When do I start preparing for MCAT?

People I've talked to tell me not to prepare until junior yr of undergrad because ill be done with chem/physics/bio classes by then and it'll be a breeze

other people say to start taking practice test now because of the simplicity of the test

let me know

Originally Posted by thehappydoctor

People I've talked to tell me not to prepare until junior yr of undergrad because ill be done with chem/physics/bio classes by then and it'll be a breeze

other people say to start taking practice test now because of the simplicity of the test

let me know

I definitely would not plan on taking the test/start studying for it before you have all your prereq's done (bio, gen chem, o chem, physics), otherwise it could turn into a frustrating nightmare trying to teach yourself out of MCAT books that kind of assume somewhat of a basic understanding of the material. I began studying at the beginning of my spring semester of my junior year as I was finishing up physics II.

I strongly suggest taking a course if you can afford it (great resources/access to practice tests), and if not then taking a look at SN2ed's self study plan. Either way, you definitely need a plan of attack and cant just go in willy nilly and expect to be prepared by the time test day comes around. I wouldnt suggest starting to study more than 14-16 weeks (i did mine prep in 12) in advance, otherwise you will burn out!!

best of luck!! feel free to ask any other questions/PM me!

So if I finish one of my pre-reqs say organic chemistry, can I start preparing for just that section? Or do you have to wait until you finish ALL pre-reqs?

Also, is any "real" prep required for critical reading section/ writing sections?

I would say wait until you get through all the pre-reqs. I took a course and tried to study for sections I hadn't reached yet in school and just became frustrated In regards to verbal, the best prep in my opinion was to complete multiple practice section tests.

Your best bet in preparing for the MCAT is to actually finish all the pre-req courses before even starting. This way when you have taken Bio, Chen Chem, Orgo, and Physics you already have the conceptual foundation to prep for the actual exam as efficiently as possible.

Pat

Hi all.
I'm already done with the pre-reqs, but it has been more than 3 years since I took Bio,Gen Chem, and Physics.
I'm planning on taking Kaplan in Spring 2013. I won't be working at all, or maybe 2 days a week at the most, and I will only be taking a Anatomy/Physiology course (for specific reasons).
Do you think 3 months will be enough prep time, while working 2 days a week and taking 1 science course?

Thanks.

Originally Posted by Shehram Djafroo

Hi all.
I'm already done with the pre-reqs, but it has been more than 3 years since I took Bio,Gen Chem, and Physics.
I'm planning on taking Kaplan in Spring 2013. I won't be working at all, or maybe 2 days a week at the most, and I will only be taking a Anatomy/Physiology course (for specific reasons).
Do you think 3 months will be enough prep time, while working 2 days a week and taking 1 science course?

Thanks.

This is totally student dependent. Here's my situation and how I've felt while going through the Kaplan course. I chose to use the course as my only class for this summer, and treat it like it was a 5-6 credit course. My MCAT prep has been through Kaplan due to some of the material being years ago since I last studied it. I work full time (3 12 hour shifts a week in a position that allows for studying time at work), and overall it has been challenging to keep pace and get as much as I would like from everything as I'm preparing for the MCAT and taking the Kaplan course. So I would recommend seeing about maybe just concentrating solely on the MCAT and not taking the science course, but it's totally up to you. Good luck.

Originally Posted by Shehram Djafroo

Hi all.
I'm already done with the pre-reqs, but it has been more than 3 years since I took Bio,Gen Chem, and Physics.
I'm planning on taking Kaplan in Spring 2013. I won't be working at all, or maybe 2 days a week at the most, and I will only be taking a Anatomy/Physiology course (for specific reasons).
Do you think 3 months will be enough prep time, while working 2 days a week and taking 1 science course?

Thanks.

I was in the similar situation, except that Gen Chem and Organic Chemistry I took 6 years ago and Physics I took 5 years ago and I had to study for MCAT for a year, 'cause I pretty much forgot everything. I studied from my old textbooks and focused on the material that was covered in Kaplan, ExamCrackers, and Princeton. I spread out the study material pretty well, meaning that I did not study every day and I took sometimes weeks off. You have to be realistic and know how much time you will need to do well. When I initially started studying, I thought I could learn everything in 3 months and those 3 months turned into a year hahaha.

Try to have nice extra two weeks for just practice exams and practice tests (Kaplan offers sectional tests), but also take quizzes and tests as you study the material!

Originally Posted by COMedic2Doc

This is totally student dependent. Here's my situation and how I've felt while going through the Kaplan course. I chose to use the course as my only class for this summer, and treat it like it was a 5-6 credit course. My MCAT prep has been through Kaplan due to some of the material being years ago since I last studied it. I work full time (3 12 hour shifts a week in a position that allows for studying time at work), and overall it has been challenging to keep pace and get as much as I would like from everything as I'm preparing for the MCAT and taking the Kaplan course. So I would recommend seeing about maybe just concentrating solely on the MCAT and not taking the science course, but it's totally up to you. Good luck.

agreed.