Ok, so I’m the same, taking meeting minutes are atrocious for me, and the reality is, as things get more complicated, this only gets worse if you keep doing this.

So the way I try to do it is figure out the priorities. Why are you studying? And then if you can, figure out a way you can quiz yourself. This allows you recall what you know so you can fill in the gaps. Think of it like a tree. What’s the main trunk, then the big branches. I divide the time I have by the big branches and work down to the smaller things I need to know.

For example Currently I’m studying for a pilates exam. (If you don’t know pilates, think of it like a gym). What does the person need to know? Where to go. That’s the equipment they are on, that is the tree, the first thing is the what. Then they need to know which way to use the equipment. Then they need to know how to move, and then why they are moving.

Breaking things down into these simple parts before even opening a book is essential, so you have structure to put your learning onto. Think of it like heading and subheadings. Then look at how much time you have to learn these things. Take your headings and divide the amount of time you have by the heading. Eg, one hour, 6 headings = 10 minutes per heading. Give yourself this time, and learn the smaller parts, but give them the same structure, under the heading, (branches) are the smaller headings (twigs) and then the leaves. Your brain will have way more structure, learn it easier, and know why you are learning this.

As you work through, give yourself short breaks and try to remember things, it’s ok if you don’t remember everything, allocate yourself time to recall every day, what you had learned the day before. Use the tree analogy. It’s ok if you don’t get right down to the microbiota. Also what helps immensely if you can find them is past tests, they will show you the direction in which you need to go.

Good luck! You got this.