Advice on HOW to study

[Chemboy23]

I took the DAT August 3rd and I didn't do so well. I was just wondering and needing advice from someone who took the test and did well, HOW you studied each day for it. I have all of the materials, of which I will list below. I still feel somewhat comfortable with the content of what I know, I just need some advice on how to drill and such.

Materials I have:

-Cliff's AP Bio
-DAT Destroyer
-Math Destroyer (didn't have this before, should be here Monday)
-Acheiver
-Crack DAT PAT (10 test version)
-Kaplan Blue Book (+ notecards, class review, and review notes)
-TopScore

My Scores from 8/3/2010:

Bio - 18
GC - 16 (sucks, I tutored this for 4 years, obviously I shouldn't have)
OC - 20
PAT - 17
RC - 17 (piano, cell communication, and asprin the wonder drug)
QR - 16 (crazy hard, calculator screwed up...this time, I will NOT use that stupid thing!)

TS - 17
AA -17

The earliest date I can retake is November 3rd. Any suggestions on what you would do if you were in my shoes would be greatly appreciated! Thanks so much for your help in advance.

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[peanutb123]

you are telling everyone your end product which is fine... but how can someone help you fix your mistake if you do not tell us how you studied....

-how many hours (With concentration)?
-how often practice tests?
-how many months of prep? are there anything that you do along with studying ie. work, research, so on...
-why did you believe that you did bad?

tell us how you studied... someone will give you advice very effectively.

 

[wantVCUdental]

You have the resources just focus and when you study
study with a goal of mastering concepts not understanding

# of hrs studied can vary depending on ur background and ur innate talents

for me I would have mastered something once I can replicate it and for chemistries once I can answer questions about the concept in all forms

good luck

 

[TheSax]

Hmmm I basically had the same test materials you have. I took mine September 16, which is pretty recent. Simply put:

GChem: to get 24-30 on this section. I swear, Kaplan Blue Book and Destroyer

Bio: to get 19-24, I say do Cliffs AP. Destroyer didn't help for me here.

OChem:24-30, I'm telling you, Destroyer only.

PAT 22-28: do CDP BUT! start it twenty days before the test so you will have taken the ten test twice by the time it's your test day. You want your skills to be sharp. I don't believe that if you do it once a week, you'll be sharp. I did mine once a day.

QR: I got bad luck on this section, can't help you there.

RC: Search and Destroy Method. On the scratch material provided, write key terms for each numbered questions and then start searching and destroying.

_____________
23AA/24TS/24PAT

 

[Chemboy23]

Hey thanks to all of you!

-->peanutb123 - So, basically this was my study schedule. I studied about 10-12 hours per day (which may be my problem).

Typical Day (everyday for 2 months, including weekends)
-Wake up, do breakfast, etc...
-Do Biology (read/study Cliff's AP Bio/KBB/Destroyer) for about 2 hours
-Do GC for 2 hours - used Chad's and Destroyer
-Do OC for 2 hours - used Chad's and Destroyer
-Took a CDP test (still having trouble with the pattern folding and hole punching, I think these were the two that raped me on my DAT); On average I get about 7-8 (of 15) right for HP and about 9-10 for PF.
-For RC, I obviously should have practiced more with this...but I felt comfortable going into the exam because I was scoring 21-23 on TopScore, didn't really study this every day
-For QR...man, I should have got the Math Destroyer, everyone kept saying how great it was, but I didn't have the financial means at the time. The wife and I had an arguement over this one, she won, and I'm taking the test again lol! She was sick of us spending so much money on this stuff, but in the long run...it's more expensive...as we see now. I just used Acheiver (ridiculous) and TopScore to practice this. Also, I used the DAT Destroyer...which wasn't an accurate depiction of the real QR section. As much as I love the DAT Destroyer, it didn't help with QR on MY test.

-Also, for OC and GC, I watched Chad's and took notes about 3 times, did his practice quizzes and such.

P.S. Sorry I didn't clarify most of this To get this score, I was very upset, but as you can see I tried my a** off! Also, thanks for the help or advice in advance!

