As mentioned previously, I am reading some MCAT material during the summer, and since so far it is going great, I decided to share my techniques of how to get the academic stuff done during the summer. Now, a lot of it depends on whether you have a job or any other responsibilities (I have a part time job) during the summer.
Before I begin, I just wanted to encourage you to appreciate summer time, and study a little casually, since we want to reserve motivation for the actual academic year.
This post does not relate to people who are in school yet, just because they are getting stuff done whether they want that or not ;)
1. Planning
I am obsessed with planning, but this time, I encourage you not to write a to-do list or anything like that. I rather suggest you just divide the workload evenly throughout the summer, and do it whenever you feel like. Now, this might be dangerous, since if you've read something in the beginning of the month, and then you continue in the last days of the month, 2 things happen:
1. You've forgotten what you've learned before
2. You're rushing through the material
The point is, consistency is key!
As to the preparation of the material, obviously, prepare the material before you plan on starting the actual studying.
2. Accessibility
You never know where your day/week takes you, so have your material ready to go wherever you are - carry it your bag or something.
It's not only about carrying, though. It's also about the way you do it. For instance, I don't want my MCAT books looking nasty after they've been in my bag for the entire summer, so I took pictures of certain chapters on my iPad, and this is making everything much more convenient.
3. Learning
I've suggested you not to plan very specifically, right? I also mentioned 2 downsides of it, that are easy to overcome, by the way. Here are some quick tips:
1. Every time you begin to learn new material - briefly review the previous one
2. Quiz yourself
3. After you've read/learned something that doesn't have a built-up review in it, spend 3 minutes writing your own: just come up 10 words (or so) related to the info.
4. Share
Sharing is like an easy alternative to teaching somebody. Let's say you've read something awesome about the human brain, then talk about it in a conversation with your friend/partner/family. That way, you could reinforce this information in your brain, and actually brighten somebody with a new piece of info. This method, by the way, leaves you open for any questions a person might have, so that you learn even more about the topic without having to sit and read.
5. Outdoors
Summer gives you a perfect opportunity to get outside, breath some fresh air, and enjoy the view while studying. Definitely call a friend and have a picnic while reading for a little, and then, of course, share this information :)
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