Does anyone else struggle with the VR? so i know that i'm not a fast reader. in fact, i'm very....slow. i can't describe it any other way. i'm a slow reader and it's killing me on the VR. sometimes i come to passages where i just do super well, but some passages, i read it, and i have no idea what i read. i know though, if i spent more time, i could better understand it, but on the real test, there's only 60 minutes! in those cases, is it just better to skip it? sigh....this is depressing. i'm taking the mcats on may 27 and i'm starting to lose it. anybody else struggle with this? if so, how'd you deal with it? i'd appreciate it..thank you guys!!
anybody else struggling with VR?
- Thread starter dangit
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I was totally having the same problems with VR. I'm also a slow reader, and was scoring 8 and 9's consistently, which of course included lots of last-second guesses. Then I just started doing passages religiously- between classes, before bed, over coffee...and my score crept up to 10-11. If speed is your problem, this should really help. Soon enough you'll be really good at predicting question types, so mapping will become more efficient.
Also, try different strategies and see which works for you. Some say just skim the passage for major points and spent lots of time going back for the details, while others focus on mapping. I say do what works for you, and you'll figure that out through practice.
Lastly--and i'm not sure if this applies to you-- but for me the sheer anxiety of KNOWING that i was a slow reader and fear of the clock made it harder for me to concentrate, resulting in a lower score. It's super important to not freak out on the test, as it will just suck up precious time and the way I overcame this was by doing verbal passages 24/7.
good luck!
Also, try different strategies and see which works for you. Some say just skim the passage for major points and spent lots of time going back for the details, while others focus on mapping. I say do what works for you, and you'll figure that out through practice.
Lastly--and i'm not sure if this applies to you-- but for me the sheer anxiety of KNOWING that i was a slow reader and fear of the clock made it harder for me to concentrate, resulting in a lower score. It's super important to not freak out on the test, as it will just suck up precious time and the way I overcame this was by doing verbal passages 24/7.
good luck!
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yea, apparently we are just the ones who have to work harder at this VR stuff.
I'm taking it at the end of may too and am scared crapless, but as the above poster said just practice. I am trying to do at least 3 passages per day and am waiting for the day I average missing no more than one per passage. Guess we have a little over a month to improve so I think it can happen.
I'm taking it at the end of may too and am scared crapless, but as the above poster said just practice. I am trying to do at least 3 passages per day and am waiting for the day I average missing no more than one per passage. Guess we have a little over a month to improve so I think it can happen.
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im pretty much in the same boat too. im taking the exam at the end of august (i need more time than most people cause im a little dumb) and right now im pretty much stuck at 8.
my main problem (like you) is timing. if I had an extra minute per passage i would probably get a higher score. To improve, im reading the opinion section of the wall street journal, nytimes, and latimes every day. i time myself and try to read the 500-600 word passages in the fastest yet most comprehending time. my goal is 2 minutes but im far from that right now.
my main problem (like you) is timing. if I had an extra minute per passage i would probably get a higher score. To improve, im reading the opinion section of the wall street journal, nytimes, and latimes every day. i time myself and try to read the 500-600 word passages in the fastest yet most comprehending time. my goal is 2 minutes but im far from that right now.
it's a little reassuring to know that i'm not the only one. i agree...i've read lots of posts and they all say the same thing...practice. so that's the plan. i'll keep you guys posted, but thanks for the input. 
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