"Experience: that most brutal of teachers. But you learn, my God do you learn." - C.S. Lewis
I have decided to reschedule my exam. Why? Because the fear of the exam overtook me and I realized I could not study any more. I got sick of reading, sick of feeling overwhelmed, and when April 14 came along to reschedule my test date, I decided to take it. My advice to you all is, don't wait until the last minute to take this exam, because you may end up feeling like you're not ready. What you need to do is schedule the exam early and reschedule if you are not ready. ALWAYS WAIT TILL YOU'RE READY. I think it's more important to be ready then to just get this over with. This exam is not the type of exam you should take more than twice, it will hurt you in the long run, so make sure you are ready to take it. I rescheduled for July 16, which is when my nursing program will be running. In case you were wondering, I applied to a 1 year accelerated nursing program, which I am going to go to. Best of luck for me to be able to study for this monster and stay on top of these courses. I think studying in a college library and having no distractions may be for the best, being home with my family has been hard to get quiet and peace.
Also, if those of you are wondering when a good test day would be, I suggest taking the exam in April. That way, you will get your exam scored in a month, by May. Once you have your scores, you can figure out what schools to apply to, which you will need to send an application as soon as June 1. The application will be up on the AAMC website May 1, it is in your best interest to send the application as early as possible. Thus, April is the best month to take this exam. However, if you can figure out what range of scores you will receive, you can take the exam after. I would suggest no later than July to take the exam, since it takes a month to score and send scores to schools.
My studying habits has been mostly taking practice exams. I took AAMC exams 3, 4, 5, 7 and my scores did not improve as much as I would have liked. I want you all to know that I am a terrible test taker, I do not memorize things. My brain does not memorize, so I don't force myself to memorize, I will sit down and draw diagrams and figure out why things are the way they are. My test taking will also show that I do not know how to answer things quickly and know the difference between wrong answers and right answers. Hopefully, my scores will improve with all the practice I've done. I haven't taken a test since March, so things may have changed.
Now, it took me some time to figure out if I wanted to share my scores, and I decided that it would be for the best that I shared. After looking at the Student Doctor Network website, I felt like a failure, seeing people talking about their 36 score, or 40 score, etc. Yes, that is amazing to get a score like that, but that is not the average. On top of that, people don't get those kind of scores without hardwork and a lot of effort. I put a lot of effort on this test, I think I know more about this test than the admissions committees for medical schools, but that doesn't mean I get amazing scores. I want to show you that I have been improving, my scores are getting better and hopefully I will reach my goal of a 30. But like everyone else, I'm getting 20's right now.
My scores:
AAMC Exam 3: 7P 8V 7B = 24
AAMC Exam 4: 7P 7V 7B = 21
AAMC Exam 5: 8P 9V 7B = 24
AAMC Exam 7: 8P 4V 9B = 21
Weird pattern, I know.
Now, as you can see, somehow my verbal fell significantly on AAMC 7, this was a fluke as I was trying something different which was to skim the passage and get to the answer. This obviously didn't work too well. I realized, at the end of the day, I had to read and understand the passage to get to the answers. But, I do show improvement in physical and bio sections, if I continue like this I can reach my goal of 10P 10V 10B = 30.
I switched over to Berkeley review tests because I wanted to save tests AAMC 8, 9, 10, 11 for the week before my tests. I have the paper versions of berkeley review, which from the old version of the exam had 77 questions from the section. So, I answered 52 Physical Science questions, 40 Verbal questions, and 52 Biological Science questions like the real AAMC cbt. Of course, this does not provide a good predictor of my actual score, but it is just good practice. Berkeley review have much harder science questions then the AAMC and easier verbal qestions.
My scores:
MCAT 1: 9P 10V 8B = 27 Easier exam
MCAT 2: 10P 7V 8B = 25 Medium difficulty
MCAT 3: 5P 7B= Very difficult, 10 Verbal 101
MCAT 3 was extremely difficult for me because I had a harder time with the subject matter. Also, instead of taking the berkeley review verbal, I decided to replace it with Verbal 101 tests, which are more similar to the MCAT. After studying AAMC conversion charts, I realized that scores of 40/52 Physical science questions = 10, 30/40 Verbal questions = 10, 40/52 Biological Science questions = 10 more or less. So, since I got 29/40 questions correct on the Verbal 101 questions, this is about a 10 for AAMC. So you can figure out how many questions you can get wrong, mostly you want to miss about 10-12 questions for each section and you should be fine. Best of luck to all of you studying. If anyone would like to ask me questions about any material, AAMC, berkeley review, kaplan, princeton review let me know. Also, I can help you out in finding material for a decent price. I want to help out my fellow MCATers, I know it's a long road.
