Retaking MCAT question

[cugatron]

Hi all,

I just recently graduated from college and I'm currently working full time as a Clinical Research Coordinator. I took my MCAT in April 2015 and scored a 499 (Chem 126, CARS 126, Bio 125, Psych 122, GPA: 3.873). I'm taking some time off and will be applying next year and just had questions about the best timeline for me in terms of studying and taking the test.

I work 9-5 Monday-Friday and right now I'm finding it a little hard to squeeze in time to study. How have those who had a full time job schedule time to study and what was your schedule?

I really want to take the test next year and I know what sections to focus on, so would a test date for like February-April be good? I know the 2017 dates are not up yet but I'm hoping they will be around the same time.

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[CJhooper123]

Hi all,

I just recently graduated from college and I'm currently working full time as a Clinical Research Coordinator. I took my MCAT in April 2015 and scored a 499 (Chem 126, CARS 126, Bio 125, Psych 122, GPA: 3.873). I'm taking some time off and will be applying next year and just had questions about the best timeline for me in terms of studying and taking the test.

I work 9-5 Monday-Friday and right now I'm finding it a little hard to squeeze in time to study. How have those who had a full time job schedule time to study and what was your schedule?

I really want to take the test next year and I know what sections to focus on, so would a test date for like February-April be good? I know the 2017 dates are not up yet but I'm hoping they will be around the same time.

I've been working 40 hours/week over the past 3-4 months while studying. It is a huge drag but definitely doable. Highly recommend doing "something" every single day. On work days try to hit 3-4 hours. I have been been trying to answer at least 1 passage from each section once a day (usually from Khan). Also recommend 7-8 hours on off-days (Saturday/Sunday).

 

[LIC2015]

I work 9-5 Monday-Friday and right now I'm finding it a little hard to squeeze in time to study. How have those who had a full time job schedule time to study and what was your schedule?

I also have a 9-5 research gig. Unfortunately, studying for the MCAT with this schedule requires sacrificing a lot of your social life. Because weekends are your only days off, those will be your best bet for getting a realistic sense of your current standing in score/timing. I would recommend using weekdays for doing single-section practice. For example, do one exam broken down into 4 days during the week. Each day, complete a section of one exam (95 mins) and spend as much time as you need (for most people, no more than 30 mins) to thoroughly review each question. That being said, I don't recommend studying every single day for months straight. Take a day off per week and relax, it'll help in the long run. I usually reserved Fridays for hanging out with my gf, and spent weekdays after work stuck in Barnes and Noble or a library and didn't leave until I finished that day's study material. Even taking off one weekend a month to spend time with friends/family won't hurt your score. A 499 tells me that your content is mostly there, you just need to improve your test-taking skills and passage interpretation. If you follow the one-section-per-day routine, you'll adapt to the exam format very quickly and be very comfortable when it's time to take the real thing. There's a great post on here somewhere that has all the free MCAT practice material links, look for it and take advantage.

Good luck!