tips for study/memory/concentration?

[JAMJO]

Hello,

 

I'm a student of medical science and entering postgrad medicine when i finish. I am curious to know how others study and things they've found effective.

 

I study constantly but feel like i don't get as much out of my time as I should. I just drink a lot of coffee, which at time i feel is counter productive as it interferes with my sleeping patterns and i more than often don't get enough sleep, leaving me constantly exhausted and feeling like a need more caffeine just to get anything done.

 

I'm interested in foods, pills, methods etc. that people have used and have have had positive results for memory, attention, energy etc. If you haven't personally used a method but are interested in the topic for yourself, feel free to give some names of/ links to research papers. i've been looking into nootropic. has anyone used them and has an opinion? I've also been looking into Modvigil, an over the counter pill for shift workers that apparently focuses, improves memory energised and without making you feel like your heart is about to jump out of your chest (like with caffeine). However i'm unsure about safety/long term effects of it.

 

So, yeah. Do you have you any secretes foods, pills or methods that work for you? I'm a neuroscience major so don't hold back if you want to talk about this on a biological and or chemical level.

 

Thanks in advance.

[sunshaker]

I was just reading about scientists erasing and restoring memories

http://www.collective-evolution.com/2014/06/06/scientists-learn-to-selectively-erase-restore-memories-in-the-brain-at-will/

I understand this is with mice, but they are talking about it could be a breakthrough cure for alzheimers, Not quite what you was asking,

 

But i found this interesting

This is the very first piece of public evidence that strengthening or weakening connections between neurones in the brain can influence particular memories.(1)

“We can form a memory, erase that memory and we can reactivate it, at will, by applying a stimulus that selectively strengthens or weakens synaptic connections.” - Robert Malinow, snior author, MD, PhD, Dept of Neurosciences.

It seems to be done using "high frequency train of optical pulses". So i suppose with right frequency you could strengthen memory pathways for learning.

Do not try at home in case you forget who you are

to

 

[Prometheus]

Don't know how rigorous was this study, nor if it translates from mice to men, but your disrupted sleep patterns might be doing even more harm than you thought.

[sunshaker]

Don't know how rigorous was this study, nor if it translates from mice to men, but your disrupted sleep patterns might be doing even more harm than you thought.

"Their study showed that sleeping mice formed significantly more new connections between neurons - they were learning more"

As there been any studies with people using headphones while asleep to study, As i understand we can still hear while asleep.

 

Would these memories learnt while sleeping be assessable, Or be more like dreams?

[JAMJO]

Don't know how rigorous was this study, nor if it translates from mice to men, but your disrupted sleep patterns might be doing even more harm than you thought.

 

That's my exact problem, lack of sleep is having a negative effect on my memory. The paradox is that if i don't drink an unholy amount of coffee, i can't focus when i study, and this is what effects the quality of my sleeping. I need a new way to focus when studying that will not have such an effect on my sleep.

"Their study showed that sleeping mice formed significantly more new connections between neurons - they were learning more"

As there been any studies with people using headphones while asleep to study, As i understand we can still hear while asleep.

 

Would these memories learnt while sleeping be assessable, Or be more like dreams?

 

This seem interesting, do you have a link to any research papers? This would be great if you could retain information while sleeping then accessible then while awake.

 

Another thing to add is that i eat no animal meats or products. I'm also concerned that this may have a negative effect on brain function. I get enough proteins and iron and vitamin b12 etc. but there may be other things that i have not considered that i may be lacking in my diet that are needed for brain function. Has anyone looked into how certain diets have an effect memory and cognition?

[ajb]

I just drink a lot of coffee...

I find coffee very important in turning ideas into theorems, but that is not really what you are asking about!

 

The only thing that work for me is genuine interest and lots of repetition. My short term memory is very poor and only by doing something lots of times will I remember it.

 

So, maybe my advice is not suitable for you as you are doing a medical degree, but I tell my mathematics students that only by doing lots of examples will they understand things and when it comes to exams remember things.

[Zaetus]

I often find myself in the same situation, where I feel i'm not getting the most of my study time. I hate sleeping, and having to self maintain now. I love dreaming but sleep is such as waste of time, imo, yet we need it. Can't function without it.

 

What I like to do is have this ONE particular study day. On that day I study for hours on end with no breaks and little to no food but plenty of water. I take two 200mg caffeine pills during that day. This is to prevent personal tolerance and dependency on caffeine and still manage to sleep properly. Many wouldn't consider this effective studying but it allowed me to pass a cardiovascular practical exam for A&P 100% running on 2 hours of study time.

[Genecks]

I used wrote memorization and repetition a fair amount. I gained a general idea of how long I could hold onto concepts, understanding, and memorized beliefs. I drank a fair amount of coffee. And I lost a fair amount of sleep. And for those classes where I couldn't see a tutor, sometimes seeing the tutor/TA can be the most valuable and quick method for getting informed on how to do some assignment (this worked well when I was doing organic lab assignments). I sometimes felt that the TAs wouldn't give me certain information, but they actually did when I showed up: Such as how to go about solving a problem. They won't give the answer, but sometimes they'll hold your hand: This is quite useful to speed things up, and it happened for me in my organic chem lab course.

 

Seeing as you're post-grad, I reason groupwork when possible would help. The best thing to do from day 1 is collaborate with a few individuals and fight the system.

Edited June 10, 2014 by Genecks

[overtone]

Take notes by hand, in cursive. Walk outside - bipedally locomote across unwalled terrain - for one hour every day.

 

And do not disrupt your sleep if you can prevent it - by any means necessary. Learning is a two step process, like photosynthesis a gathering/processing operation, and the processing/fixation step happens during sleep.

 

Just my two cents, from the TA perspective.

[Alaina]

Foods and dietary supplements can do everything from sharpen focus to enhance memory, attention span, and brain function. You can improve your chances of maintaining a healthy brain if you add "smart" foods and drinks to your diet.

[Prometheus]

 

That's my exact problem, lack of sleep is having a negative effect on my memory. The paradox is that if i don't drink an unholy amount of coffee, i can't focus when i study, and this is what effects the quality of my sleeping. I need a new way to focus when studying that will not have such an effect on my sleep.

 

Sounds like you need to revise your sleep patterns. Google sleep hygeine. Here's one. Find an outlet for your stress - exercise would be a good one.

[Ophiolite]

I am lazy, so study in excess of thirty minutes I found to be tiresome and therefore rarely indulged in it. The way around this, for me, included the following:

 

1. Grasp the key, headline concepts and fixing these firmly in my mind by relating any subsequent facts to these concepts.

 

2. Learn how to extract the guts of a research paper in a few minutes by:

a) thoroughly read the abstract and conclusions several times

b) think carefully about the implications of the papers argument

c) speed read the papers to pick out points that illustrate a) and b).

 

3. Read a textbook for thirty minutes before going to sleep every night. Retention is at the maximum at this point.

 

4. Ensure you find whatever you are reading about fascinating and intriguing. This will ensure you continue absorbing it long after the twenty minute boredom level has set in, since you are not studying but enjoying yourself.

 

5. Read around the topic as much as possible.

 

6. Find opportunities to explain stuff to colleagues.

 

7. Take extensive notes in lectures in your own words. This forces you to accurately summarise and highlight. It is not even necessary to ever read the notes - the act of conceiving them and writing them is what provides the memory.