For anyone studying for the MCAT

[wannabadr10]

I'm trying to get an idea of how long I should study per day. Obviously this is an answer that changes greatly depending on the person, but how much should I be spending on average per day? I know the answer should be "as much as you can without burning out". What is working (or has worked) for yall?

Thanks for the help!

by the way:
-I have three months to study (writing on march 28)
-enrolled in the TPR class
-class finishes on april 1 and im writing in late march!?!?
-will I be able to learn all of the physics II that wasn't taught before the test?

cheers

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[BlueElmo]

Like you said, it depends on the person. I had about three months to prepare and I took a TPR class, and I studied an average of 8-9 hours a day. A lot of people here seem to study from anywhere between 2-8 hours a day. But I am an outlier so many other people are different. Towards the end, try taking many practice tests.

 

[SN2ed]

I wouldn't even take the MCAT without finishing all of the pre-reqs first.

 

[BlueElmo]

I wouldn't even take the MCAT without finishing all of the pre-reqs first.

Of course, finishing all the pre-reqs before test preparation is an absolute must.

 

[wannabadr10]

I'm taking it in late march which leaves about two weeks of instruction that I won't get before the test. You honestly don't think I could learn a couple of physics II chapters on my own?

 

[hedgehog1]

I know that is very, very common at my school, so I assume you will be fine self-teaching yourself two weeks of physics.

 

[SN2ed]

I'm taking it in late march which leaves about two weeks of instruction that I won't get before the test. You honestly don't think I could learn a couple of physics II chapters on my own?

Why are you asking if you already have your answer?

 

[229141]

I wouldn't take the MCAT until I felt like I could tutor someone else everything on it...thats if you want to crush it.

 

[wannabadr10]

Why are you asking if you already have your answer?

I don't have an answer. That's why I'm asking. Of course I have to take the prerequisites. I think we all know that...I was just asking if it was feasible to teach yourself the last parts of physics II. Why are you going to respond if you are just going to make a smart*** comment.

 

[SN2ed]

You honestly don't think I could learn a couple of physics II chapters on my own?

Ah my mistake. Sorry. I took this as you being rude. Giving the sarcastic, "you don't think" kind of statement.

Back onto the main subject. Could you teach yourself, probably, though it depends on what is taught during that time. At my school, the last two weeks were easy material. It literally amounted to basic adding and subtracting. The class was front loaded with the tougher subjects on purpose in case people were taking the MCAT. However, I don't like the timing between your MCAT and when classes end. I think you should probably be focusing on your classes' finals around that time. Plus, studying for finals will eat into you MCAT studying time and/or add more pressure. In the worst case, you can retake your MCAT; you cannot retake your final.

It comes down to taking your time versus rushing. I think it's better to learn it on pace with your class which will probably go into more depth and give you a superior understanding. When going over review books, they usually act mainly as a refresher. Sure, they can teach you if you haven't learned the material; however, you will only get a superficial understanding. On the MCAT, you could easily benefit from an in-depth understanding.

You could always reschedule your test to give yourself more time. In this case, I would opt for that choice. Check with TPR, but if they're like Kaplan, they give you additional access past the time the class ends.

 

[RySerr21]

I made my own schedule and studied from my Kaplan review book every Tue and Thursday for about 5 hours. This was my routine the entire spring semester last year, so from february to May. Towards the end, I started taking practice tests more so than reviewing, and after finals I studied pretty much every day until the last few days before my test on May 27th. It worked out well for me.

 

[wannabadr10]

Ah my mistake. Sorry. I took this as you being rude. Giving the sarcastic, "you don't think" kind of statement.

Back onto the main subject. Could you teach yourself, probably, though it depends on what is taught during that time. At my school, the last two weeks were easy material. It literally amounted to basic adding and subtracting. The class was front loaded with the tougher subjects on purpose in case people were taking the MCAT. However, I don't like the timing between your MCAT and when classes end. I think you should probably be focusing on your classes' finals around that time. Plus, studying for finals will eat into you MCAT studying time and/or add more pressure. In the worst case, you can retake your MCAT; you cannot retake your final.

It comes down to taking your time versus rushing. I think it's better to learn it on pace with your class which will probably go into more depth and give you a superior understanding. When going over review books, they usually act mainly as a refresher. Sure, they can teach you if you haven't learned the material; however, you will only get a superficial understanding. On the MCAT, you could easily benefit from an in-depth understanding.

You could always reschedule your test to give yourself more time. In this case, I would opt for that choice. Check with TPR, but if they're like Kaplan, they give you additional access past the time the class ends.

Thanks for your help. I'll try and see if they have a later date that I can reschedule. If I did stick with the same test date I was thinking I can just read the chapters out of the book. Maybe this won't work.
The only two dates that were available were april 18 which is dead week at my school and march 28. Also, the test has to have been taken by april or you can not use the committee which I hear is very important.

 

[229141]

Also, the test has to have been taken by april or you can not use the committee which I hear is very important.

What? I'm taking it first thing in July and will have all my stuff in with plenty of time to get accepted...

High MCAT >> Taking it early and getting a bad score...

 

[wannabadr10]

What? I'm taking it first thing in July and will have all my stuff in with plenty of time to get accepted...

High MCAT >> Taking it early and getting a bad score...

This is a rule at my school which I think is a little crazy because it makes students rush and take the MCAT.

 

[SN2ed]

What year are you and what's "dead week"? If you're a senior, would your pre-med committee let you take the MCAT later and fill out their packet next school year?

 

[wannabadr10]

What we call "dead week" is just the week before exam week. I apologize for the confusion...I'm a junior. I may be a little confused about application timing. I know that one of the most important aspects of applying to medical school is being early. When do most medical school take applications for review? The only information I can find are the deadlines but I don't want to know the last day that your application can be turned in. I want to know the first day. If I take the test in may or june will I still have enough time to be one of the first applicants? Thanks for any help!

 

[SN2ed]

Since you're a junior here's what I suggest. Take the test this summer whenever you're ready. If you want/need more time, definitely take it. Next, don't apply this season. Wait. You have time and then you won't rush your MCAT which, for right now, is far more important. Once you get a great MCAT this summer, then set things in motion to apply right after graduation. The good thing here is that you aren't rushed to take the MCAT, you can be among the first applicants, and you won't need to miss school when you leave for interviews.

 

[rama kandra]

Yo just figure out your averages on the practice AAMC's and youll know when it is time to drop the hammer.