- Joined
- Apr 14, 2013
- Messages
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Hey guys!
I took my DAT yesterday, and here is my breakdown:
I started studying about 6 months ago, I spent roughly 8-12 hours a day. I planned my days out, and broke down the amount of material for each day, so I wouldn’t get overwhelmed. A lot of people may use flashcards or something else, but I preferred to hand write all my notes, multiple times.
What I used:
PAT: I used TopScore Pro which I thought was the closest and most realistic program to use in regards to practice for the PAT. Although only 3 practice exams are provided with TopScore, the TFE, angles, cube counting and hole punching are pretty much spot on!
Reading: I used Kaplan study materials in order to prepare for reading. My approach was search and destroy, and with each practice passage, I learned how to skim passages with many paragraphs at an optimal rate. When doing search and destroy, I skimmed each paragraph and jotted down keywords and facts that I thought would be useful.
Math: The Math Destroyer is an absolute must! Every possible question is explained, and really teaches you the different approaches that you need to master the math section. I did every exam, and every question, and noted each question I got wrong, then reviewed them the next day. I did about 3 of the practice tests a day, a week and a half before the exam.
Biology: The DAT Destroyer is the tool to use! I went over the biology questions maybe 6-7 times. I also went to the back of the book and carefully analyzed and learned the details of the solutions. When I got to the point where I could spit out any fact, detail and concept on biology, I knew I was prepared! As a supplement, I used Cambell’s Biology as a resource for any concepts that I didn’t understand, or needed to beef up on, it is a great resource to learn the concepts and the small details of any biological, physiological and immunological subjects. I also used Feralis notes, to see if I was missing any key facts, and fill in any gaps remaining, although I only skimmed the notes, and didn’t memorize them because they are a bit dense.
Gchem: I first started using the Gchem Destroyer, which was a great refresher and really got the rust off for me. After completing the Gchem Destroyer, I moved on to the DAT Destroyer, and did every question, learned and derived every concept and equation. I used the Chang Chemistry book because of its great visualizations and graphs, to understand all the concepts dealing with laws. This allowed me to approach ANY question, without hesitation.
Orgo: DAT Destroyer is the way to go. Doing the practice problems is not enough, it was essential for me to go to the solutions and study the explanations for each and every reaction and concept. The road maps were amazing in showing you a simple way of studying reactions! When I felt comfortable with the questions, I started working on the Odyssey book, which gave me a taste of some harder more advanced problems. Reviewing everything, I was confident that I covered all my bases. For brush up, I used the Wade book, and absolutely loved it because it was amazing in terms of showing detailed chemical mechanisms.
Overall, preparing for the exam is a lot of work, but if you can manage your time, and study hard, then it is very doable!
Good Luck to everyone applying!
-Babs
I took my DAT yesterday, and here is my breakdown:
I started studying about 6 months ago, I spent roughly 8-12 hours a day. I planned my days out, and broke down the amount of material for each day, so I wouldn’t get overwhelmed. A lot of people may use flashcards or something else, but I preferred to hand write all my notes, multiple times.
What I used:
PAT: I used TopScore Pro which I thought was the closest and most realistic program to use in regards to practice for the PAT. Although only 3 practice exams are provided with TopScore, the TFE, angles, cube counting and hole punching are pretty much spot on!
Reading: I used Kaplan study materials in order to prepare for reading. My approach was search and destroy, and with each practice passage, I learned how to skim passages with many paragraphs at an optimal rate. When doing search and destroy, I skimmed each paragraph and jotted down keywords and facts that I thought would be useful.
Math: The Math Destroyer is an absolute must! Every possible question is explained, and really teaches you the different approaches that you need to master the math section. I did every exam, and every question, and noted each question I got wrong, then reviewed them the next day. I did about 3 of the practice tests a day, a week and a half before the exam.
Biology: The DAT Destroyer is the tool to use! I went over the biology questions maybe 6-7 times. I also went to the back of the book and carefully analyzed and learned the details of the solutions. When I got to the point where I could spit out any fact, detail and concept on biology, I knew I was prepared! As a supplement, I used Cambell’s Biology as a resource for any concepts that I didn’t understand, or needed to beef up on, it is a great resource to learn the concepts and the small details of any biological, physiological and immunological subjects. I also used Feralis notes, to see if I was missing any key facts, and fill in any gaps remaining, although I only skimmed the notes, and didn’t memorize them because they are a bit dense.
Gchem: I first started using the Gchem Destroyer, which was a great refresher and really got the rust off for me. After completing the Gchem Destroyer, I moved on to the DAT Destroyer, and did every question, learned and derived every concept and equation. I used the Chang Chemistry book because of its great visualizations and graphs, to understand all the concepts dealing with laws. This allowed me to approach ANY question, without hesitation.
Orgo: DAT Destroyer is the way to go. Doing the practice problems is not enough, it was essential for me to go to the solutions and study the explanations for each and every reaction and concept. The road maps were amazing in showing you a simple way of studying reactions! When I felt comfortable with the questions, I started working on the Odyssey book, which gave me a taste of some harder more advanced problems. Reviewing everything, I was confident that I covered all my bases. For brush up, I used the Wade book, and absolutely loved it because it was amazing in terms of showing detailed chemical mechanisms.
Overall, preparing for the exam is a lot of work, but if you can manage your time, and study hard, then it is very doable!
Good Luck to everyone applying!
-Babs
You killed it!
