typing out notes or writing for MCAT prep

[RUc10]

I'm rereading all Biology and Gen Chem topics that will be tested on as listed by AAMC because I'm about 2 years removed from both of them. I tend to do a lot on my computer because it's very easy to keep everything organized and may be more convenient since I carry my laptop everywhere I go when I'm studying. It will also be easier to find things in my notes when I have to refer back to them.
That being said, I know for a fact that it does help a bit more personally to hand write notes.
It can get time consuming but I'm not taking the exam until September so I'm not sure if I should just go that route.
Anybody feel it's worth it to take the extra time? I'm only doing this to refresh myself with the info I won't remember anything about. Once I'm done with that I'm goign to be starting the actual MCAT prep with my EK books.

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[Segovia]

I think this is a good idea, but I still "hand-solve" most of the physics/g-chem problems and keep them in a notebook. I also found this was a great way to keep track of my practice passages. I did all of the BR passages in physics and chem and put the title of each passage in excel (this is time consuming, but you only have to do it once). Then, I had a column where I would put a hyperlinked word doc of notes of the stuff I missed. Anytime I want to look at my weaknesses, I can just click on the link and there are my notes from two months ago of the stuff I missed. It just makes everything more accessible, and I think you are more likely to refer back to the notes if they are typed out.

I do think that mixing in handwritten notes is also a good idea, because it seems that physically writing with a pencil activates a different part of the brain or something.

 

[RUc10]

Thanks. I also would have done anything that involved figuring out an answer by hand. I guess I"ll go with the computer. It will just be much easier to access specific information in my notes that way.

 

[Mattabet]

I think you're right to go with the computer, at least initially. I'm an avid hand (re)writer too, I love it for studying in general. But we're talking about the whole MCAT - it's just too much. There are entire big books published on things you need to know for the test, basically, you're talking about recreating one of those by hand. Ick.

I'd start with computer notes, and if you need to focus on a particular area, you can handwrite here and there.

 

[Segovia]

I think you're right to go with the computer, at least initially. I'm an avid hand (re)writer too, I love it for studying in general. But we're talking about the whole MCAT - it's just too much. There are entire big books published on things you need to know for the test, basically, you're talking about recreating one of those by hand. Ick.

I'd start with computer notes, and if you need to focus on a particular area, you can handwrite here and there.

Yeah, compulsive note taking is something you have to reign in every once in while. I also have to always ask myself if I am writing the notes just for the sake of that false feeling of accomplishment, or if the notes are truly high-yielding. My litmus test is just to make sure that I am putting the material in my own words and not just vomiting back out what is already in the text. Either way, I have found writing more effective than flash cards, because I am better able to see the big picture.

Mattabet, did you write many notes for the MCAT, or did you just focus on doing practice tests? Your score is.....a little intimidating.

 

[Mattabet]

Mattabet, did you write many notes for the MCAT, or did you just focus on doing practice tests? Your score is.....a little intimidating.

Well thank you . I wrote and rewrote plenty of things. More than once, I remember coming across some concept (which at some point in the past I knew, but had since purged from my mind) and I'd outline the subject as throughly as it needed to be known for the MCAT. Naturally I also took some practice tests, but I wouldn't say I focused on those.

Truthfully speaking, I'm not sure you can break 35 just by pounding practice test after practice test. If you're after the really high scores (and you shouldn't necessarily be, 40 is not that much greater than 35 of the interview trail, though it did help a little), then you really need to be efficient at identifying your own weaknesses and fixing them. So I'd do a test, figure out that I really didn't know aerobic and anaerobic respiration as well as I needed to, write some notes, and do better on those questions in the future. Repeat on about 100 other subjects and you're set!

 

[PreMedHopeful]

I was wondering if I should take notes as I review the material? Or should I just read the book and then I'll read another book? What's more effective way to prepare?

 

[Mattabet]

I was wondering if I should take notes as I review the material? Or should I just read the book and then I'll read another book? What's more effective way to prepare?

