Improve Your Memory For GAMSAT

Re: Improve Your Memory For The GAMSAT

Oh God, tomorrow is the exam! Will I remember what I have studied? This fear haunts many students. Now, don’t fear friend. You can remember what you study.

Provided, you use those study methods that help your brain to remember better.

It is important that students achieve the best marks possible in their undergraduate degree as this can have a great impact on their medical school acceptance. Universities in Australia and the UK take into consideration both GPA and GAMSAT score when selecting which students to interview. So it is just as crucial to ace your undergraduate subject as it is to ace the GAMSAT.

So,

Here are five ‘Brain-friendly’ study methods that have helped me improve my memory and achieve a GPA of 6.5 in Medical Science.

1. Study with short breaks

Take short breaks while studying. Do not study continuously for more than 30 to 45 minutes.
Give a break of five to ten minutes in between two sessions.

Such short breaks give rest to your brain and help it to reinforce what you are learning. This will make it easy for you to understand more and remember better.

Do not read any new information during these short breaks. Just relax or walk around.

2. Explain to yourself

Explain what you study to yourself. Pretend you are both the student and the teacher, and try to explain the chapter or study topic to yourself.

This kind of ‘explaining’ automatically helps you to learn the subject in detail. Hence you will remember it clearly.

3. Discuss

Discuss important study topics with a willing classmate. Holding such discussion will jog your memory. This is like another form of revision.

Also, you will become aware of important points about those study topics. This will help both you and your classmate to learn more and remember more.

4. Sleep well

Yes, sleep cosily. Good sleep is essential for good memory.

Recent research has shown that lack of sufficient sleep interferes with memory function. Because during sleep and rest period, our brain processes and consolidates information which it records during the day.

So do not skip sleep; especially during the exam days. Sleep for at least six hours. Eight hours is best.

5. Eat Well

Now what has eating got to do with remembering more? Simple. What we eat affects our brain’s performance. Poor nutrition leads to learning and memory problems.

So make sure you include nutrient-rich food items like–whole grains, nuts, fruits, vegetables, and milk in your diet. This will keep your brain healthy and happy.

The above five remedies are easy to follow. They definitely help to strengthen your memory and achieve more success in your studies.

Some students with a high GPA have been accepted into Medical school with a GAMSAT score of 55-60. So to have the best chance of being accepted into Medical school study your heart out and implement these 5 remedies.

Even if it means not going out on weekends or having a social life weeks before exam time… It will all be worth it in the end!

Stop Procrastination For GAMSAT

Re: How to Stop Procrastination For GAMSAT

A survey (by the University of NSW) suggested that those who relish challenge are more likely to live up to 10 years longer than those who spend their lives inhibited by timidity.

Trying to realise our ambitions, even if we don’t always meet them, is preferable to not having the motivation or courage to take the risk. So not making any resolutions because we fear that we’ll break them is having a defeatist attitude, as we allow procrastination to become an insidious habit which stops us from leading more fulfilling lives.

The following offers 10 ways to kick the procrastination habit!

1. Personal values development.

Take the time to find out what you really want in life, what your personal values are. Is being a Doctor the number 1 thing you want in life? Do you want more time, more money, better health, greater self esteem and confidence, more fulfilling relationships? When we procrastinate it’s often because what we are planning to do is not really aligned with what we truly want. We may be scared of our skills (or perceived lack of) or fear ridicule from others.

2. Make health and high energy levels a priority.

Without good health we are less likely to have the energy needed to make positive changes in our lives and it’s easier to procrastinate. So ensure that you have a nourishing diet, sleep well, exercise and meditate. 10 minutes of moderate exercise a day is fine. You want to exercise your heart on a daily basis through exercise. You can even take a daily walk to break up your study. Also I recommend daily meditation to reduce stress and anxiety. Just type in google ‘short guided meditation’ – you will find plenty of short guided meditations that are approximately 10 minutes long.

3. Visualise your life without procrastination.

See and feel the benefits in your life if you didn’t procrastinate. What could you do and achieve? Begin to act as if you’re not a procrastinator. Write down, draw, and imagine your life as a film. Use affirmations to help you! I go over these in my previous post.

I outline meditation and affirmation techniques in my previous post – ==> https://acegamsat.com/gamsat-secret/

4. Banish the Gremlin.

That little voice which runs on autopilot in your head – that dismisses any idea that you might have. It says things like “I cant be bother” “I’m not in the mood” “I can’t do this”. Stop running on autopilot, and replace the “should’s” “oughts” “have tos” with “want to” “desire”. You have a choice. Please acknowledge your choices and banish the Gremlin. Again, using affirmations can help you replace the Gremlin with more positive alternatives.

