Hey guys, I just finished with DAT this morning at 8AM. Prior taking the test, I promise myself to write up what i thought about the whole process of what i've went through throughout the 2 weeks worth of studying for the DAT and the results for it
Start off, i'd like to say THANK YOU THANK YOU AND THANK YOU to some of the fellows i met over predds.net and on studentdoctor for providing me with studying materials, in which i was lacking and
AllahIsGreater
Shawn
and Ehsan
Okay lets begin
Little background info, I recently finished my 2nd years in college and is going onto my 3rd year. I wanted to apply early, hoping that at least one out of the 21 school i applied to will accept me. Ive finished all the prereq courses (bio, chem, ochem, english, and physic) and therefore i thought i didn't have to study much, however i was wrong (especially for the bio section). The reason why I only have 2 weeks worth of studying time was because i was taking 2 summer classes (one GE and Physic II), which ended on July 16th, leaving me with just 15 days to study. My Science GPA is 3.73 and over all is 3.72.
Study Materials: (very little, barely anything - only Cliffnote AP bio belongs to me, the rest was borrowed since i couldn't afford them]
-DATqvault
-Cliff AP bio
-ExamKrackers (bio, chem, ochem, and RC section) [borrowed from my gf]
-Chad's video
-and some not-that-complex/easy practice exams, which didn't find that helpful
[total: $15 dollars for cliff ap bio, should have spend more, but i knew i didn't have the time to study from them anyways]
Studying Routine:
-knowing that I am lack of time and resources, i hit the book right after i finished my Physic Final. Everyday, 10 hours a day, for 10 days, I'd try to finish 1 lecture of bio, and 2 lectures of chemistry (which was a load of crap to take in for me, especially gen chem). when i finally finished, i only have about 6 or 5 days left worth of studying.
-Running out of resources i panicked, asked my girlfriend for help and she found predds.net and there i met several people.
-i spent one whole day and read through the Barron's AP bio (which was extremely helpful and easy to read. I really recommend you toget Barron's AP bio, i understand so much from reading it. I just didn't have the time to memorize all the biomes and taxonomy stuff)
-3 days before D-Day, i managed to get a hold of Chad's video, and within 28 hours, i finished his entire collection of Gen-Chem, which did help me raised my Gen chem by A LOT. (Thanks Chad!) i'm actually kind of proud about this part. It was hard waking up early and stare at these videos for 14 hours straight.
-the following day, the day before my DAT, i did DATqVault, the score was ranged from 15-20, couldn't get much hire. After, within 6 hours, i managed to finished reading the entire Cliff AP bio (i got really tired toward the end so didn't pay much attention to the last chapter though). In my opinion, Cliff was very informative but the reading is much boring compare to Barron's.
Over all: i put out around roughly average of 12 hours a day studying for the DAT. on the last 3 days, i spent merely 16 hours a day studying since time was running out. I do not recommend this to anyone at all! it was the worse 2 weeks of my life, nonetheless, i did learn a lot lol.
yesterday, the day before my D-Day, I tried to go to bed at 10:30, but was so anxious that I laid in my bed for 4 hours straight and finally was able to get some sleep at 3 AM (DAT is at 8AM btw) lol
Here are the result:
PAT : 22
QR: 17
RC: 19
Bio: 16 (I kinda expected a low score on this but didn't know it would be this low, i almost teared up while i was logging out
)
GC: 22
OC: 21
TS: 19
AA: 19
note: if someone can explain to me whats "percentile means" i would be greatly appreciate that.
tbh, I did expect that my bio grade wasn't going to be high but didn't know it was going to be that low. because of what happen in Bio, it made it real hard for me to move onto Gen chem and Ochem section. I coudln't stop worrying about it and was finally able to shake it off during my 15 minutes break.
What i thought of the exams:
Bio - the first section of the test, i was super nervous and couldn't concentrate, my mind was all over the place and thinking about random stuff. In my opinions, for the biology section, its either you know it or you dont and in this case, i obviously didn't know much still disappointed when looking at it. I think the questions on the Bio section were really random and the wording for some of them were quite awkward. I had to mark roughly 15/40 problems on the bio section, in which, prevented me from go back and check GC and OC marked questions.
Gen Chem: Chad's videos were super helpful, i think i would have probably gotten a 17 or so if it wasn't for Chad. I'm so glad i spent those 24 or so staring at the screen non stop. lots of problems have to do with conversions and stoichiometry (spelling). questions weren't random or confusing. the question format is similar to most quiz problems that Chad included in his Videos, so make sure you do all of them! Also, understand the concepts behind each chapter, lots of conceptual questions on the Gen chem part too.
