Temporary distractions are essential I feel. They help one distress. As long as they don’t put you off track, a few distractions are OK.
Manarth Chowala
Seth GS Medical College, Mumbai
I YEAR Topper
1.Congratulations on achieving such an amazing feat. Tell us a bit about yourself. Please also tell us your individual marks in each subject.
Manarth Chowala:
Anat 170
Physio 166
Biochem 162
2.So, when all of this is new and the rest of us are still busy figuring the head and tail of the subject,how did you tackle and master the syllabus?
I also took a lot of time coming to terms with the vast syllabus of MBBS and the huge jump. But patience is the key
This is a Marathon, not a 100m sprint
3.Did you have a set schedule, a time table that you stuck to? What were the daily hours that you put in self study ?
No schedule as such
But yes I tried to study whenever there was time
4. Is there any particular way in which you study or any special notes that you make? Maybe a different approach than what students normally do?
I think everyone has a different way of studying.
5.Do you have any tips on the Do’s and Don’ts of it? How do you manage to keep yourself motivated when studies start taking a toll on you? Are there any ‘distractions’ that actually help you in the process?
Just do what your heart says.
Temporary distractions are essential I feel. They help one distress. As long as they don’t put you off track, a few distractions are OK
6. Also how important do you think is attending lectures in college? Considering half of the students are either busy on their phones or sleeping, does it really help?
For those who have auditory memory, some lectures do help. However selectively attending only those lectures from which one expects some learning can be practiced
I advice the use of question banks only to be mentally prepared for pattern of questions asked and for revision.
7.Was there any help that you acquired while preparing for the exams? Like any visual aids any professional guidance? Or those little tit bits that the professors tell us but none other than the toppers pay attention to? Please share with us.
In each subject there were a few teachers who I used to approach for doubts
8.How vital is the Question Bank during exams? Does it come highly recommended or you advice thorough reading of the text and having confound knowledge of the subject?
I advice the use of question banks only to be mentally prepared for pattern of questions asked and for revision
Atleast One reading of most topics if not all is necessary
9.Could you suggest a method of studying or kind of discipline that should be followed during exam time?
I feel each one has to find for themselves what suits him/her best and keep one’s own self motivated
10.What do you do to keep yourself kind of stress free? Go for a swim, go for a walk or just wiggle under the blanket and fall asleep or what?
I feel pursuing anyone form of physical exercise- either sport or dance is the best form of destressing
11.Are you involved in any extracurricular activities, be it sports, cultural or academics? How do you manage it along with your routine academics?
Keeping a fixed time for extracurricular activities and strictly following it
12.Could you give some important pointers on Exam writing skills? And also how should one prepare for a practical exam? Any special tips for the people of your college who would be reading this?
-*Exam tips*
Draw diagrams
Write in point form and as fast as possible
For practicals-practice is the key (never be afraid of going wrong), videos may also help in anat
13.What is the one major thing that you would like to change in today’s curriculum?
The duration of the study and the methodology as well