5. Over commitment.

Saying “yes” to everything – often leaves you feeling tired and without the energy to focus on what is most important to you. A really great book called ‘The One Thing’ by Gary Keller, sheds light on the importance of focusing on the one thing that will bring you the greatest results in life. So, don’t be a ‘yes man’ and focus on what matters the most. It will enhance your focus and motivation.

6. Set personal and professional goals.

It’s hard to motivate yourself when you don’t have a good idea of what you want to accomplish. So when setting goals think about what you want to achieve in the short term and long term. Techniques for doing so include the SMART strategy. S = specific M = measurable A= Action R = Realistic T = Time based. Use goal setting software to help you in goal planning and setting.

7. Prioritise Your Goals.

Develop a plan or schedule to help you reach your goals. In doing so you will begin to identify whether some elements need to be included or enhanced or dropped completely. Also remember to be flexible, revisit your goals regularly and modify or drop if appropriate. Just because a goal is written down doesn’t mean that it is set in stone! I suggest reviewing your goals at least once per month. You should really invest in a white board and write your goals on there. Here you will be able to read them everyday!

8. Divide and conquer.

Once you’ve prioritised your goals, divide them into smaller chunks. Sometimes we procrastinate because a project seems really large that the scale of it overwhelms us and puts us into a temporary form of paralysis – you don’t know where to start, so you don’t start at all! Approach each project – especially large ones – on a step by step basis.

9. Reward yourself.

Once you start to complete tasks, reward yourself by giving yourself something that you want. So instead of seeing a film before you complete a task, see it afterwards and make it a reward for you. When I was preparing for the GAMSAT, I would reward myself with watching a movie at the end of the week. This was only if I truly believed I had a productive week of GAMSAT study.

10. Just get started.

No excuses. Don’t wait until you’re “in the mood”. The mood never comes! It is a clever camouflage and a delaying tactic. What you resist persists! Start with what is easiest, so that you experience immediate success, which will give you the fuel and motivation to upgrade and take on larger projects. I know how easy it can be to procrastinate essay writing for the GAMSAT. So now, turn to an ACER paper, turn to section 2, set a timer, and start writing an essay under timed conditions. Start now! It doesn’t matter if it is not your best essay, just do your best. Then type your essay up and find someone to provide feedback.

Do any of the above and you’ll be well on your way to Kicking the Procrastination Habit and achieving greater productivity especially toward your GAMSAT Preparation. And if you’re procrastinating over doing any of the above… then remember that life is the biggest deadline of all!

Happy Studying!

GAMSAT Biology Mitosis and the Cell Cycle

Re: GAMSAT Biology Mitosis and the Cell Cycle

Binary Fission
Bacteria divide by a process known as binary fission. The process involves the migration of two identical DNA molecules to opposite ends of the cell. The cell then divides in two and each new cell enlarges to the original size. DNA replication proceeds bidirectionally from the origin to a specific termination site.

The doubling time of bacteria in the presence of unlimited resources can be calculated as follows:

b = B x 2ⁿ

b is the number of bacteria at the end of the time interval; B is the number of bacteria at the beginning of the time interval; n is the number of generations.

Eukaryotic cell cycle
The eukaryotic cell cycle is divided into 5 different phases.
Gap 1 (G₁)
Synthesis (S)
Gap 2 (G₂)
Mitosis
Cytokinesis (C)
G₁, S, G₂ = collectively called interphase.
Mitosis and cytokinesis = collectively called M phase.

The following image shows the different phases of the eukaryotic cell cycle:

Interphase
Interphase takes place for the preparation of mitosis. G₁, S and G₂ are subphases of interphase. G₁ is the primary growth phase. DNA synthesis occurs in the S phase. The G₂ phase occurs before mitosis and after the S phase.

M Phase
The M phase contains mitosis and cytokinesis and occurs after the G₂ phase. Mitosis can be divided into 5 stages – prophase, prometaphase, metaphase, anaphase, telophase, Cytokinesis then occurs.

The DNA has been replicated after G₂ phase.

Prophase: chromosomes condense and become visible. Chromosomes are seen as two sister chromatids and are held together by a centromere. Spindles begin to form.

Prometaphase: chromosomes attach to microtubules and chromosomes move to the equator of the cell.

Metaphase: chromosomes are aligned along the center of the cell in a straight line. The equator of the cell is called the metaphase plate.

Anaphase: centromeres of sister chromatids are degraded and individual chromosomes are freed. Chromosomes move to opposite poles and spindle poles move apart.

Telophase: the clustered chromosomes at each pole decondense. Nuclear envelopes form around the chromosomes.

Cytokinesis divides the cell into two separate cells.

The cell cycle can be halted at 3 different checkpoints. The checkpoints include:
1. G1/S – commitment to divide.
2. G2/M – important to ensure the integrity of DNA.
3. Spindle checkpoint – ensures all chromosomes are attached to the spindle fibers.