DAT Date Concern

[shkswimming]

Hello,

I am a non-traditional student (military after semester of college).
I will be taking Ochem 2 in the spring with Genetics and upper biology elective (12 credits).
My concern is I am not sure when to take the DAT if I want to apply for the upcoming cycle. Not sure how to study DAT during the semester as well. Tips would be appreciated.

It really depends on how much work I put in, but just unsure with not having ochem 2 completed while studying for the DAT. Any thoughts?
Courses taken so far for DAT: General Bio and Chem, Ecology, and Cell Bio.
My adviser is telling me that I should wait until I take Biochem due to increasing questions from it(?) but that would leave me a gap year after I graduate in 2021.

Also, I am not sure how people really study for the DAT. I plan to purchase the DATDestoryer and Bootcamp. I also have Feralis note that I found on this forum.
Especially for Bio, do I study the note and then take practice exam to see what I need to work on?

Lastly, I plan to use my GI Bill for Dental School. I know that a lot of public schools mostly accept students from instate.
Does Colorado have other schools that accepts it as a region?

Thank you!

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[DAT Destroyer]

Firstly I would like to say thank you for your service to our country! My dad served in WWII. Korea, and Vietnam, so I thank you and all the others who are serving and have served..

Next, I like your plan, and it is not required that you take the BioChem prior to your exam, it would be helpful but many of the test prep materials have what you need to get through it. I know you are using your GI Bill I can't help you with that question, but there are a lot of military guy and gals that can. I have worked with many of them through the years.

Wishing you the best! and think think #think30

Nancy

 

[deleted767759]

Hi! I also had the same issue during my last few semesters -- I hadn't taken the DAT in the summer and was taking very tough upper level (300- , 400- courses)
So coming from a similar situation, here's my advice: Do not study to take it if you feel unprepared. Wait till you take Organic Chem, and all your other bio pre-req's. This is because O Chem is its own section and is alot of info to process ; having taken it prior to studying will really benefit you and that way you can recall most little or big pieces of info as you follow bootcamp and destroyer. Also, DAT Bootcamp is a lengthy set of videos and note taking which I suggest you give 2-3 months for (if youre following the schedule they provide). Also, DAT Destroyer is a great tool which requires time and effort as well. there are many practice problems to go through so give yourself time and don't rush - we all want to aim for a good score the first time and not have to retake it! Also, usually people take the DAT in the summer with no classes OR after graduation. this way you can benefit the most. Good luck!

 

[DAT Destroyer]

Great response!
ArabTurk
I love your quote, nothing works unless you do! Love it Love it! and so true.

 

[deleted767759]

Great response!
ArabTurk
I love your quote, nothing works unless you do! Love it Love it! and so true.

THANK YOU !

 

[shkswimming]

Firstly I would like to say thank you for your service to our country! My dad served in WWII. Korea, and Vietnam, so I thank you and all the others who are serving and have served..

Next, I like your plan, and it is not required that you take the BioChem prior to your exam, it would be helpful but many of the test prep materials have what you need to get through it. I know you are using your GI Bill I can't help you with that question, but there are a lot of miliary guy and gals that can. I have worked with many of them through the years.

Wishing you the best! and think think #think30

Nancy

Thank you for your response. Crazy to receive an advice from DAT Destroyer creator! I will be ordering it very soon.
Thank you so much for the best wishes.
Cheers!

Sean

 

[shkswimming]

Hi! I also had the same issue during my last few semesters -- I hadn't taken the DAT in the summer and was taking very tough upper level (300- , 400- courses)
So coming from a similar situation, here's my advice: Do not study to take it if you feel unprepared. Wait till you take Organic Chem, and all your other bio pre-req's. This is because O Chem is its own section and is alot of info to process ; having taken it prior to studying will really benefit you and that way you can recall most little or big pieces of info as you follow bootcamp and destroyer. Also, DAT Bootcamp is a lengthy set of videos and note taking which I suggest you give 2-3 months for (if youre following the schedule they provide). Also, DAT Destroyer is a great tool which requires time and effort as well. there are many practice problems to go through so give yourself time and don't rush - we all want to aim for a good score the first time and not have to retake it! Also, usually people take the DAT in the summer with no classes OR after graduation. this way you can benefit the most. Good luck!