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Conquer the MCAT
So it's been a few months, what have I been doing? I have completed the first part (of a 2 part series) of Berkeley review books. I have not completed the passage based questions yet, which come after every chapter, so I'm still working on it. I may or may not complete it by the time of my test. My test is going to be on April 29, but I may push it back, since I have an entire list of books I haven't read yet. Berkely Review biology has been a long detailed waste of time for me, yet the berkeley reivew books are amazing, but the bio books are too much information. It took me a long time to finish the first set of the books and I wish I spent my time on something else, like doing other books. I decided to stick with Sn2ed's suggestion to do the examkrackers bio book, but I'm also going to do Bio 1001 questions. I feel like, with Bio, there is too much information that you're better just doing a bunch of practice questions with passages. The Physical Science section has become the hardest section for me, since I'm having a hard time finishing it in time. Now, I'm going to break down each MCAT section and tell you what to do. I've already completed 3 practice exams and I have a lot more studying to go, but I've done a lot of research regarding these tests.
1. Physical Science Section - Physics and Chemistry (52 questions, 70 minutes)
This section is mostly Chemistry based with a few passages of Physics. I would say your best bet is to do as many practice problems as you can to conquer this section. I'm still working on it, but I've read the Berkeley Review chapters for Physics, which helped me understand what these equations mean and where they come from. Don't go insane about memorizing these equations, most of them are similar and during the test you'll probably just have to take a simple equation and change it depending on the variables they want from you. There will be Phyics equations that you must commit to memory - Circuits, Kinematics, Fluids, Mirrors, etc. Sometimes the passage will give you the equations and the values of the constants. For Chemistry, just do practice problems. All these practice problems should be done under timed conditions.
2. Verbal Section (40 questions, 60 minutes)
I have just become accustomed to this section and I've read about a lot of tips. Do examkrackers 101, it is the best verbal book you will use. Practice passages are your best friend. But other than that, ALWAYS look for the main ideas, ALWAYS figure out the author's point of view. This should really help you figure out why the answer is the right answer. Most of the multiple choice problems will seem similar, half the time I sit there going, what's the difference between all these?! But, I figured out that you should not waste too much time going back to the passage. Once in a while, it is key that you do so, but try to find the main idea in the answer- usually if the answer restates the main idea in some way, it's the right answer. If a question asks about a certain subject in a particular paragraph, the answer will lie in THAT paragraph, don't go looking anywhere else and wasting your time. They will try to trick you with key words, always highlight what you think might be important - names, terms, phrases - you'll realize what will come up in a question after you practice a couple of these. Also, it's very easy to get lost in time, keep track of time, and skim the passage after you know the main idea - just to know what each paragraph is talking about. Give yourself about 8 minutes per passage with questions and search for the main idea. If it's a difficult passage, you may find the main idea in the questions. Don't waste time, when you need it.
3. Biological Section (52 questions, 70 minutes) - Biology and Organic Chemistry
Regarding Organic Chemistry, make yourself a list of reactions, memorize a few reactants, and you're good. Don't waste time, as organic chemistry is only going to come up in 1-2 passages. Focus on Biology, this will make or break you. I found that having some flash cards and memorizing biology vocabulary will be helpful. Do passages from Examkrackers 1001- they give you a bunch of passages to go over and time yourself.
Mostly, practice is key to success. I found that reading about these subjects, which I've done a lot of, is not that helpful unless you forgot everything - then of course you will need to refresh yourselfl. I ended up forgetting a lot of details (which they asked in practice tests), and I realized, you have to test yourself to understand what you need to work on and what you know pretty well. This test is time consuming, I know, but if you put the effort, you will succeed. Good luck everyone.
1. Physical Science Section - Physics and Chemistry (52 questions, 70 minutes)
This section is mostly Chemistry based with a few passages of Physics. I would say your best bet is to do as many practice problems as you can to conquer this section. I'm still working on it, but I've read the Berkeley Review chapters for Physics, which helped me understand what these equations mean and where they come from. Don't go insane about memorizing these equations, most of them are similar and during the test you'll probably just have to take a simple equation and change it depending on the variables they want from you. There will be Phyics equations that you must commit to memory - Circuits, Kinematics, Fluids, Mirrors, etc. Sometimes the passage will give you the equations and the values of the constants. For Chemistry, just do practice problems. All these practice problems should be done under timed conditions.