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--->The Sax, man, you have some great scores! I was thinking about doing what you're saying for the CDP. I am going to do a 30 day spree, so maybe I will do it through 3 full times (1 per day). My GC sections was difficult and stuff I had never seen before so I started freaking out. There was one about Cf and B and how many particles were emitted? I had NO IDEA where to start, and I thought I understood nuclear chemistry well, LOL! Another was the electrolysis of water...haha...again I was dumbfounded. I think I was just overthinking the process. Thanks!

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--->wantVCUdental, thanks for the advice. I was just needing some guidance on HOW to use the info and resources I have most effectively. Obviously, I studied really hard the first time around, but I must have done a lot wrong. I will say (not trying to make any excuses) that my test version was extremely difficult. I was talking to some people that had to take the test twice and they too had my version the very first time they took it. BUT, I am not an excuse-maker and I will beast this test...and I will not let it get the best of me! Thanks so much for your advice!

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To All, I think that I should have taken the RC and QR sections more seriously. These scores can really help your AA out if you do well. I know most schools could care less about QR, but I would still like to get a high score...I also love math so it will be easier for me to study it a lot. The PAT is something that's giving me troubles. I think, for about 3 or 4 days, I will just do one section at a time. If I do poorly, do another one, instead of trying to take the whole test at once.

One last question, if I take the test in mid November...do you all think I can still get some interviews (of course if I do well (20+))? I applied to USN-South Jordan...and I would LOVE to get in here.

Again, thanks to all, and happy interviewing to ALL of you! Best of luck!

 

[duckdds]

Hey man I've been seeing your posts for quite some time now and to be honest I think you just took a bad exam. Had you taken any other exam version you woulda gotten 20+.
Another reason for your scores might be because you had a nervous breakdown and lost concentration in the exam, which happens to people on any exam.
Lastly, I think 10-12 hours a day is too much. You should cut that by half (at least).. you are just going to feel drained every day. Take the material in slowly, review it from time to time.

Your Topscore exams are quite high, and they are fair representation of the actual DAT. I got 19TS/18AA on my last TS, got 19/19 on real thing.
So you are a smart kid if you can get 20s+ on TS, you just need that confidence and mindset to be the same when you take the real thing.

 

[Chemboy23]

duckdds....thanks so much for the compliment! I don't like to blame it on my test, but I honestly felt so bad leaving that Prometric place. My wife kept convincing me...you did your best, and that's all you could do. So, I gave it a break and now I'm ready to make another stab at it. I need some light reviewing I think, as well as practice with timing and such. I shouldn't be too strapped this time around. What I'm going to do today is just sit down and figure out ANY weak area I have and just hit those. Thanks again for your kindness and best of luck to you! Very nice scores by the way! I will try to study only 6 hrs. per day lol! Going to be very difficult.

 

[lusity]

Hey thanks to all of you!

-->peanutb123 - So, basically this was my study schedule. I studied about 10-12 hours per day (which may be my problem).

Typical Day (everyday for 2 months, including weekends)
-Wake up, do breakfast, etc...
-Do Biology (read/study Cliff's AP Bio/KBB/Destroyer) for about 2 hours
-Do GC for 2 hours - used Chad's and Destroyer
-Do OC for 2 hours - used Chad's and Destroyer
-Took a CDP test (still having trouble with the pattern folding and hole punching, I think these were the two that raped me on my DAT); On average I get about 7-8 (of 15) right for HP and about 9-10 for PF.
-For RC, I obviously should have practiced more with this...but I felt comfortable going into the exam because I was scoring 21-23 on TopScore, didn't really study this every day
-For QR...man, I should have got the Math Destroyer, everyone kept saying how great it was, but I didn't have the financial means at the time. The wife and I had an arguement over this one, she won, and I'm taking the test again lol! She was sick of us spending so much money on this stuff, but in the long run...it's more expensive...as we see now. I just used Acheiver (ridiculous) and TopScore to practice this. Also, I used the DAT Destroyer...which wasn't an accurate depiction of the real QR section. As much as I love the DAT Destroyer, it didn't help with QR on MY test.

-Also, for OC and GC, I watched Chad's and took notes about 3 times, did his practice quizzes and such.

