How many hours do you study MCAT / day?

[j-med]

5 weeks to MCAT
& just started....

how many hours per day do you suggest I do from now?

I'm thinking the next 1.5-2 week will mostly be review of all phy/chem/bio/orgo materials, then plunge into practice tests.. how does that sound?
but i guess my main question is.. how many hours is a recommended amount of time for mcat prep?

especially those of you who got 33 & above.. when did you guys start prepping and what do you suggest I do now?

thank you!

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[funshine]

everything depends on your own study habits. If you work best by reviewing all the material before taking a bunch of practice tests, then go for it. If you study effectively for only 2 hours a night, then don't give yourself 4 hours every day to study because you'll just be wasting your time and energy.

Personally, I have a short attention span and really hate reading those review books over and over again...so I skimmed the Kaplan once through and digested as much info as I could. Then, I started taking practice tests really early on and just went back and reviewed whatever I had trouble with. This might be a spotty way of studying, but it was the only way I could get myself to focus and not feel overwhelmed byt the vast amount of material. Really, you could take forever studying for the MCATs, and still not know everything that'll be on the test. I think a lot of it is just making sure you understand all the passages and don't make any stupid mistakes. It's fine to get the questions you DON'T know wrong, but you want to get every single question you DO know right! Oh, and definitely know your physics equations. I started second-guessing myself and really struggled through that section.

And finally, remember that how you perform the day of the test is 100 times more important than any other day of your preparation. For me, it was really just an endurance test. Good luck!!!

 

[jebus]

4-5 weeks x 5-6 hours an evening (more on weekends).
listen to funshine. there's probably other stuff you should keep in mind, too.
good luck.

 

[jackfibi]

5 weeks to MCAT
& just started....

how many hours per day do you suggest I do from now?

I'm thinking the next 1.5-2 week will mostly be review of all phy/chem/bio/orgo materials, then plunge into practice tests.. how does that sound?
but i guess my main question is.. how many hours is a recommended amount of time for mcat prep?

especially those of you who got 33 & above.. when did you guys start prepping and what do you suggest I do now?

thank you!

J-med you really should reconsider taking it in august. 5 weeks is not enough time to really abosrb all the material you need to know. Good luck whatever you chose

 

[nmnrraven]

but i guess my main question is.. how many hours is a recommended amount of time for mcat prep?

It all depends on how well you learned the material in the first place. Some people need a lot of review and others don't. I reviewed two weeks before the test and did fine. I know others who began months ahead of time. If you read through the huge kaplan book and find that it isn't all stuff you know, maybe you should wait and do the august MCAT. It doesn't count against you and you get the whole summer to study. Having said that, the MCAT doesn't really matter as long as you get a score around 30 or higher. I don't think it shows intelligence or aptitude. Still, you should try to do your best on it. Just my opinion.

 

[Chris127]

2007 is when I will be taking my MCAT,

Isn't 2007 the year when the MCAT goes electronic and is offered 8 times a year or something?

 

[NapeSpikes]

Isn't 2007 the year when the MCAT goes electronic and is offered 8 times a year or something?

Yes, electronic in 2007. I don't know how often, but it's something like that.

 

[Sol Rosenberg]

5 weeks to MCAT
& just started....

how many hours per day do you suggest I do from now?

I'm thinking the next 1.5-2 week will mostly be review of all phy/chem/bio/orgo materials, then plunge into practice tests.. how does that sound?
but i guess my main question is.. how many hours is a recommended amount of time for mcat prep?

especially those of you who got 33 & above.. when did you guys start prepping and what do you suggest I do now?

thank you!

Start out by taking a full-length practice from the AAMC (3R is available for free, but is generally regarded as one of the easier practice tests, so take that into account) to see where you are.

That way, you can make the most of the time you have left by pinpointing your weaknesses (the AAMC web site will help you with this, but I'm not sure if you have to pay or not) and not spending too much time re-studying things in which you are already strong.

If you have a weak verbal score, I would agree with the other poster that said to wait, because the only way that you can bring up your verbal score is to do LOTS of practice verbal passages, which probably isn't going to happen in 5 weeks. With the PS and BS stuff, you have a better chance of bringing up your score with directed studying of your weak areas.

It may be tough to improve your score significantly in only 5 weeks (if it needs to be improved) but you need to assess your current preparedness by taking a full-length practice exam NOW (under timed conditions, etc.)

Good Luck,

Jota

 

[alex_shimp]

Hey I am counting 6 weeks / 5 weekends ....

 

[rgerwin]

They're shooting for it to be offered 22 times a year, and be possibly a third shorter.

 

[alex_shimp]

I liek the 1/3 shorter...

I doubt that the scores will change much since its all bell curved anyways....