Hey! Thank you for your response.
I certainly do not want to rush it and definitely will not take it if I feel unprepared.

I will be finishing my 2nd series of Organic Chemistry in the upcoming Spring semester. So, I would have fresh knowledge on it. Only downside is that I would only be able to study a bit through studying materials for DAT.

I plan to start studying during winter break for it, focusing on sections except organic chemistry. If you did study during the semester, how did you work it out?

 

[deleted767759]

Hey! Thank you for your response.
I certainly do not want to rush it and definitely will not take it if I feel unprepared.

I will be finishing my 2nd series of Organic Chemistry in the upcoming Spring semester. So, I would have fresh knowledge on it. Only downside is that I would only be able to study a bit through studying materials for DAT.

I plan to start studying during winter break for it, focusing on sections except organic chemistry. If you did study during the semester, how did you work it out?

I actually did not study for it during my semester --- I felt I wouldn't be able to get a good grasp because I wanted to get good grades and studying for both would've been bad for me. So I waited till graduation -- I didn't really care when I took it , I cared more about how prepared I felt going into it ! BUT .. if you can coordinate both go for it , I'm just the person that would prefer to not cram the 2!

 

[deleted767759]

Hey! Thank you for your response.
I certainly do not want to rush it and definitely will not take it if I feel unprepared.

I will be finishing my 2nd series of Organic Chemistry in the upcoming Spring semester. So, I would have fresh knowledge on it. Only downside is that I would only be able to study a bit through studying materials for DAT.

I plan to start studying during winter break for it, focusing on sections except organic chemistry. If you did study during the semester, how did you work it out?

I also forgot to add, you should take / have taken microbiology and genetics before hand --many things from the bio section on antibodies/viruses/T4 cells, etc do pop on the study material as well as genes/genetics/molecular processes as well. If you need any help/ advice just message me!!

 

[his989]

Hello,

I am a non-traditional student (military after semester of college).
I will be taking Ochem 2 in the spring with Genetics and upper biology elective (12 credits).
My concern is I am not sure when to take the DAT if I want to apply for the upcoming cycle. Not sure how to study DAT during the semester as well. Tips would be appreciated.

It really depends on how much work I put in, but just unsure with not having ochem 2 completed while studying for the DAT. Any thoughts?
Courses taken so far for DAT: General Bio and Chem, Ecology, and Cell Bio.
My adviser is telling me that I should wait until I take Biochem due to increasing questions from it(?) but that would leave me a gap year after I graduate in 2021.

Also, I am not sure how people really study for the DAT. I plan to purchase the DATDestoryer and Bootcamp. I also have Feralis note that I found on this forum.
Especially for Bio, do I study the note and then take practice exam to see what I need to work on?

Lastly, I plan to use my GI Bill for Dental School. I know that a lot of public schools mostly accept students from instate.
Does Colorado have other schools that accepts it as a region?

Thank you!

I'm a non-traditional applicant who applied this cycle. (AA24, TS25). Before I took the DAT this past August, I only had Organic Chem 1/2, Bio 1/2, Chem 1/2 under my belt. Because of my engineering major background, I did not have any upper-level Biology or Biochemistry questions.

I think it does help to have courses before you prepare for the DAT, but the courses aren't absolute requirements because of the following reasons (personal opinion):

1) Each DAT section tests you on different skillsets. For example, the Biology section tests your knowledge retention skills, problem-solving skills for GC section, and OC section tests you on how you apply concepts to solve problems. That being said, having a big knowledge base (from taking courses) is definitely helpful, but what has really widened my knowledge was from practice problems.

