Having trouble with Chem...

[futurepharm425]

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Hey guys so I am scheduled to take the PCAT on September 5th. It will not be my first time taking it, but I am using Dr. Collins this time and the Kaplan book along with youtube vids. Anyways, I seem to be making progress in all the other subjects except for chemistry. I haven't taking general chemistry in over two years and I feel like no matter how much I review the packets, it doesn't seem to "click." Any advice on what I should do? I'm trying not to freak out, but I'm scared that I am totally going to bomb that section on the test!!

 

[WSUWarrior012]

Hey guys so I am scheduled to take the PCAT on September 5th. It will not be my first time taking it, but I am using Dr. Collins this time and the Kaplan book along with youtube vids. Anyways, I seem to be making progress in all the other subjects except for chemistry. I haven't taking general chemistry in over two years and I feel like no matter how much I review the packets, it doesn't seem to "click." Any advice on what I should do? I'm trying not to freak out, but I'm scared that I am totally going to bomb that section on the test!!

I highly recommend Khan's academy on youtube. They help you understand basic information if you need to refresh yourself with it and they do a very good job of explaining. They have chem videos for literally any chem topic that would probably be asked on the PCAT. Once you review a lot from Khan, use Dr. Collins review packet to see if it clicks again, then once you feel like a lot of it has clicked, proceed to take his practice exams and repeat this cycle over and over again until you can reach a minimum goal that you want on his practice tests. I try to aim for a minimum 80% correct on his practice exams when I take them because getting around this many correct on the chem section of the actual PCAT may be close to 90th %ile if i'm not mistaken.

 

[WSUWarrior012]

I would highly focus on Dr. Collins rather than Kaplan for chemistry. Kaplan's chemistry provides too much unnecessary details on topics which most likely wont even be on the PCAT.

 

[futurepharm425]

Hey thanks so much! I'll definitely do that! 🙂

 

[kies89]

Dr. Collins + Chad's chemistry video = GOLDEN

It has been a while since I took chem and ochem.
I used Chad's video to study for chemistry section first.
I watched all the videos for genchem and ochem and took notes.
And i watched them again, and added notes and make sure i understand everything.

Then, i started doing Dr collins test. ( i did like 3-4 tests a day. I did not time myself. It only took me 15-20 minutes to finish one test. Mark all the questions you got wrong, review. Then before like a week before, i took all the dr collins chem test, like 10 tests i believe, in one day.)

While doing Dr collins test, i read all chem and ochem. It is not that long. I felt like i read all of them more than 5 times. Towards the end of study, it only took me like 20-30 minutes to read the entire chem packet.

So to sum up, Chad's video + Dr collins packet and tests + @@ (like pearson practice exams)
then you will be fine.


Just to note, do not waste your time on Chad's video's organic chemistry. It is wayy to complicated (i still watched them and took notes though.. waste of my time). Maybe you can only watch the nomenclature part, but that is it.

 

[rikonyan]

Dr. Collins + Chad's chemistry video = GOLDEN

It has been a while since I took chem and ochem.
I used Chad's video to study for chemistry section first.
I watched all the videos for genchem and ochem and took notes.
And i watched them again, and added notes and make sure i understand everything.

Then, i started doing Dr collins test. ( i did like 3-4 tests a day. I did not time myself. It only took me 15-20 minutes to finish one test. Mark all the questions you got wrong, review. Then before like a week before, i took all the dr collins chem test, like 10 tests i believe, in one day.)

While doing Dr collins test, i read all chem and ochem. It is not that long. I felt like i read all of them more than 5 times. Towards the end of study, it only took me like 20-30 minutes to read the entire chem packet.

So to sum up, Chad's video + Dr collins packet and tests + @@ (like pearson practice exams)
then you will be fine.


Just to note, do not waste your time on Chad's video's organic chemistry. It is wayy to complicated (i still watched them and took notes though.. waste of my time). Maybe you can only watch the nomenclature part, but that is it.

Do you mind me asking how you ended up doing on the actual PCAT for chemistry? I'm using Dr. Collins, YouTube videos, and old chemistry notes to study.

 

[kies89]

Do you mind me asking how you ended up doing on the actual PCAT for chemistry? I'm using Dr. Collins, YouTube videos, and old chemistry notes to study.

99 🙂
Dr. collins is very good. That + other sources like you mentioned will be sufficient enough to score good on it.
But i wanted to feel like i was ready, so i studied my way. Felt fully prepared after Chad's videos and Dr collins.

 

[futurepharm425]

99 🙂
Dr. collins is very good. That + other sources like you mentioned will be sufficient enough to score good on it.
But i wanted to feel like i was ready, so i studied my way. Felt fully prepared after Chad's videos and Dr collins.

OMGSH you're totally right!! I checked out the videos this morning and I love how he explains things and they make so much sense! I feel like a little kid who just discovered the secret of how something so simple works! Lol thanks again 🙂