#1 mistake during MCAT prep?

[MCATsMyMistress]

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For all of you who have taken the MCAT already, even if you liked your score, what was the #1 mistake you made during your preparation to take the MCAT? (things you wish you could take back, or things you wish you had done, etc.)

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[Deanis]

Hmmmm... for me it was not pushing myself through the material fast enough to give me time to do some practice exams. I only got to do a total of 3 TPR diagnostic tests, 2 of which were before I had covered even half of the MCAT material.

 

[DrYoda]

Taking a prep class, I don't feel I really gained anything by attending it. I ignored study regimen it laid down as well as disregarded all but the most common sense of the strategies. I had some reservations about signing up to begin with, but I disregarded them and looking back I shouldn't have.

If I were to do it over, I would purchase all of the AAMC tests, maybe a few Kaplan tests and some books and save myself the money/time. I did well, so I don't feel the class hindered me, but I don't feel that it helped either.

It's not really much of a mistake, just an unnecessary waste of energy/money, and it doesn't bother me that I did it. But I would recommend to anyone that can set their own study regimen and stick to it to forgo the classes and just purchase the study materials.

 

[Deanis]

Oooh, can I copy Yoda? I took a prep course too and after the very first day, regretted it.

 

[BlueElmo]

Hmmmm... for me it was not pushing myself through the material fast enough to give me time to do some practice exams. I only got to do a total of 3 TPR diagnostic tests, 2 of which were before I had covered even half of the MCAT material.

That's what I'm feeling! TPR just splurges us with so much content that there's no time for practice tests! Urg, I wish they made it mandatory to take a practice test every week. Why do they only make us test 3 TPR and 2 AAMC exams?

 

[requeim]

I would have definitely liked to gotten through the material faster and started doing practice tests sooner so i had more time to review them and such. overall, i would have liked to started studying "seriously" earlier than i actually did.

 

[mterp45]

Not taking enough practice tests

 

[QofQuimica]

I think the biggest mistake some students make is trying to take the MCAT without having completed all the pre-reqs first. I have no idea why a minority of people thinks that this is ok to do. You wouldn't take one of your college class finals without taking the actual class first, would you?

 

[scaredoflife]

Slowed down on the reading, paced myself better probably was my biggest mistake.

 

[DEdm]

Although I am satisfied by my score, I wish I would have had more time in advance to study intensely for the MCAT. I only took about a month. Also, I underestimated the difficulty of the verbal. The sciences should fall into place if you did well in the prereqs but the verbal is difficult for some.

 

[bobsagat]

That's what I'm feeling! TPR just splurges us with so much content that there's no time for practice tests! Urg, I wish they made it mandatory to take a practice test every week. Why do they only make us test 3 TPR and 2 AAMC exams?

I have to say I can't disagree with you guys more. I took a Kaplan course and hated it, because I had one incredibly ineffective teacher.

Right now I'm taking a Kaplan course and have a few great and a few not so great teachers. But at least the teachers are able to teach to their strengths, because we have one for each subject. In August '06 I took the test hoping for a 34-ish (based on practice tests) and got a 31. This time around I'm aiming for between a 35 and a 40. The only upper-level science courses I've taken that could have made up for the difference are two semesters of biochemistry. Other than it's just been all upper-level chem, which is mostly useless on the MCAT. So I see TPR making a difference for me. Or maybe Kaplan made a negative difference. Who knows.

TAKE LOTS OF PRACTICE TESTS. TPR only requires a handful of practice tests, but they provide you with a ton of extras. I'm taking an accelerated TPR course and have taken 6 TPR tests and will end up taking 6 AAMC's.

 

[gopher22]

Not enough timed practice tests.

 

[engineeredout]

Not enough timed practice tests.

People keep saying this. How much is enough? Completing all the AAMCs considered enough?

 

[MadEvans]

Not taking enough practice tests. I took 4. I should have taken all of the ones offered at e-mcat.com

 

[RySerr21]

People keep saying this. How much is enough? Completing all the AAMCs considered enough?

yea, you for sure want to take as many AAMCs as you can afford. Those are best at predicting your score. If you can get your hands on other ones, then use them for practicing analyzing passages, getting used to format, etc. Anthing other than AAMC shouldn't be used to predict a score, they just aren't accurate enough to be reliable.

 

[sleepy12]

I'd say not following the kaplan method for verbal. i took the test twice, first time i got a 7 in verbal. second time i followed the method and got a 13 in verbal.

 

[MCATsMyMistress]

I'd say not following the kaplan method for verbal. i took the test twice, first time i got a 7 in verbal. second time i followed the method and got a 13 in verbal.

Are you mainly referring to passage mapping (each paragraph)? A lot of people have said that they found success in the verbal section after they stopped mapping passages. I know everyone is different, but I am still undecided about which is better for me. I would probably lean toward light mapping. Is there anything in addition to the passage mapping (if even that) that you thought was helpful?

 

[MILK07]

I would have to agree with some above posters... I wish I had left more time for practice tests and timed each of them. Also I spent money on some books I didn't end up using, like the Gold Standard MCAT book. I think if I did it over again I would buy all the AAMC tests, The MCAT Physics Book, and maybe either EK bio, chem, orgo, or just the big blue Kaplan book. Go over the material, maybe two weeks per subject, then spend a month doing practice tests and going back over questions and reviewing material. That would be about three months of prep, which I feel is about the average.

 

[halekulani]

not enough verbal.

 

[deleted74029]

Being on SDN while I should've been studying. Like right now for example.

 

[olemissbabydoc]

Too much review, not enough practice tests. The last time I took the test I did an insane amt of practice tests and improved my score 7 points.

 

[MCATsMyMistress]

Too much review, not enough practice tests. The last time I took the test I did an insane amt of practice tests and improved my score 7 points.

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