How does this schedule look while studying for MCAT?

[virtualmaster999]

Hey everyone,

So my schedule for the fall as an upcoming junior is as follows:

Physics 1/ lab (4)
Cell Bio (3)
Brain and Behavior (3)
Literature course (gen ed)- 3
***Might be additionally taking abnormal psych (3)***

Total for sure: 13
With abnormal psych: 16

I will be studying for the 2015 MCAT as well (hopefully doing 20 hours/week).
I also will be volunteering 4 hours/ week, and I have other EC's going on

With the new challenges that the 2015 MCAT brings, should I just leave out abnormal psych? I know that it is only 13 credit hours, but I kinda wanna take it light for two semesters, and I am taking 3 science courses anyways.

What do you guys think? Advice? Thanks ahead!

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[IL Pre Med]

Way too heavy IMO. I teach MCAT classes and have seen so many students fail while studying for the MCAT concurrrently with school. Of couse I have seen students do well with a full courseload as well, but the students I encouter that don't score well outnumber the students that do. I personally believe you should have dedicated MCAT study time for a few months so it's best to do it over the summer. Helps prevent retakes which are a huge pain in the butt. Obviously this isn't feasible for everyone and some have to study while working or going to school. Evaluate your priorities and decide if you can spend two months or so soleley studying for the MCAT. Just my 2 cents.

 

[Osteoth]

Honestly, studying for the MCAT is really hard, and it depends on what your baseline is. Adding into this is that nobody knows what the 2015 MCAT will look like, so you have an additional difficulty when studying. I would personally not take more than 2 classes while studying. The MCAT is arguably the most important test of your entire life, the classes can wait.

 

[alexibluezz]

I took 15 credit-hours this past spring, thinking I would study for the MCAT for several months on the side and take it in May. I ended up doing exactly zero studying. Of course, I was doing some intensive volunteer training as well as research, and the courses were biochem and upper-level engineering courses plus labs, so that was definitely part of it--I had grossly overestimated the amount of time I could spare. So definitely evaluate your capabilities as well as the time commitment you need to put into your coursework to get A's, and be conservative about it. I ended up getting a good score with four weeks of studying after work and school (just one summer class), but it was way less than ideal, and I completely discourage doing anything like that unless you have no other options. Best!

 

[virtualmaster999]

Yeah I mean my gpa is really strong and I've got pretty good EC only thing I'm concerned is this new mcat, which will require a lot more work and time. Should I not take the abnormal psych class, and maybe do "light" research that I could continue (4-5 hrs per week)? Would that be more beneficial?

 

[Kochanie]

When are you planning on taking the new MCAT?

 

[litotes]

Sophomore here (taking in a year probably)... how are you supposed to clear 2 completely free months to study for the MCAT? don't you need to be, you know, doing constructive things over the summer?

 

[virtualmaster999]

When are you planning on taking the new MCAT?

I'm gonna take it in April or May of 2015. Gonna start slowly studying end of this month.

 

[Lamel]

Studying NOW to take it in April or May is just too long OP. You could take the current/old version of the MCAT if you start studying now and take the exam by January.

You could also take the new one in April/May, but then I would start studying after this fall semester is over.

Either way, take as light as a load as you possibly can; I studied for the MCAT during the semester, and my only hard class was organic, and it really was tough. I feel my GPA and my MCAT score both took minor hits.

 

[virtualmaster999]

Studying NOW to take it in April or May is just too long OP. You could take the current/old version of the MCAT if you start studying now and take the exam by January.

You could also take the new one in April/May, but then I would start studying after this fall semester is over.

Either way, take as light as a load as you possibly can; I studied for the MCAT during the semester, and my only hard class was organic, and it really was tough. I feel my GPA and my MCAT score both took minor hits.

Only problem for old mcat is that I haven't taken physics :/

 

[AlphaKY1]

Sophomore here (taking in a year probably)... how are you supposed to clear 2 completely free months to study for the MCAT? don't you need to be, you know, doing constructive things over the summer?

to be honest I don't know either. I studied for ~3-3.5 weeks at 3-4 hours/day after work. I feel studying for that long you will burn yourself out. There is only so much you can do. You've learned all the material once. I scored a 32 (11/10/11) FWIW.

 

[DielsAlder]

I'm gonna take it in April or May of 2015. Gonna start slowly studying end of this month.

A lot of people will disagree with me, but I am a big proponent of the "little by little" approach for studying for the MCAT. Don't do anything crazy like study 20 hours/week until April 2015, but definitely fit in studying each week until then. My belief is that it would still allow you to continue hard classes and EC's without sacrificing them for the MCAT.

 

[alexibluezz]

Most of the physics on the MCAT is pretty basic, I would check out a review book and see if it looks like stuff you can learn in a few months (you seem pretty smart, and it's really just knowing the formulas and when to use them). Just my two cents--I would rather do that than take a completely new exam, especially with all that biochem. Maybe it won't be as bad as I'm thinking, but the trial section was pretty hard for me, right after taking a year of biochem and getting A's.

Only problem for old mcat is that I haven't taken physics :/

 

[litotes]

do y'all think it's necessary to have taken a Psych course before the 2015 MCAT? If I test in August 2015 I'll have taken bio, chem, orgo, physics, biochem but probably not psych.

 

[moisne]

How's your verbal? I tried really hard to study for VR but it just will not improve... I didn't know how to study an interpretation of some passage.

PS and BS can easily be improved with studying.