2. Verbal Section (40 questions, 60 minutes)
I have just become accustomed to this section and I've read about a lot of tips. Do examkrackers 101, it is the best verbal book you will use. Practice passages are your best friend. But other than that, ALWAYS look for the main ideas, ALWAYS figure out the author's point of view. This should really help you figure out why the answer is the right answer. Most of the multiple choice problems will seem similar, half the time I sit there going, what's the difference between all these?! But, I figured out that you should not waste too much time going back to the passage. Once in a while, it is key that you do so, but try to find the main idea in the answer- usually if the answer restates the main idea in some way, it's the right answer. If a question asks about a certain subject in a particular paragraph, the answer will lie in THAT paragraph, don't go looking anywhere else and wasting your time. They will try to trick you with key words, always highlight what you think might be important - names, terms, phrases - you'll realize what will come up in a question after you practice a couple of these. Also, it's very easy to get lost in time, keep track of time, and skim the passage after you know the main idea - just to know what each paragraph is talking about. Give yourself about 8 minutes per passage with questions and search for the main idea. If it's a difficult passage, you may find the main idea in the questions. Don't waste time, when you need it.
3. Biological Section (52 questions, 70 minutes) - Biology and Organic Chemistry
Regarding Organic Chemistry, make yourself a list of reactions, memorize a few reactants, and you're good. Don't waste time, as organic chemistry is only going to come up in 1-2 passages. Focus on Biology, this will make or break you. I found that having some flash cards and memorizing biology vocabulary will be helpful. Do passages from Examkrackers 1001- they give you a bunch of passages to go over and time yourself.
Mostly, practice is key to success. I found that reading about these subjects, which I've done a lot of, is not that helpful unless you forgot everything - then of course you will need to refresh yourselfl. I ended up forgetting a lot of details (which they asked in practice tests), and I realized, you have to test yourself to understand what you need to work on and what you know pretty well. This test is time consuming, I know, but if you put the effort, you will succeed. Good luck everyone.
Saturday, January 8, 2011
Week 1: Berkeley Review
"All men by nature desire knowledge," - Aristotle
I have completed Chapter 1 for Organic Chemistry, Chemistry, and I'm almost done with Physics. Using SN2ed's schedule, I have read chapter 1 of Examkrackers Biology. Reading Berkeley Review, I've found that they brought a lot of concepts together that overlap within the subjects. The first chapter of Organic Chemistry had a lot to do with Acids and Bases and bonding. Chapter 1 in Chemistry delved on Molarity and mass equations. Each chapter took me about 3-4 hours to complete, since I was also taking notes on loose-leaf. At first, I just glossed over the chapter and went straight to the questions, I realized it was a mistake, it's important to just read everything because they bring up information you might not know about. For instance, in the Chemistry book, the first chapter discussed an experiment I actually did not know a lot about. It ended up being in one of the passages I read- I had no idea what was going on when I skipped the chapter. When I went back to read the chapter, I was finally able to answer the questions.
After each chapter I did a few passages. They include about 10 passages that can be completed in about 100 minutes. These passages are very helpful, and you would be missing out if you didn't do them, it's great practice. I also find myself doing the examples within the chapter to make sure I'm understanding the context. I did about 3-4 passages per chapter. I took breaks when I was over-straining myself. I think it's helpful if you take 15-30 minute breaks after an hour or so to keep your mind focused. Also, after reading Examkrackers Biology, I found their material to jump around a lot.
I'm a bit behind schedule, since I should have completed all the chapters by now, but I feel like I finally crossed that boundary of telling myself, "yeah I'll get to it." The hardest thing for me is to just open up a book and read the first page, once I read it, I can just keep going. Lastly, my Princeton Review books came, they are so heavy! But I am just going to look over the Science Review and the Verbal workbook. I've done my research and people swear by the verbal workbook, so I will be doing some practice on that. Another important thing to do is to make a schedule, if you know what you're going to do everyday, you'll feel less overwhelmed with the work. I know I'm behind schedule, so I will catch up, this is great motivation for me to get my work done. I also posted a "45" on my wall- I know it's weird. But every time I look at my wall, I'm constantly reminded that I need to study. I'm a huge fan of subconscious thought, I do believe we're affected by what we read and see everyday, even if we don't notice it.
