How I Take 0 Notes in Medical School, by Zach Highley on YouTube. 11 min 51 s.
- Video length
- 11 min 51 s
- Time to do it
- 30 minutes to set up, then dai
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 8
What you need
Steps
Plan your study week before you start. List each lecture or topic and block out short daily sessions instead of one long cram. Keep sessions to about 25 minutes with a 5 minute break.
Preview the material before the lecture or reading. Skim headings, diagrams and bold terms so your brain has a frame to hang new facts on.
During the lecture, stop writing full notes. Note only gaps, confusing points and questions to look up later.
After the session, turn each key fact into a question and answer flashcard. Keep one fact per card and write the answer in your own words.
Review the cards by trying to answer before flipping. Mark cards you miss so they come back sooner, and let the app space the easy ones further out.
Take a practice test on the topic without looking at your cards or slides. Check your answers and turn every miss into a new flashcard.
Repeat the review and test cycle on a schedule. Revisit older topics at growing intervals, such as one day, three days, one week and one month.
Cut summarizing, highlighting and rereading from your routine. Replace that time with recall, spaced review and practice questions.
Tips and common mistakes
Write flashcards as questions, not statements, so you have to retrieve the answer rather than recognise it.
Keep cards short. A card with five facts on it hides which part you actually forgot.
Test yourself before you feel ready. Struggling to recall is what builds the memory.
Schedule review days in your calendar so spaced repetition actually happens.
Questions
Do I really need zero notes?
No. The point is to spend less time copying and more time recalling. Keep brief notes for gaps and questions, then convert the facts into flashcards.
How many flashcards should I make per lecture?
Start with the key facts and terms, often 10 to 30 per lecture. Add more only when practice tests show gaps.
What if I do not want to use an app?
Paper flashcards work the same way. Sort them into piles by how well you know them and review the weak pile more often.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
