DAT In a Month...Best Study method?

[amaghsou]

Whats up guys!

So my DAT is roughly in 35-40 days and I want to know whats the most effective way of tackling the last month? During the first Month and half, I used Chad's videos, Cliff's AP, and Math Destroyer. Now I have started DAT Destroyer and plan on running through it at least once but most likely twice, in the next month. I have been practicing using Bootcamp for the PAT, so I am not worried on preparations for that section. Although, English isn't my first language and I know my RC will take a hit; but this is the one section that I really cannot prepare for other than practice using the available sources.

My main concern are the 3 sciences. Between the subjects, it seems like as I learn something, I forget it in a week. What are your tips to make the final months meaningful and productive?

Thank you guys in advance.

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[FancyFloss]

So I just studied in the same time frame you did for the DAT and my main concern was also the sciences. My average practice Bootcamp scores for the sciences are BIO 25, Gen Chem 22, and ORGO 23. Everyone is different and has different preferences for studying but here is what I did. Chad's is great for taking notes on chem and orgo and his quizzes are meh but get you pointed in the right direction.

WEEK 1: I Rewrote all the bio, chem, orgo, and math notes into a way that is easy for me to read through. Rewrite them anyway you want but make sure to write them because it'll help you remember the info in the long term. I used Kaplan's blue book to give my notes a starting point. Download and print Bootcamp's math and orgo study sheets. After I rewrote my notes I'd spend 5-6 hours a day studying the rewritten notes. Alternate what you study so you're kept on your toes. After this first initial week of rewriting and studying you should take a practice test and see where your weaknesses are. Fill in the gaps in your notes with info from the explanations of EVERY answer choice. I used Bootcamp for all my practice tests.

WEEK 2: I read halfway through Feralis's notes which is good to supplement your Bio notes. Try to read through the entire thing before week 4 to get the full benefit. Study everything again this week. I avoided the PAT, RCT, and QR until week 4 started. DAT Destroyer: start doing 1.5 hours worth of questions from the sciences each day and take your time reviewing his explanations to further fill in note gaps. Do his questions in 20Q intervals. Take another practice test at the end of the week and use the answer choice explanations to fill in gaps again.

WEEK 3: Review all your notes again for the last time. At this point you should know your notes better than your family. Start doing problems from DAT Destroyer daily and carefully review his explanations. Take another practice test at the end of the week, fill in gaps with explanations.

WEEK 4: This is where you should start studying for the PAT, QR, and RCT. I used 2 hours a day to focus on one of the sections so everyday I'd study a different topic. The 1st 3 practice tests should tell you where to focus in these sections. Keep doing DAT Destroyer and this time add math/PAT into the mix. Take another practice test.

FINAL WEEK: LAST PUSH! Just keep doing problems. Thats all there is to it. Take the 5th practice test halfway through this week and see where you want to spend the last 3-4 days focusing on. Review notes during this week to fill in your mental cheat sheet with mnemonics and tricks you might have not been tested on.

PS: DAT Destroyer likes to use answer choices like "all the above" or "none of the above" and you'll never see those types of questions on the DAT. Instead skip it and when checking your answers read the explanation to those questions. 9 times out of 10 the answer is "all the above" or "none of the above".

Hope this helps! Retaking my DAT tomorrow and I've been studying since the last week of May.

 

[Alpha Centauri]

So I just studied in the same time frame you did for the DAT and my main concern was also the sciences. My average practice Bootcamp scores for the sciences are BIO 25, Gen Chem 22, and ORGO 23. Everyone is different and has different preferences for studying but here is what I did. Chad's is great for taking notes on chem and orgo and his quizzes are meh but get you pointed in the right direction.

WEEK 1: I Rewrote all the bio, chem, orgo, and math notes into a way that is easy for me to read through. Rewrite them anyway you want but make sure to write them because it'll help you remember the info in the long term. I used Kaplan's blue book to give my notes a starting point. Download and print Bootcamp's math and orgo study sheets. After I rewrote my notes I'd spend 5-6 hours a day studying the rewritten notes. Alternate what you study so you're kept on your toes. After this first initial week of rewriting and studying you should take a practice test and see where your weaknesses are. Fill in the gaps in your notes with info from the explanations of EVERY answer choice. I used Bootcamp for all my practice tests.

WEEK 2: I read halfway through Feralis's notes which is good to supplement your Bio notes. Try to read through the entire thing before week 4 to get the full benefit. Study everything again this week. I avoided the PAT, RCT, and QR until week 4 started. DAT Destroyer: start doing 1.5 hours worth of questions from the sciences each day and take your time reviewing his explanations to further fill in note gaps. Do his questions in 20Q intervals. Take another practice test at the end of the week and use the answer choice explanations to fill in gaps again.

WEEK 3: Review all your notes again for the last time. At this point you should know your notes better than your family. Start doing problems from DAT Destroyer daily and carefully review his explanations. Take another practice test at the end of the week, fill in gaps with explanations.

WEEK 4: This is where you should start studying for the PAT, QR, and RCT. I used 2 hours a day to focus on one of the sections so everyday I'd study a different topic. The 1st 3 practice tests should tell you where to focus in these sections. Keep doing DAT Destroyer and this time add math/PAT into the mix. Take another practice test.

