USMLE Step 1 Preparation Tip: 2 Tips For When You’re Struggling To Memorize

In today’s lesson, we’re going to give you a USMLE Step 1 preparation tip that has helped thousands of our struggling students to overcome memorization difficulties.

In the video below we will share with you his two most effective tips for memorizing dry, boring USMLE Step 1 information so that you can turn a point of frustration into a point of success.

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If you’d prefer to read the transcript, you can do so below.

Now lets dive in and talk about the 2 BIG changes you can make that will help improve your ability to memorize dry information.

Tip #1 if you’re struggling to memorize is… Get an erasable whiteboard

Now, you might be thinking that this isn’t anything revolutionary and that you were hoping for something more spectacular, but trust me when i tell you that the top students use devices such as this. And it’s really simple…

Simply get yourself a dry erase board and anytime something comes up in list form, such as micro of pharmacology, use it to write and re write over and over again until things begin to stick. And an even better way to use this device is to stick it on the way and integrate it with walking study, which means you walk up to the board, write out the list of information you’re trying to memorize, turn around and walk away and try to rattle it off without looking at the board, then walking back to the board, seeing if you’re right, and rewriting it again. This strategy is very effective, not only at helping you memorize dry information, but in doing so much faster than just sitting at your desk and staring at the words.

Tip #2 if you’re struggling to memorize is… Get a study partner

I’ve talked before about the importance of a study partner, especially if you’re struggling with your preparation or you’ve hit a sudden roadblock.

Now, when it comes to having a study partner, the best way to help with memorization is to create drill sessions out of your notes and to ask each other short, one liner questions in a very rapid fire type of way.

All you need to do is create questions and then ask each other these questions over and over again. When you’re working with a study partner, you’ll experience more urgency to memorize things because we don’t want to let your study partner down.

So not only will repetition help you memorize, but when you get something wrong in front of a study partner, those incorrect answers will actually stick much better and as a result you’ll recall things at a faster rate.

And that’s it. I’ve just give you two of the easiest ways to make memorizing dry, boring information for your step 1 exam much easier to accomplish. Not only are both of these strategies highly effective, but they break the monotony of studying at a desk all day. Trust me when I tell you that if you’re pacing on foot and writing things out on a wall board, or drilling a study partner with question after question, not only does time go by faster, but that time is used much more effectively.