Help making a study plan

[Rvting]

This is the second time I am taking the DAT, first time was a 19.

I have basically been using DATbooster's flashcards and question sets to make a gigantic thing of notes, and also went on to rewrite the notes.

My exam is on the 29th of Aug, so 41 days left. I don't feel very confident in my organic chemistry or biology. Math and PAT is great, chem and reading are moderate.

I'm having particular trouble with OC reactions and never had a really good teacher. (My undergrad professor came in for 2-3 years and left because not a lot of people liked her)

Any advice or thoughts on a study plan going forward?

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[Chief's Pineapple]

The only thing I would add, because this is what I would've changed if I had to do it again, is when you make a plan and/or a checklist for your study plan, don't treat it like a checklist. Sounds weird, doesn't it? What I mean is that, don't just go down the checklist, checking off things you've done, going through the motions... make sure you're actively trying to study and grasp the material. Don't look at the day's materials and think if you're taking too long that you need to stress and move faster "down the checklist". It's okay not to meet your day's "quota" of study topics, as long as it's once in a while and not a habit. (If it happens more often, then you need to be real with yourself and understand you may be trying to do too much). Only move on when you're ready.

When I was studying I wish I had known this. I was just going through the motions and checking off topics once I watched the videos/did the problems/whatever the item was. When it came to practice test time, I was very discouraged with my scores. I modified my plans and ended up getting what I feel was a competitive score.

You may already know this, but if you don't, well, here you go. Good luck.

 

[DAT Destroyer]

This is the second time I am taking the DAT, first time was a 19.

I have basically been using DATbooster's flashcards and question sets to make a gigantic thing of notes, and also went on to rewrite the notes.

My exam is on the 29th of Aug, so 41 days left. I don't feel very confident in my organic chemistry or biology. Math and PAT is great, chem and reading are moderate.

I'm having particular trouble with OC reactions and never had a really good teacher. (My undergrad professor came in for 2-3 years and left because not a lot of people liked her)

Any advice or thoughts on a study plan going forward?

Hi Riveting,

A lot can be accomplished in 41 days but can I ask what your individual scores where in Bio, GC and Orgo? You have already taken the DAT once so let's make the 2nd time the last. Don't put all your focus on test scores, you should really focus your energy on concepts and leering. Organic Chemistry is a tough subject and sorry you have such a bad experience with your teacher, the last few years have been tough for a lot of students, many have had so almost teach themselves. You should pinpoint your areas of weakness in Bio, GC and Orgo and make a study plan around that. For Organic you might need to go back to a text book, the one you used in class (if you even had one, I have been told many teaches didn't even use a book, SMH. There are a lot of free videos and information on YouTube you can use for Organic Chemistry and GC.

Make a plan that works for you and stick to it. You will know when you are ready to take the exam. If your test day is drawing near and you still don't feel confident you can always reschedule. Always listen to your inner voice, if it is telling you are not ready to take the DAT again, listen.

Just my 2 cents and hope something I said makes sense.

Wishing you the best.
Nancy, co/owner, Destroyers

 

[Chicago_predental]

When I was starting to study 2 years ago for the DAT, I had a very iffy foundation in OC. I purchased OC Odyssey from Orgoman and it was super helpful! It did a great job making sure I understood the basics before going to practice problems in the main Destroyer book. I also used Booster and it did a great job of complementing what I was practicing in Destroyer, and I did well in that section on the real DAT so just my advice on what helped me! Good luck

 

[PurpleSails]

I think just using Datbooster's Anki cards and questions may not be enough for biology. I myself found it very helpful to read the feralis notes in detail first, then use Anki cards to reinforce that knowledge. Just learning from the cards might be hard since it doesn't give you the full picture on the concepts you have to understand. And the DATbooster videos were very useful for me as well, especially in taxonomy since I had hard time getting all that info in my brain. I just watched those videos over and over again while running on my treadmill, and I definitely attribute my high bio section scores on the videos. For organic chemistry, I've always had a hard time with it, so I memorized the roadmaps on Destroyer, and they helped me answer 90% of the questions on my DAT. Good luck! With your timeframe, you definitely can raise your scores!

 

[Rvting]

Hi Riveting,

A lot can be accomplished in 41 days but can I ask what your individual scores where in Bio, GC and Orgo? You have already taken the DAT once so let's make the 2nd time the last. Don't put all your focus on test scores, you should really focus your energy on concepts and leering. Organic Chemistry is a tough subject and sorry you have such a bad experience with your teacher, the last few years have been tough for a lot of students, many have had so almost teach themselves. You should pinpoint your areas of weakness in Bio, GC and Orgo and make a study plan around that. For Organic you might need to go back to a text book, the one you used in class (if you even had one, I have been told many teaches didn't even use a book, SMH. There are a lot of free videos and information on YouTube you can use for Organic Chemistry and GC.

Make a plan that works for you and stick to it. You will know when you are ready to take the exam. If your test day is drawing near and you still don't feel confident you can always reschedule. Always listen to your inner voice, if it is telling you are not ready to take the DAT again, listen.

Just my 2 cents and hope something I said makes sense.

Wishing you the best.
Nancy, co/owner, Destroyers

Bio-16,
Chem-19
Orgo-19

I put a lot of effort into studying chem and orgo the first round, leading me to neglect bio.

 

[ChemistryDentist]

This is the second time I am taking the DAT, first time was a 19.

I have basically been using DATbooster's flashcards and question sets to make a gigantic thing of notes, and also went on to rewrite the notes.

My exam is on the 29th of Aug, so 41 days left. I don't feel very confident in my organic chemistry or biology. Math and PAT is great, chem and reading are moderate.

I'm having particular trouble with OC reactions and never had a really good teacher. (My undergrad professor came in for 2-3 years and left because not a lot of people liked her)

Any advice or thoughts on a study plan going forward?

41 days may be enough time to review everything and get a solid grasp, so long as you’re reviewing the material enough! It may be worth spending some time writing down and understanding those OC reactions, especially if you have a hard time remembering them. Sometimes understanding through arrow pushing and mechanisms is easier than just trying to memorize. That always helped me at least.

For bio, having a solid base of understanding is super important. If you’ve already taken notes and then retook those notes, maybe review another bio resource before exam day. I always recommend the Orgoman Dynamite Bio Review, which is also free so it saves you some money. The Destroyers are also always an option, depending on if you want some fresh and helpful materials!

Hope this helps some!