Students Stop Suffering in School

When you start school for any dental career it will be an intense ride!  I am speaking from experience with dental assisting, dental hygiene and restorative hygiene.  In all three times I found many ways to stay organized and avoid the added stress with being in school.  Having an organized system, getting your projects/assignments done ASAP, studying weeks before a test and enjoying some much needed down time helped tremendously!

I see all too often students get burnt out from the stress in school.  When you get burnt out, other areas in school; whether it be tests, projects, clinic, or simply being able to stay awake in class will suffer.  Students need breaks and they need down time because without these the stress will be too much.  There is a fine line though, if you are relaxing all week and not getting any work done you will suffer in a greater way.  Failing tests because you 'forgot' to study will give you more work to do in the end.

1. Put together your schedule a week in advance.  On Sunday's, write in your agenda for the week what classes/clinics you have and what tests.  Also in your agenda for that week, write down what you plan to do each day.  This way when you get things done you can check off your list and you feel accomplished!  I suggest studying two hours a day, 1-2 weeks before a test.  A little each day and by the end you will only need to be studying 30 minutes for that test to refresh your memory.
2. No studying past 7pm!  I had this rule in school.  I always had tests or projects to work on, but once 7pm hit I put my books down and watched a movie to get me sleepy before bed.  I aimed to be in bed by 10:00pm because I always woke up at 6:30am for school.  
3. Study time  - IF you have trouble getting to bed at a good time, I suggest studying at 9pm every night.  An hour later your eyes will be heavy and you can easily be sleeping by 10pm :).  You feel good because you managed to get some studying done and it will help you sleep.
4. Breaks are ok!  Having a rough week in school?  Did you fail a patient or fail a test?  Sometimes students need a full day break, and spend the night after school relaxing.  Do you enjoy shopping?  Go for it!  Do you enjoy sitting in a cafe browsing the net?  Go for it!  Studying can probably wait a day, take a night off and just enjoy yourself.  

I had hard times in class and clinic too!  Restorative hygiene especially, when I have a difficult patient and didn't feel like 'I did my best work'.  Instead of going home and studying or preparing for school the next day I would decide to take a nap or stay in bed watching TV for the rest of the night.  This allowed me to recharge for the next day!  I maintained an organized schedule so I could take a night off when I needed because I had everything planned out so well.

Good luck in school everyone and remember to take those breaks when needed!