It depends. There was a good chunk of stuff that I reviewed, but I already knew it. If you know Ohm's law, then just seeing V=IR is enough that I'd be ready to use it given a simple question that called for it. So I wouldn't waste my time on small, trivial stuff.

That said, when you run up against something you're not good with, or you hadn't done so well with before, that's when I might think about writing it out to make sure my retention was good enough for the MCAT. With new material, (in my case anyway) simply reading was too passive. When I hit a wall, it was time to get down and dirty with the pen and paper.

You'll have to figure out what works for you and tweak your methods to suit your style

 

[PreMedHopeful]

thanks for the advice

 

[Charles Darwin]

Bump.

I'm interested in a refreshing opinion regarding note-taking while reading prep books (particularly BS section).

 

[argama]

hmm I take notes on my passages and tests mistakes and guesses. I used to blindly do that but now I take mroe time and try to reconstruct how I arrived at my answer vs. how the test arrived at its answer. It's really time-consuming but I feel like the info sticks. I refer to my notes a lot when I eat and when I'm not hardcore studying everyday.

We'll see if that helps lol....

 

[Charles Darwin]

hmm I take notes on my passages and tests mistakes and guesses. I used to blindly do that but now I take mroe time and try to reconstruct how I arrived at my answer vs. how the test arrived at its answer. It's really time-consuming but I feel like the info sticks. I refer to my notes a lot when I eat and when I'm not hardcore studying everyday.

We'll see if that helps lol....

What about during content review?

 

[Courtjester8]

I've always felt that when it comes to note taking for sciences, the best course of action is to hand write your notes (in pencil nonetheless). Bio and Orgo required lots of drawing, which, for me, made pencil the natural choice. For gen chem and physics, the math made me go with pencil as well. Also, I feel the kinetic learning benefit from note taking is drastically diminished when notes are typed instead of hand written.

cj8

 

[dropper]

Bump.

I'm interested in a refreshing opinion regarding note-taking while reading prep books (particularly BS section).

Posted this in another thread...works for me

The way I master topics is through cyclic rewriting. First, I take initial intense verbose notes while I'm going through a section/topic. Second, I go through the same topic again, with the same sheets I used before, and add things that I missed / refresh myself on what I've learned and understood. Finally, and I usually do this 3rd step without the book, I reorganize and rewrite my notes on brand new sheets, condensing everything as much as possible, using different colors, making the sheets look real sexy, etc. The sheets I make in the 3rd step usually take a very long time and I'm super precise as to encompass ALL the information from many different subjects concerning that one topic onto the page. (i.e. Carbohydrates, my final sheet would include their structures ochem wise, their digestion and enzymes involved physiology-wise, glycolysis/biochemistry aspect, etc.). These final sheets make it very very easy to review those trouble topics - since you have SO much information condensed onto a few pages.

P.S. Yeah I completely agree writing things by hand helps consolidate information WAY better than typing it up. I've always advocated that fact. But for bio topics...there's just so much information that writing it up by hand could be counterproductive. But for phys/chem/ochem handwriting trumps typing no doubt.

 

[Courtjester8]

Ah i see your point about the massive amount of info in bio being a pain, but I typically drew big pictures or diagrams instead of writing things to eliminate the need for copious amounts of writing. But then again, I'm a very visual learner as well so pictures may help me more than others.

 

[argama]

What about during content review?

I don't take reading notes if that's what you mean but I write/scribble in my book to give myself some peace of mind that I'm learning something.

I did passages right after reading a chapter and then when I grade those and go through the explaination I take writing notes. But since I'm in a time crunch, I'm doing that less now.....still not sure if I am ready for the 23rd.

 

[dropper]

Ya I agree pictures and diagrams work very well. Esp for physiology and biochem stuff. I feel they make reviewing way easier too vs having to read a bunch of words. And theres the fact that long-term mem can store visual info much longer than it can store factual data without visual representation.

So for this situation when I type up the copious bio information, I leave lots of space for diagrams/pictures and after printing out I draw em in.

 

[newtoPA]

I am testing out algorithms, grouping, chunking and relationships. It has helped me learn to tackle material more than in the past. I also started using flashcards.