Getting bogged down in details

[blackroses]

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I just started studying for the MCAT and have already identified a pretty significant hole in my strategy. My initial plan was to read through a chapter section once, slowly, then read it again and make anki flash cards for essential knowledge that I needed to memorize, and so on until I finished the chapter. My expectation was an absolute maximum of 50 flash cards for a single chapter.

I just finished my first chapter (TPR P/S) and have a whopping 267 flash cards. Evidently not an effective method of studying, and definitely not sustainable by the time I finish all my study guides. I think it's pretty clear that the issue is that I'm having trouble differentiating between which things I need to have absolutely memorized and which things I need to understand the foundational concepts of. Does anyone have any suggestions for how to differentiate between these and how to get back on track so that I don't have an obscene number of flash cards filled with information I don't need to memorize?

Any advice is very much appreciated!

 

[Saigon]

read about the mevamp protocol: https://forums.studentdoctor.net/th...tional-framework-for-mcat-self-study.1192590/

also, I highly recommend using Altius's mcat outline while you study: https://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/improved-aamc-mcat-2015-topics-list.1137834/

as you proceed through your prep materials check the things you've covered off.. this ensures you don't waste time on unnecessary details. also, try reading through the material without looking back on what you read. you'd be surprised how much you actually remember/know even though you think you have to re-read a sentence to comprehend it.

lastly, the best way to actually review what you've read is to do practice problems. as you proceed through the AAMC practice materials, practice passages from TBR or TPR SW etc, your recollection and understanding of things you've covered in the past will be tested.

 

[blackroses]

read about the mevamp protocol: https://forums.studentdoctor.net/th...tional-framework-for-mcat-self-study.1192590/

also, I highly recommend using Altius's mcat outline while you study: https://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/improved-aamc-mcat-2015-topics-list.1137834/

as you proceed through your prep materials check the things you've covered off.. this ensures you don't waste time on unnecessary details. also, try reading through the material without looking back on what you read. you'd be surprised how much you actually remember/know even though you think you have to re-read a sentence to comprehend it.

lastly, the best way to actually review what you've read is to do practice problems. as you proceed through the AAMC practice materials, practice passages from TBR or TPR SW etc, your recollection and understanding of things you've covered in the past will be tested.

Believe it or not, I actually read through the MeVamp protocol and it was a big part of building my own plan - I was attempting to build the flash card bank based on the recommendations in that protocol (and evidently went a little overboard on the questions).

I just looked over the Altius outline - that is enormously helpful. Just glancing over the pieces related to the chapter I've already studied, I can see exactly where I was going way to far into depth in most areas, when only a general knowledge is required.

Thank you very much for your advice!

 

[Saigon]

No worries!

yeah, I really like the mevamp protocol. Without knowing, I was actually doing something similar throughout college. I would read a chapter in a book and as I read I would make a study guide. But the study guide wasn't notes, it was questions from the material. The questions weren't just easy recall questions, I made them pretty complex by incorporating things I previously learned into them. for me this was by far the best way to ensure I remembered the material. Haha I ended up getting A's in both semesters of the biochemistry class I used this technique in.

But yeah the outline is your go to. as you take more practice tests you will get a better idea of what you need to know. you don't really need to know things in too much detail. the mcat tests superficial knowledge and your test-taking abilities. many questions/passages may look complicated, but in reality they are really just asking a simple question under all the mumbo jumbo. finding that question just comes with practice.

 

[andelJ94]

I just started studying for the MCAT and have already identified a pretty significant hole in my strategy. My initial plan was to read through a chapter section once, slowly, then read it again and make anki flash cards for essential knowledge that I needed to memorize, and so on until I finished the chapter. My expectation was an absolute maximum of 50 flash cards for a single chapter.

I just finished my first chapter (TPR P/S) and have a whopping 267 flash cards. Evidently not an effective method of studying, and definitely not sustainable by the time I finish all my study guides. I think it's pretty clear that the issue is that I'm having trouble differentiating between which things I need to have absolutely memorized and which things I need to understand the foundational concepts of. Does anyone have any suggestions for how to differentiate between these and how to get back on track so that I don't have an obscene number of flash cards filled with information I don't need to memorize?

Any advice is very much appreciated!

Flashcards are not the best for MCAT prep. You should be more active with the information if you want it to stick.

 

[aldol16]

The best way to approach the MCAT is not to memorize but to understand. As long as you can understand the meaning behind most concepts, then you should be fine going into practice FLs. During your practice FLs, that will be the time to figure out which areas you need to spend more time with. The only thing that is absolutely necessary to memorize for the MCAT are the amino acids, in my opinion.