Feeling a bit down about this...is 5 weeks enough to improve?!

[txlonghorn2314]

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Hey y'all,

So on and off for the past 3 months I've been caught in this vicious cycle of starting to do a passage, realizing I'm weak in that subject content wise, and spending the next day just doing content review...only to forget it in a few weeks and read again and it taking me just as long as the first time

Long story short, I haven't done NEARLY the amount of practice passages that I've needed to because of this, but I finally decided to stop and dedicate 8 hours a day to nothing but passages in the morning, and reviewing my passages in the afternoon. I guess I just feel down because I have wasted so much time and haven't made nearly the amount of progress I hoped.

I'm consistently scoring about 60-65% on TBR and really want to improve dramatically by my test date in 5 weeks. Is this enough time to make up for lost time in content review nonsense? Thanks!

 

[Futbol99]

Same here man. Looking forward to some responses.
I know practicing is the most important, but I always feel comforted going back to my content and reviewing which ends up taking way more time and that isnt good at this stage. Maybe a balance would help, but what is the right balance?

 

[TheAnonymous]

I recommend doing FLs along with everything else (not necessary AAMC ones but any FL) so you work on accuracy as well as timing

I would say try to do at least one BS or one PS section a day (52 questions in 70 minutes)

 

[txlonghorn2314]

So a PS section test one day followed by a BS section test the next for Monday-Thursday and a FL on Friday and reviewing the FL on Saturday for five weeks straight would be the best route? Would most major content gaps be filled in by the amount of passages that will have been done?

 

[TheAnonymous]

I would say that is a very good strategy. Having done AAMC 3, I can say 11-12 can be easily achieved in the sciences if you are a good test taker and you know the basics - I can say 70% is test taking abilities 30% content - so doing passages would help both... however if you see a pattern (like missing most of endocrine questions) then spend a day just reading up on that etc....

 

[txlonghorn2314]

I see Thanks! Yeah I just want 10's shooting for nothing less than a 29, preferably more but will take a 29. So hopefully doing that everyday will get me to or beyond that point

 

[dutchie000]

So a PS section test one day followed by a BS section test the next for Monday-Thursday and a FL on Friday and reviewing the FL on Saturday for five weeks straight would be the best route? Would most major content gaps be filled in by the amount of passages that will have been done?

I may join you for this strategy the days I don't work haha. Full lengths on Saturday cuz I always have them off. So will you take section tests just the questions at the end of the chapter for TBR? Will you just pick the chapters you are struggling in or what?

 

[TheAnonymous]

I see Thanks! Yeah I just want 10's shooting for nothing less than a 29, preferably more but will take a 29. So hopefully doing that everyday will get me to or beyond that point

You will get there man for sure, just make sure you take FLs along the way to judge where you are - it's better to get a low score early in the game so you have time to correct it, then to face the reality close to the exam

 

[txlonghorn2314]

I may join you for this strategy the days I don't work haha. Full lengths on Saturday cuz I always have them off. So will you take section tests just the questions at the end of the chapter for TBR? Will you just pick the chapters you are struggling in or what?

Yeah I'll probably pick 8 passages, two passages from four chapters I feel weakest in (including a set of discretes for each chapter and just compile a mini test) Hopefully doing that can give me enough improvement in 5 weeks so I don't have to postpone again!

 

[dutchie000]

That sounds like a good idea!!! I'll have to do super mini MCATs with the hour I have after work before I go to bed... haha. Yay for working from 9am to 11pm.

 

[Futbol99]

Deleted.
Reason: User ignored my question.
Thanks.

 

[CW 2010]

Hey y'all,

So on and off for the past 3 months I've been caught in this vicious cycle of starting to do a passage, realizing I'm weak in that subject content wise, and spending the next day just doing content review...only to forget it in a few weeks and read again and it taking me just as long as the first time

Long story short, I haven't done NEARLY the amount of practice passages that I've needed to because of this, but I finally decided to stop and dedicate 8 hours a day to nothing but passages in the morning, and reviewing my passages in the afternoon. I guess I just feel down because I have wasted so much time and haven't made nearly the amount of progress I hoped.

I'm consistently scoring about 60-65% on TBR and really want to improve dramatically by my test date in 5 weeks. Is this enough time to make up for lost time in content review nonsense? Thanks!

Maybe 60-65% on TBR isn't so bad, considering that its supposed to be much harder than AAMC?

 

[BeachBlondie]

Hey y'all,

So on and off for the past 3 months I've been caught in this vicious cycle of starting to do a passage, realizing I'm weak in that subject content wise, and spending the next day just doing content review...only to forget it in a few weeks and read again and it taking me just as long as the first time

Long story short, I haven't done NEARLY the amount of practice passages that I've needed to because of this, but I finally decided to stop and dedicate 8 hours a day to nothing but passages in the morning, and reviewing my passages in the afternoon. I guess I just feel down because I have wasted so much time and haven't made nearly the amount of progress I hoped.

I'm consistently scoring about 60-65% on TBR and really want to improve dramatically by my test date in 5 weeks. Is this enough time to make up for lost time in content review nonsense? Thanks!

For TBR, you're actually on-par. If I can remember, I had an average of about 70% for both physics and G-Chem. Bio and Orgo are usually lower for everyone (in the high 50s, for me). My AAMC correlation to the PS section was an average of 12. Bio was variable due to covering orgo only during the last week and a half before the exam. I wouldn't sweat it too much.