FINAL WEEK: LAST PUSH! Just keep doing problems. Thats all there is to it. Take the 5th practice test halfway through this week and see where you want to spend the last 3-4 days focusing on. Review notes during this week to fill in your mental cheat sheet with mnemonics and tricks you might have not been tested on.

PS: DAT Destroyer likes to use answer choices like "all the above" or "none of the above" and you'll never see those types of questions on the DAT. Instead skip it and when checking your answers read the explanation to those questions. 9 times out of 10 the answer is "all the above" or "none of the above".

Hope this helps! Retaking my DAT tomorrow and I've been studying since the last week of May.

Good luck tomorrow, though why are you retaking it?

 

[FancyFloss]

Good luck tomorrow, though why are you retaking it?

My GPA is horrendous so I went back to retake a few classes + a new class and I did ok, nothing to be proud of though. So I need to have higher DAT scores to balance everything out and make myself stand out. Besides, I can only do better, right? I got interviewed for the 2015 admission and the person said to try again with better scores in classes and the DAT if I don't get in. So here I am. If I do well you will see a nice little post about my journey.

 

[Alikhan9]

My GPA is horrendous so I went back to retake a few classes + a new class and I did ok, nothing to be proud of though. So I need to have higher DAT scores to balance everything out and make myself stand out. Besides, I can only do better, right? I got interviewed for the 2015 admission and the person said to try again with better scores in classes and the DAT if I don't get in. So here I am. If I do well you will see a nice little post about my journey.

How do you feel on the second time around?

 

[amaghsou]

So I just studied in the same time frame you did for the DAT and my main concern was also the sciences. My average practice Bootcamp scores for the sciences are BIO 25, Gen Chem 22, and ORGO 23. Everyone is different and has different preferences for studying but here is what I did. Chad's is great for taking notes on chem and orgo and his quizzes are meh but get you pointed in the right direction.

WEEK 1: I Rewrote all the bio, chem, orgo, and math notes into a way that is easy for me to read through. Rewrite them anyway you want but make sure to write them because it'll help you remember the info in the long term. I used Kaplan's blue book to give my notes a starting point. Download and print Bootcamp's math and orgo study sheets. After I rewrote my notes I'd spend 5-6 hours a day studying the rewritten notes. Alternate what you study so you're kept on your toes. After this first initial week of rewriting and studying you should take a practice test and see where your weaknesses are. Fill in the gaps in your notes with info from the explanations of EVERY answer choice. I used Bootcamp for all my practice tests.

WEEK 2: I read halfway through Feralis's notes which is good to supplement your Bio notes. Try to read through the entire thing before week 4 to get the full benefit. Study everything again this week. I avoided the PAT, RCT, and QR until week 4 started. DAT Destroyer: start doing 1.5 hours worth of questions from the sciences each day and take your time reviewing his explanations to further fill in note gaps. Do his questions in 20Q intervals. Take another practice test at the end of the week and use the answer choice explanations to fill in gaps again.

WEEK 3: Review all your notes again for the last time. At this point you should know your notes better than your family. Start doing problems from DAT Destroyer daily and carefully review his explanations. Take another practice test at the end of the week, fill in gaps with explanations.

WEEK 4: This is where you should start studying for the PAT, QR, and RCT. I used 2 hours a day to focus on one of the sections so everyday I'd study a different topic. The 1st 3 practice tests should tell you where to focus in these sections. Keep doing DAT Destroyer and this time add math/PAT into the mix. Take another practice test.

FINAL WEEK: LAST PUSH! Just keep doing problems. Thats all there is to it. Take the 5th practice test halfway through this week and see where you want to spend the last 3-4 days focusing on. Review notes during this week to fill in your mental cheat sheet with mnemonics and tricks you might have not been tested on.

PS: DAT Destroyer likes to use answer choices like "all the above" or "none of the above" and you'll never see those types of questions on the DAT. Instead skip it and when checking your answers read the explanation to those questions. 9 times out of 10 the answer is "all the above" or "none of the above".

Hope this helps! Retaking my DAT tomorrow and I've been studying since the last week of May.

Thank you so much for the response. I am grateful that you took the time to explain this to me. I do agree that destroyer has the gimmicky "all of the above" and I knew that wasnt gonna be on the real thing. I guess the key of Destroyer has been to make you get the questions wrong so you go back and study everything honestly.

I wish the best of luck to you on the DAT tomorrow. Let us know how it goes.

 

[FancyFloss]

How do you feel on the second time around?

Honestly way better. If you read my breakdown you'll see I only used Kaplan for the DAT with Chad's videos the first time. That really isn't enough to get you above a 20. This time I spent the extra money on Bootcamp and a friend gave me the DAT Destroyer books. So i feel way better about it this time.

Thank you so much for the response. I am grateful that you took the time to explain this to me. I do agree that destroyer has the gimmicky "all of the above" and I knew that wasnt gonna be on the real thing. I guess the key of Destroyer has been to make you get the questions wrong so you go back and study everything honestly.

I wish the best of luck to you on the DAT tomorrow. Let us know how it goes.

Jest helping out a fellow pre-dent Just make sure you understand why wrong answer choice is wrong and it'll help you better understand the material! Good luck to you too