I have completed Chapter 1 for Organic Chemistry, Chemistry, and I'm almost done with Physics. Using SN2ed's schedule, I have read chapter 1 of Examkrackers Biology. Reading Berkeley Review, I've found that they brought a lot of concepts together that overlap within the subjects. The first chapter of Organic Chemistry had a lot to do with Acids and Bases and bonding. Chapter 1 in Chemistry delved on Molarity and mass equations. Each chapter took me about 3-4 hours to complete, since I was also taking notes on loose-leaf. At first, I just glossed over the chapter and went straight to the questions, I realized it was a mistake, it's important to just read everything because they bring up information you might not know about. For instance, in the Chemistry book, the first chapter discussed an experiment I actually did not know a lot about. It ended up being in one of the passages I read- I had no idea what was going on when I skipped the chapter. When I went back to read the chapter, I was finally able to answer the questions.
After each chapter I did a few passages. They include about 10 passages that can be completed in about 100 minutes. These passages are very helpful, and you would be missing out if you didn't do them, it's great practice. I also find myself doing the examples within the chapter to make sure I'm understanding the context. I did about 3-4 passages per chapter. I took breaks when I was over-straining myself. I think it's helpful if you take 15-30 minute breaks after an hour or so to keep your mind focused. Also, after reading Examkrackers Biology, I found their material to jump around a lot.
I'm a bit behind schedule, since I should have completed all the chapters by now, but I feel like I finally crossed that boundary of telling myself, "yeah I'll get to it." The hardest thing for me is to just open up a book and read the first page, once I read it, I can just keep going. Lastly, my Princeton Review books came, they are so heavy! But I am just going to look over the Science Review and the Verbal workbook. I've done my research and people swear by the verbal workbook, so I will be doing some practice on that. Another important thing to do is to make a schedule, if you know what you're going to do everyday, you'll feel less overwhelmed with the work. I know I'm behind schedule, so I will catch up, this is great motivation for me to get my work done. I also posted a "45" on my wall- I know it's weird. But every time I look at my wall, I'm constantly reminded that I need to study. I'm a huge fan of subconscious thought, I do believe we're affected by what we read and see everyday, even if we don't notice it.
The SAT and College
"Time does not change us. It just unfolds us," Max Frisch
I just wanted to post about my background and what I went through with the SATs. When I took the SATs, I took a free course in my school to prepare, which helped very minimally.When I was younger, I always regretted not going to a Princeton Review or a Kaplan course to prepare, but I couldn't afford these courses. After taking a prep course for the MCAT, I realized that it wasn't necessary for me to do well. What is necessary to do well is my motivation.
I think the SATs are unfair for people who learned English as a second language, because 2/3 sections are writing and verbal. I wish I had known more about the ACT and would probably have taken that instead, since it has a science section and is more well-rounded. If you are reading this post and you are in high school, my tip is to try to be as well-rounded as possible. Try to do your best on the SAT, but if you are weakest in standardized test-taking (personally I am terrible at it myself), I would focus on extracurricular activities and my GPA.
I did above average on my SAT, but it wasn't fantastic or anything. I'm sure I could have done better if I buckled down and studied for it. Your bachelors are important, but people will also focus on what you get your last degree on, so if you're planning on getting your masters or PhD, this will be the most important education you get.
I wish I had less loans to pay, because a school with less loans and a bachelors is preferable to me than a school with a lot of loans but a great name. If you are going to keep going with your education, you don't want those loans to keep piling up. Also, be on the lookout for some 4 year scholarship programs- my friend got into a HEOP program (look it up on google!) and it pays your entire education, gives you work study, and has a lower SAT requirement based on the school you apply to. I wish I had applied through this program, but I didn't think I would go away for school. It's a 4 year program and it's geared for low economic students, so keep on the lookout for that.
Anyway, I graduated form a decently named school and fewer loans than my other friends. I'm paying loans now, but they're not terrible. Also, the SATs are not the end of the world. As long as you get into a college, it'll be fine. Some people go to community college, save a LOT of money, and keep up their grades to finish their bachelors in another school. This is a great option if you are looking to save money.
I actually prefer to study for the MCAT than the SAT, call me crazy, but I'm more of a science person.
