These help with the raw memory part, but you'll need to be able to apply this, and not all courses suit these styles of learning.

4. Luck. Plain and simple. But you know what, maybe I want my surgeon to be a lucky person... 

Beyond that, working hard, but not "no life hard". You hit the law of diminishing returns fast, and a 95 is well along the curve. Really, the key is learning how Profs test. I'm fortunate to be on a small program, and knowing that Profs have favourite test writing strategies has been worth the A/A+ difference a few times.

I've done the 5 courses+25 hour work week+10 hours EC grind before (and comutting). Bad idea, the number of times I had to say no to friends because I was working, or volunteering, or simply exhausted was too high. I love the feeling of going to bed having accomplished a lot each day, but it's not worth it if it comes at the expense of only seeing friends during "verifiable" events and once in a blue moon. ECs have diminishing returns as well (work, not really$$$) so be mindful. Don't let yourself get so busy you have no flex if you get sick, even a cold can upset a perfect schedule, or force you to say no to a friend in need. The best time for building people skills is in these slow down moments. Don't let them go by. 

Also, while I agree with almost everything @Vivieeeeeee said, in my school, it matters. 95+ typically=A+=OMSAS 4.0. 94=A=OMSAS 3.9. A small difference, but it all helps in making up bad years/courses. I definitely think it shouldn't be your aim, just work hard, leave nothing on the table, and see where you end up grade wise. 

As a final note, recording lectures has always been against university policies, in my experience. Do you really want to run the risk of a potential misconduct/soured potential reference? You tell me. Check your policies and ask yourself how well this reflects a commitment to privacy. 

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8 minutes ago, ilikebirds said:

everyone's different but I usually feel 6 is enough. 5 and im too tired but do what's best for you obviously 

Oh I did not know that 6 was enough. I am so used to hearing everyone say that 8-9 hours is absolutely needed, but I honestly feel like 6-7 is fine. Honestly, in first year, I did not even get 6 so I am going to aim for 6 hours now. Do you have any tips in regards to making yourself wake up early? Like for volunteer commitments, early classes, or just to get some studying done in the morning? I am too lazy sometimes, and wake up late, and it is really hurting me and my chances at a good career. What makes you motivated to wake up? Please let me know, thank you. 

[MedicineLCS]

Don't try waking up earlier to get more done.

Been there, done that, it's a fast track to burnout. Find your optimum sleep schedule and stick to it. Sleep/nutrition>exercise>almost everything else in terms of academic performance. 

If you'd like to adjust to being a morning person,  without cutting sleep, try putting your alarm across the room. It's silly but it works. 

[fun]

Thank you everyone for the wonderful tips.