Exactly What is So Great About the Berkeley Review Books?

[ManimalJax]

Okay, so I have been reading through the MCAT forums for a few days now and it seems like there is a general consensus on the opinion that Berkeley Review's MCAT books are golden. I am about to dish out the $200-something so that I can purchase the books. However, I have one question before I do. Despite the numerous praises given to the Berkeley Review, what I haven't found in great detail is exactly what makes the books do damn great? I have looked through the Kaplan and TPR books, and I think I'd like to know what all the hype is about before I buy into it...literally.

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[J ROD]

Okay, so I have been reading through the MCAT forums for a few days now and it seems like there is a general consensus on the opinion that Berkeley Review's MCAT books are golden. I am about to dish out the $200-something so that I can purchase the books. However, I have one question before I do. Despite the numerous praises given to the Berkeley Review, what I haven't found in great detail is exactly what makes the books do damn great? I have looked through the Kaplan and TPR books, and I think I'd like to know what all the hype is about before I buy into it...literally.

I say the BR Gchem books are the best I have seen. They have great explanations and make things come together. Easier ways to think about things. Plus, there are many, hard practice passages at the end to get better with.

The Physics books have excellent practice passages and the explanations are good. I like TPR explanations better, but I would still get BR physics for the practice passages.

I would only buy these books. The Bio and Verbal are not that great to me. The ochem books are the best I have seen too but with ochem becoming less important and the indepth nature of the books I would say it is overkill.

TPR bio is good enough and so is the ochem.

Verbal, get EK verbal 101.

 

[learnmdabc]

Well, this is my story. My score was nothing particularly spectacular, (33) but it does show the effectiveness of the the BR books--- given my situation:

I had one month and a half before my mcat 7/18. I had not done any studying prior, and I'm not the genius type that can wing standarized tests. What I had in front of me was the complete set of BR books. I knew that time was limited before the test date, so I always had in the corner of my mind the notion that I would retake the test on some another date. This coming test would be a test run so to speak.

So what i first did was a cursory content review of the all the books, besides the verbal, and did not bother to memorize any facts. This took around 3 weeks. Then I did 9 passages for each section, in all the BR books. The chemistry and physics passages were especially good: they integrated concepts, formulas, and common sense. In my opinion, they were not like MCAT questions but they prepared you for MCAT questions. I hope that makes sense. The best part were the explanations, which were thorough and taught you how to approach difficult questions without panic. They basically outlined the thought processes that a master MCAT taker would undergo as he approached various types of questions. The passages are the stars of the the BR books, though the content review of the physics and chemistry books were also superb. The content of the biology books were surprisingly shoddy and scattered, however. Anyhow, after having gone through the content and through the passages, I did a couple of BR CBTS for kicks. I wasn't in the mood to do them thoroughly, so I went through them as fast as possible. I ended up missing 17-21 per section. = = But when I took the actual MCAT, many questions seemed like child's play compared to the grueling BR questions, which I constantly missed.

So that's my story, nothing too dramatic. I got a 13 on bio and an 11 on physics and a 9 on verbal. I didn't study for verbal and I was confident in my reading comprehension abilities. Apparently, the confidence was ill-founded. If I had more time, I would probably have done better, I think. My advice is to start cracking on the BR ASAP and approach the test with humility. Also, be present while you study the BR review books. They are comprehensive and chocked full of important details and unique ways to approach questions. I started too late and ended up only doing a superficial review of the passage explanations. Due to time, I was constantly looking at my calendar and my watch. If I started earlier with the BR books, took a more conservative approach with regards of time, and did a more thorough review of the passage explanations, I probably would have gotten myself a better score. I do have my regrets, but alas, I'm too lazy to retake, and I'm not the ultra-competitive premed. I just want to become a doctor.

Anyhow, hope this helped! good luck!

 

[ManimalJax]

Wow! That helped a lot, learnmdabc. After reading the two above-mentioned endorsements, I will go ahead and order the TBR books. Now, would any of you two happen to know what the copyright date of their most recent edition is? I've been reading through the forums and some students mentioned having something copywritten in 2002 or something like that. To hell with that! I want the most recent edition!

 

[learnmdabc]

I actually don't have my books with me. But I had the latest editions for each book. (bought them this year)

 

[crazynative]

Well, this is my story. My score was nothing particularly spectacular, (33) but it does show the effectiveness of the the BR books--- given my situation:

I had one month and a half before my mcat 7/18. I had not done any studying prior, and I'm not the genius type that can wing standarized tests. What I had in front of me was the complete set of BR books. I knew that time was limited before the test date, so I always had in the corner of my mind the notion that I would retake the test on some another date. This coming test would be a test run so to speak.

