Content Review - Feeling Overwhelmed [Need Help]

[Okitaitsi]

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Hello Everyone,

I need some help on preparing for my MCAT exam... I've been stuck on the 7-book kaplan review for over a year now and feeling overwhelmed. I feel like I have everything else ready and the MCAT is taking a big psychological toll on me. I would study and read chapters for a couple of weeks and then I'm so sick of reading those chapters I run off and take a break from studying MCAT. As as result it keeps prolonging and delaying my MCAT test date and when I come back I feel like I forgot most of what's in the chapters I read. At times I feel a little hopeless and perpetually stuck in one position which is the content review phase and I can't move out of it. I have to take the MCAT by midsummer and apply in this cycle (because I was supposed to apply last year and I faild). Especially knowing that some early chapters I read are already forgotten by me is very stressful and discouraging. I have trouble sleeping at night because the times is ticking and I will surely be running out of time if I don't find a way to overcome the MCAT. I have good grades and a loving marriage life. But the MCAT is the toughest and longest battle I've faced so far and I just don't see the end of it. It's stressing me a lot.

Please offer me some help. You don't need to be nice. I'll be humbly taking suggestions.
Thanks you so much everyone!

 

[Okitaitsi]

Just to add a few stats in case needed:
I'm taking the Kaplan self-paced course.
Diagnostic Exam: 499
GPA: 3.85
I'm currently at about halfway through the content review phase.
MCAT Test Date: 6/30

 

[platty]

You just have to buckle down and do it. I felt the same way about the content review and used the Kaplan books as well. I studied for a full 5 months to prep. The only thing that gave me peace of mind was going through each of the books and writing down everything I didn’t know on flash cards. I went through those flash cards a few times each day and slowly my “don’t know pile” got smaller and smaller until I knew all of them. It was very time consuming to make the cards and I felt it was risky cause it took weeks for me just to make the cards, but it ended up being a huge help for me and I could actually see my progress. I’m not sure how else I would have done it but everyone is different. I also posted sticky notes everywhere in my apartment (on the fridge to read while eating breakfast, on the mirror to read while brushing teeth, etc) and slowly took them down as I memorized all the stuff on them. I know this is kind of aggressive but it worked so well for me so I usually share this to my friends that are mcat prepping. You just have to take a good 2-5 months of prep without those breaks and really focus all day everyday.

 

[I'mJustCurious]

I am in the same situation as you (sort of). I started to create one page notes and flashcards on things that I was bad at. It does take a lot of work but it's better than trying to flip through the books and trying to remember what I read. I honestly don't think you need to know everything the first time around. When you take your practice exams you can go back to the Kaplan books on subjects that you find yourself confuse at (to make more notes and flashcards).

 

[psyflgirl]

I think we all get overwhelmed at some point. I am in a similar situation, I am studying with the 7 books from Kaplan and I have been doing content review for four months now and I am still missing a little less than half the chapters. I also feel like I forget everything I read. I have been writing flashcards as I go through the chapters and it takes forever but I think it is a good idea to make them. Like you I took a break from studying like for two weeks due to some personal issues and it was hell to get back to it so if you have a choice do not stop. In my opinion staying motivated is the hardest part of this process, when I am feeling very discouraged I watch videos of people who have done it and listening to their stories motivates me, or I think about the final outcome. I also use podcasts like TED to get motivated and there is a podcast called PreMed years that discusses content as well as the process of admission which can be very helpful. Your stats are good so just push a little more and it will all be done.

 

[SteyrFWB]

Use UWorld for content review and passage testing.

Turn on tutor mode, do each question slowly, make note from answers.

If you do it slowly through UWorld, you will be good.

But don't give yourself too much time to do this. Your 6/30 is coming up.

Do UWorld and all others until end of May. The last month is reserved for all AAMC stuff.