When should one start studing for MCAT?

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XeReX

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I have heard from a lot of people that 5-6 months of studying is enough to prepare you for MCATs, means that one should start studying in the fall of their junior year.

But there was this guy who came to one of our premed club meetings and he is an assistant of the Dean of my state's medical school. He said that you should Start studying for MCAT in your freshman year, that way you can better prepare yourself for MCATs. He gave us this analogy that "See you have a very big cookie to eat, so is it better to start eating it in little bits from day one or wait few hours before you are supposed to finish it and start eating in huge chunks?"

So i just wanted to know from people who have taken the MCAT, that according to their experience and best knowledge when is it better to start studying for MCAT, or how much time one should utilize so that they can better prepare themselves for the MCAT?

btw i am a freshman right now

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Don't worry about your MCAT during freshman year. I studied for 3 months during the summer of my senior year, as did many people I know, and we all did fine.

Looking back on my pre-med years, I only have one reget: I spent too much time thinking about getting in to med school, and not enough time enjoying my undergrad years for their own sake. Focus on learning in your classes, not because you think it'll help you on the MCAT, but because you think it'll broaden your perspective as a person. If you are sincere about this philosophy throughout your undergrad years, doing well on the MCAT will come naturally. Even if your GPA sometimes suffers, ad-coms can definitely recognize people who are passionate about what they do.
 
How long you spend studying for the MCAT, in my opinion, really depends on how much knowledge you have of the material beforehand. For me, I studied for about 40 days, 5 hours per day.
 
Don't worry about your MCAT during freshman year. I studied for 3 months during the summer of my senior year, as did many people I know, and we all did fine.

Looking back on my pre-med years, I only have one reget: I spent too much time thinking about getting in to med school, and not enough time enjoying my undergrad years for their own sake. Focus on learning in your classes, not because you think it'll help you on the MCAT, but because you think it'll broaden your perspective as a person. If you are sincere about this philosophy throughout your undergrad years, doing well on the MCAT will come naturally. Even if your GPA sometimes suffers, ad-coms can definitely recognize people who are passionate about what they do.
Great advice thank you
 
When should I start studying/When should I take the MCAT?

You can choose your 3-4 month window to study after you've completed your pre-reqs. In your pre-reqs, gain mastery of the material; don't aim merely for an A. Spending the time to master the material in your pre-reqs will pay off when you study for the MCAT.

Most people take the MCAT in either the summer of their junior year in college or the summer after they graduate. I don't suggest you take the MCAT earlier then your junior year because you run the risk of having your MCAT expire. Furthermore, the additional classes you have in the meantime may aid you on the MCAT. That said, the bottom line is to take the MCAT when you're ready.
 
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