So what i first did was a cursory content review of the all the books, besides the verbal, and did not bother to memorize any facts. This took around 3 weeks. Then I did 9 passages for each section, in all the BR books. The chemistry and physics passages were especially good: they integrated concepts, formulas, and common sense. In my opinion, they were not like MCAT questions but they prepared you for MCAT questions. I hope that makes sense. The best part were the explanations, which were thorough and taught you how to approach difficult questions without panic. They basically outlined the thought processes that a master MCAT taker would undergo as he approached various types of questions. The passages are the stars of the the BR books, though the content review of the physics and chemistry books were also superb. The content of the biology books were surprisingly shoddy and scattered, however. Anyhow, after having gone through the content and through the passages, I did a couple of BR CBTS for kicks. I wasn't in the mood to do them thoroughly, so I went through them as fast as possible. I ended up missing 17-21 per section. = = But when I took the actual MCAT, many questions seemed like child's play compared to the grueling BR questions, which I constantly missed.

So that's my story, nothing too dramatic. I got a 13 on bio and an 11 on physics and a 9 on verbal. I didn't study for verbal and I was confident in my reading comprehension abilities. Apparently, the confidence was ill-founded. If I had more time, I would probably have done better, I think. My advice is to start cracking on the BR ASAP and approach the test with humility. Also, be present while you study the BR review books. They are comprehensive and chocked full of important details and unique ways to approach questions. I started too late and ended up only doing a superficial review of the passage explanations. Due to time, I was constantly looking at my calendar and my watch. If I started earlier with the BR books, took a more conservative approach with regards of time, and did a more thorough review of the passage explanations, I probably would have gotten myself a better score. I do have my regrets, but alas, I'm too lazy to retake, and I'm not the ultra-competitive premed. I just want to become a doctor.

Anyhow, hope this helped! good luck!

Let's hear it for lazy @$$ people (including myself) yeah! Man that was inspiring.

I have a question. I am currently taking my MCAT a second time. I just took a Berkeley Review test (test 1), and I got a 25. I still have 3 weeks till the test. Do you think it's time to panic and crack the content review, or should I continue doing the Berkeley Review passages?

 

[learnmdabc]

In my opinion, do the passages but be thorough with the explanations. It's the thinking process that really counts--if I had known that, I really wouldn't have spent so long on content review. But I do find scanning the content review does help a bit. Focus on the parts that you don't know. I know its tempting to keep doing passages for topics that you got down, but its pointless. Good luck!

I really didn't learn anything from the Berkeley Review tests honestly. I once got 28 wrong in the biology section; I think I got 23 wrong in physics also. HAHAH

 

[PAGuyana]

Don't do it. BR is way too complicated, especially the Chem. They make the simplest thing too difficult, and most of the stuff they'll teach, you will NEVER use on the real thing!! It honestly set me back. You need to master the basics and be able to recognize it quickly. That's what the MCAT is about. BR won't help you do this. Get TPR. This, of course, is my opinion.

 

[chromeX]

What's the format of BR? Is it a thorough review with some practice problems, or some review with lots of practice problems?

 

[Nasrudin]

I disagree with some of the posts here, but, that's ok right we'll all have to get ourselves ready for this thing on our own. So this is really a to each his/her own type of thing.

So here's what I think about BR books: They're the best thing out there for in depth concept and technique based training. I am using their material and EK, so I'm not a purist but jumping back and forth between the two has given me a good understanding of what each is attempting to do.

If I want to look up an equation or practice a bunch of discrete questions on a focused concept I use EK with the 1001 series because it's got an easily digestible lay out and well edited problems also laid out well by focused areas. But If I had to choose only one I'd go with BR and here's why:

They stress the skills and the type of thinking that really counts. Many passages will test how to think about a particular concept that is constantly related to the MCAT idiom. I liken it to the way Bruce Lee approached martial arts--as a spontaneous, real-time, fighting skill. As opposed to an overly elaborate series of forms of training which do little to increase one's ability to hit hard and keep from being hit in a real situation.

As my studying approaches my test date I will increasingly shift to the BR books and then finally to the emcat's, using EK simply as an easy reference. But that's just how I seeing it.

