Pharmacology is the one class that makes dental hygiene students the most anxious and for good reasons. In my fall semester, I spent four straight months stressing over this class with my nose in the book almost every single day. I ended up with an "A" in the class, but it was HARD WORK. I thought it would be helpful to share how I studied and made it through. If I can do it, so can you.
Callie
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Hi guys! Welcome to my blog. I wanted my very first post to be about studying tips for when you are juggling many classes. Below is some advice and things I have been doing so far in my program. 1. Do not cram. Commit to spending a little time studying each day. You are not studying to take a test and dump the information immediately after. You will need all of the information they are teaching you and it all builds on each other.
2. Be leary of Quizlet. I know some people absolutely love using Quizlet and it works really well for them. It is great for vocabulary and pictures (dental anatomy and oral pathology) but I think many of our subjects are too complex for the setup. Be careful using other student's quizlets from different schools because I have caught many mistakes or have seen different information on them. 3. Group study with the smartest person you can find. Seriously. One of my class mates and I love to get together the day of or before a test and review the information one on one. We both bring our notes and will ask the other to explain something. She can always seem to break it down for me or say something silly that helps me remember it! 4. Take breaks and change scenery. Trying to study straight for hours at a time is not only overwhelming but it's miserable. Study at a cute coffee shop or at a park. Every time that I study at home I get distracted with housework or I find myself getting tired. Try the 45-15 minute strategy. Study (and I mean completely focus) for 45 minutes and then give yourself a 15 minute break to walk around or scroll social media. The key to this is to HIDE YOUR PHONE! 5. Invest in some form of stylus and get yourself the notability app. This has seriously been a game changer. Our professors make our PowerPoints available for download before the class. There is no time to write down everything they say because some of them talk so fast. I use the apple pen on my iPad and highlight things red whenever they hint drop or star it if I feel info is important. When I am studying for a test, 90% of my studying is me reviewing over these powerpoint notes on the notability app. If your professors do not make the powerpoint available, you should request that they do. It will save your hands (you really need those). Creating good study habits early on in your studies will make hygiene school so much more manageable. Managing your time, finding a study partner, and finding what works for you is the best advice I can give! |
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