How long did it take you to finish BR books?

[LaCasta]

I am in a Kaplan course and I am almost finished with content review through a combination of Kaplan material and Princeton Review hyperlearning books. I am planning on taking the MCAT on January 31st.

I am thinking about ordering some Berkeley Review books, mainly the Gen Chem book and maybe the physics book as well. Is it worth it to order them at this point? I heard a lot of good things about the passages in the book.

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[Revilla]

It depends on how much you already know and how much time you'll need. I only have TBR Gen Chem and it's great! I do about a chapter a day, which includes reading/taking notes and then hitting the passages/questions (sometimes it takes two days if I'm weak on a concept). There are anywhere from 13-15 passages per chapter and 100 questions so it does take a while to get through all of them and then check your answers.

I don't have any experience with the physics book. It might not be as much.

If you think you can devote several hours a day to it, I'd definitely get the Gen Chem book if you're weak in chemistry.

 

[Marjan Islam]

Physics is 10 passages and 70 questions per section. They give you 90 min. to do all of that. And reading the section/doing the problems scattered as your read takes a while too. I'd say give 4-5 hours a day, and you'll knock out a section a day.

I'd personally suggest taking it across 2 days, and do other stuff (verbal, bio, whatever) in addition each day. I dunno, TOO MUCH of 1 topic gets to me. 10 passages, man... I get burned out! I need more endurance

 

[LaCasta]

Thanks for the replies

I ordered the BR Gen Chem and Physics books, and they should be here by the 6th. I am going to try for the lofty goal of doing a section of chem and physics a day. Since I am somewhat comfortable with the material (my PS scores have been a 9 and 10 on Kaplan FL 1 & 2 and a 13 on AAMC 3) I will probbably just skim through the reading and focus on the passages. I'll probbably take days off in between for practice tests.

I feel ya on endurance also, I may study for 6 hours at a time, but I need a break at least every hour or so (mainly to check SDN )

Physics is 10 passages and 70 questions per section

Is that 70 questions total, or 10 passages and 70 discretes?

 

[J ROD]

To do a chapter of each and all the passages would be very hard!!

Here's a tip that Berkteach said before. If you are good and comfortable in a particular section, then only do some of the passages and move on.

You might could do half the passages and do a chapter of each a day. I think the other plan will burn you out. I burned myself each time I took it.

I would also think about getting some of their CBTs.

Their PS books are the best I have seen. TPR Physics is pretty good content wise. I actually liked their content and BR passages.

70 questions with the passages if I remember right.

 

[LaCasta]

To do a chapter of each and all the passages would be very hard!!

Here's a tip that Berkteach said before. If you are good and comfortable in a particular section, then only do some of the passages and move on.

You might could do half the passages and do a chapter of each a day. I think the other plan will burn you out. I burned myself each time I took it.

I would also think about getting some of their CBTs.

Their PS books are the best I have seen. TPR Physics is pretty good content wise. I actually liked their content and BR passages.

70 questions with the passages if I remember right.

I was thinking about it as well, and a chapter of each probbably wouldn't be feasible. It wouldn't leave much room for practice tests. I'll try doing half the passsages of each chapter.

I agree about TPR physics, although I am in the Kaplan class I used TPR physics review exclusively, and I feel like I understand the concepts pretty well. I don't think TPR gen chem is quite as good though, that's why I ordered BR, because of the great reviews. I ordered BR physics also due to good reviews.

Even though there is a month to go, it feels like time is running out...