Hey, if you know you have weaknesses in a certain section of the PAT, learn and understand what it is that you're having trouble with. Practice until you know it cold. There's no point walking in that exam with such a big weakness. Upgrade your CDP to the one where they have extra hole punching and pattern folding.

For bio, I really recommend Schaum's Biology outline 3rd edition. Initially I only used Cliffs AP Bio and KBB, but as a biology major I knew that wasn't enough because I could tell there was a lot missing. The Bio section is really broad and the questions are really random, so getting exposure to all the different components of Biology is really helpful. Plus, the book is decently priced. It won't hurt

You've obviously studied a lot. How effectively have you studied though? Did you read and take notes and look over those notes? Repetition helps in retaining information.

 

[dentalWorks]

Chemboy23,
I think you had a good study strategy, nothing I can suggest there. Just push into that MATH destroyer as much as you can and that will for sure bring up your math score. I mean without math des. you got 16, with it, you will FOR SURE get higher.

As far as the sciences go, I agree with the previous poster, I think you had "one of those versions" that are just, more difficult for your set of knowledge. Retake it, Im sure u'll break 20+aa easily

As far as PAT goes, check this, you might benefit from it:
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=675995

 

[peanutb123]

one more thing... if you dont have the financial means to pay for it.

You can cut costs w/ buying used math destroyer?

I do not know about CDP? how you can get it for cheap.

Look at it this way... if you mess up in any of the 5 sections (bio, chem, ochem, pat, RC) You are looking at spending another 250 just to register for the test. and it will be your 3rd time...

So why take that risk...buy whatever you have to buy for this second time... I know it must be hard. But explain it to your s/o that in the end it will pay off. So you dont have to take it the 3rd time, you will be wasting time, money & energy.

Some people over hear talk about some KhanAcademy videos on you tube for solving problems... so do check them out... as they are on youtube.

dentalWorks: Could you also suggest him how to study for RC... i mean how can he practice for it... tips & tricks...

 

[wantVCUdental]

I hope you weren't offended by my post, I am just trying to make a point that the number of hrs you put in is not the most important, like you said, what is important is HOW you use the material.
For me, I just memorized bio, nothing to practice, hardcore memorize then replicate on a piece of paper.
For chemistries, i did destroyer. I think for chemistry you have to first master the concept, then do a lot of practice questions. Through practices you can see where your understanding in the subject is lacking. I mean even for me, a chemsitry major with over 80 semester hrs of chemistry under my belt, i didn't get 100% on destroyer.

Also i know what you are saying about test version, and i agree that some are tougher than others and that you got the toughest of them all imo.

Good luck next round, and take breaks, 10hrs/day is overdoing it man, study when youa re focuesd, or you will just be mixing up a lot of stuff and studying becomes inefficient.

 

[Chemboy23]

thanks to all of you for your help! I have learned so much from your help and know how to study a lot more effectively now. I think (I know!!!) we'll get this thing done this time around. I will bust my a** to make sure it happens. thanks for all of your continued support! best wishes, and best of luck at all of your interviews.

 

[peanutb123]

Good luck brother...

You can do it... Keep hitting it and dont stop till you are done.

 

[dentalWorks]

dentalWorks: Could you also suggest him how to study for RC... i mean how can he practice for it... tips & tricks...

Honestly, I never figured out the reading section myself lol. I mean I did get a 19 (which is "okay") but, I can't suggest much.

But if he got a 17 with piano, he can probably do so much better on the retake. I've seen many people land 20s+ on the RC, and when they retake the DAT and end up with a piano, they get like 15-17. So 17 on piano (according to what I've seen) is pretty darn good lol

 

[Chemboy23]

dentalworks...haha...I know! That piano passage was awful, and it was the last one. I went through the other two, sort of taking my time and double-checking all of my answers, and BAMMM!!! The piano I probably got about 5-8/17 of the questions correct. I just had to calm down and relax, try to make sure the ones I got right were right, 100% sure. And then, I just tried to make educated guesses for the rest of them. Hopefully, I do not get this RC section again this time, haha!!! Thanks guys!

 

[Chemboy23]

--->peanutb123, thanks man...for sure. I am determined to beat this test! Good luck to you!

