Advice from students for students in Medical, Nursing, NP, Physician Assistant, Occupational Therapy, Physical Therapy School and more.
Students and teachers everywhere have discovered that Picmonic’s research-proven learning system leads to student success. So, whether you are working on a Medical degree, in a Registered Nurse program, or studying to be a Physical or Occupational Therapist, students have plenty of advice to share on how and when to use Picmonic on your learning journey.
We talked to students in a variety of different programs because each degree is different and each program is different too. Picmonic’s learning system can help you no matter which healthcare field you are entering or where you are earning your degree.
Tips #1 – Get started with Picmonic early
Across the board, students gave this advice. Regardless of where you are in the process of earning your degree – get started using Picmonic as early in your student journey as possible.
One key reason students recommended implementing Picmonic early is because it will help you get into an efficient and effective routine that works from day one. Maybe you will find that learning in lectures first, followed by Picmonic is a good method for you. Or, it could be the opposite. But by starting early, you will benefit the most from Picmonic along the way as well as later on when it’s time to review for certification and board exams.
Tip #2 – Master How to Use Picmonic
There’s been a debate for years: should you use Picmonic before your lecture or after? Students use it both ways, but educators we work with recommend that Picmonic is a memorable and easy to consume resource to use before class, maximizing the mental scaffolding that will help students get more out of classes and lectures. Then re-reviewing topics using Picmonic after lectures is a great way to reinforce what you just learned. But if the way new material is taught by your professors suits your learning style you can just use Picmonic post-lecture to cement in the details for the long term.
Some students swear that if you use Picmonic in both ways, you will experience significant benefits — you’ll learn concepts more easily in class AND you will retain what you learn for a longer period of time.
The good news is, if you start using Picmonic now, you’ll have more time to find the method and routine that works best for you, your program and your life.
Tip #3 – Maximize the benefits of Picmonic
Should you learn the new content first, or do the Daily Quiz first? Along the lines of Tip #2, figuring out how to use Picmonic is going to come down to your style and preference. Students will advocate for using one way or another, but science has shown that low-stakes recall testing right after learning a topic leads to better retention. This is how the research-proven Picmonic Learning System is designed to work — play a Picmonic to learn the facts then take a brief quiz to cement what you’ve learned.
Spaced-repetition is also a proven technique for increasing long term retention, and Picmonic’s Daily Quiz algorithms automatically adjust your daily study queue to help you reduce the forgetting curve for Picmonic topics that you learn. If you learn new content first when your mind is fresh, then do the Daily Quiz, questions related to the topic you just learned will be included in the Daily Quiz, so you only take one pass through Picmonic (learn, recall quiz then Daily Quiz).
Here’s what students have to say:
After learning a few Picmonics, this is one student’s daily routine.
Picmonic recommends starting with – at least at first – logging onto Picmonic and learning the new content, then taking the recall quiz, followed by completing your Daily Quiz. You can also follow up with learning new Picmonics (topics) so that your Daily Quiz queue includes them the next time you log in. Over time, you’ll get into a routine that makes sense to you, but learning the content first will develop the memory anchors that lead to superior retention.
Tip #4 – Do a little Picmonic every day
You’re probably wondering how much of a time investment Picmonic will be. Picmonic provides ready-made Playlists that organize topics into sequences to match courses, textbooks or exams. Playlists provide a “built-in study plan”, showing you what you need to review before your next exam. You will also be able to see how much time you’ll need to spend on a Picmonic or Playlist, as it’s recommended to you in the learning system. Doing a few Picmonics, followed by recall quizzes and Daily Quiz with Spaced Repetition can become your daily routine.
Don’t think of Picmonic as another thing you have to study. Think of it as a great way to support what you are already studying, so how much time you need to spend with Picmonic is up to you. But students have some great recommendations.
Tips #5 – Customize Picmonic to meet your needs
Picmonic is the only visual mnemonic learning tool for healthcare students that allows you to customize content to meet your needs, and tailor the resource to what and how you are learning. Not only can you add facts and create your own Picmonics, you can tailor the Playlists to reflect what you need to learn. You can also share custom Playlists with others (even if they are not Picmonic Premium subscribers).
Playlists (whether they are provided by Picmonic or customized by you or a friend) also provide the perfect way to study on the go with the mobile app, by listening to the audio in “gym” mode without internet access.
As told by healthcare students who have succeeded in school, Picmonic is here for you on your education and career journey. You get to decide how Picmonic works best for you. The benefit is that you get a comprehensive, visual, memorable, affordable research-proven study tool at your fingertips. Nearly 1 million healthcare students around the world have trusted Picmonic to get them through school, boards, certification exams and more, and you can benefit from that collective power too.
You can take our word for it, and the word of current and former students. Or, you can try Picmonic for free today and find out for yourself.
Download our mobile app and take Picmonic on the go!