I just wanted to post about my background and what I went through with the SATs. When I took the SATs, I took a free course in my school to prepare, which helped very minimally.When I was younger, I always regretted not going to a Princeton Review or a Kaplan course to prepare, but I couldn't afford these courses. After taking a prep course for the MCAT, I realized that it wasn't necessary for me to do well. What is necessary to do well is my motivation.
I think the SATs are unfair for people who learned English as a second language, because 2/3 sections are writing and verbal. I wish I had known more about the ACT and would probably have taken that instead, since it has a science section and is more well-rounded. If you are reading this post and you are in high school, my tip is to try to be as well-rounded as possible. Try to do your best on the SAT, but if you are weakest in standardized test-taking (personally I am terrible at it myself), I would focus on extracurricular activities and my GPA.
I did above average on my SAT, but it wasn't fantastic or anything. I'm sure I could have done better if I buckled down and studied for it. Your bachelors are important, but people will also focus on what you get your last degree on, so if you're planning on getting your masters or PhD, this will be the most important education you get.
I wish I had less loans to pay, because a school with less loans and a bachelors is preferable to me than a school with a lot of loans but a great name. If you are going to keep going with your education, you don't want those loans to keep piling up. Also, be on the lookout for some 4 year scholarship programs- my friend got into a HEOP program (look it up on google!) and it pays your entire education, gives you work study, and has a lower SAT requirement based on the school you apply to. I wish I had applied through this program, but I didn't think I would go away for school. It's a 4 year program and it's geared for low economic students, so keep on the lookout for that.
Anyway, I graduated form a decently named school and fewer loans than my other friends. I'm paying loans now, but they're not terrible. Also, the SATs are not the end of the world. As long as you get into a college, it'll be fine. Some people go to community college, save a LOT of money, and keep up their grades to finish their bachelors in another school. This is a great option if you are looking to save money.
I actually prefer to study for the MCAT than the SAT, call me crazy, but I'm more of a science person.
Monday, December 27, 2010
The MCAT Looms Ahead
"It's not that I'm so smart, it's just that I stay with problems longer,"- Albert Einstein
I signed up for the MCAT on April and I have been biting my nails about it. The hardest thing for me is actually opening up a book and getting started. Something that I know would take a half hour takes me hours to start. I have read Day 2's assignment which is Chemistry 2, mostly by skimming the passage of Berkeley Review's Chemistry chapter. I still have to do the questions- I don't know why, but doing questions makes me nervous- it reminds me of the MCAT.
A snow storm has hit my area and winter holidays has caused me to waste time and avoid getting work done. But, after community service tomorrow, I plan to get the next chapter done. I've ordered new books, the Princeton Review Hyperlearning set and I've become addicted to looking for the cheapest deals online. Now I'm cutting myself off. It's time to really focus. There's always the ease of getting the books, the challenge is opening them up and reading them.
Now, let's get started.
Let me first explain what the MCAT tests are like-
They are approximately 5 hours long and are usually held at 8am or 1pm on certain dates. Personally, I signed up for a 1pm test, as I am not a morning person and I prefer to have the morning to eat and prepare myself. I think I will get to eat for the test- sandwhiches, some tea (I hate coffee), gatorade (for electrolytes), and water. I also may take an hour in the morning to exercise. After I exercise, I find myself rejuvenated and alert, which will definitely help me during the test.
The sections of the test are:
Physical Science- 70 minutes, 52 questions - this section includes Physics and Chemistry questions
There are passage type questions and discrete questions (stand-alone questions) in this section
10 minute break- to use the bathroom and eat a snack
Verbal Reasoning - 60 minutes, 40 questions- these are passage type questions only
10 minute break
Writing Sample- 60 minutes/ 30minutes per prompt- there are 2 prompts that are given and an essay required for each
10 minute break
Biological Sciences- 70 minutes, 52 questions- this section includes Biology and Organic Chemistry
Like I suggested, the books I got are:
The Berkeley Review Series - so far I found these books to be very well- rounded- they offer chapters of information and examples throughout each chapter. At the end of each chapter there are passage-like questions to answer, similar to the MCAT style. I can see why these books are favored so highly. However, they are not binded as nicely and the book is black and white. Of course, Berkeley Review isn't as commercially popular as Kaplan and Princeton Review, so it makes sense to me why the books are like that. Berkeley Review is only offered in California and it's hard to get a hold of these books, but if you search craigslist, ebay, and SDN you're bound to find a set. It's imperative that the questions are not answered in the passage, or else it is not useful to have them. You want to be able to answer the questions yourself without being persuaded by someone else's answer. If anything, you can help support the program and buy the books off the Berkeley Review site.