Knowing the concept and knowing how to solve problems are two totally different matters. It's like Concept v.s. Application of the concept. This doesn't apply much to Biology because you either know the answer, or you don't. However, for GC and OC, knowing the concept was about 30-40% and the rest 60% really tested me on "can you solve this problem?".

2) DAT focuses on a specific set of topics. There are several topics that were covered by Organic Chemistry 2, but didn't apply to DAT. Vice versa, there were concepts that were crucial to know for DAT, but didn't learn that much in Organic Chemistry 2.

This is where Destroyer really shines: I went through the Destroyer OC section 3 times before the exam, and the OC section literally felt like a breeze. I think I finished in 10-15 minutes for all 30 questions. I used DAT bootcamp to learn concepts and Destroyer for practice questions. I also made 200+ reaction mechanism flashcards, and went through the flashcards once every 2-3 days.

If you want a more detailed breakdown of my DAT journey, you can check out my post as well.

Don't feel intimidated. Everyone starts somewhere. You just have to start the journey and commit to it.

Good luck!

 

[shkswimming]

I actually did not study for it during my semester --- I felt I wouldn't be able to get a good grasp because I wanted to get good grades and studying for both would've been bad for me. So I waited till graduation -- I didn't really care when I took it , I cared more about how prepared I felt going into it ! BUT .. if you can coordinate both go for it , I'm just the person that would prefer to not cram the 2!

I won't have microbio under my belt, but will be taking genetics next semester. I'm going to try to coordinate both at the same time. Doesn't hurt to try. Thank you so much!

 

[shkswimming]

I'm a non-traditional applicant who applied this cycle. (AA24, TS25). Before I took the DAT this past August, I only had Organic Chem 1/2, Bio 1/2, Chem 1/2 under my belt. Because of my engineering major background, I did not have any upper-level Biology or Biochemistry questions.

I think it does help to have courses before you prepare for the DAT, but the courses aren't absolute requirements because of the following reasons (personal opinion):

1) Each DAT section tests you on different skillsets. For example, the Biology section tests your knowledge retention skills, problem-solving skills for GC section, and OC section tests you on how you apply concepts to solve problems. That being said, having a big knowledge base (from taking courses) is definitely helpful, but what has really widened my knowledge was from practice problems.

Knowing the concept and knowing how to solve problems are two totally different matters. It's like Concept v.s. Application of the concept. This doesn't apply much to Biology because you either know the answer, or you don't. However, for GC and OC, knowing the concept was about 30-40% and the rest 60% really tested me on "can you solve this problem?".

2) DAT focuses on a specific set of topics. There are several topics that were covered by Organic Chemistry 2, but didn't apply to DAT. Vice versa, there were concepts that were crucial to know for DAT, but didn't learn that much in Organic Chemistry 2.

This is where Destroyer really shines: I went through the Destroyer OC section 3 times before the exam, and the OC section literally felt like a breeze. I think I finished in 10-15 minutes for all 30 questions. I used DAT bootcamp to learn concepts and Destroyer for practice questions. I also made 200+ reaction mechanism flashcards, and went through the flashcards once every 2-3 days.

If you want a more detailed breakdown of my DAT journey, you can check out my post as well.

Don't feel intimidated. Everyone starts somewhere. You just have to start the journey and commit to it.

Good luck!

Thank you for your reply. That is an amazing score, really well done. Congrats!
I will basically have the same science background except having Genetics. I been searching and people say that DAT Ochem and ACS Ochem is a bit similar. I hope that having OChem2 really fresh in the mind helps.
My semester ends mid May and hope to take the exam June or late May. I will definitely look at your post how you studied, etc. Only difference is that you studied during the summer break, I assume. Hopefully I can find a right studying schedule for me.