 

[BerkReviewTeach]

Posted by Paguyana on 9/13/07 at 10:00AM

So based on the rave reviews on this series, I decided to buy the Physical Science set, and I got to say that the material is too dense and detailed for me. To get through one topic takes so much energy and effort that I am too drained to do the sectionals. I think I'll just stick to Kaplan and ExamKrackers for content review and I'll do Berkeley's sectionals when I've recouped. Am I the only one who finds it this way?

Note: They don't sell a physical science set. They sell general chemistry books and physics books.

Posted by Paguyana on 3/11/08 at 5:39PM

I'm so demoralized. I spent the entire day studying the buffers chapter and I feel like I know less. I've been doing well with the thing, but this chapter has completely derailed me. Can someone, including Berk. Teach, please just highlight the important stuff please? Are buffers a hot topic anyways?

Posted by Paguyana on 6/6/08 6:28AM

Really, I'm interested in the Gen Chem booklet passages, but the darn shipping costs more than the book itself. Come on guys, it's fine to have certain business practices, but common sense needs to factor into your business model also. Plus you don't accept credit cards and only mail order in this day and age. What's the deal? Most of us are poor students and with today's gas and food prices!! You guys need to be a little more fair and understanding to us your customers. A very idiosyncratic business that will implode one day. Point your boss to this thread.

Note: The passage booklet is $15 and the FedEx shipping is between $6 and $16 depending on location.

Posted by Paguyana Today

Don't do it. BR is way too complicated, especially the Chem. They make the simplest thing too difficult, and most of the stuff they'll teach, you will NEVER use on the real thing!! It honestly set me back. You need to master the basics and be able to recognize it quickly. That's what the MCAT is about. BR won't help you do this. Get TPR. This, of course, is my opinion.

Hey PAGuyana,

I'm writing because I have to ask what has motivated you to write something negative in pretty much every thread commenting on BR materials. I sure don't deny that everyone should express an opinion, but for over a year now, you have made it a point to leave a negative comment about BR materials in any thread in which they appeared. This thread is a perfect example. It is basically a candid set of comments that reads like all of the threads that pop up about BR stuff. A few people rave about it and a few people comment that the physics and G Chem are great and Biology is too detailed. I'll be honest that the materials cater to people who are above average, but there is still utility for everyone if you extract the strategies.

I guess I'm just curious what gives, so I posted a few of your posts I could find in threads about BR materials from the past. Admittedly, I didn't look to see if you've done this with everyone's materials, but I don't recall reading such things in the posts I can recall from you.

To clarify, there is no Buffers chapter; the subject is addressed in two different chapters. Pages 261-264 cover conjugate pairs and the Henderson Hasselbalch equation, which fits into the category of buffers. Pages 296-298 describe buffer compositon and pH caluclation. Pages 298-300 include sample questions that show pH calculations for buffers and finally page 301 discusses blood buffering. And as I PMed months ago, there are basically about seven tricks and short cuts that you need to do well to answer any multiple choice Titration or Buffer question you may encounter anywhere, including and especially the MCAT. And physiological buffering is definitely fair game for the MCAT.

Also, I have to agree (and did in that thread) with your criticism of the lack of credit card and only one choice of shipping carrier. My bosses are not the best business folks I've ever met. But somehow I got a vibe that it was personal between you and them when I read your post, It just seemed a few sentences longer than necessary to make your point and then reiterate your point. Could be just the way I'm reading it though.

Again, I don't begrudge you having an opinion. Look at any of the materials discussed here and you will find a range of opinions. It just seems odd that you have such strong feelings that deviate from 95% of the comments here and that you have spent a year making this point.

I sincerely apologize that the materials did not work for you. They don't work for everyone. A good amount of the teaching I do involves highlighting the useful tricks they contain that students may not absorb upon reading. I believe that you need to have the right mindset to see the tricks and strategies and how useful they can prove on the real exam in terms of saving time and extracting key points in questions. But I also believe that once a student understands the unique perspective and masters the techniques, they should be disappointed with anything less than 12 on the science sections.

I respect that you have worked so hard to prepare for this exam. If what I'm reading is correct, then you started last summer and have used materials from EK, Kaplan, PR, and BR. Your dedication is admirable. I wish you the best in your pursuit of medical school, because anyone willing to put that commitment into getting into medical school will likely put that same effort into being the best doctor they can be. Again, I'm sorry you don't see the same utility others see in the materials, but it's time to let it go. You can PM me again if you wish.

