Condensed SN2 Schedule Success Stories/Advice. Pleas help!

[Cache20]

I understand this schedule is made for three months, not two so I'm going to have to make some major modifications. There are a couple of threads by people who have tried to do this but there isn't any follow up.

-Anyone who out there who has tried to do a modified two month version of this schedule that is willing to offer their insight?
-If so what changes did you make to the schedule?
-What were the results/how did you do?
-On average how many hours a day did you have to put in in order to get everything done?

Current Situation:
-2 months until my November 7th Exam date
-Research about 16 hours a week (we're getting ready to finish up our current projects so I'll be able to scale back my hours to zero hours each week by the end of the month (hopefully))
-Volunteer about 2.5 hours a week (I can't skip this)
-Waiting until Jan isn't really a viable option... starting up another research project late Nov where I'll be working up to 40+ hours a week. Also, we all know the MCAT is changing... so taking it in January is risky there's no time for a make up.

Background info:
-I actually took a Kaplan course in the summer of 2012. Did the content review went to the courses. Had to deal with some unresolved issues from a family crisis (death of multiple family members, loss of scholarship, typical sob story) didn't take any practice exams or the actual exam.
-I completed my pre reqs 2008-2012 so I don't want to completely blow off content review.

Tomorrow will be day 5 on my Sn2 schedule I've been playing around with his schedule to try to see how I can jam everything in but I'm just not sure how.

Current Adjustments:
-One day to review practice exams instead of two (and I have some kaplan exams so I plan on taking a practice exam each week starting next week)
-No hat trick
-Second 1/3's on the reread days
-Complete as much as I can in a day hopefully completing a day and a half to two days in one (but I'm not even sure this is possible!)

Any help anyone is willing to offer would be very greatly appreciated!!!!




Disclaimer: I know I'm not smart (which is putting it nicely) for leaving only 2 months to do this schedule.

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[HRSpecter]

I'm sorry to hear it sounds like you've had quite a tough road. I did a condensed version of the SN2 schedule (2 months). I took my exam on August 27th so I have no idea how I did but I was averaging a 33 on the AAMC's, scoring >= 34 on the last 3-4 practice exams. That's not saying a lot since I don't have my score back just yet so take what I say with a grain of salt. Basically I skipped hat trick entirely and a few days in started to skip EK 1001's because I found that they amounted to quite a large amount of time that could be better used for practice passages and practice tests (don't get me wrong these are great test prep strategies, but in the context of a condensed schedule you're forced to make adjustments). In my opinion, these two aspects of the schedule were the lowest yield in terms of advancing your score. I spent an average of 6-9 hours a day on this schedule with 1 break day a week for the first month and none for the subsequent month. I used only TPRH for verbal and used the books as advised by SN2'ed for the other sections (BR for g. chem, o. chem & physics, EK for bio). It seems you have a little less time than I did so I would suggest cutting out a few of the last 1/3's for topics you're extremely familiar with or skip on a few break days in the first month.

As for the modifications, generally speaking I did at least two chapters a day. For example in the schedule it says to do BR Gen Chem Chapter 3 + 1/3 and then BR O Chem Chapter 3 + 1/3 the day after. I'd do both in one day and ~3 verbal passages from the TPRH (in the order they're presented in the book). I'd time myself for every practice passage. Basically I did this until I finished all of Chapter (X)'s first 1/3-- on some days I'd be forced to do i.e. BR Physics Chapter 3 + 1/3 and move on the same day to BR Gen Chem Chapter 4 + 1/3 because I'd finish that chapter that day. Regardless you need to keep moving on to clear the material so this is fine for the condensed schedule. On re-read days, much like yourself, I'd do the second 1/3, but only for the chapter that I fully completed (i.e. Chapter 3 in this example). That would take one whole day. Toward the end of the schedule you start needing to do the last 1/3's for chapters, so I'd put those on days where I'd review a full length exam (this should only take ~4-5 hours out of the day). Remember to make a notebook full of all your mistakes when you're reviewing your full-lengths. Since you're only doing problems for the last 1/3 of chapters and not re-reading again, this is reasonable.

I started full lengths at the 37 day mark, basically one month in. This was the point where I had finished all of the content review (reading the chapter once and doing the first 1/3) for every chapter. This is extremely important so you know the content before you take assessments. At this point I was done with the re-read and second 1/3 up to chapter 7, and I had completed the last 1/3 for chapter 1. It gets a little confusing but you have to map it out so it makes sense. My practice test three-day-period would look like this:

Day 37: AAMC #3
Day 38: Review FL + last 1/3 of Chapter 2
Day 39: Review FL

I then started realizing that I didn't need two days to review a FL so I altered it to be the following:

Day 47: AAMC #5
Day 48: Review FL + Re-read & Do Chapter 9 Second 1/3
Day 49: Re-read & Do Chapter 10 Second 1/3


Sometimes it gets hectic, but if you use SN2'ed's schedule and draft up a reasonable day-by-day schedule matching the # of days until your test date, I believe you can do it. Occasionally I had to make dire adjustments like skip verbal for the day since I knew I was doing okay in verbal, so don't be too hard on yourself if you aren't able to complete a few passages or something. The schedule gets lighter toward the end because there are only a few subjects with Chapter 9's and 10's.

Best of luck to you.

 

[Cache20]

THANK YOU!!! It's really encouraging to know that you were able to successfully modify the schedule. I really appreciate you taking the time out to explain what you did; most pre meds are busy so I think I can safely assume you had plenty of things to do other than respond to this thread.

With full length scores like that you should have nothing to worry about as far as your actual score. How did you feel going into the exam/leaving the exam/were you confident in you preparation?

Your schedule sounds similar to what I'm attempting to do, and I'm hoping I can get through multiple chapters and 1/3's each day. I've definitely been keeping a note book for questions I get wrong (including 1/3 questions) Like you said it's a time consuming, but I feel as though it's really beneficial & I'm hoping it'll be worth it.

Thank you again for the advice, & for the encouragement. I'll be sure to come back and let you know how it all ends up going.

Now back to studying!

 

[HRSpecter]

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[Cache20]

Okay I'll do that for the order of the last three exams! I'll also definitely go hard for the review of each of the subjects & get some sleep in pre-exam.

I'm pumped! I'm not sure if you understand how encouraging it is to hear from you; it's so easy to wake up and feel like hitting the books is useless because there isn't enough time before the November exam & I might as well figure out another plan to somehow take it in Jan.

You're tips are going to be posted on my wall haha

You're the man!!!