-most importantly, know how to convert logs number into numerical numbers in acid/base. I learned how to do this through Chad (hes the best!)
-Tips: when watching Chad's video, there is a "fast play" option under video quality, this would save you so much time and the speed of the videos is manageable. One thing i hate about Chad's video is that, because the videos are being streamed, whenever i want to skip some part, i'd have to wait, making it quite frustrating.
Ochem: it wasn't the most intimidating part for me since I was okay in Ochem so i didn't spend much time reviewing it. Ochem section has some basic mechanism, nothing too fancy.
-notes: for ochem and bio, you can swift by these 2 sections quite fast if you know what you're doing. Gen chem took me the longest since i have to write down equations and do calculations.
PAT:
I didn't really practice for PAT section since my resources were limited. I use Predds.net practice problems as a reference and thats about it. Prior taking the DAT, i was aware of the PAT so during my 2 semesters in Ochems, i practiced by rotating the molecules around for fun during R and S chapters and suc. I tried to imagine their structures in 3D and that helped a lot with TFE and Keyhole section on the test.
cube counting: in my opinion, one should spend the least amount of time in this section. I use the line crossing method that i found on predds, where you write 0, 1 2 3 4 5.
Angel: i use 2 different method. First, i use the laptop method, which works real well when the two angels face same directions. Second method, I use a method which i thought off while studying for DAT. I'd pick one side of the angel to be the ground, while the other is the slope. Then i'd imagine there is a Big Truck (as big as the shape) rolling down the hill in Neutral, which ever truck "feels" like its going down the fastest, its going to be the smaller one. (this method is a bit confusing, but PM me if u need more explanation). Overall, i was able to just look and estimate on some of them.
For folding patterns, key holes, punch holes, i kinda of just imagine it through.
Reading Comprehension:
-I am dead serious when im saying this, i did not practice for this section at all! I thought it would just be a waste of time since i can't just develop something i dont have in just 2 weeks. I spent less than 1 hour reading up some tips from examkracker for MCAT and the score i got on the DAT was higher than i thought i'd received. One thing i learn from reading examkracker for MCAT is that DO NOT USE SEARCH AND DESTROY METHOD. Maybe I am lack of experience on search and destroy method but during the test, when i try to search for something, it just takes wayyy too much time. MCAT examkracker suggests you to read the entire passage quickly, without memorizing or pay special attention to the small details. As you read, take notes on the side margin of your laminated scratch paper, labeling 1 2 3 4 5, etc, indicating which paragraph the notes are taken from. notes should be no more than 8 words (should be around 4-5 words only) the mainpoint of this method is to get you to have a general understanding of the passage and familiarize yourself with the structure and tone of the passage. I admit i did not score too high on the RC as most people, but I am quite satisfy with a 19 since I always have troubles with reading comprehensions and what not
QR: oh boy... i hate this part. the math is simple but i just dont recall much my high school math. Nonetheless, i found some of the questions to be very similar to the practice exams i did on for Qualitative reasoning.
Final Note: While studying for DAT, i would frequently stumble upon studentdoctor.net and read up on some of the comments people have regarding the test. When people mention 2009 DAT practice exam, cdp, kaplan stuff, i get really nervous and intimidated, thinking about how prepare some people are. I also notice how some people are freak out about their scores on the practice exam. All i can say it, only practice on the materials that you think you need improvement on. especially the science area and the PAT. i believe reading comprehension is hard to practice, and the grade that you get from those practice exams cannot be compare to the day of your test. on the DAT, i was able to be more focused and actually took the test much more serious than the practice ones. In the end, I just want to encourage fellows DAT takers to continue doing what they are doing. One method i found to be quite useful was doing practice problems and find out the answer right away. By doing this, i get the most out of the example problems. If i wait until the end to look up the answer, I would not get the 'feel' of how it would be like if i were to review the answers right away.
All in all, I wish you guys goodluck on your DAT. Sorry if my review has a lot ramblings and grammars since I am too tired to go back and proof read it.
