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Learning Styles

BBC Programs pride themselves on including a wide variety of study plan components and study methods to make sure you are ready for boards, but also to make sure the various learning styles get a chance to be utilized.

Visual Learning Style

Eyes

These students enjoy learning from visual cues, images, diagrams, and colors. BBC programs include online images with ID and explanations, lectures wherein the lecturer frequently sketches concepts and diagrams, videos with photos, charts, and diagrams, books with tables and some diagrams, as well as flash card assignments that foster visual memory of a topic and page in the studies.  The thousands of slidepoints also provide abundant visual cues with emphasis on visual learning. Even the study plan assignments are color coded.

What else can you do to augment this process? Draw out relationships between concepts in your notes, use acronyms or symbols for important words, highlight key or connected themes in the same color, recreate concepts from your notes from memory, draw things out with symbols and pictures during the lectures, make each page of your texts memorable visually to the extent possible.

Aural Learning Style

Ear

Aural learners prefer to hear their information. You will enjoy therefore listening to the dozens of BBC program lectures that fully describe and explain the study material. All major concepts are delivered verbally, so BBC programs definitely fit the bill for you. You will be particularly good at listening to the heart and breath sounds included in the program, too.

What else can you do to augment this process? For non-lecture assignments, consider recording your notes - it will solidify things better for you than writing them down (plus you can listen to them during the re-review assignments, or at the end of the day for reinforcement). When reviewing written notes or doing reading assignments, read it out loud to yourself. Take opportunities to discuss the material with peers, with the best scenario being that of you giving a mini-lecture on some of the topics. When studying, try playing music in the background - for some aural learners, it augments recall.   

Read/Writer Learning Style

Writing with Pen

These learners do particularly well in situations wherein they can read the material, and also write it. BBC programs provide hundreds of pages of written study material available online, many of which that can also be either printed to hard-copy or annotated online; this is afforded via provision of numerous online textbooks as well as study handouts, all included with each program. They also do best organizing their material into diagrams, charts, tables, lists and graphs. There is ample opportunity to do this with all of the assignments even beyond the voluminous reading material provided. Even the online images assignments come with identification and, frequently, written explanation of their context within the larger frame of things.  You will also like the flash card assignments that incorporate reading and writing in a novel manner to foster better recall of topics and pages.

What else can you do to augment this process? Write out detailed notes, and, where time allows, re-write and re-organize them. Reword them to suit your purposes. Read all BBC material but also read all recommended auxiliary items as assignment times allow.  Refrain from typing notes and info - do it by hand.

Kinesthetic Learning Style

Lifting Weights

These students enjoy learning by writing and re-creating info or "seeing it" in action. BBC programs offer a wide variety of different types of assignments, most of which are well suited to active note-taking and, more importantly, re-creation in your own words and own style. Furthermore, BBC lectures are renowned for providing real case scenarios and applications, offering the chance to "see" how the info correlates in action to real scenarios. The flash card assignments are particularly well-suited to you as they encourage you to make the material "your own." The thousands of practice questions, but particularly the Clinical Case Collections, provide robust opportunity to see cases and apply one's knowledge base in an active fashion.

What else can you do to augment the process? Take notes by hand (don't type them), re-create major concepts in your own words, physically writing them out, and tie the concepts to cases that make the info come alive. Utilize pictures and images to tell a story about the diseases. Where possible, utilize a physical act while learning, such as being on a treadmill when you do online images assignments, practicing seated isometric exercises when doing pharm, or lifting mini dumbbells when listening to lectures, etc. Movement engages the cerebellum (which also aids learning), so the more you can move, the better you will serve your learning style.

Logical/Analytical Learning Style

Studying in a Library

This learning style is found in those who learn well by depending on logic, mainly by making connections, seeing causes, and discovering patterns and associated results. Interpretation of data and problem-solving are their forte.  A core approach for all BBC programs is to learn the so-called how and why to facts and info - perfectly suiting your learning style. Explanations are provided abundantly throughout the lecture, slidepoints, reading material, online images, and answer explanations to questions; in fact, students are encouraged to study the answer explanations to all answer options, thus mastering the logic behind question completion success. BBC offers numerous opportunities for problem-solving, including reasoning out the info in the lectures as well as completing the thousands of included practice questions.

What else can you do to augment the process? Logic out all that you can, never settling for memorizing a concept. Research and investigate info, utilizing all BBC materials but also the recommended auxiliary resources, ever seeking out an understanding of connections and causes.

Social/Linguistic Learning Style

Studying

Social learners favor peer work and socializing while studying. BBC programs are especially suited to "group" study - just be sure to get the same schedule (e.g., start the same time and have a similar boards date). Many assignments afford extra time to not only finish the content but to master it, and in this context that means talking about it, quizzing each other, and role playing where possible. Further social interaction is available through on-request services had with our staff and faculty, providing you the opportunity to freely ask questions, seek guidance, and get support through your learning experience.

What else can you do to augment this process? Make arrangements with classmates(even on different schedules) to co-study a topic you all have already had, engage a non-medical friend or family member to quiz you with your flash cards, attend any live boards prep activities your school arranges, and take full advantage of communicating with BBC staff and faculty.

There are other factors that affect learning,  too: Cognitive, Emotional, and Environmental Factors.

Cognitive Factors

The two main cognitive styles influence learning preferences. Sequential learners thrive on step-by-step instructions and approaches while the global learners like to get the big picture first, then drill down into detail.  Sequential learners will love the step by step organization of the BBC Program Study Plans, while the global learners will enjoy many of the assignments that start "big," then on re-review drill down into further detail. The Session Prep questions, as found in all BBC Programs,  are particular favorite of global learners since they feature broad perspective questions that are later hammered out in detail.

Attention span, memory capacity and processing speed also shape the educational experience.

Exercise, sleep, down time, and good nutrition can support better cognitive function.

Emotional Factors

Emotional factors play a critical role in boards prep (or any educational) success. Motivation and confidence give students the tools to forge forward, to try new learning methods, and to have a "can do" attitude. Confidence is also crucial to successful exam performance, as those who have low self-esteem invariably will have a greater risk for test anxiety as well as poor testing hygiene (e.g., changing answers, etc). Mental health can also play a role in outcomes.

BBC Programs provide, on request, support and guidance regarding test taking skills, time management, test anxiety, and many other challenges.

Addressing depression or anxiety head-on, and gaining counseling for confidence and motivation issues, is always a good route to consider. Avoiding procrastination or skipping things can help to reduce anxiety on test day, too.

Environmental Factors

The environment in which you study must be conducive to concentration and learning. Noise, lack of or too much light, uncomfortable temperatures, and uncomfortable seating or desks all impair the learning process. Find a peaceful location, one with adequate light, appropriate temperature, and good seating and  space - without it, you will not absorb as much or retain as much.

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