 

[garyinthehouse]

Posted by Paguyana on 9/13/07 at 10:00AM
Note: They don't sell a physical science set. They sell general chemistry books and physics books.

Posted by Paguyana on 3/11/08 at 5:39PM


Posted by Paguyana on 6/6/08 6:28AM

Note: The passage booklet is $15 and the FedEx shipping is between $6 and $16 depending on location.

Posted by Paguyana Today


Hey PAGuyana,

I'm writing because I have to ask what has motivated you to write something negative in pretty much every thread commenting on BR materials. I sure don't deny that everyone should express an opinion, but for over a year now, you have made it a point to leave a negative comment about BR materials in any thread in which they appeared. This thread is a perfect example. It is basically a candid set of comments that reads like all of the threads that pop up about BR stuff. A few people rave about it and a few people comment that the physics and G Chem are great and Biology is too detailed. I'll be honest that the materials cater to people who are above average, but there is still utility for everyone if you extract the strategies.

I guess I'm just curious what gives, so I posted a few of your posts I could find in threads about BR materials from the past. Admittedly, I didn't look to see if you've done this with everyone's materials, but I don't recall reading such things in the posts I can recall from you.

To clarify, there is no Buffers chapter; the subject is addressed in two different chapters. Pages 261-264 cover conjugate pairs and the Henderson Hasselbalch equation, which fits into the category of buffers. Pages 296-298 describe buffer compositon and pH caluclation. Pages 298-300 include sample questions that show pH calculations for buffers and finally page 301 discusses blood buffering. And as I PMed months ago, there are basically about seven tricks and short cuts that you need to do well to answer any multiple choice Titration or Buffer question you may encounter anywhere, including and especially the MCAT. And physiological buffering is definitely fair game for the MCAT.

Also, I have to agree (and did in that thread) with your criticism of the lack of credit card and only one choice of shipping carrier. My bosses are not the best business folks I've ever met. But somehow I got a vibe that it was personal between you and them when I read your post, It just seemed a few sentences longer than necessary to make your point and then reiterate your point. Could be just the way I'm reading it though.

Again, I don't begrudge you having an opinion. Look at any of the materials discussed here and you will find a range of opinions. It just seems odd that you have such strong feelings that deviate from 95% of the comments here and that you have spent a year making this point.

I sincerely apologize that the materials did not work for you. They don't work for everyone. A good amount of the teaching I do involves highlighting the useful tricks they contain that students may not absorb upon reading. I believe that you need to have the right mindset to see the tricks and strategies and how useful they can prove on the real exam in terms of saving time and extracting key points in questions. But I also believe that once a student understands the unique perspective and masters the techniques, they should be disappointed with anything less than 12 on the science sections.

I respect that you have worked so hard to prepare for this exam. If what I'm reading is correct, then you started last summer and have used materials from EK, Kaplan, PR, and BR. Your dedication is admirable. I wish you the best in your pursuit of medical school, because anyone willing to put that commitment into getting into medical school will likely put that same effort into being the best doctor they can be. Again, I'm sorry you don't see the same utility others see in the materials, but it's time to let it go. You can PM me again if you wish.

Regarding the BR books, I believe that they are the best out there. Currently, I am using BR alongside EK only because if there is something in the EK i dont fully understand, BR takes care of it.

If the content is what you don't want, then get the books just for the passages. They are amazing. I have their old VR book, but I hear the new one is awesome, and I will purchase one very soon to compliment the EK Verbal Book.

To put it in a nutshell, I use both EK and BR and I think that method is the best, but everyone is different!!

Take Care Guys!

 

[bozz]

I used BR physics minimally for my weakpoints.
BR chemistry allowed me to kill the MCAT (I luckily had more chem passages than physics passages on the real deal). The acids/bases, solution chemistry, and electrochemistry sections helped bigtime. One passage on my MCAT on acids/bases was actually almost identical to one of the Berkeley Review passages. Many people from my test day complained about one specific question that was supposed to be really hard. When I looked at that question, I knew the answer immediately without even looking at the answer choices. I knew exactly what concept it was testing! Berkeley Review allowed me to approach questions this way.

Berkeley Review helped me go from a:

10 PS on Aug 2007 --> 14 PS on Jan 2008

I'm in Biochem now.. and I've forgotten all of my acid/base chemistry since the MCAT xD
Guess which book I'm using to help me re-learn it =)

Regarding the BR books, I believe that they are the best out there. Currently, I am using BR alongside EK only because if there is something in the EK i dont fully understand, BR takes care of it.