 

[glo1984]

Don't take offense to this, but I honestly have no idea how you can score well on your practice exams and then take such a hit on GC. Especially considering you watched over Chad's videos 3 times while taking notes. Don't blame the test, the different versions AREN'T dramatically different; that is an excuse people use.

As others have stated, if you go into the exam with the wrong mindset and start freaking out, it will destroy you. This happens especially in the PAT and QR sections so relaxing is key.

Did you find yourself questioning what you thought was the right answer come test day? Did you change many answers? What variable was changed when you took the actual DAT?

Did you take any other practice tests other then TS? Other then Achiever & DAT Destroyer.

 

[nunnya]

Thought I'd weigh in because I had the same test version as you (2nd mess., piano, aspirin....the whole sporangia picture etc.)

For RC topscore is very easy to search and destroy, though the passages were more dense than the actual DAT. Don't rely on Achiever because it's ridiculously hard...I got 15 on all 3 tests.

Here was my strategy for RC even though I'm not a great reader. Write down the numbers 1-50 on your whiteboard. Take 1-2minutes going through every question for the passage writing down a keyword next to each number on the whiteboard. Also skim the answers if they're short (like asking about a diseases symptoms) because this will also help you remember keywords to look for in the text. Now go through the text from the beginning skimming / reading quickly the whole thing. You'll begin to find answers, and since you mapped out which question # it relates to, jump to that question on the computer and answer it. Once answered, erase that number/word on your whiteboard and keep going. This is like a modified search and destroy but I found it way easier because you don't panic so much since you've actually read the whole text.

In terms of biology I thought the questions were semi random. We had a good amount of biological diversity, ecology, and embryo development so focus on getting the broad idea of each of these topics that the DAT loves. I didn't really study for biology since I'm a bio major but what I did was skim the sections of cliffs and AP BIO Campbell study guide for topics that I wasn't familiar with (biological diversity etc.). I didn't do destroyer because it seemed like a waste since everything was outside the scope of the test. The most important thing about biology is understanding that there are only 40 questions for a variety of topics. Get the broad understanding of everything, and go into detail for some of the more important topics I mentioned at the top. Give yourself more credit because you probably knew the information but didn't think it through completely on the test.

QR: take 1 timed test every day. However you need to make sure you review the answers that you got wrong the following days to solidify how to do it. After each pass of reviewing your wrong answers, keep a Word file and mark it a different color every time you review it. This way you will be able to track which questions you desperately need to learn as opposed to ones that you are starting to understand. Just because you review it 1 time doesn't mean you know how to do that type of problem. Timed tests will tell you how to pace yourself while reviewing the questions will actually teach you how to do them. On the timed tests don't bother guessing because it's just cheating your score. Basically, If you really don't know then don't pick a random answer because it'll inflate your score...you'll actually be doing worse than your practice scores indicate.

OC/GC: Chads then destroyer till you get none of them wrong. I would spend most of your time studying these two subjects because the majority of what you study will be on the test...unlike biology! The return from studying these sections is much higher than other sections so you have the best chance of getting a high score. Do the same thing as math and create the word file to mark your progress on difficult problems. Some memorization involved in ochem in terms of reactions but know some basic mechanisms of electron pushing. You need to know which mechanisms you can get away with not knowing so you don't get caught up in the little details (gabriel synth etc.). Know all the basic trends (Nu, basicity, leaving group, stability, periodic table, etc.)

PAT: Don't know what happened here, I bombed it. It was seriously the one section on the DAT I expected to get a 30. I'll let you know how I studied anyways using CRACK DAT PAT royal flush.

Keyhole: Just practice to mentally see every side. The DAT likes doing slight difference between choices as opposed to CDP which has obvioius shape differences. The DAT will use methods like a slightly steeper slope etc.

TFE: Was bad at this at first then got gradually better. ALWAYS mentally see the image. Even if you cannot visualize the object when you're taking a timed test and simply deduce the answer using other means (process of elimination, lines etc.), you MUST go back and visualize it. It'll help you in the long run.

Hole punch: Not sure about this one, just mentally unfolded it. Make sure to understand how a hole flips over a line to make a mirror image and you're good to go. I still practiced this often even though I was good at it because it got me around 3.5-4 minutes to complete on CDP so the extra time can be used for other sections.

