In a course like Medical Terminology, there is definitely a time and memorization component, but Rita told me she studied for twenty hours in one week, and still felt no sense of accomplishment. Twenty hours just this week, without a feeling of accomplishment, sounds like a lot.

I wondered if Rita wasn't optimizing for her cognitive style/learning style? If you do a search in Google for either of those terms you'll turn up a wealth of information.

The upshot is that most people have an affinity to one or more types of learning. There are visual learners who learn best by seeing things, auditory learners who learn best by hearing, kinesthetic learners who learn best by touching, doing, playing games, etc.

Rita told me she has never liked reading and that these days it also makes her eyes hurt. It could be eye strain, or maybe she has an affinity for audio. I learn well that way, so when I was in the Medical Terminology class, I made audio flashcards for myself.

Audio flashcards
I downloaded a free voice recorder, Audacity, and read each word part, spelled it, and (after a slight pause) read the definition. I converted it to MP3 format, stuck it on my iPod, and listened to it while I was taking my nightly walk or in the car driving to the post office, or emptying the dishwasher, or doing laundry.

I would say each word out loud, so I could hear it again. Sometimes instead of saying the word out loud, I'd write it down. Every time it is repeated, you make another copy of it in your brain.

Many course have pre-recorded audio flashcard programs available for purchase. Just dig around online. Or you could just go the old-fashioned route and use a tape recorder!

Physical flashcards
Making physical flashcards and playing with them can help the kinesthetic learner. If you like to hold things in your hand or get a more physical experience with what you learn, you might enjoy kinesthetic learning styles.