How to study for January 2015 exam?

[Mavs88]

I'm sort of struggling on putting together a plan going forward. My exam date is January 13, 2015 (old MCAT), and I'm trying to figure out how much I will be studying every day.

Of course the month right before is going to be 5 or so hours every day of studying, if not more. My question is how to space it out during the Fall semester?

I'm taking 20 credit hours and have some ECs as well. I can probably carve out 3-4 hours every Saturday or so to devote.

Would you say content review through the fall semester, and then intense practice tests during winter break? How many practice tests to take in that 30 day period?

I should add that most of this content will be fresh in my head from the past 1-2 years.

also: any suggestions on what books/material would be best suited for my time table?

Thanks!!

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[Mavs88]

Anybody!?

 

[Sed8&Intub8]

I feel like you are putting yourself in a bad spot. 20 credits is a lot and you want to study for the mcat 5 months. And initially only 3 hours a week? What materials are you planning on using? Are you using sn2ed schedule? 3 hours a week won't even cover half a chapter, so you'll be doing one chapter every two weeks? 2 chapters month? It's not going to work. You need to take less credits and give more time to the MCAT. Then with a solid one month during winter break completely devoted to MCAT, then you may be able to do it. Even then, studying for 5 months of the MCAT you might have some recall issues 5 months later. But, its doable, if you take good notes. Either way, if you want to do well on the MCAT, I don't think only giving yourself 3-4 hours a week during the fall semester and taking 20 credits will work.

 

[Gauss44]

Answer to title: Jan 2015 is still the same MCAT as 2014. Absolutely master Examkrackers for the sciences and practice TPR VR Workbook for verbal. If you are struggling, get a tutor. That's it in a nutshell.

 

[Mavs88]

Thanks for the advice, all. I am cutting back to 17 credit hours.

 

[pepocho]

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[Mavs88]

I am more worried about burn out and underestimating the time needed for efficiency in everything. I myself take longer than most person, because I feel like I am a slow reader with new material. So I take 5-8 hours studying(sometimes more if it is something I struggled with in college) under the Sn2ed plan. However, I am on the high end of time it takes. The average is about 6ish hour I don't think the sn2ed plan will be acceptable for your scheduling. I want to recommend EK series only, but I feel like you will be lacking in question area. EK gives you a fail sense of confidence in questions in my opinion. I enjoy the ek 1001 for making sure I know the basics, but MCAT is more thought provoking. I would wanna recommend finding some TPR or TBR just to have the questions. But I understand money is an important factor in this. And, is there absolutely no way you can cut your scheduling more? Or cut out more ECs? You can't push ECs or classes to summer?

Also a good tip for I do not remember where this is from, but everything ALWAYS takes longer than expected. Always plan on being stuck on something. Always plan for roadblocks. Especially during those exam weeks for school. It is tough to study for the MCAT when you realize you have two exams looming over you.

Also breaks are super important. I don't care if you have steel will and are used to being a workaholic. I am a workaholic. No matter how much caffeine, energy drinks, and will you have, you are human and you WILL burn out if you don't take breaks.


EDIT: in all fairness, there is a large number of people who do just fine using EK series only, with 6-8 weeks of studying constantly. But either way, you need to open your schedule more

thanks man. I dropped one of my 4 hr science classes for a really easy 3 hr class (stats). My schedule is currently WIDE open on Mondays and Wednesdays. I will def be investing more time into studying.

 

[Sed8&Intub8]

Anything else you can drop? Can you just take some credits next summer to catch up? Really would be best to lighten your load as much as possible

 

[Mavs88]

Anything else you can drop? Can you just take some credits next summer to catch up? Really would be best to lighten your load as much as possible

Well currently I have: Genetics (4), French (5), Biochem (3), Stats (3), Ochem II Lab (1). My schedule is almost all on TR, except a lab on Friday. 3 days of school week are almost completely empty.

Also, I am an SI leader for Ochem I, so I won't need content review for that at all....I hope lol.

 

[Sed8&Intub8]

Well currently I have: Genetics (4), French (5), Biochem (3), Stats (3), Ochem II Lab (1). My schedule is almost all on TR, except a lab on Friday. 3 days of school week are almost completely empty.

Also, I am an SI leader for Ochem I, so I won't need content review for that at all....I hope lol.

Well, whatever you think is best. You don't want to sacrifice your grades in school nor your score on the MCAT. You know yourself that best, but don't underestimate the difficulty of doing both of these. I still recommend less credits, and try to take classes next summer.

 

[pepocho]

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[Mavs88]

Thanks for the advice man, I'll let you know how it goes! and yeah, doing SI again...so I should have a good foundation in it, plus I really enjoy it.

 

[Mavs88]

Anything else you can drop? Can you just take some credits next summer to catch up? Really would be best to lighten your load as much as possible

I'm cutting back stats as well. def something I can just easily tack on in the future. Leaves me at 13 credits.

I'm obviously not going to be able to do the Sn2ed method, but I plan on buying a lot of the same books he rec'd. Do you guys have any opinions on that? I will likely get TBR set, EK 1001 verbal, EK physics/ochem/chem, and the AAMC practice tests.

 

[Sed8&Intub8]

You could do that schedule and cut out EK1001. That would save time. You could also replace TBR Orgo with EK orgo, and read the lab techniques chapter in TBR. That should save you a couple weeks.