Every Day I'm Studyin'

Every time I take a "study pic" for Instagram (take a look over here), I want to title it "Every day I'm studyin'" to the tune of "every day I'm shufflin'" from LMFAO's Party Rock Anthem.

The Art of Studying

Studying.  It's what I do every day.  Fortunately, I love what I am learning and I know that I will make a difference in many lives in the future.  With my decade of real studying (I don't count before high school, even high school is pushing it), I have perfected my study tools.  I don't mean techniques; there are always new methods I'm toying with and picking up.  Tools.  Those things I use almost daily when I study.

1. Notes.  In undergrad, I would take notes in class.  In med school, they provide us with printouts of every lecturer's material prior to class.  During class, I'll take an assortment of notes but generally most of the information is already in the handout.  When it's time to sit down and review the material, everything is nice, neat, and organized.
2. Colored pens.  I hate using pencil because it smudges.  I don't think I've used pencil to take notes since high school, when we weren't allowed to use pens.  In undergrad I would switch between black and blue pens depending on my mood that year.  During my first year of med school, I stuck to the blue pen.  It stood out nicely from the black & white printouts so everything written seemed important.  After a year, the blue became really boring.  Anything written was no more important than the printed material.  So last year, I switched to a set of TŪL colored pens and I love them.  If a lecture is set up a certain way, I can use purple for important main points, green for treatment, and red for complications or adverse effects.  If multiple diseases are covered in one lecture, I might just alternate colors for each disease.  The possibilities are endless (not really, but I love the options).
3. Highlighters.  I don't know of a med student that doesn't use highlighters.  First year I had a set of 6 colors (pink, blue, green, orange, yellow, purple) and just like my pens, each one had a specific function.  They ran out last year and Kyle recommended that I get some nice German highlighters as the replacement.  They are the best highlighters evaaaa!  Not only are they brilliant colors, they are also smudge-proof, easy to hold, and Staedtler.
4. Pencil pouch.  With all of these writing tools, I need to keep organized.  I've had the same pencil case since undergrad.  While it would be fun to upgrade to something classier than a faux blue leather pencil pouch that looks like a money bag, I'm too cheap to do so.  It's functional, it's not ugly, why bother?
5. Chapstick.  Nothing distracts me more than chapped lips.  Not really true, but it's definitely best to be prepared and comfortable when sitting down for a 10-12 hour study session.  My new chapstick of choice, thanks to Kyle and my 1.5-month-chapped-lips-disaster, is Nivea's A Kiss of Recovery.
6. Water.  Staying hydrated is important.  Period.  I am a big fan of my Camelbak but it doesn't look like they carry it anymore.  I'm assuming the new Camelbak eddy 1L would do the trick.
7. Hot tea.  I often feel chilly in the library (or anywhere else I study) so bringing hot tea in my Contigo travel mug gives me a boost of warm comfort to carry on.  There have been numerous occasions in the past two years that I have left the place I was studying simply because I was cold.  And once I leave, it's hard to get back into the focus zone.
8. Cardigan.  This echoes #7.  Always studying in pants and layers.  Must have a cardigan or sweatshirt to keep my cozy.
9. Laptop.  During my first year, I had a HP tablet PC (the screen swiveled around to make the laptop into a tablet) which worked really well for anatomy lectures.  Unfortunately, it developed a beeping sound that happened randomly.  Even with the volume muted, the sound would come out.  There was no error message, we couldn't figure out why it was happening or where it was coming from, so we decided (a year later) it was time for me to get a new laptop since I couldn't bring it to class or the library.  We invested in a MacBook Pro and I'm very happy with it.  I grew up on PCs and was very anti-Mac.  As the daughter of a computer science professor, I disliked how incompetent I felt every time we used the Mac lab at school.  I could do some basic programming, but I couldn't use a Mac.  Does that make sense?  No.  However, I am so happy that I made the switch to Apple and I don't think I'll ever go back.  My laptop has been essential to my success these day.  I spend a good deal of time listening to lectures on double speed (thank you, Quicktime), looking up information, creating study guides, reading journal articles, and of course taking breaks to blog/FB/read for fun.  One of my favorite perks of having a Mac is the SelfControl app.  I don't remember how I found it, but it has been a savior for my lack of self control.  Daily I block websites like Facebook, Etsy, Pinterest, Tumblr, etc. for several hours (sometimes even 24) so that I can't surf when I get bored.  It definitely helps me stay focused on my work!
10. Moccasins.  I often sit in weird different positions as I study - legs crossed, ankles crossed, Indian-Style, feet-under-butt, feet-under-butt-shifted-to-the-side, etc.  When wearing normal shoes (TOMS, sneakers, flats, etc.), this often leads to instant uncomfort which basically means I can't get comfortable no matter what I do.  My solution: bring moccasins to the library (a wedding gift from Kyle's Aunt Faye).  I also have a pair of comfy, fuzzy socks my SILs sent me when I lived in Ethiopia that stay in my secondary tote bag.
11. Tote bags.  I still have my backpack from my freshman year of high school, but I'm also rather lazy.  My laziness + my desire to be trendy/fashionable (even though we all know I'm a long way from being called a fashionista) led to the purchase of an awesome tote bag last year.  It was actually an Ayyám-i-Há gift from my parents, but I picked it out.  I'm sure you're still confused about how this has anything to do with being lazy.  1) by carrying a backpack, I had to also have a sleeve for my laptop; 2) backpacks and sleeves both have zippers which means a little extra work to get my laptop (and stuff) out.  Me = lazy.  Plus, my tote looks a lot cooler than my semi-stained, 10 year old Jansport (which basically is this in "Forge Grey").  I also have a secondary tote that was a gift from when I joined my sorority (Bid Day 2007); I love the quality and the colors so I haven't passed it down to other members yet.  While my primary tote contains my laptop and notes I'll be using that day, the secondary tote carries review books I hope to use if I have extra time, flashcards, and my water bottle + two thermoses.
12. Lunch box.  Our school provides us with a nice lunchbox that has quite a bit of room.  It's important to pack lunches (and dinners) because 1) it enables me to eat in the library instead of having to leave for the cafeteria - waste of valuable time, 2) save some money packing instead of buying, 3) pack good, healthy foods - I know what I'm eating before the day has even started, 4) I always get hungry while I study so I'm able to quiet my rumbling tummy with a Luna bar, fruit, or veggies.  At the beginning of med school I purchased some reusable bamboo cutlery and organic cotton napkins; my time in Ethiopia left me with an even greater desire to go green(er) and help our planet.