PS; my thoughts about certain area of the topics are reflected upon my own personal opinions. You do not have to agree with what I had to say or should let it effects you. If you happen to stumble upon a certain threads, it is okay to read them but do not let them scare or make you doubt yourself
Btw, my science GPA is 3.73, and my DAT is listed above. If possible, please let me know where i am standing. Do i have a chance of getting an interview? I am still an undergrad, major is biology - system physiology, and is applying without a BS degree. (which makes me less competive)
Start off, i'd like to say THANK YOU THANK YOU AND THANK YOU to some of the fellows i met over predds.net and on studentdoctor for providing me with studying materials, in which i was lacking and
AllahIsGreater
Shawn
and Ehsan
Okay lets begin
Little background info, I recently finished my 2nd years in college and is going onto my 3rd year. I wanted to apply early, hoping that at least one out of the 21 school i applied to will accept me. Ive finished all the prereq courses (bio, chem, ochem, english, and physic) and therefore i thought i didn't have to study much, however i was wrong (especially for the bio section). The reason why I only have 2 weeks worth of studying time was because i was taking 2 summer classes (one GE and Physic II), which ended on July 16th, leaving me with just 15 days to study. My Science GPA is 3.73 and over all is 3.72.
Study Materials: (very little, barely anything - only Cliffnote AP bio belongs to me, the rest was borrowed since i couldn't afford them]
-DATqvault
-Cliff AP bio
-ExamKrackers (bio, chem, ochem, and RC section) [borrowed from my gf]
-Chad's video
-and some not-that-complex/easy practice exams, which didn't find that helpful
[total: $15 dollars for cliff ap bio, should have spend more, but i knew i didn't have the time to study from them anyways]
Studying Routine:
-knowing that I am lack of time and resources, i hit the book right after i finished my Physic Final. Everyday, 10 hours a day, for 10 days, I'd try to finish 1 lecture of bio, and 2 lectures of chemistry (which was a load of crap to take in for me, especially gen chem). when i finally finished, i only have about 6 or 5 days left worth of studying.
-Running out of resources i panicked, asked my girlfriend for help and she found predds.net and there i met several people.
-i spent one whole day and read through the Barron's AP bio (which was extremely helpful and easy to read. I really recommend you toget Barron's AP bio, i understand so much from reading it. I just didn't have the time to memorize all the biomes and taxonomy stuff)
-3 days before D-Day, i managed to get a hold of Chad's video, and within 28 hours, i finished his entire collection of Gen-Chem, which did help me raised my Gen chem by A LOT. (Thanks Chad!) i'm actually kind of proud about this part. It was hard waking up early and stare at these videos for 14 hours straight.
-the following day, the day before my DAT, i did DATqVault, the score was ranged from 15-20, couldn't get much hire. After, within 6 hours, i managed to finished reading the entire Cliff AP bio (i got really tired toward the end so didn't pay much attention to the last chapter though). In my opinion, Cliff was very informative but the reading is much boring compare to Barron's.
Over all: i put out around roughly average of 12 hours a day studying for the DAT. on the last 3 days, i spent merely 16 hours a day studying since time was running out. I do not recommend this to anyone at all! it was the worse 2 weeks of my life, nonetheless, i did learn a lot lol.
yesterday, the day before my D-Day, I tried to go to bed at 10:30, but was so anxious that I laid in my bed for 4 hours straight and finally was able to get some sleep at 3 AM (DAT is at 8AM btw) lol
Here are the result:
PAT : 22
QR: 17
RC: 19
Bio: 16 (I kinda expected a low score on this but didn't know it would be this low, i almost teared up while i was logging out
)GC: 22
OC: 21
TS: 19
AA: 19
note: if someone can explain to me whats "percentile means" i would be greatly appreciate that.
tbh, I did expect that my bio grade wasn't going to be high but didn't know it was going to be that low. because of what happen in Bio, it made it real hard for me to move onto Gen chem and Ochem section. I coudln't stop worrying about it and was finally able to shake it off during my 15 minutes break.
What i thought of the exams:
Bio - the first section of the test, i was super nervous and couldn't concentrate, my mind was all over the place and thinking about random stuff. In my opinions, for the biology section, its either you know it or you dont and in this case, i obviously didn't know much
still disappointed when looking at it. I think the questions on the Bio section were really random and the wording for some of them were quite awkward. I had to mark roughly 15/40 problems on the bio section, in which, prevented me from go back and check GC and OC marked questions.Gen Chem: Chad's videos were super helpful, i think i would have probably gotten a 17 or so if it wasn't for Chad. I'm so glad i spent those 24 or so staring at the screen non stop. lots of problems have to do with conversions and stoichiometry (spelling). questions weren't random or confusing. the question format is similar to most quiz problems that Chad included in his Videos, so make sure you do all of them! Also, understand the concepts behind each chapter, lots of conceptual questions on the Gen chem part too.
