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- Dec 6, 2012
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Hello! I just wanted to post my scores and tell everyone how I studied for the DAT.
I'm new to SDN, but I hope I'm doing this right:
First of all, I wasn't able to afford all the right study material that most people use to pass the DAT, but I got resourceful and found cheaper materials and other ways to study. So if you're broke like me, don't feel like you have to go out there and buy all the expensive test-prep materials to pass, you can do just fine if you use your resources.
PAT score: 22
Quantitative Reasoning: 19
Reading comprehension: 25
Biology: 21
I honestly thought I failed this section after I took it! I'm not that good at memorizing details.
General Chemistry: 20
Organic Chemistry: 20
Total Science: 21
Academic Average: 21
Recommendations: Tutor someone in the subjects you need to study! Teaching someone else will really help cement these concepts into your brain. Do lots of practice problems and write out mechanisms. Turn the PAT section into a game. This section is actually really fun. You also time yourself doing 5 questions a night for each PAT section, it will really help with timing.
Just remember: you don't have to study just like everyone else, if you are trying something and it's not working, get creative and find a new way to study for that section.
I'm new to SDN, but I hope I'm doing this right:
First of all, I wasn't able to afford all the right study material that most people use to pass the DAT, but I got resourceful and found cheaper materials and other ways to study. So if you're broke like me, don't feel like you have to go out there and buy all the expensive test-prep materials to pass, you can do just fine if you use your resources.
PAT score: 22
How I studied for this section: I started studying for this section 8 months ago and haven't stopped until now. It's actually really fun to study for. I used the "Lippincott Williams and Wilkins The Science of Review Complete Preparation for the DAT" book that I checked out from my university library. (You can also use inter-library loan to get most study materials if you can't afford them). I also used the Barron's DAT book (very helpful). I practiced with the 2007 Kaplan's DAT complete study guide. And I also practiced on the following websites: www.*********** (an amazing resource) and http://www.dattestquestions.com/ The graphics sucked on this website.
Quantitative Reasoning: 19
How I studied for this section: I went through all the sections in the "Arco GRE/GMAT Math Review book" 6th edition twice and through the word problem section three times doing all problems each time. I also had to study for trigonometry from the Kaplan and Barron's DAT book, since this book didn't have it. My advice for this section is: get really fast! And you do get to use an onscreen calculator, but be sure to practice timing!
Reading comprehension: 25
How I studied: I only did practice sections from the Kaplan study book, Barron's book, and the Complete prep book to work on technique and timing. I also am in an incredibly intense pathophysiology class this semester with 4 chapters of intense material covered each week, so I got pretty good at speed reading and the "search and destroy" method after speed reading.
Biology: 21
I honestly thought I failed this section after I took it! I'm not that good at memorizing details.
How I studied: I went through Cliff's AP biology three times doing all multiple choice questions. I also decided that if I was going to study this hard, I might as well get paid for it, so I tutor students in general biology about 7 hours a week total. This REALLY helped solidify the concepts after I explained and taught them to someone else. I am also a senior and minored in biology. A lot of the test was over genetics and hormones, so know those two areas VERY well.
General Chemistry: 20
How I studied: I took some practice tests and determined what areas I needed to work on. Then I got out my gen chem textbook from freshman year (it's been 5 years since I took it) to review concepts and do calculations. I also tutored one person in general chemistry for the past 4 months and this REALLY helped to solidify concepts while I was explaining these concepts to him and working through problems.
Know your periodic table trends, know how to calculate Ka and know stoichiometry and acids and bases.
Know your periodic table trends, know how to calculate Ka and know stoichiometry and acids and bases.
Organic Chemistry: 20
How I studied:
I went through the ACS chemistry final exam study guide and I went through the Barron's Science College Review Series "Organic Chemistry" book by J. Wm. Suggs Ph.D. I also made a list of all the important reactions that I could possibly think of that might be on the test with mechanisms of how they react and studied from that list on the bus to and from school.
Important things to know E1, E2, SN1, SN2 reactions, Gignard reagents, stereochemistry, Markovnikov, and the properties of benzene.
I went through the ACS chemistry final exam study guide and I went through the Barron's Science College Review Series "Organic Chemistry" book by J. Wm. Suggs Ph.D. I also made a list of all the important reactions that I could possibly think of that might be on the test with mechanisms of how they react and studied from that list on the bus to and from school.
Important things to know E1, E2, SN1, SN2 reactions, Gignard reagents, stereochemistry, Markovnikov, and the properties of benzene.
Total Science: 21
Academic Average: 21
Recommendations: Tutor someone in the subjects you need to study! Teaching someone else will really help cement these concepts into your brain. Do lots of practice problems and write out mechanisms. Turn the PAT section into a game. This section is actually really fun. You also time yourself doing 5 questions a night for each PAT section, it will really help with timing.
Just remember: you don't have to study just like everyone else, if you are trying something and it's not working, get creative and find a new way to study for that section.