If the content is what you don't want, then get the books just for the passages. They are amazing. I have their old VR book, but I hear the new one is awesome, and I will purchase one very soon to compliment the EK Verbal Book.

To put it in a nutshell, I use both EK and BR and I think that method is the best, but everyone is different!!

Take Care Guys!

That's EXACTLY what I did.
If you have access to Examkrackers, read them first to get a very quick review. Berkeley Review is more detailed. Having a rough idea of the concepts before BR helps. That's what I did.. since I had the time.

 

[capn jazz]

Note: The passage booklet is $15 and the FedEx shipping is between $6 and $16 depending on location.

Posted by Paguyana Today

What passage booklet?

 

[Nasrudin]

[QUOTE/]

I'll be honest that the materials cater to people who are above average, but there is still utility for everyone if you extract the strategies.

[/QUOTE]

BR Teach,

Normally I don't support those who are propagating business interests in a public information arena, but I have to say your are an exceptional gentlemen, and the rare type of company representative who believes and means what you say. And I think the information you give is dead-on accurate with regards to your products.

BR really does have a unique and quality product that benefits as well as suffers from it's small business style. The benefits are too important to worry about the convenience in my opinion though.

The quote above is very insightful to the would be user of BR books, I agree. The BR chem and physics materials are very much within the culture of the California, laid-back, genius, Bekeley, science nerd crowd. As such a certain type of intellectual cunning is presumed. Therefore it takes a certain kind of cat to make the best use of the teaching method. Any basic coverage of the material could get an industrious kid to the 30 level. But for someone like me who with enough effort can just stretch my brain to get the sense of what the Science nerd guru who wrote the the physical science books is up to, I feel your books are going to give me the best chance to push myself to the next level of performance at the 35 range--something that would really help application that has a weak cum gpa.

So cheers, thank you, and keep up your excellent work here and elsewhere.

 

[garyinthehouse]

[QUOTE/]

I'll be honest that the materials cater to people who are above average, but there is still utility for everyone if you extract the strategies.



BR Teach,

Normally I don't support those who are propagating business interests in a public information arena, but I have to say your are an exceptional gentlemen, and the rare type of company representative who believes and means what you say. And I think the information you give is dead-on accurate with regards to your products.

BR really does have a unique and quality product that benefits as well as suffers from it's small business style. The benefits are too important to worry about the convenience in my opinion though.

The quote above is very insightful to the would be user of BR books, I agree. The BR chem and physics materials are very much within the culture of the California, laid-back, genius, Bekeley, science nerd crowd. As such a certain type of intellectual cunning is presumed. Therefore it takes a certain kind of cat to make the best use of the teaching method. Any basic coverage of the material could get an industrious kid to the 30 level. But for someone like me who with enough effort can just stretch my brain to get the sense of what the Science nerd guru who wrote the the physical science books is up to, I feel your books are going to give me the best chance to push myself to the next level of performance at the 35 range--something that would really help application that has a weak cum gpa.

So cheers, thank you, and keep up your excellent work here and elsewhere.

[/QUOTE]

i couldn't agree more

thanks BR!!

 

[Tartheheel]

Question for BR Tech:

Is the new VR book that came out recently (this year?) different form the older version? I have the older version but would like to get more VR practice, and would be interested in purchasing the new one only if it has different passages...
Would you please let me know how different the new and old editions are?

Thanks.

 

[garyinthehouse]

Question for BR Tech:

Is the new VR book that came out recently (this year?) different form the older version? I have the older version but would like to get more VR practice, and would be interested in purchasing the new one only if it has different passages...
Would you please let me know how different the new and old editions are?

Thanks.

great question, I would like an answer to this too because I also have the old one as well and am considering purchasing the new one if it indeed does have new passages....

to BerkReviewTeach....thanks for your time in answering these questions..

 

[BerkReviewTeach]

Question for BR Tech:

Is the new VR book that came out recently (this year?) different form the older version? I have the older version but would like to get more VR practice, and would be interested in purchasing the new one only if it has different passages...
Would you please let me know how different the new and old editions are?

Thanks.

I don't teach verbal reasoning, so I can't tell you much about the specific changes. But I just went through the table of contents and compared the answere explanations and it looks like it's mostly the same passages in the 2006 version and 2008 version. I think they added more detail in the answer explanations (it's 200 pages longer now), but I can't see much more difference than that.

