"Surviving Exams" by MSIH first year blogger Tamara Kliot

We finished our first semester exams and are currently on break. As I flew back home, I couldn’t help but think, that means I’m 1/8 an MD! For many of us, this day felt so far away. Exam grades are trickling in and second semester of medical school is becoming an approaching reality.  I have been able to reflect on this past semester with some distance between those intense weeks of eat, sleep, study, exam, repeat. Here are a few tips to survive first semester exams (to future 1^styears)!

1.      Draft a Supportive Team

The amount of information you are expected to know come finals is well, to say the least, a lot and a bit overwhelming. It is close to impossible to catch all the important details mentioned in class and studying this vast amount of information is much more fun when you are around other people. Find a few people in class that you can study with, be it talking about material you don’t understand, reviewing the stuff you know, teaching each other concepts, or just sitting next to each other while you each work in complete silence. Exams can be overwhelming and isolating, but it doesn’t have to be if you find the people you work best with and develop a plan. Check out this fun picture a friend drew while I was studying immunology! I will never forget the unique mechanism Tuberculosis uses to evade the immune system.

2.      Visit the Shuk Often

It’s really easy to fall into unhealthy eating habits during finals. I don’t know why, but I’m always craving large amounts of sugar and salt when exam time rolls in.  Cooking becomes more of a hassle and vending machines seem like a good alternative. Going to the Shuk is an awesome way to fill your refrigerator with brain food. With tons of fruits, veggies, and meats there is bound to be something you will want to eat. Going to the Shuk is also a great way to stay connected with reality, since its always bustling and full of life on Friday mornings. There’s no better snack then fresh strawberries from the Shuk to jumpstart your studying, I’m mean just look at them.

3.      Take Breaks, Unplug, and Recharge

You can’t study all the time. You’ll burn yourself out at some point. Take some time to “do you”. Be it hosting a meal with friends, having dinner at your favorite pizza place, playing bananagrams (my personal favorite), going to the gym, running  through the Narnia of Beer Sheva, or taking a trip to Jerusalem to learn more about infectious disease control. Figure out what you need to do to recharge before exam day and make time for it. Check out everyone’s’ smiles on a mandatory study break our class had in Jerusalem.

4.      Find a Good Study Spot 

When classes end and self-structured studying becomes your 9-5 (or much later) job, its important to find a place where you can focus and work, a place that fits your study habits. For some, studying at home is great, but for others leaving the distractions of their apartment is important. If you like to draw things out, find a classroom. If you like to talk it out, find a public space or coffee shop. If you like complete silence, check out the libraries on campus. You might have to get a little creative during Shabbat (as the library and many other places close), but finding a place you can study consistently is crucial for exam success.

5.      Practice, Practice, Practice

No matter how well you think you know the material, practice is key. We have a lot of NBME (National Board of Medical Education) style final exams and there are loads of practice questions you can do that are written like the ones you’ll see on the final and again on the Step 1.  The only way to stay calm and destroy finals is by knowing your enemy (the exam) really well. Don’t be scared and throw yourself into questions as early as possible. You’ll be thankful you did later.