Angles: My worst section, and also the one I practiced the most. I did 10 minute sets in the morning and night on the royal flush and also took 1 timed test. A couple strategies you should use are as follows: 1) look at all images and see which is clearly biggest or smallest 2) parallel lines 2) look at the outside of the vertex...the most pointy angle is the smallest. You want to practice this often because you want to gain an internal feel for determining angles. Meaning....when you go to take the test and you're really not sure between a couple angles, you will "guess" one choice but really your eyes has improved from practice and the guess isn't so random.

Cube Counting: Make the chart with numbers 1-5 and count all cubes even if the question does not ask for that particular number of painted sides. I did a set of 5 once a day from the royal flush version to increase speed and accuracy. This is one section the PAT that you don't want to have to review if you have extra time. Practice enough so you know it's right the first time.

Folding: Know relations. You should always be visualizing the object and spinning it around in your head. However some objects are harder to do that with so you must know side relations. That way you are only comparing a couple sides to each other without mentally constructing/orienting the image in your head every time. Practice this so you have the confidence to know that if 3 objects are incorrect it HAS to be the 4th....and not because you made a mistake. Or vice versa....if you find an object that works then it HAS to be correct....and not because of a mistake. As opposed to CDP the DAT likes the awkward distinct shapes so in those cases just look for key shapes in every answer choice and it should become clear.

For study time, start with longer hours. Whatever you feel like you can handle, for me it was 4 on weekdays and 8 on weekends. As you progress in studying you will study less hours because you know more information and it'll take you less time to review all the material. Don't forget to take breaks and enjoy life or you will be miserable.

You'll do fine, just remember that this test isn't going to determine everything in life. Relax, study efficiently, and just try your best so you have no regrets. Once you get in the 20+ I feel like any given day you could have gotten a higher or lower score with your knowledge because it's a matter of a few questions between scores and the test version may not play into your strengths. That's out of your control so don't worry about it!

Good luck, you can definitely do it....didn't mean this to be so long so I guess it's my DAT breakdown =)

 

[Chemboy23]

Hey thanks so much guys, I am amazed by all of the support on here!

nunnya---> WOW! I will go by exactly what you've said! Your style definitely fits for my situation. Thanks so much, and you do NOT need to apologize for writing that! If you want to inform me of anything else, FEEL FREE to do so. Best of luck to you and thanks from the bottom of my heart!

glo1984---> HA, I'm not trying to make excuses, I'm the hardest person on myself. I can probably get into a state school with my current scores, but I'll be damned if I let this test beat me. Not the attitude of someone that makes excuses...lol...but I get what you're saying. I don't know what to tell you, as nunnya stated, it's the matter of getting those 3-5 questions that you're familiar with, or not. In my case, the ones they just happened to ask were "out of my range." This could happen to anyone, although we tend to think we know everything...we really do not. But, thanks for your input anyway...best of luck to you my friend!

 

[glo1984]

I definitely did not mean to come off as how you took it. I was merely stating the reality of the situation through a lot of experience.

I am confident that you will fix whatever caused the flux in situation because you do come off as a motivated individual. Good luck!

Hey thanks so much guys, I am amazed by all of the support on here!

nunnya---> WOW! I will go by exactly what you've said! Your style definitely fits for my situation. Thanks so much, and you do NOT need to apologize for writing that! If you want to inform me of anything else, FEEL FREE to do so. Best of luck to you and thanks from the bottom of my heart!

glo1984---> HA, I'm not trying to make excuses, I'm the hardest person on myself. I can probably get into a state school with my current scores, but I'll be damned if I let this test beat me. Not the attitude of someone that makes excuses...lol...but I get what you're saying. I don't know what to tell you, as nunnya stated, it's the matter of getting those 3-5 questions that you're familiar with, or not. In my case, the ones they just happened to ask were "out of my range." This could happen to anyone, although we tend to think we know everything...we really do not. But, thanks for your input anyway...best of luck to you my friend!

 

[Chemboy23]

No, I didn't take it the wrong way haha. I appreciated your advice, I was confused myself as to how someone could do so well on practice tests and then bomb the real thing too. Not too sure what happened. No beef though, thanks again for your advice though!