Help with DAT

[DDSCaroline]

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Hey guys,

Here is my score I got, I know it's not good enough so I was hoping I'd get some tips on improving my weak areas.

BIO 17
GC 17
OC 16
RC 22
QR 30
PAT 22
TS 16
AA 20

I am not a bio or chem major so I haven't had much exposure to those subjects in some time. I plan on taking it again, but I am not sure how much studying time it would take to bring my Bio, OC, and GC scores up to 20. Any suggestions?

 

[Kahr]

Could you possibly tell us what resources you've already utilized? That would help with making suggestions. If you haven't already, I highly recommend browsing some of this forum's threads on DAT breakdowns, there is some great info in them. If you answer my first question, I'd be happy to give some specific advice and point you to a couple of choice DAT breakdowns.

Assuming you're dead set on re-taking, I won't pose any arguments there, though I expect you may get some of that soon.

 

[DDSCaroline]

I used the Kaplan book and the Barron's book for doing tests, but mostly I reviewed off text books. I am also taking OChem II right now, to make the requirements, so I am thinking I'll probably do better on that once I am done with the course.

 

[Moonie87]

There are some great breakdowns around on the forum check them out.

For Organic chem and gen chem, I highly recommend destroyer and Chad's videos, also the quizzes with Chad's videos.
I also recommend bio destroyer.
The oc, gn and bio are on one destroyer book...

 

[Kahr]

I used the Kaplan book and the Barron's book for doing tests, but mostly I reviewed off text books. I am also taking OChem II right now, to make the requirements, so I am thinking I'll probably do better on that once I am done with the course.

In regard to ochem2, you could pick up ochem 2 as a 2nd language, fabulous little book, I used it throughout ochem 2. I also used this guy's youtube videos:

http://www.freelance-teacher.com/videos.htm

These are two breakdowns I found very informative:

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=737004

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=783353

I'll second Chad's videos over at course saver . com, extremely efficient study resource, includes quizzes. I have Campbells, Barron's AP bio, and Cliff's bio, and I've liked Barron's most. You can use your textbooks to cover anything in the depth you require. Honestly, I haven't found Destroyer to be overly helpful, though it is nice for challenging practice. Everyone swears by Destroyer's orgo road maps (they are very good), and it has probably the best QR/math (math destroyer) out there directed toward the DAT... though it seems you wouldn't need that, with a 30 in QR, yikes! 😉

 

[freckles91932]

I know you are asking for suggestions, but could you offer any suggestions on your other scores? 30!!! 👍

 

[rmm30]

would you mind sharing how you prepared for QR. I've seen 30s in the chems but don't remember anyone doing so well on math. way to go!

 

[DDSCaroline]

Thanks for the suggestions. As for what I'd suggest for the math section. I think it's more about how you approach a problem rather than trying to memorize the formulas. There aren't that many basic formulas you have to know, it's all about knowing how and when to use them. Here's what I normally do:

1. Read the question carefully, make sure you know what the question is asking for. Alot of times in the past I have read the question very quickly, and started to work on the problem only to find out later the question was asking for something else.

2. Visualize the problem in your head. For me, once I can see what's going on physically, I can easily figure out how I should approach the problem and solve it. The formulas you would use will make much more sense and it wouldn't seem like you are just plugging numbers into a long formula and not really know what you are doing, other than plugging numbers into a long formula to get a number that doesn't mean anything to you.

3. Look at the answer choices and see what type of answers they are looking for, before you actually start to work on the calculations. See if what the answer they are looking for is in fractions, decimals, or approximations. You'll waste a lot of time if you have to convert it to another form after doing the calculations.

4. Break the problem into steps. Most of the problems are multi-step problems anyway, and if you do it step by step, the value you are solving for, you can visualize and make sense of it. I avoid writing out a long formula to solve a 3 step problem, because then I lose track of what I am doing and if you don't get the right answer, it's much harder to diagnose what you did wrong in a long formula.

5. Since you don't have a lot of time to solve each problem, the solution is usually fairly straight forward if you have the right approach to the problem. If you find yourself solving a problem using brute force, then you are probably not doing it the "right way". This usually comes from experience and practice. You tend to get stuck doing a problem a certain way, until someone shows you a better way.

