GreekSB24
New Member
- Joined
- Aug 22, 2023
- Messages
- 1
- Reaction score
- 0
Hey everyone! I’ve been an avid reader of all the DAT Breakdowns and am finally ready to write my own! (sorry for the long read ahead) Please don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions 
Scores:
PAT - 23
QR - 27
RC - 22
BIO - 24
GC - 26
OC - 30
TS - 26
AA - 26
Background:
Rising junior with a 3.9 GPA. Started studying towards the end of May and followed the 12-week learning schedule. I also worked part-time as a pediatric dental assistant. This job was very flexible and allowed me to set my own schedule, which really helped me not feel overwhelmed and stay focused on my prep.
Materials Used:
DATBooster - In my opinion, all you need to score well on the DAT is DATBooster. This comprehensive resource was the only thing I paid for, and I am grateful I went with this. I particularly followed the 12-week schedule and followed the learning phase to the tee. Toward the end of my prep, I started doing things according to my own pace and focused on weaker areas. When doing my initial research, I believed Booster was the better option compared to BootCamp primarily due to the price difference, but also because I read of how Booster was a bit more representative and better for Biology, which was my weakest and most daunting area.
Anki - At the beginning of my prep, I downloaded the premade booster and bootcamp decks for the sciences and QR. I slowly started chipping away and passively used the app whenever I had time. I especially started using it more and more during the content revision phase of prep. I also have the app on my phone and started doing cards during my free time and at work.
Youtube - I often watched youtube videos online for any topics that I found myself weak in. Specifically, AKLectures, Khan Academy, Medicosis Perfectionalis, and Chad’s Prep were the primary channels that really helped me.
Free Exams - After finishing the 10 Full Lengths that Booster offered, I scoured the internet for other free exams for exposure to more questions. I took the Bootcamp free full-length, and science sections from Kaplan and Princeton. This was somewhat beneficial and allowed me to gain exposure to new questions during the last few days of my prep but they aren’t the most representative to tread with caution.
Timeline:
As mentioned previously, I followed the learning phase of the 12-week schedule religiously. I didn’t take any of the skip days and tried to do everything on the day. However, this usually meant that I would skip the recommended PAT practice, which was significantly backed up. To be completely honest, I didn’t prioritize PAT until the later phases of my prep, which is a regret that I have and something that I would change going back. 15 minutes of practice every day on the weaker topics is enough.
One of the biggest hurdles when it came to the day-to-day schedule was getting through the Feralis notes. I found that after a day of work, getting through 20 pages of reading from a textbook just was not optimal. I found myself skimming through and “reading” the notes more to just get through them and not retain them. If you find yourself doing the same thing, you need to reflect and take a step back and find a more optimal way to review the content presented. I was always more of a visual learner and preferred videos, so I tried to supplement with some youtube lectures, but it was still tough. As time progresses, I believe Booster is releasing more and more videos that will eventually encompass the entire Biology section, which is going to be really beneficial.
Another note is that I never watched the Professor Dave videos for gen chem or ochem. I stuck with Chad’s prep, specifically for gen chem, and didn’t watch any videos for ochem. The study notes that Booster provides for both these sections are extremely helpful and well-written. I went through these notes twice - once during the learning phase and once in the content revision phase.
After the learning phase, I somewhat followed the structure of the content revision phase. I took the full lengths when they were scheduled, and between each test, I followed the general outline of topics to review. For biology, this consisted of reading the respective chapter from the Bootcamp 130 Page document. This document was extremely beneficial and really condensed the vastness of the biology section into a few pages for each chapter. I would dissect the chapter and do a little bit of Anki from that respective chapter on the Bootcamp Bio deck to get a better sense of the chapter. Reflecting back, I would prioritize Anki more and ensure that I actually finished the deck. For gen chem and ochem, I reviewed the study notes and redid the question banks which I felt were sufficient.
I hit a plateau at 22 AA from FL 4 - 7, which was a bit frustrating because I really wanted that number to go up. To be honest, the AA on your practice full lengths does not matter as long as you are learning from each one and continuously bridging the gaps in your knowledge. I really took this seriously and reviewed every science question from my full length, no matter if I got the question right or wrong. Building on this, I truly cannot emphasize enough the importance of taking full lengths and replicating testing conditions. I tried my best to take all my exams at 8 am and in one sitting with no distractions. This really built my stamina which is crucial for the exam.
In the last phase of my prep, I started taking full lengths with a couple of days in between to review and brush up on gaps, and tried my best to do as much anki as possible. Another important aspect was retaking individual sections from exams prior and ensuring that I was only missing 1 or 2 and reviewing those questions. I may have remembered a few questions here and there, but it was still good practice and another form of active recall.
The week leading up to the exam, I started feeling a bit burnt out, so I did decrease the overall amount of prep, but still chipped away at Anki and redid some sections. The day before, I briefly looked over some cheat sheets but spent the majority of my day relaxing and spending time with friends.
Final Advice:
The exam itself was easier than Booster in a couple of aspects but also more difficult in some. The sciences and PAT were spot on, QR felt easier, and RC felt harder. I had a very difficult last passage and ran out of time which was uncharacteristic as I felt RC was one of my stronger areas going in. Be very diligent about timing in all sections as it can be very easy to lose track of time.