 

[Faris_]

Am currently going through the same situation down to the VA benefits usage. I've decided that the best time for me to take the DAT is the day following Spring break since my summer schedule is full and there's virtually only a weekend between Spring and Summer semesters. as to how I'll be ready for Ochem 2 which am registered to take in the Spring is by using the roughly the 30 days between Fall and Spring to learn all of Ochem 2 using Chad's videos. I'll prepare for the other sections of the DAT by using anki flash cards I've made already for Bio, PAT booster, and reading articles from scientific american as much as I could until the beginning of Spring semester at which point my studying will be more focused which will be a challenge since am taking 14 Credit hours that semester .

This might not make sense to many of the members of this forum but it makes sense if you're trying to maximize the limited benefits you have and when a gap year is virtually useless and only constitutes wasted time considering a gap year for non-traditional student isn't the same for traditional.

 

[shkswimming]

Am currently going through the same situation down to the VA benefits usage. I've decided that the best time for me to take the DAT is the day following Spring break since my summer schedule is full and there's virtually only a weekend between Spring and Summer semesters. as to how I'll be ready for Ochem 2 which am registered to take in the Spring is by using the roughly the 30 days between Fall and Spring to learn all of Ochem 2 using Chad's videos. I'll prepare for the other sections of the DAT by using anki flash cards I've made already for Bio, PAT booster, and reading articles from scientific american as much as I could until the beginning of Spring semester at which point my studying will be more focused which will be a challenge since am taking 14 Credit hours that semester .

This might not make sense to many of the members of this forum but it makes sense if you're trying to maximize the limited benefits you have and when a gap year is virtually useless and only constitutes wasted time considering a gap year for non-traditional student isn't the same for traditional.

Faris,

Happy belated Veterans Day. I feel the same about taking a gap year, which all of my advisers are telling me to do. I'm not that old, but I still don't want to waste one year and start dental school at age of 27 (if I start 2022) if I am admitted. Do you want to possibly keep in touch, trade numbers, etc. to keep each other in check of studying for the DAT (study buddy system)? And perhaps go over some schools to apply as well to find where we can maximize GI Bill. Just in general, I think it would be great and share some study tools, too.

 

[Faris_]

Faris,

Happy belated Veterans Day. I feel the same about taking a gap year, which all of my advisers are telling me to do. I'm not that old, but I still don't want to waste one year and start dental school at age of 27 (if I start 2022) if I am admitted. Do you want to possibly keep in touch, trade numbers, etc. to keep each other in check of studying for the DAT (study buddy system)? And perhaps go over some schools to apply as well to find where we can maximize GI Bill. Just in general, I think it would be great and share some study tools, too.

Sorry for the late response. Bunch of exams and a 2 week old baby aren't exactly a recipe to to have some internet time, oh yeah am dealing with a new born, who I recently found that don't have exactly the best communication skills as one would hope, on top of everything else. I like your suggestion but I will run out of Gi bill benefits by the time am done with the dental school pre-reqs and will be using hazelwood benefits assuming I get accepted in Texas which is the only place am applying into the first cycle am applying too and if that fails the next cycle would be texas and the rest of the nation.

 

[shkswimming]

Sorry for the late response. Bunch of exams and a 2 week old baby aren't exactly a recipe to to have some internet time, oh yeah am dealing with a new born, who I recently found that don't have exactly the best communication skills as one would hope, on top of everything else. I like your suggestion but I will run out of Gi bill benefits by the time am done with the dental school pre-reqs and will be using hazelwood benefits assuming I get accepted in Texas which is the only place am applying into the first cycle am applying too and if that fails the next cycle would be texas and the rest of the nation.

Hahaha well congrats on the newborn. I have a friend in Dallas who is going to school and trying to apply for the upcoming cycle. I wish I lived in Texas beforehand. Would have been very handy. Anyways, if you are up to having a study buddy system to study, I am all for it.

 

[damon30]

Thank you for your service! I appreciate it especially as one of my close friends completed his training and is being stationed overseas soon. I worry about them a lot. I asked my cousin who has gone through dentistry and has a practice in the Midwest; he recommends studying for it if you are unsure (which is good practice whether or not you are sure in anything in life).