Anyway these are just my general math tips. If there are any specific types of problems you are having trouble with, feel free to post it and I can show you how I'd approach the problem, and see if that's any different from what you are doing now.

 

[DDSCaroline]

would you mind sharing how you prepared for QR. I've seen 30s in the chems but don't remember anyone doing so well on math. way to go!

Thanks! I think it's alot harder to get 30s in Bio, GC, and OC than Math. You pretty much have to know everything to not get a question wrong. You don't have to know everything in math. There are only a few basic concepts you have to know. You just have to know how to apply them in a timely fashion.

 

[rmm30]

Thanks for the suggestions. As for what I'd suggest for the math section. I think it's more about how you approach a problem rather than trying to memorize the formulas. There aren't that many basic formulas you have to know, it's all about knowing how and when to use them. Here's what I normally do:

1. Read the question carefully, make sure you know what the question is asking for. Alot of times in the past I have read the question very quickly, and started to work on the problem only to find out later the question was asking for something else.

2. Visualize the problem in your head. For me, once I can see what's going on physically, I can easily figure out how I should approach the problem and solve it. The formulas you would use will make much more sense and it wouldn't seem like you are just plugging numbers into a long formula and not really know what you are doing, other than plugging numbers into a long formula to get a number that doesn't mean anything to you.

3. Look at the answer choices and see what type of answers they are looking for, before you actually start to work on the calculations. See if what the answer they are looking for is in fractions, decimals, or approximations. You'll waste a lot of time if you have to convert it to another form after doing the calculations.

4. Break the problem into steps. Most of the problems are multi-step problems anyway, and if you do it step by step, the value you are solving for, you can visualize and make sense of it. I avoid writing out a long formula to solve a 3 step problem, because then I lose track of what I am doing and if you don't get the right answer, it's much harder to diagnose what you did wrong in a long formula.

5. Since you don't have a lot of time to solve each problem, the solution is usually fairly straight forward if you have the right approach to the problem. If you find yourself solving a problem using brute force, then you are probably not doing it the "right way". This usually comes from experience and practice. You tend to get stuck doing a problem a certain way, until someone shows you a better way.

Anyway these are just my general math tips. If there are any specific types of problems you are having trouble with, feel free to post it and I can show you how I'd approach the problem, and see if that's any different from what you are doing now.

Killer advice. thanks so much. I've been drawing random probs from math destroyer and I'm really starting to get what you mean. First time through I just charged at a problem head on and never really thought about strategy and efficiency. Probably why I could never finish a test in time. Someone posted a math problem on here and it was to approximate the sq root of the product of 2 numbers. I remembered doing the problem, I just multiplied everything out by hand and it took like 5 minutes. Then I read the solution you posted and it's obvious now that there is definately a wrong way and a right way of getting a right answer. anyways thanks again.

 

[sbdento]

This isn't a qr thread, buuuuut I thought I'd throw my 2 cent in on this one

The key to qr is to figure out the short cut. For example, whenever I would see a problem with a triangle or something, I would always immediately figure out which pythagorean triple it was, or which special triangle it was. If it was a square root problem I would immediately figure out which perfect square root it was, they will always use 16,4,9, etc nothing like 69(still haven't figured that one out yet).

Also, keep in mind that it is designed to be done without a calculator, so the numbers will always be easy to work with. If at first the numbers don't look easy, break it down, manipulate it, divide it by something until it is more familiar.

 

[DDSCaroline]

Killer advice. thanks so much. I've been drawing random probs from math destroyer and I'm really starting to get what you mean. First time through I just charged at a problem head on and never really thought about strategy and efficiency. Probably why I could never finish a test in time. Someone posted a math problem on here and it was to approximate the sq root of the product of 2 numbers. I remembered doing the problem, I just multiplied everything out by hand and it took like 5 minutes. Then I read the solution you posted and it's obvious now that there is definately a wrong way and a right way of getting a right answer. anyways thanks again.

Glad you thought it was helpful. Hopefully it'll make a difference in the score.