-most importantly, know how to convert logs number into numerical numbers in acid/base. I learned how to do this through Chad (hes the best!)
-Tips: when watching Chad's video, there is a "fast play" option under video quality, this would save you so much time and the speed of the videos is manageable. One thing i hate about Chad's video is that, because the videos are being streamed, whenever i want to skip some part, i'd have to wait, making it quite frustrating.
Ochem: it wasn't the most intimidating part for me since I was okay in Ochem so i didn't spend much time reviewing it. Ochem section has some basic mechanism, nothing too fancy.
-notes: for ochem and bio, you can swift by these 2 sections quite fast if you know what you're doing. Gen chem took me the longest since i have to write down equations and do calculations.
PAT:
I didn't really practice for PAT section since my resources were limited. I use Predds.net practice problems as a reference and thats about it. Prior taking the DAT, i was aware of the PAT so during my 2 semesters in Ochems, i practiced by rotating the molecules around for fun during R and S chapters and suc. I tried to imagine their structures in 3D and that helped a lot with TFE and Keyhole section on the test.
cube counting: in my opinion, one should spend the least amount of time in this section. I use the line crossing method that i found on predds, where you write 0, 1 2 3 4 5.
Angel: i use 2 different method. First, i use the laptop method, which works real well when the two angels face same directions. Second method, I use a method which i thought off while studying for DAT. I'd pick one side of the angel to be the ground, while the other is the slope. Then i'd imagine there is a Big Truck (as big as the shape) rolling down the hill in Neutral, which ever truck "feels" like its going down the fastest, its going to be the smaller one. (this method is a bit confusing, but PM me if u need more explanation). Overall, i was able to just look and estimate on some of them.
For folding patterns, key holes, punch holes, i kinda of just imagine it through.
Reading Comprehension:
-I am dead serious when im saying this, i did not practice for this section at all! I thought it would just be a waste of time since i can't just develop something i dont have in just 2 weeks. I spent less than 1 hour reading up some tips from examkracker for MCAT and the score i got on the DAT was higher than i thought i'd received. One thing i learn from reading examkracker for MCAT is that DO NOT USE SEARCH AND DESTROY METHOD. Maybe I am lack of experience on search and destroy method but during the test, when i try to search for something, it just takes wayyy too much time. MCAT examkracker suggests you to read the entire passage quickly, without memorizing or pay special attention to the small details. As you read, take notes on the side margin of your laminated scratch paper, labeling 1 2 3 4 5, etc, indicating which paragraph the notes are taken from. notes should be no more than 8 words (should be around 4-5 words only) the mainpoint of this method is to get you to have a general understanding of the passage and familiarize yourself with the structure and tone of the passage. I admit i did not score too high on the RC as most people, but I am quite satisfy with a 19 since I always have troubles with reading comprehensions and what not
QR: oh boy... i hate this part. the math is simple but i just dont recall much my high school math. Nonetheless, i found some of the questions to be very similar to the practice exams i did on for Qualitative reasoning.
Final Note: While studying for DAT, i would frequently stumble upon studentdoctor.net and read up on some of the comments people have regarding the test. When people mention 2009 DAT practice exam, cdp, kaplan stuff, i get really nervous and intimidated, thinking about how prepare some people are. I also notice how some people are freak out about their scores on the practice exam. All i can say it, only practice on the materials that you think you need improvement on. especially the science area and the PAT. i believe reading comprehension is hard to practice, and the grade that you get from those practice exams cannot be compare to the day of your test. on the DAT, i was able to be more focused and actually took the test much more serious than the practice ones. In the end, I just want to encourage fellows DAT takers to continue doing what they are doing. One method i found to be quite useful was doing practice problems and find out the answer right away. By doing this, i get the most out of the example problems. If i wait until the end to look up the answer, I would not get the 'feel' of how it would be like if i were to review the answers right away.
All in all, I wish you guys goodluck on your DAT. Sorry if my review has a lot ramblings and grammars since I am too tired to go back and proof read it.
PS; my thoughts about certain area of the topics are reflected upon my own personal opinions. You do not have to agree with what I had to say or should let it effects you. If you happen to stumble upon a certain threads, it is okay to read them but do not let them scare or make you doubt yourself
Btw, my science GPA is 3.73, and my DAT is listed above. If possible, please let me know where i am standing. Do i have a chance of getting an interview?
I am still an undergrad, major is biology - system physiology, and is applying without a BS degree. (which makes me less competive)
