How does my MCAT Study Plan Look?

[BeastfromthEast]

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I'm a sophomore and I plan to take the MCAT this August. By May, I will have completed all the classes tested in the MCAT except for Physics 2, which I plan to take over the summer. By May, I would have just completed Orgo 2 and Physics 1.

After my last final ~May 9th, I will have no classes until the first week of June, when I start taking Physics 2. Since Orgo and Physics 1 will be pretty fresh in my head, I will hardcore study Biology and Gen Chem over those 3 weeks (since I've taken those freshman year/beginning of soph year) and try to learn all the content needed in those 2 subjects (would it be possible?). I've been tutoring gen chem too recently so I think it won't be totally forgotten.

Then in June, I will focus more on Organic and Physics, which shouldn't be too bad. I'll also keep on reviewing Gen Chem and Bio as well. I'll try to master all those subjects by the end of June.

Then in July, I will start taking practice tests (maybe once or twice a week?) while continuously reviewing bio, gen chem, orgo and physics. I would be in the middle of taking Physics 2 so I wouldn't really have to review that too much.

(I would also read books and practice verbal throughout these 3 months, but mostly in the last 2 months).

What do you guys think? Solid plan or not? Is it better to just study everything little by little? Thanks!

 

[sliceofbread136]

Get your hands on some non-aamc full length practice tests (the princeton review, berkley review, and kaplan have some) and start taking them like once every two weeks while you are still reviewing the material. Not knowing the material and being forced to figure it out is actually really helpful later on, and it gets you more comfortable with full lengths earlier. When you're closer to finishing the material, switch to AAMCs for your full lengths.

 

[Cristobal16]

I would recommend taking the free AAMC test online before you start studying hard-core. It will give you a good idea on where you're at with each subject and help you structure your studying a bit better.

 

[justd0it87]

I would strongly emphasize PRACTICE > Content Study in that last month or month and half. You say you will start practicing in July, then taking the test in August. I don't know when exactly in August you are trying to take the test but make sure you have at least 4 weeks of pure practicing of tests and questions, over and over. Don't forget, when you are practicing questions, you are still reviewing when you have to go back over your wrong and right answers. Look at all the other answer choices and see why they wouldn't be the right answer. That in of itself is a significant review as you are practicing.

 

[Finches]

I would recommend taking the free AAMC test online before you start studying hard-core. It will give you a good idea on where you're at with each subject and help you structure your studying a bit better.

I agree--start with an AAMC, not a study prep company's test. This will be the most accurate gauge of where your weaknesses are.

 

[Tots]

I would recommend taking the free AAMC test online before you start studying hard-core. It will give you a good idea on where you're at with each subject and help you structure your studying a bit better.

I agree--start with an AAMC, not a study prep company's test. This will be the most accurate gauge of where your weaknesses are.

I don't recommend this. It is a waste of a perfectly good AAMC test that will be way more valuable once you have completed some of your content review. Furthermore not every test covers everything - it could be completely misleading. My recommendation: Start content review and do practice passages. If you understand the material and doing well on the passages, great, if not then bam you know where your weaknesses are.

 

[Finches]

I don't recommend this. It is a waste of a perfectly good AAMC test that will be way more valuable once you have completed some of your content review. Furthermore not every test covers everything - it could be completely misleading. My recommendation: Start content review and do practice passages. If you understand the material and doing well on the passages, great, if not then bam you know where your weaknesses are.

I see your point, but I sincerely don't think it's a waste of a test. Taking a full-length immediately put me into a particular "wow, so this is what a real MCAT feels like" type of a mindset. The test finally felt real and do-able, and was no longer a mysterious, impossible examination hyped up by the masses. Furthermore, when I subsequently did my content review, I knew which areas I had to spend extra time. When I did another AAMC afterwards, I predictably improved, and seeing this improvement early on also helped in motivating me to study harder.

There are 11 (12?) AAMC tests. Using one as a diagnostic isn't a test badly spent.

P.S.: This is definitely a to-each-his-own subject; Tatertots did awesome on the MCAT, so there's no wrong answer here!

 

[Cristobal16]

I see your point, but I sincerely don't think it's a waste of a test. Taking a full-length immediately put me into a particular "wow, so this is what a real MCAT feels like" type of a mindset. The test finally felt real and do-able, and was no longer a mysterious, impossible examination hyped up by the masses. Furthermore, when I subsequently did my content review, I knew which areas I had to spend extra time. When I did another AAMC afterwards, I predictably improved, and seeing this improvement early on also helped in motivating me to study harder.

There are 11 (12?) AAMC tests. Using one as a diagnostic isn't a test badly spent.

I agree wholeheartedly. Taking that first practice test before beginning to study the various sections immediately made the whole thing seem doable. I definitely did not do well in med school terms on the first one, as it had been eight years since I had taken the Chem and Phys classes, and hadn't finished taking the Bio (I'm nontraditional). It gave me a baseline, and was motivational. "Ok, if I can do that when i am completely unprepared, what can I do after months of studying??"

 

[BeastfromthEast]

Wow thanks for all the suggestions!

On the AAMC website they have the official MCAT Guide book. I remember CollegeBoard's Official Study Guide was really helpful. Has anyone used it?

Also on the AAMC theres a list of topics tested in each section. I should definitely try to focus on those topics? Would it be a waste to learn additional info not on that list?