If you have a version from the last few years, it doesn't seem like it would be worth it to buy a new one for so few new passages. The verbal teacher likes the new book better than the older one, but I don't know what the difference is other than maybe some CBT techniques.

 

[PAGuyana]

Good grief, if I had known that I was going to be this closely scrutinized for expressing a solicited opinion, I would have saved my energy (and time). I didn't realize that everything I wrote can be held against me. I feel like I'm at a cult of Berkeley Review meeting, or for that matter, I'm running for president. Btw, I am not alone about my critiques about BR, search the threads, there are plenty of people out there who echo my opinion. It just didn't work for me, that's all (and some others). Easy Berkeleyologists. I'm not an elite, that's fine, I can live with that. You're telling me everyone who took Berkeley does phenomenally well on the MCAT and it works for everyone?

 

[Nasrudin]

Good grief, if I had known that I was going to be this closely scrutinized for expressing a solicited opinion, I would have saved my energy (and time). I didn't realize that everything I wrote can be held against me. I feel like I'm at a cult of Berkeley Review meeting, or for that matter, I'm running for president. Btw, I am not alone about my critiques about BR, search the threads, there are plenty of people out there who echo my opinion. It just didn't work for me, that's all (and some others). Easy Berkeleyologists. I'm not an elite, that's fine, I can live with that. You're telling me everyone who took Berkeley does phenomenally well on the MCAT and it works for everyone?

It's all good man, if you don't won't your space of salvation on the mothership when the world ends, that's cool, just return your robes, relics, and fetishes on your way out.

No but seriously, It's an individual affair. I didn't mean to imply some elite-ness. I've just hung out out with some of these type of cats who ace chemistry in their sleep, and I've realized they just think about things differently. I have a lot of time to study, so I'm approaching it, like a mind-bending venture to get myself to their level, rather than bang out the rote content prevalent in the other manual's approaches. But good luck bro, to each his own.

 

[crazynative]

Just curious, what did you guys that actually used and like BR, think about the new VR book they have? (BR Tech I know I've asked you this several times as well, and as always your feedback is appreciated). Currently I'm doing it, and missing a hell of a lot of questions, but when I did some verbal reasoning sections on actual AAMCs that I took three months ago, they were like a piece of cake. Can anybody else relate to this? Also I have the BR book and think that the content may not be the best, but it's supposed to be used as a reference anyways. What do you guys think about the BR Biology passages compared to the actual MCAT?

 

[nothing123]

Just wanted to put in a good word for The Berkeley Review's Physics and Chemistry series'. I finished the last of my AAMCs today and averaged just under 14 for the PS. Guess what I did the 2 weeks prior to taking them...doing all of the passages in those books. I have to agree with the one poster that said the TBR books are more difficult than the actual practice AAMCs/real thing; but how is that necessarily a bad thing? By doing the passages, not only did I learn/reinforce a bunch of knowledge, enhance critical test-taking skills but the difficulty also desensitized me to any variation in difficulty of the AAMCs. In other words, there was not one AAMC where I felt was particularly hard simply because I've "seen" harder (i.e. the TBR passages) and my scores showed consistency as a result. Hopefully, the real thing feels like that as well. TBR, highly recommended.

 

[Katatonic]

I am looking into buying the Berkeley Review books to self-study for the MCAT next April. Looking at the Biology books though, it seems all they focus on is anatomy/physiology type stuff, and a bit of cell bio at the end. I thought the MCAT was going to test your knowledge of all General Biology stuff, not just physiology?

 

[BerkReviewTeach]

I am looking into buying the Berkeley Review books to self-study for the MCAT next April. Looking at the Biology books though, it seems all they focus on is anatomy/physiology type stuff, and a bit of cell bio at the end. I thought the MCAT was going to test your knowledge of all General Biology stuff, not just physiology?

All of the Berkeley Review books are broken into two parts (chemistry, organic chemistry, physics, and biology). Biology Book I is pretty much all physiology and a little Cell and Metabolism. Biology Book II is pretty much all molecular biology and genetics with some cell biology and biochemistry.

Halving the books helps make your backpack lighter (that's the theory at least).

 

[Katatonic]

Thanks, I was worried they wouldn't review enough material.

 

[BerkReviewTeach]

Well, this is my story. My score was nothing particularly spectacular, (33) but it does show the effectiveness of the the BR books--- given my situation:

I had one month and a half before my mcat 7/18. I had not done any studying prior, and I'm not the genius type that can wing standarized tests. What I had in front of me was the complete set of BR books. I knew that time was limited before the test date, so I always had in the corner of my mind the notion that I would retake the test on some another date. This coming test would be a test run so to speak.

