Full-Time, Non-Trad Workers: How Did You Manage to Study for the Beast?

I took a few practice tests when I got off from work but this was highly ineffective. I found that I was too tired to do well by the time I got to the end of the test. What I wound up doing was coming in a few hours early (I am a research assistant also, and have a flexible schedule) and taking a few hours off at the end of the day. This allowed me to go home and start a test at about 2:00 so I had time to do the whole thing.

I also studied a lot after work in my office. The place gets pretty quiet in the evening and I could stay and study until the traffic died around 8:00pm. In addition to practice tests, you should get your hands on as many practice questions as possible. These are great for filling in odd chunks of time like evenings when you can't do a whole test and have finished your content review.

Try to make yourself a schedule and stick to it. If you have a written schedule you'll be less likely to break it than if you try to just have vague goals about hours and tests/etc...

I studied on break and on days off and only took one practice test and think I did fine.


Justin

ManimalJax said:

I am a full-time research assistant. School has ended for me quite a while ago and so I am fully immersed into the all-American, 9 to 5 workforce. My question to all of my fellow SDN'ers who have been in the same position and managed to study for the MCAT is: How did you do it?

Obviously, you would come home every evening and begin to chip away at the books during the content review phase. However, how did you manage practice exams? I work some Saturdays, so the only time when I can take practice exams are during the evening. Has anyone else here who has taken the MCAT managed to take all of their practice exams outside of the traditional real-MCAT timeframe (morning or noon)? If so, please share some advice...how you stayed awake, how you retained information into the evening, etc.

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From March to August this year, I worked 9-5 as a research coordinator, completed pre-reqs at night (Orgo II 3 nights a week in the Spring, Physics II 4 days a week during the summer), volunteered every Saturday, and took Kaplan prep on Sundays. I also had to do my AMCAS application, which was probably the most stressful thing of all. I took 2 full-length practice tests on Sundays after Kaplan, then I took a two-week "vacation" before my MCAT test date where I did a full-length every other day with content review on off-days. All in all, I took 7 full-length practice exams before the real thing.

Looking back, I don't know how I got through it all successfully (aced both classes and scored 30+ on the MCAT). As far as how to stay awake, I chugged a Red Bull before each full-length (no joke). For studying tips, I tried to sneak in content review at my day job when things were slow. So don't lose heart. If I can do it, so can you. Feel free to PM me if you are still having trouble. Best of luck!

Thought I'd just add my experiences here. I'm also a regular 9-5 guy who took the 9/13 one. Hopefully you don't have to work more than 40 hours a week; even up to 45 or so can be a bitch. I think you can easily do well on the MCAT and have plenty of time to review, you'll just have to start earlier. I started three months out, did content review for probably 6-7 weeks, and took practice tests and reviewed for the remaining 5.

One suggestion I definitely would make is to cut down full-length practice exams into individual sections. For example, take a physical sciences section on Monday after work, then spend the rest of your evening reviewing what you got wrong, why, etc. Then do the bio section on Tues, verbal on Wed, and so on. Since the real test is only 4 hours now (instead of 7 or whatever it used to be), fatigue shouldn't be too much of a problem on test day. And that way you don't have to hurry home from work and rush things to try and start a full-length by 6 or 6:30.

Good luck!

Hi,

9-5, Mon-Fri worker here (architect actually). I just wrote on 9/13 as well.

I studied evenings and weekends since Feb/08 leading up to the exam as I had no content base. Even weekends I couldn't go the whole day because of family/work...etc.

When it came to practice exams, I did them all in pieces as someone else stated above. (PS one day and BS another...etc).It's great with the AAMC CBTs, how you can break it up like that. I did make sure to take work off 2 days and took it full length to get used to the long stretch of all the parts together.

I averaged 30s +/- on the practices so I think it worked well for me (we'll see when I get the mark).

I think the key is to start early and set up a schedule with goals and stick to it. It's a long grind. Get used to telling people, "sorry I'm busy tonight". Don't miss a single day on your study schedule. I felt like I had no life for most of this year, but it's worth it. I amazed it where I am now from where I started. I'm shocked I was getting 30s on practices from starting from literally nothing but math skills.

I used ExamKrackers for everything. I borrowed other books from friends, but with no science background, I found Examkrackers to be the best at explaining things to those who start from scratch. Their verbal system is the best too! I would look up terms from time to time in other reference texts (like university text books borrowed from friends) but I'd say it was 95% ExamKrackers for me.

Good luck!

I took the August 22nd test and scored a 36T. It was my second go after scoring a 28T on the June 13th admin. Now granted, this might not work for everyone... But at night after I came home from work I would put the olympics (or something similar) on in the background with all the living room lights on and study until 1 or 2 am. I know some people are distracted by tv, but it helped me to stay awake and look forward to my study time every night! In btw EK chapters I would take a few minute break and watch a swim heat or gymnastics routine. Sounds silly, right? I also think it helped to stay excited and positive about what I was learning and imagine receiving an amazing score!

I forgot to mention, I never took a full length practice test! There was no way I could ever spend that much time all at once without being interrupted. I took some timed practice sections but never a full timed practice aamc or kaplan test. Plus I didn't want to pay the money! Worked out well for me.

dancindoc85 said:

I took the August 22nd test and scored a 36T. It was my second go after scoring a 28T on the June 13th admin. Now granted, this might not work for everyone... But at night after I came home from work I would put the olympics (or something similar) on in the background with all the living room lights on and study until 1 or 2 am. I know some people are distracted by tv, but it helped me to stay awake and look forward to my study time every night! In btw EK chapters I would take a few minute break and watch a swim heat or gymnastics routine. Sounds silly, right? I also think it helped to stay excited and positive about what I was learning and imagine receiving an amazing score!

I forgot to mention, I never took a full length practice test! There was no way I could ever spend that much time all at once without being interrupted. I took some timed practice sections but never a full timed practice aamc or kaplan test. Plus I didn't want to pay the money! Worked out well for me.

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well ,sounds wonderful. should i buy ek series ,as i already have kaplan and princeton preview books...

I too am in your same boat.

I work 9-5. What that means is, you have to wake up early. Wake up around 6. Study for two hours. Go to work. Come home. Study til 8-9. Eat and sleep.

Repeat.

Weekends are meant for full lengths.

Don't let stupid things bother you.

Keep at a schedule.

If you have volunteer stuff, schedule a break in between.

In fact, a week before my test, I'm probably going to take 3-4 days off to study for it.

Good lucky

It's definitely tough. I am a nontrad full time worker. In my case, I have not been in any class for 6 years. Knowing that I needed some major review I started studying a year before the MCAT. I am taking it this March and now I am really picking up the pace on this. I try to spend an hour every day but it is tough after a day at work and some days I am just too tired. I do try to review material for an hour after work in the evening and every Saturday I put in 3-5 hours. I only take practice exams on weekends when I have the time and energy to do the whole test in one sitting. I am also planning on taking off four days the week before the MCAT to really get a handle on everything.