I’m currently in my third year of medical school, and I’m honestly desperate for advice because I’ve been struggling with the exact same problem since first year.
Back in school, I was one of the top students. I had a study method that worked incredibly well for me, and studying was genuinely fun. I could memorize things so well, retain information, and consistently get excellent results without feeling exhausted.
Here’s what I used to do:
I had a lecturer who posted recorded lectures. The exams were based entirely on what he explained, so I knew exactly what I needed to learn. I would listen to the entire lecture, which was usually 1–1.5 hours long and very detailed and fast-paced. I would take notes and include absolutely everything he said. Then I would turn those notes into flashcards by hand and study them.
That was my routine every single day. I loved it, I never got tired of it, and my memory was excellent. I could remember almost everything I studied.
Then I started medical school, and everything fell apart.
Now I study from textbooks like Guyton, Devlin, and Robbins and Cotran. The material is much more extensive, and lecturers obviously cannot explain every single detail during class. I initially thought I just needed time to adapt to university, but I’m now in my third year, and I still have exactly the same problem.
I genuinely feel like my brain doesn’t process textbooks the way it used to process lectures.
I can read a paragraph and understand what it says. I can understand individual concepts. But when I finish reading 20 or more pages, I feel incredibly confused. I struggle to see the bigger picture, I get lost in the details, and it feels like my brain has completely ignored everything I just read.
I end up barely memorizing the core information, while my classmates seem to read the entire textbook chapter, understand it, remember the details, and know everything so well.
What makes this especially frustrating is that I used to outperform many of these same classmates in school. I actually studied more back then because I had so many different subjects, and the lectures were not short or superficial. They were detailed, fast-paced, and required me to remember a lot of information.
So I don’t think the problem is simply that medical school is harder or that there is more material. I suspect something about my study technique is no longer working.
I’ve tried studying only the most important information and breaking the material into smaller sections, but that hasn’t solved the problem either. Even when I study relatively small concepts, I struggle to learn them effectively.
I’ve practically given up on reading textbooks because the process is so confusing and frustrating. I don’t know how to extract the information, organize it in my head, and retain it the way I used to.
I also struggle with understanding how all the details fit together when I’m reading. I can understand individual sentences, but I somehow lose the overall structure of the topic by the time I finish.
I’ve become depressed over this. Going from being a top student to feeling like one of the worst students in my class has seriously affected my self-esteem. I keep comparing myself to my peers and wondering what happened to me.
Has anyone experienced something similar?
I’m particularly interested in hearing from people who found a study method that worked extremely well for them in school but completely stopped working in medical school.
How did you adapt? How do you study from large, detailed textbooks without getting lost in the information? And how do you retain both the big picture and the individual details?
I don’t just want advice like “use active recall” or “try spaced repetition.” I already know about flashcards, and they were actually the foundation of my old study method. The problem is that I can no longer seem to get the same results, even when I try to use similar techniques.
I really want to understand what I’m doing wrong and how to fix it, because I know I’m capable of learning well. I just can’t seem to figure out how to do it anymore.

Opened YouTube Shorts to watch one video. Two hours later, I can barely remember anything I watched. I just feel foggy and kind of dumber.

And it didn't feel like rest either. After tennis or hanging out with friends I feel refreshed. After Shorts I'm more tired than when I started.

Then a thought hit me. As a student, my brain is basically my most important asset. Isn't using it well kind of my job? In a way, aren't I supposed to be a pro at this? And if so, is melting two hours a day on short-form content really how a pro would act?

Look at athletes like Ronaldo or Haaland. They're obsessive about their bodies. They watch what they eat, avoid injuries, do recovery work, and protect their sleep like it's sacred. Their body is their job, so taking care of it is part of the job.

If a footballer ate junk food and gamed all night before a match, we'd say that's not very professional. I don't think it's that different for someone who works with their brain to keep feeding it this stuff.

I'm not going to quit Shorts completely. But I want to at least notice when I'm watching to actually relax versus just out of habit. Those two hours could've gone to a good book or the studying I keep putting off.

Anyone else think about it this way? What actually helped you cut back?

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I do have good lighting in my room but I'm asking this bcz I read somewhere that a study lamp helps you focus better. I usually study late at night.

isn't it relatable how every test feels so hard while taking it but seems so easy once it's over during the exam i forget everything i've studied and overthink even the simplest questions but after the exam i remember all the answers why does my brain only start working properly when the test is already over

I just wanted to know how to stop feeling overwhelmed and focus on the work. Feeling overwhelmed leads to overthinking so how to stop that

If anyone's preparing for Gate CSE and wants a group in which we study early morning everyday and share our targets for the day we already have 3 people will keep the group as small as possible so there's no distraction and will be removing inactive members if anyone's interested please dm or comment

Anyone wanna study together online?

