Medicine has an overwhelming amount of content. Break it down into a checklist with smaller subsections!

As the wise Desmond Tutu said, "there is only one way to eat an elephant, a bite at a time." If you are overwhelmed, just start, bit by bit you will get there, by taking on just a little at a time. Each small win gives you the confidence and encouragement to keep going.

• Study in 25 minute bursts (a pomodoro)

• Cut down on distractions - your phone, social media

• Take a 5 minute break

• Once you have completed 4 pomodoros, have a 30 minute break

• Use those breaks to completely unwind - meditate, do some yoga, grab a coffee or go for a walk!

• Flashcards are a great way to revisit information!

• When you watch a lecture, youtube video or read a textbook chapter, write down everything you can remember.
  

• Rewatch the video or skim the chapter - whatever you missed, make it into a flashcard!

• This makes studying for OSCEs both fun and productive!

• Teaching helps memory retention, so grab a whiteboard and a few friends and get to teaching each other different topics!

• Focus on your sleep hygiene!

• Keep your bed for sleeping (and avoid studying in it!) and limit technology before bed.

For more tips on sleep hygiene see our evidence based article: Tired, Stressed, Forgetful? Your Sleeping Habits Might Be Doing More Harm Than You Think