The Examkrackers 1001 seres - basically these are discrete questions. They really tell you where you are having trouble in a subject based on your knowledge. These are helpful questions to freshen up on subjects learned in the past. This also includes Examkrackers 101- I just got the book, but so far, it's a lot of passages in verbal that would really boost your score by practice.
Examkrackers: 1001 Questions in MCAT in Physics
Examkrackers 1001 Questions in MCAT Chemistry
Examkrackers 1001 Questions in MCAT Biology
Examkrackers: 1001 Questions in MCAT, Organic Chemistry
Examkrackers series- these books are very pretty, beautiful color and binding (the 1001 series as well) and nice pictures. I haven't read too much of it yet, but they are nice if you just need minimal review. It's not as boring as some other reads, they try to keep it fresh and fun. It's very similar to Kaplan Review books, just skimming through it. I like the pictures, as I memorize through photographs pretty well. Not pictured: the Examkrackers Organic Chemistry book.
What I've done- Kaplan books - I read most, if not all, of the Kaplan books, and they are helpful in limiting the information needed on the MCAT. It's great refresher for someone who already has knowledge, but just needs to remember a few things here and there. My personal qualm with the books are they are too general sometimes. There are times where I might read a chapter and still have trouble understanding what's going on.
I have yet to see Princeton Review books, but once I get a hold of them, I will update. Lastly, an important key is the AAMC website. Get the tests and study the tests, they are extremely important, as well as the solutions. You will have a very close indicator to how well you will do on the actual MCAT , once you do these practice MCATs. I also went on the AAMC website and found the list of subjects covered on the MCAT, this is great to narrow down subjects - some concepts may be covered in review books that aren't even on the test. I'm hoping to get a lot of work done in the coming weeks since 2010 is coming to an end. My new years resolution has become- DEVOTE MY LIFE TO THE MCAT.
Sunday, December 26, 2010
My Book Collection
"It is the spur of ignorance, the consciousness of not understanding, and the curiosity about that which lies beyond that are essential to our progress." - John Pierce
I've been using SN2ed's schedule that I saw on student doctor network:
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?p=8092168
So far, I was able to get a hold of all the examkrackers books: 1001 series except organic chemistry. I was lucky enough to find it on craigslist for $80 which included the 101 verbal series and the examkrackers books bio, orgo, physics, chem. I was really lucky and the resell value of the books I got is more than how much I spent on them. But, let me tell you, it took me a month to find a good deal. Everyday I spent looking at SDN's website for new sales ads, craigslist, and ebay. I realized SDN is a hit or miss, there are so many people using that site, I gave up trying. I felt like I was on ebay asking to buy for a price and I kept getting outbid without even a notice of who was buying and for how much. Craigslist has its advantages and disadvantageous, it was scary to get the books. I had to pick it up from someone's car and pay them in cash. I made sure to meet them in a public place and that a friend came with me, you never know with craigslist what could happen.
My berkeley review books also came from craigslist. I paid $110 for them. That's pretty much a steal. They're worth $300 and the guy I got it from was really nice. We spoke on the phone several times and I had to pay before I got the books. I didn't sleep right for a few days because I was worried he'd take my money and not send me the books, but I knew his address, so that gave me some ease. Thankfully, he sent both sets and ended up paying a lot for shipping. What a nice guy.
So, starting my schedule, today is day 1: Physics chapter 1. I breezed through the first chapter since it was elementary. I still haven't finished doing the questions. I'll be doing that now until tomorrow. I'll also be purchasing 1001 organic chemistry with my gift card that I got for Christmas. I just hope that I will be using all the books I bought.
So, starting my schedule, today is day 1: Physics chapter 1. I breezed through the first chapter since it was elementary. I still haven't finished doing the questions. I'll be doing that now until tomorrow. I'll also be purchasing 1001 organic chemistry with my gift card that I got for Christmas. I just hope that I will be using all the books I bought.
Friday, December 24, 2010
MCAT Tips
"He who desires, but acts not, breeds pestilence." - William Blake
In the past, I took an MCAT test prep course, believing it would help me get an amazing MCAT score. Dropping $2000 was one of the hardest things I ever did, but I thought it would be worth it when I became a doctor... Let me just say, I wish I could get that money back. I learned as much as anyone would learn in a college class- all you learn is that you have to study more by yourself. This is terrible for a lazy, procrastinating, hopeless human being such as myself. I took this course and all I could do was do the readings- 1 practice test completed, and a few quizzes here and there. Yipee, $2000 dollars down the drain.