When approaching this exam, you must put in the work and grind. If you put the work in, you will be fine! You need to approach this exam with confidence, and I truly believe that anyone can do well.
Once again, please don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions.
Scores:
PAT - 23
QR - 27
RC - 22
BIO - 24
GC - 26
OC - 30
TS - 26
AA - 26
Background:
Rising junior with a 3.9 GPA. Started studying towards the end of May and followed the 12-week learning schedule. I also worked part-time as a pediatric dental assistant. This job was very flexible and allowed me to set my own schedule, which really helped me not feel overwhelmed and stay focused on my prep.
Materials Used:
DATBooster - In my opinion, all you need to score well on the DAT is DATBooster. This comprehensive resource was the only thing I paid for, and I am grateful I went with this. I particularly followed the 12-week schedule and followed the learning phase to the tee. Toward the end of my prep, I started doing things according to my own pace and focused on weaker areas. When doing my initial research, I believed Booster was the better option compared to BootCamp primarily due to the price difference, but also because I read of how Booster was a bit more representative and better for Biology, which was my weakest and most daunting area.
Anki - At the beginning of my prep, I downloaded the premade booster and bootcamp decks for the sciences and QR. I slowly started chipping away and passively used the app whenever I had time. I especially started using it more and more during the content revision phase of prep. I also have the app on my phone and started doing cards during my free time and at work.
Youtube - I often watched youtube videos online for any topics that I found myself weak in. Specifically, AKLectures, Khan Academy, Medicosis Perfectionalis, and Chad’s Prep were the primary channels that really helped me.
Free Exams - After finishing the 10 Full Lengths that Booster offered, I scoured the internet for other free exams for exposure to more questions. I took the Bootcamp free full-length, and science sections from Kaplan and Princeton. This was somewhat beneficial and allowed me to gain exposure to new questions during the last few days of my prep but they aren’t the most representative to tread with caution.
Timeline:
As mentioned previously, I followed the learning phase of the 12-week schedule religiously. I didn’t take any of the skip days and tried to do everything on the day. However, this usually meant that I would skip the recommended PAT practice, which was significantly backed up. To be completely honest, I didn’t prioritize PAT until the later phases of my prep, which is a regret that I have and something that I would change going back. 15 minutes of practice every day on the weaker topics is enough.
One of the biggest hurdles when it came to the day-to-day schedule was getting through the Feralis notes. I found that after a day of work, getting through 20 pages of reading from a textbook just was not optimal. I found myself skimming through and “reading” the notes more to just get through them and not retain them. If you find yourself doing the same thing, you need to reflect and take a step back and find a more optimal way to review the content presented. I was always more of a visual learner and preferred videos, so I tried to supplement with some youtube lectures, but it was still tough. As time progresses, I believe Booster is releasing more and more videos that will eventually encompass the entire Biology section, which is going to be really beneficial.
Another note is that I never watched the Professor Dave videos for gen chem or ochem. I stuck with Chad’s prep, specifically for gen chem, and didn’t watch any videos for ochem. The study notes that Booster provides for both these sections are extremely helpful and well-written. I went through these notes twice - once during the learning phase and once in the content revision phase.
After the learning phase, I somewhat followed the structure of the content revision phase. I took the full lengths when they were scheduled, and between each test, I followed the general outline of topics to review. For biology, this consisted of reading the respective chapter from the Bootcamp 130 Page document. This document was extremely beneficial and really condensed the vastness of the biology section into a few pages for each chapter. I would dissect the chapter and do a little bit of Anki from that respective chapter on the Bootcamp Bio deck to get a better sense of the chapter. Reflecting back, I would prioritize Anki more and ensure that I actually finished the deck. For gen chem and ochem, I reviewed the study notes and redid the question banks which I felt were sufficient.
I hit a plateau at 22 AA from FL 4 - 7, which was a bit frustrating because I really wanted that number to go up. To be honest, the AA on your practice full lengths does not matter as long as you are learning from each one and continuously bridging the gaps in your knowledge. I really took this seriously and reviewed every science question from my full length, no matter if I got the question right or wrong. Building on this, I truly cannot emphasize enough the importance of taking full lengths and replicating testing conditions. I tried my best to take all my exams at 8 am and in one sitting with no distractions. This really built my stamina which is crucial for the exam.
In the last phase of my prep, I started taking full lengths with a couple of days in between to review and brush up on gaps, and tried my best to do as much anki as possible. Another important aspect was retaking individual sections from exams prior and ensuring that I was only missing 1 or 2 and reviewing those questions. I may have remembered a few questions here and there, but it was still good practice and another form of active recall.
The week leading up to the exam, I started feeling a bit burnt out, so I did decrease the overall amount of prep, but still chipped away at Anki and redid some sections. The day before, I briefly looked over some cheat sheets but spent the majority of my day relaxing and spending time with friends.
Final Advice:
The exam itself was easier than Booster in a couple of aspects but also more difficult in some. The sciences and PAT were spot on, QR felt easier, and RC felt harder. I had a very difficult last passage and ran out of time which was uncharacteristic as I felt RC was one of my stronger areas going in. Be very diligent about timing in all sections as it can be very easy to lose track of time.
When approaching this exam, you must put in the work and grind. If you put the work in, you will be fine! You need to approach this exam with confidence, and I truly believe that anyone can do well.
Once again, please don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions.
