cranquis asked: When studying, what is your preferred environment (location, sounds, comfort level, amount of isolation from others, etc)?

Cranquis, you know the mind of a med student! ;)

I have given a lot of thought to this over the past months, and this is what has been working for me:

Location: No coffee shops. Many people love them, I just can’t do them! In my bedroom. Favorite place: I am blessed to have a school that gives us all little cubicles and workspaces. So my school-designated workspace would be my #1 choice!

Sounds: a little ambient noise; I can’t do complete silence. If I need a little music for motivation, my current soundtrack includes: Adele, mash-ups, AC/DC (always. I’m a big 80s rock fan), Mumford and Sons.

Isolation: I need isolation when I am first mastering material (the first-pass through notes, etc.). On subsequent passes, I like to be around a few people with whom I study well. We tend to have different strengths and weaknesses, making for very well-rounded, informal ‘study groups’. In fact, some of them have made some guest appearances on this blog! E, J and B, NS, D, N, A, and K to name a few. But generally, only 1 to 5 of these people at a time…otherwise, it’s a party!

Comfort level: Water, working pens, comfortable chair, high ceilings good lighting, NO SMELLS. I have a very sharp nose, and smells distract me worse than any sound or sight. I think that’s also why I can’t work in coffee shops; they smell too good! Libraries for the same reason: they literally smell of fear and stress, and I hate that.

Snacks: My brain foods are dried seaweed, apples, minty gum, japaleno/spicy chips, gummy bears. 

Thank you again and much love! As always, your support and encouragement is so appreciated :)