Trying to get a few people together for some online study sessions. So we can stay motivated..

Any subject is fine and timezone doesn’t really matter.

There’s a virtual study space (forget its name..) where you can join a library, get into a study group and just lock in with other people who are studying too. Thought it could be nice for accountability and making studying feel a bit less lonely.

If you wanna join, DM me and I’ll send it !!!

I am making a study together group intrested people dm

In matters. 22 M.

Like what's the realistic maximum time one should study?

For context I'm a second year student at uni (architectural engineering major) and it seems like I have already passed my prime in terms of my work ethic. In high school I was so organized and calm, I was the type of student that VERY rarely stayed up past midnight to study and never crammed. I used to prepare for iGCSE's and AS's months before they came. In these British systems (at least in my high school) nothing you did throughout the school year really mattered, not attendance, not homework, we never even had graded quizzes. Your whole grade was purely determined by the final 2-3 exams at the end of the year for each subject. Also I had extra tuition classes at night other than school which really condensed the content of the syllabuses to their purest form and were very past exams-focused. Thus I developed a reliance on those lessons and very rarely actually paid attention in school, in fact I often skipped most days of the week in school (especially towards the end of the year). I think I finished year 12 with an attendance of 39%, which again, didn't matter at all since it was the exam papers that weighed in on your grade only. That all changed when uni rolled around, we now have quizzes, graded class activities, midterms, attendance that actually counted. That transition was a real slap in the face for me. Very quickly my GPA dropped from a probably 3.7-3.8 in high school (I say probably because we didn't have that system) to 3.5 at the end of the first course in freshman year, and as of now, 3.3 (which I know isn't that bad but it feels disappointing to me). But even then, I still worked HARD in high school, my focus was really well, I knew what worked for me and it was overall very manageable. Now when I try to sit down and study I just seem so profoundly disinterested in whatever I'm doing, I don't care about anything, I cant focus like I used to. I was told by psychiatrists that I have symptoms of ADD a few months ago, but I never really faced those issues in high school. I have aspirations to join clubs and extra curriculars in uni, but as of now I haven't joined anything even though I've been trying and really want to, but even regular uni feels barely manageable right now. What do I do? I'm not the best at making friends and don't have a 'study group' I can join or something. I have longterm goals of perusing a masters degree one day and working abroad (since I'm currently studying in my home country and live with my family). I'm sorry that this was a long message but I just genuinely don't know what to do anymore.

Im almosy on my second month of uni, im already chapters behind. I immediately got a priv tutor bc EVERYONE got one (highly competitive premed). My studying pace is superrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrer slow, im always half asleep (iron deficiency), cant focus, i end up barely with three topics of any subject.

I have 8 subjects almost, i have 1 chem
chap down, I finished a phy chap last week, didnt practice again, now im tryying to restudy it because i dont recognize anything. I have 1 botany chap down, were on the 4th💔 Then math. Death. I also have uhhhh plant repro, anatomy, histology, cytology that dont have profs, i havent started them bc i cant find the time and i get overwhelmed.

What do i do!!!

and…should i go to uni tmrw or syudy at home, since theyre already ahead of me and i have a tutor? Thanks!

This is so stressful idk why i. cant force myself to lock in

I don’t know I am scared about semester exams which are starting from tomorrow but I didn’t even started yettttt…….. not getting motivation or anything as I don’t have any friends tooo…

I am actually feeling super lazyyy tooo please someone help me

I've noticed something interesting about motivation. Sometimes, watching a movie, seeing someone achieve something great, or thinking about the life I want to build gives me an intense burst of motivation. Suddenly, my goals feel important, and I'm ready to work toward them.

But that feeling rarely lasts. A few hours or days later, I'm back to my usual routine, distracted by my surroundings and caught up in everyday activities. The goals that felt so important suddenly don't feel as urgent anymore, even though nothing about them has changed.

It makes me wonder whether the real challenge isn't finding motivation, but keeping our goals at the front of our minds when everyday life starts taking over.

I've been thinking about deliberately reminding myself every morning why my goals matter to me, what my life could look like if I achieve them, and what might happen if I keep putting them off. Not just generic motivational quotes, but genuinely personal reasons that mean something to me.

Would regularly revisiting these reasons actually help maintain motivation, or would they eventually become just another routine that I stop paying attention to?