So what i first did was a cursory content review of the all the books, besides the verbal, and did not bother to memorize any facts. This took around 3 weeks. Then I did 9 passages for each section, in all the BR books. The chemistry and physics passages were especially good: they integrated concepts, formulas, and common sense. In my opinion, they were not like MCAT questions but they prepared you for MCAT questions. I hope that makes sense. The best part were the explanations, which were thorough and taught you how to approach difficult questions without panic. They basically outlined the thought processes that a master MCAT taker would undergo as he approached various types of questions. The passages are the stars of the the BR books, though the content review of the physics and chemistry books were also superb. The content of the biology books were surprisingly shoddy and scattered, however. Anyhow, after having gone through the content and through the passages, I did a couple of BR CBTS for kicks. I wasn't in the mood to do them thoroughly, so I went through them as fast as possible. I ended up missing 17-21 per section. = = But when I took the actual MCAT, many questions seemed like child's play compared to the grueling BR questions, which I constantly missed.

So that's my story, nothing too dramatic. I got a 13 on bio and an 11 on physics and a 9 on verbal. I didn't study for verbal and I was confident in my reading comprehension abilities. Apparently, the confidence was ill-founded. If I had more time, I would probably have done better, I think. My advice is to start cracking on the BR ASAP and approach the test with humility. Also, be present while you study the BR review books. They are comprehensive and chocked full of important details and unique ways to approach questions. I started too late and ended up only doing a superficial review of the passage explanations. Due to time, I was constantly looking at my calendar and my watch. If I started earlier with the BR books, took a more conservative approach with regards of time, and did a more thorough review of the passage explanations, I probably would have gotten myself a better score. I do have my regrets, but alas, I'm too lazy to retake, and I'm not the ultra-competitive premed. I just want to become a doctor.

Anyhow, hope this helped! good luck!

First off, I want to say congratulations on a great score. And I have to believe you are indeed very humble given that what you did defines brilliance, despite your claim that you are not the genius type. It also shows that this test is completely doable with the right mindframe. Thank you for the kind comments. Granted, I didn't write the materials, but after enough time teaching from them and giving feedback, it becomes a little personal. I pitched in a few ideas on some of the physics passages and some of the general chemistry chapters.

There are a few things you said that I want to highlight, because you hit some great points. This thread was full of many great ideas on how to use the books best. It all starts with an atttitude. As I've stated, and perhaps it come across as arrogant (which I full apologize for, because it's the last thing I intend to do), the books are not for everyone. It doesn't depend on intelligence, but more so a willingness to look at things differently. A great example is acid-base titrations. If you learned titrations in biochemistry, then that perspective makes them easier to review in general chemistry.

I want to highlight the following things you mentioned:

• I first did was a cursory content review of the all the books, besides the verbal, and did not bother to memorize any facts.
  
  Then I did 9 passages for each section, in all the BR books. The chemistry and physics passages were especially good: they integrated concepts, formulas, and common sense.
  
  The best part were the explanations, which were thorough and taught you how to approach difficult questions without panic. They basically outlined the thought processes that a master MCAT taker would undergo as he approached various types of questions.
  
  My advice is to start cracking on the BR ASAP and approach the test with humility.
  
  Also, be present while you study the BR review books.
  
  They are comprehensive and chocked full of important details and unique ways to approach questions.

The points you made apply in general to preparing for this exam, not just working through BR books. No matter what someone does to prepare, it comes down to the following:

• 1. You do not need to memorize facts to do well on this exam.
  2. It's all about doing AND thoroughly reviewing questions and answers.
  3. You need to be calm during the MCAT to do well. Confidence and focus matter greatly and it only takes a few questions to trun a 28 into a 34.
  4. Be confident, but humble that no matter how well you know something, they can always present it in a weird way. "Have no pride, just get right answers!"
  5. It's better to study intensely for one hour than half-heartedly for two hours.
  6. It's a timed est, so to do well you need to develop fast and efficient ways to get right answers, especially on the easy questions. This way you have more time for the wtf passages and questions.

Thanks again for the insights and kind words.

Wanted a well-thought and colorful post for #500!

