DAT Study Struggles

[UofA2013]

So I was scheduled to take my DAT on July 6 and I have been studying since end of April. I pushed my date back because I did not feel prepared enough. I mean I would do a BC chemistry practice test and would do horrible on it. This will be my second time taking the DAT and I want to get right this time because I do not want to go though this process again. I follow Ari's study guide to the tee however, I cannot afford to pay for the full access quite yet. So I use crack the DAT for PA and Reading, Cliffs, Chad's videos, DAT destroyer and Math Destroyer and BC for additional help.


I struggle with bio, chem, reading and QR. Anybody have any suggestions how and what I can use to improve my score or any suggestions for my study habits?


I just want to have a LIT score on this DAT!


Thank you all!

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[ChemKitten3]

So I was scheduled to take my DAT on July 6 and I have been studying since end of April. I pushed my date back because I did not feel prepared enough. I mean I would do a BC chemistry practice test and would do horrible on it. This will be my second time taking the DAT and I want to get right this time because I do not want to go though this process again. I follow Ari's study guide to the tee however, I cannot afford to pay for the full access quite yet. So I use crack the DAT for PA and Reading, Cliffs, Chad's videos, DAT destroyer and Math Destroyer and BC for additional help.


I struggle with bio, chem, reading and QR. Anybody have any suggestions how and what I can use to improve my score or any suggestions for my study habits?


I just want to have a LIT score on this DAT!


Thank you all!

I would suggest finding another student and seeing if they would like to split the cost of Bootcamp. In my honest opinion Bootcamp is one of the best resources you can use for prep.

If you can access the program here is what I suggest:

1. Use the PAT generators to keep revising these strategies. I started off my study days practicing the individual sections for 10min each.

2. Use the practice reading exams. Find a strategy you like and stick to it. These exams are harder than the actual exam but are worth the time!

3. Take a practice bio exam and review all topics. Even if you get the answer correct. The explanations are amazing!

4. Study QR by subject. And review any weak areas. Once you have reviewed all topics use the destroyer to practice your timing. Remember, try the two pass system. Run through the questions first and answer all that you can solve quickly and know! Then run through the questions again answering questions you know but require more time. This strategy worked wonders for me!

Best of luck with your studying!!

 

[UofA2013]

I would suggest finding another student and seeing if they would like to split the cost of Bootcamp. In my honest opinion Bootcamp is one of the best resources you can use for prep.

If you can access the program here is what I suggest:

1. Use the PAT generators to keep revising these strategies. I started off my study days practicing the individual sections for 10min each.

2. Use the practice reading exams. Find a strategy you like and stick to it. These exams are harder than the actual exam but are worth the time!

3. Take a practice bio exam and review all topics. Even if you get the answer correct. The explanations are amazing!

4. Study QR by subject. And review any weak areas. Once you have reviewed all topics use the destroyer to practice your timing. Remember, try the two pass system. Run through the questions first and answer all that you can solve quickly and know! Then run through the questions again answering questions you know but require more time. This strategy worked wonders for me!

Best of luck with your studying!!

Ok I'll try this thank you for your suggestions!

 

[Bingwen]

The biggest thing is to consider your study style. Do you learn better reading, watching videos etc. Obviously if you hate reading the cliffs, using youtube videos on the topics you struggle with most might help. Where if you get distracted watching chads videos, maybe use a book on genchem or ochem. Ari's schedule is great but if you are just going through it to mark off your daily tasks then you probably aren't retaining much. This is where many people edit his schedule to suit their own needs. For some people constant quizzes on stuff they learned helps to solidify and keep it fresh...

All in all the biggest part of studying is finding a style and schedule that is going to suit you. Generally, the biggest thing for QR is repetition. The more your practice math the better you become at it. Chemistry and Bio are best figured out by doing a practice test and seeing where you weaknesses lie and then focus on bringing those up. Reading from everything I have gathered is all about finding a strategy that works for you. Some people read/skim the whole article and then go through questions while others skip straight to the questions and then search for the answers. Keep studying and you will get better

 

[DAT Destroyer]

So I was scheduled to take my DAT on July 6 and I have been studying since end of April. I pushed my date back because I did not feel prepared enough. I mean I would do a BC chemistry practice test and would do horrible on it. This will be my second time taking the DAT and I want to get right this time because I do not want to go though this process again. I follow Ari's study guide to the tee however, I cannot afford to pay for the full access quite yet. So I use crack the DAT for PA and Reading, Cliffs, Chad's videos, DAT destroyer and Math Destroyer and BC for additional help.


I struggle with bio, chem, reading and QR. Anybody have any suggestions how and what I can use to improve my score or any suggestions for my study habits?


I just want to have a LIT score on this DAT!


Thank you all!

Would you mind posting your scores from the first DAT exam? Also what is your science GPA? I agree you do not want to go through this process again, it's expensive and stressful.

Nancy

 

[UofA2013]

Would you mind posting your scores from the first DAT exam? Also what is your science GPA? I agree you do not want to go through this process again, it's expensive and stressful.

Nancy

Science GPA: 3.0
BIO:14
CHEM:14
OCHEM: 14 (WITH ONLY ONE SEMESTER OF IT)
READING:14
PAT:17
QR:14

 

[pookatooth]

So you will most likely need a 20+ AA to compensate for the sGPA, from what I've gathered from the ADEA guide. What worked for me was taking BC tests (I would find a way to get this program) and whatever I missed or was fuzzy on I would review the material and take notes on it. After that I would wait a day then try to explain the concept to myself out loud (have to verbalize) without my notes. This made it so that when I got a variation on a test the next time, I actually knew the concept and not just the particular problem. You have the amount of time I took to study for this test so capitalize, keep a positive mindset and be efficient in your studying.

 

[UofA2013]

ok thank you! I feel better about this now!