Maybe motivation isn't something we need to maintain constantly, and the real answer is to build habits that carry us through the days when we don't feel motivated.

For those who've managed to stay consistent with long-term goals, what has worked for you? Do you deliberately remind yourself why you're doing something, rely on discipline and routines, or have you found another way to keep your goals from fading into the background?

Hi, this is my first ever Reddit post and I feel so embarrassed even asking for help but closed mouths don’t get feed or something 😅

So like the title says how do I study more effectively and how to even get studying more?

I am a senior in high school and I really slacked all year last year and I study for like two mores before my even of year exams and passed everything but I only just passed and the pass mark is 30%. I know very bad. When ever I study I constantly can feel that I am studying and I become so aware that nothing is going in and I’m just doing pointless things so I always end up frustrated and go back to droom scrolling.

I recently had a meeting with my guidance counselor about applications and she was asking me what I want to do in the future and I needed a reference letter from her always. I was telling her everything I am saying now and she kinda Just said study smartly and I know that but how? Like most of the time I can’t even bring my self to study and I don’t know what the of this post rlly even is, I’d would just like some advice on how to study “smartly” and how to even bring myself to study more because it’s genuinely a struggle for me.

Any advice would help me here, thanks!

This is happening now I feel so low like i am crying i don't know man like I study because i want to change my present..

I am not able to study to consistently I feel I am becoming so dumb i wasn't like this in school.

Sometime i don't feel like continuing my education but I want to Change my present i want to live a better life . BUT ITS JS THAT ITS SUCKS TO STUDY SOMETIMES ESPECIALLY DAILY.😭 ITS THE ONLY WAY TO BE SOMETHING IN LIFE 😭

I AM CRYING WRITE NOW WRITING THIS.

How do you manage to keep studying when you're physically tired?

I'm currently working as a cleaner and trying to study IT and computing in my spare time because I'd like to move into an IT job in the future.

One thing I struggle with sometimes is feeling physically tired after work or exercise, even though I genuinely want to study and make progress.

Sometimes I wonder whether I should just push myself to carry on studying despite feeling tired, or whether I'd actually benefit more from resting and trying again later.

I'm interested in how other people manage this, especially those who work physical jobs while studying.

Do you find that starting with just 10 or 20 minutes helps you get going, or do you think it's better to listen to your body and rest when you're tired?

Would appreciate hearing what has worked for you.

Little context I’m in my 3rd year of dentistry school and I can’t proceed with studying I feel sleepy and just unmotivated to start but once I do start studying I feel constantly bored and tired I wasn’t like this the past 2 years…. I’m really lagging behind and I’m homesick again soo unfamiliar from 1st and 2md year… need advice on what to do… I’m honestly severely unmotivated and just dead all the time… I don’t think it’s burnout but dooo help/suggest how to get life back on track

Hello everyone,

I'm 30 years old, married, and have a little boy. For the past five years, I've been preparing on and off for a highly competitive national-level civil service exam, which has a passing rate of only 2–3%.

I've used 5 out of my 6 attempts. I managed to pass the written exam once and reached the interview stage, but unfortunately, I couldn't make it through the final selection.

Alongside my preparation, I work as a freelancer to support my family and manage our household expenses.

Now, I have only one attempt and five months left, and I've decided to give it my best shot. To avoid distractions at home, I moved to another city and rented a room where I could focus entirely on my studies.

But here's the problem.

It's been 20 days, and I've barely made any progress.

Every night, I regret wasting another day and promise myself that tomorrow will be different. I wake up motivated, study for about an hour, and then pick up my phone. Before I know it, I've spent 2–3 hours scrolling through social media or doing absolutely nothing productive.

Then comes the guilt, frustration, and another promise to start fresh the next morning. The same cycle keeps repeating.

There's a public library just 1.5 km from my room, open from 7 AM to 11 PM. Deep down, I know studying there would probably help me stay disciplined. But every morning, my mind convinces me that I can study just as effectively in my room without wasting time going to the library.

The reality is that I've spent the past 20 days proving myself wrong.

What's even more frustrating is that I'm spending a significant amount of money on rent and living expenses just to prepare for this exam, yet I'm not making proper use of the opportunity.

I know what's at stake. I'm not getting any younger, I have responsibilities toward my wife and child, and this is my final chance at an exam I've been chasing for years.

I genuinely want to change, but I'm struggling to turn that desire into consistent action.

I'd really appreciate advice from people who have been through something similar and managed to overcome it.