 

[Katatonic]

This thread has certainly answered a lot of my questions about BR and EK, and which each emphasize. Several of you have noted that using both BR and EK is the way to go. I'd love to do that, but I'm also trying to keep my costs down, so I want to buy the least amount of prep material possible. I'm tempted to just buy the EK package with all the subjects included for $110 off amazon, but then there is the problem of having to buy the problem books separately. How would this breakdown work?

EK - Bio + 1001 Bio
EK - Ochem + 1001 Ochem
EK - 101 Verbal
BR - Chem
BR - Physics

The questions in BR are included in the books that review the material correct, or are they sold in separate books like EK does?

 

[TheBoondocks]

This thread has certainly answered a lot of my questions about BR and EK, and which each emphasize. Several of you have noted that using both BR and EK is the way to go. I'd love to do that, but I'm also trying to keep my costs down, so I want to buy the least amount of prep material possible. I'm tempted to just buy the EK package with all the subjects included for $110 off amazon, but then there is the problem of having to buy the problem books separately. How would this breakdown work?

EK - Bio + 1001 Bio
EK - Ochem + 1001 Ochem
EK - 101 Verbal
BR - Chem
BR - Physics

The questions in BR are included in the books that review the material correct, or are they sold in separate books like EK does?

Yes, BR questions are in passage form after the review. If you get those books you should be in great shape.

 

[Nasrudin]

This thread has certainly answered a lot of my questions about BR and EK, and which each emphasize. Several of you have noted that using both BR and EK is the way to go. I'd love to do that, but I'm also trying to keep my costs down, so I want to buy the least amount of prep material possible. I'm tempted to just buy the EK package with all the subjects included for $110 off amazon, but then there is the problem of having to buy the problem books separately. How would this breakdown work?

EK - Bio + 1001 Bio
EK - Ochem + 1001 Ochem
EK - 101 Verbal
BR - Chem
BR - Physics

The questions in BR are included in the books that review the material correct, or are they sold in separate books like EK does?

I second Boondocks. And I'm pretty much right there with you. Doing things on my own and keeping costs down. Your book plan is exactly like my use distribution except I've got the whole BR set. If you've taken some Biology courses in your studies then EK will be a good enough review. I got lucky and inherited an older EK series from a friend. I am also making use of the full 1001 series. You might try Craigslist and what not to scoop up a bunch of stuff for cheap. I know I'll be gleefully dumping all my stuff late next spring for cheap. I reasons a lot of people are doing the same as they finish.

The funny thing is, the deeper I get into churning through all the 1001 series the more fractured an falsely isolated my understanding of the subject matter is. It's good stuff. But I've already determined that I plan on cutting this part to making some note cards on my mistakes and then diving back into the BR books and AAMC practice exams for the rest of my preparation. Like some of the other commentators, I really get a lot out of the passage/explanation dialogue in the BR books. To the extent that my understanding of the subjects fells whole. Solid. Good luck.

 

[BerkReviewTeach]

I second Boondocks. And I'm pretty much right there with you. Doing things on my own and keeping costs down. Your book plan is exactly like my use distribution except I've got the whole BR set. If you've taken some Biology courses in your studies then EK will be a good enough review. I got lucky and inherited an older EK series from a friend. I am also making use of the full 1001 series. You might try Craigslist and what not to scoop up a bunch of stuff for cheap. I know I'll be gleefully dumping all my stuff late next spring for cheap. I reasons a lot of people are doing the same as they finish.

The funny thing is, the deeper I get into churning through all the 1001 series the more fractured an falsely isolated my understanding of the subject matter is. It's good stuff. But I've already determined that I plan on cutting this part to making some note cards on my mistakes and then diving back into the BR books and AAMC practice exams for the rest of my preparation. Like some of the other commentators, I really get a lot out of the passage/explanation dialogue in the BR books. To the extent that my understanding of the subjects feels whole. Solid. Good luck.

I'm not sure if it's kosher to mention it, but a lot of our students sell their used books on Facebook classifieds. For some reason they don't show up on eBay and the ones on Craiglist are mostly just LA and SF area (where the classes are held).

If you do buy the books froma former student, see if you can also buy the class handouts. The handouts add up to about 1200 pages and are generally great summaries and a bunch of weird passages. I think you could prepare for the MCAT just using the handouts if you had a good background knowledge. Plus, buying books and the handouts from a former student helps put a little money back into their pocket, right about the time they need it for interview travel expenses.

 

[HiFi09]

plug for TBR's physics and gen chem books....I cant explain why exactly, but those books were amazing!