So, I have done countless hours of research about how to study, what to study, where to study. I've learned some valuable lessons:
1. Student doctor network is your best friend. I am in love with this site, it has amazing people on it and they are completely honest about medical school - most of my learning has come from here.
2. DO NOT DROP $2000 ON AN MCAT COURSE. Unless you need someone to tell you when to do what, then it'll just be an expensive alarm clock. Use that money for books and paying for food/ rent/ life! When you are a graduate or a college student, you'll learn that money will go by fast and you'll need it.
3. Take some of that money and join a gym. Exercise is good for the body and mind, seriously, it is.
4. Figure out what books are right for you to study:
Examkrackers 1001 series
Examkrackers review books
The Princeton Review Hyperlearning books
The Berkeley Review books
I am in the process of buying these books, so I will let you know my personal thoughts about them! They are insanely expensive - but I've figured out student doctor network (SDN) is your friend with "for sale" ads, ebay, amazon.com, and craigslist.org all have decent prices if you search enough.
5. Do volunteer work at a hospital/ related health environment.
This is a must, I did not start until after I graduated college. It was a huge reason why I didn't apply to medical school earlier- lack of experience! I need a LOT more hours, but I'm working on it.
6. Get recommendations!!! NOW NOW NOW
I sent recommendations to my college health professions office, as well as, interfolio.com. I've come to realize how helpful interfolio has become. I use to be so sick of asking professors and employers for recommendations for different things, now I don't. I just use the website because they have them ready whenever I need them. It's a great time saving tool when I need to apply to something and I need recommendations fast.
7. Study somewhere far away from your home.
Ok, some people are good at studying at home and for them I say kudos! But every single time I've tried to study at home, I end up wasting time and figuring out ways of not studying. I think I've cleaned my room 20 times this month. My apartment is not a safe haven, it is a trap of never-ending time consumption.
In the past, I took an MCAT test prep course, believing it would help me get an amazing MCAT score. Dropping $2000 was one of the hardest things I ever did, but I thought it would be worth it when I became a doctor... Let me just say, I wish I could get that money back. I learned as much as anyone would learn in a college class- all you learn is that you have to study more by yourself. This is terrible for a lazy, procrastinating, hopeless human being such as myself. I took this course and all I could do was do the readings- 1 practice test completed, and a few quizzes here and there. Yipee, $2000 dollars down the drain.
So, I have done countless hours of research about how to study, what to study, where to study. I've learned some valuable lessons:
1. Student doctor network is your best friend. I am in love with this site, it has amazing people on it and they are completely honest about medical school - most of my learning has come from here.
2. DO NOT DROP $2000 ON AN MCAT COURSE. Unless you need someone to tell you when to do what, then it'll just be an expensive alarm clock. Use that money for books and paying for food/ rent/ life! When you are a graduate or a college student, you'll learn that money will go by fast and you'll need it.
3. Take some of that money and join a gym. Exercise is good for the body and mind, seriously, it is.
4. Figure out what books are right for you to study:
Examkrackers 1001 series
Examkrackers review books
The Princeton Review Hyperlearning books
The Berkeley Review books
I am in the process of buying these books, so I will let you know my personal thoughts about them! They are insanely expensive - but I've figured out student doctor network (SDN) is your friend with "for sale" ads, ebay, amazon.com, and craigslist.org all have decent prices if you search enough.
5. Do volunteer work at a hospital/ related health environment.
This is a must, I did not start until after I graduated college. It was a huge reason why I didn't apply to medical school earlier- lack of experience! I need a LOT more hours, but I'm working on it.
6. Get recommendations!!! NOW NOW NOW
I sent recommendations to my college health professions office, as well as, interfolio.com. I've come to realize how helpful interfolio has become. I use to be so sick of asking professors and employers for recommendations for different things, now I don't. I just use the website because they have them ready whenever I need them. It's a great time saving tool when I need to apply to something and I need recommendations fast.
7. Study somewhere far away from your home.
Ok, some people are good at studying at home and for them I say kudos! But every single time I've tried to study at home, I end up wasting time and figuring out ways of not studying. I think I've cleaned my room 20 times this month. My apartment is not a safe haven, it is a trap of never-ending time consumption.
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