Been out of school for a while, now need to study for the DAT...

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jscarpachio

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What books should I buy for relearning the material? I'm completely lost with G Chem, O Chem and Bio (not so much, but could use a refresh).

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Hey, I was in your shoes when I was studying for the DAT. I would definitely get the Destroyer. I think this book is ideal for someone who has all the information in their head, but needs a refresher. Doing those problems in Destroyer is an excellent way to get that information up to date.

I know you probably know about the blue kaplan book...I don't like it myself, but a lot of people on this forum seem to like it. Go to barnes and nobles and check it out for yourself...if you think it's worth shelling out the extra cash...go for it.

I prefer to use my textbooks in combination with the Destroyer. The explanations are great and the book really covers a wide range of questions, and many of those questions cover multiple concepts simultaneously.

In addition to Destroyer...get the following as well.

- Cliffs AP Biology. Really good for review and it has some nice multiple choice bio problems

- Examkrackers Biology. I like it b/c it did a good job with human physiology...one of my weaknesses.

- A good human anatomy and physiology book. I recommend Anatomy and Physiology by Elaine Marieb. Excellent book. No ego trip, just straight to the point.

- General Chemistry 6th Edition by Charles E. Mortimer. Great book...the way chemistry was meant to be.

- Organic Chemistry by McMurry...another straight forward book..ideal for DAT purposes.

Destroyer is the most expensive of the aids I've suggested, but well worth it in my opinion. Everything else I've mentioned, you can get for less than 20 dollars on amazon.

For practice tests...get achiever. By far the best on the market. All other tests are a joke in my opinion, and achiever will really get you motivated to hit the books even hard. Space the tests out and treat them as if they were the real deal.

That about sums it up...good luck.
 
Hi,

Thanks for the post. However, I need something more than a refresher for G Chem and O Chem. I need to relearn the material. I don't want to overdo it though, so I'm not sure if Second Language Organic Chemistry series are too much or just enough. And what about The Berkeley Review for G Chem? I know it's targeted for the MCAT, but does it matter? Perhaps too much content??
 
Hey,

I was in your shoes about a year ago. I graduated in 2000 and had not looked at anything science related since then.

I took Gen Chem over 10 years ago and got C's in it. So I asked to audit a CC class (they let me do it for free) as a refresher. I ended up getting a 23 on the DAT in that section.

I reviewed O-Chem using Wade's text and got a 24.

My Bio was a 17 so I don't know if you want my advice there. Haha!

I used Kaplan as a guide and supplemented as needed.

Good luck to you!
 
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Hi,

Thanks for the post. However, I need something more than a refresher for G Chem and O Chem. I need to relearn the material. I don't want to overdo it though, so I'm not sure if Second Language Organic Chemistry series are too much or just enough. And what about The Berkeley Review for G Chem? I know it's targeted for the MCAT, but does it matter? Perhaps too much content??

How long has it been since you took ochem and gchem? I took gchem in 1999-2000 and ochem during 2002. I took the DAT in May.

I guess it depends on how well you did in the courses themselves and how much you like them. If you look at a question...I would think that reading the solution should ring a few bells...also, you should know where in the textbook to look if you want additional information.

Trust me...I comes back rather quickly. Relearning material is much easier than the first time. I would think that you would be fine with textbooks. I don't really think there is ever such a thing as overdoing something. It's always better to be overprepared than underprepared.

If you don't like using textbooks...just use the Kaplan Blue book for ochem and gchem. However, the Kaplan gchem isn't as good as their ochem section. I would get Examkrackers General Chemistry. It seems like a pretty good book for review
 
Anyone use Second Language Series for O Chem and the Berkeley Review, MCAT books?
 
Read AP Cliff's Bio and Kaplan blue book instead of text book for now. It might be too much to go straight into the text if you haven't been in school for a while now.
 
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