• How did you break the cycle of procrastination, endless scrolling, and guilt?
• Should I force myself to go to the library every morning, even when I don't feel like it?
• What kind of realistic daily study schedule would you recommend for the next five months?
• How do you stay consistent when motivation disappears after just an hour of studying?

• How can I balance exam preparation with the freelance work that pays my family's bills?

  I've had enough of that. I need practical strategies, discipline, and a routine I can actually stick to.

I don't want to look back five months from now and realize that I wasted my final opportunity.

Any genuine advice or personal experience would mean a lot. Thank you.

Used AI to organized my thoughts and easy readability.

I've read brave new world a few years ago and I've only just recently made the connection between the soma mentioned in the book and every freaking thing I procrastinate on. so for a while if I imagine Huxley shaking his head in disappoinment it actually helped me stopped but after a while the effect wears off.

I've also bought a physical timer for pomodoro which helps a lot especially when tests were nearing since I'm staring at it instead of a phone timer but again I grew immune to it.

I've tried accountability where I get to see how many hours another person is studying and I get a small sense of competitiveness and it helped a little but after a while it had no effect on me what these strangers are doing.

I've tried to connect to it emotionally like I tell myself I'm someone who keeps my promises (about studying at a certain time) and this identity based mentality helped for a while until my routine was broken then I stopped holding myself to such standards.

I've tried changing environments, ie studying in school or in the living room and it helped for a while, now thinking about it there's no reason for it not working on me except that I stopped doing that myself.

I've tried deleting my distractions from my phone, restricting how long I can spend on them, using minimalist launchers, but I always unconsciously find another random thing that I don't even care about to scroll like why TF am i scrolling Gmail? either that or I find myself unhappy, like seriously I'm telling my friends I'm not happy because I can't read my manga or watch my shows. then I redownload them or remove my limits.

these are just a few methods I've tried, there's more but I won't mention them.

I know one reason it's not working is that with the free time I have I'm not spending it meaningfully like hobbies or studying that's why I'm unhappy so I took up piano playing and drawing and they do make me happy but in the end I even procrastinate on those.

I know this is going to be something I will deal with for my whole life, I'm always going to cycle between extreme restricton and indulgence and I will always blame myself and feel terrible. I know moderation is key. I know I've made progress somehow even tho I don't see them. I know what I should do is break this whole topic into small steps so I can see what I can do instead of the extremes, but seriously tho my biggest issue right now is the inertia and lack of routine, but that's what alot of uni students face imo.

I know there's a million more methods I haven't tried, it's a journey not the destination or whatever. I'm just sad I have a phone addiction and I can't seem to break it, like knowing soma is bad for me yet I can't quit it, like I've let down Huxley and the me in the future.

this is so pessimistic and I'm so melodramatic. actually been procrastinating on getting up to eat dinner by typing this. gonna get up and have dinner now.

I've noticed a pattern in my own life, and I'm curious whether others experience the same thing.

When I'm studying, I can sometimes build momentum and get into a flow. But the moment I step away, even for something relatively small, getting back into it feels surprisingly difficult. And the longer I stay away, the harder it seems to become.

It's almost as if there's a growing resistance to restarting. Watching a few videos, scrolling through social media, or doing something more immediately enjoyable makes returning to studying feel even less appealing.

My understanding is that this might have something to do with contrast and the brain gravitating toward whatever offers the least resistance or the most immediate reward. Once I've switched to something easier and more stimulating, the studying I was doing feels harder to return to.

This makes me wonder: Is the solution to avoid breaking the flow in the first place? Should I structure my day so that I never fully disengage from studying, taking breaks without switching into activities that make restarting difficult?

Or is this just a symptom of not being genuinely interested in what I'm studying? If I actually cared enough about what I was learning, would returning to it feel more natural?

I'm trying to understand whether this is primarily a problem of habits, attention, and momentum, or whether it points to something deeper about motivation.

For those who've experienced this, what has actually helped you? Do you deliberately avoid certain kinds of breaks, or have you found a way to step away from studying and return without having to fight yourself every time?

I need only 1 person.

No face cam.

Just voice over.

I'll screenshare so you can see the highlighted text, you can pick whichever you like.

max 10 minutes.

I'd do most of the reading so don't worry, it's barely anything.

I need it urgently, if someone could hop on to help?

I'll give you the google meet link, don't worry, it's very quick, nothing complicated, it's about leadership roles thing.

I have maths, economics, Sociology, psychology and English

my exam is next yr...so i have like around 5 months in my hands. Can i pass?

honestly i didn't study anything at all. Give me some study tips tips. PLEASEEE