How many hours to study for MCAT during school year?

[WhiteCoatSyndrome]

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How many hours do people typically study during the school year for the MCAT? Or how many hours is a good number to shoot for during the school year? I curious because I heard that Kaplan suggests 6-8 hours a day, even durin the school year, which seems a little excessive, but perhaps I am wrong. Knowing that many of the people who take/study forth MCAT do I during the school year, I was curious about all of this.

 

[kehlsh]

k here's the recipe

if u study 10 hours = 20
if u study 100 hours = 23
if u study 200 hours = 25
if u study 300 hours = 30
if u study 400 hours = 33
if u study 500 hours = 35
if u study over 9000 hours = 40+

 

[vairules]

Couple of things:

Don't shoot for a certain number. Go by content. Divide your time well, and make sure you'll cover as much as you need to by when you need to. Often times, this can mean a couple of hours a day at least, depending on how far away your test is.

Which brings to me the second point: Studying during school/work/other obligations sucks. Bigtime. Depending on how busy you are, it will be extremely difficult. Having done it myself, I don't recommend it if possible. It can be done, but it takes motivation.

 

[WhiteCoatSyndrome]

It would be difficult, that is true, but many students who do well on the MCAT are able to find a way to do well during the school year. I plan to take mine in July '12, which means the beginning of my formal study will be during be during school, while a lot of it will be during the summer.

 

[MDminded]

It would be difficult, that is true, but many students who do well on the MCAT are able to find a way to do well during the school year. I plan to take mine in July '12, which means the beginning of my formal study will be during be during school, while a lot of it will be during the summer.

It gets difficult during the school year, especially around final exams, where you break up with the MCAT to date your finals, only to realize that you love MCATs, and you crawl back to it.

All joking aside, if you can devote 3 hours a day to MCAT starting in your spring semester (and try not to overload on classes that semester), you should be gold.

 

[MDminded]

k here's the recipe

if u study 10 hours = 20
if u study 100 hours = 23
if u study 200 hours = 25
if u study 300 hours = 30
if u study 400 hours = 33
if u study 500 hours = 35
if u study over 9000 hours = 40+

IF ONLY.

 

[WhiteCoatSyndrome]

It gets difficult during the school year, especially around final exams, where you break up with the MCAT to date your finals, only to realize that you love MCATs, and you crawl back to it.

All joking aside, if you can devote 3 hours a day to MCAT starting in your spring semester (and try not to overload on classes that semester), you should be gold.

That sounds reasonable. I am not sure exactly right now what my shedule is like for spring semester, but I think I am taking about 16 credits with three sciences (genetics, invert zoology, microbiology). I also want to take a TPR class that meets in the evenings. I will probably have to cut down on other obligations, so I can focus just on school and MCAT. Does this sound feaseable?

 

[tman5890]

k here's the recipe

if u study 10 hours = 20
if u study 100 hours = 23
if u study 200 hours = 25
if u study 300 hours = 30
if u study 400 hours = 33
if u study 500 hours = 35
if u study over 9000 hours = 40+

So...9001 hours would get me a 45???

 

[SN2ed]

Wow. How many school and MCAT studying threads do you need? You've literally made dozens of threads on the same subject. The general consensus in them is to NOT do it.

 

[SoulinNeed]

Wow. How many school and MCAT studying threads do you need? You've literally made dozens of threads on the same subject. The general consensus in them is to NOT do it.

It's really hard, though, for a lot of people to take 3 months off, and study for the MCAT, unfortunately. If you want to be early, you have to take it in like May or June, and that means studying in the Spring semester. I'll only be taking two classes (Orgo II and Anatomy & Physiology I), as well as a TPR class, and I can see it becoming too much (I don't have a job either, lol), but it's unfortunately just the reality of the situation for most.

 

[SN2ed]

It's really hard, though, for a lot of people to take 3 months off, and study for the MCAT, unfortunately. If you want to be early, you have to take it in like May or June, and that means studying in the Spring semester. I'll only be taking two classes (Orgo II and Anatomy & Physiology I), as well as a TPR class, and I can see it becoming too much (I don't have a job either, lol), but it's unfortunately just the reality of the situation for most.

It all comes down to planning or letting go of the whole "must go to medical school right after college." I've only seen a handful of cases where a person really couldn't take one their summers off. Most of the time, that's not the case.

Edit: Additionally, it's not without reason that most of the people I've seen that have to retake tried to study during their school year.

 

[SoulinNeed]

It all comes down to planning or letting go of the whole "must go to medical school right after college." I've only seen a handful of cases where a person really couldn't take one their summers off. Most of the time, that's not the case.

Edit: Additionally, it's not without reason that most of the people I've seen that have to retake tried to study during their school year.

Take their summer off? When did they take the MCAT? July? Isn't that pretty late?

 

[Doubtnichts]

One of the best things I did was to sit in on physics classes...I've already taken it so sat in on the other class (calc. based this time) in order to freshen the knowledge. I also studied for the bio classes that I was taking at that moment...so I had the physics and biology covered and only really needed to study for the chemistry outside of my normal school work.

 

[MDminded]

That sounds reasonable. I am not sure exactly right now what my shedule is like for spring semester, but I think I am taking about 16 credits with three sciences (genetics, invert zoology, microbiology). I also want to take a TPR class that meets in the evenings. I will probably have to cut down on other obligations, so I can focus just on school and MCAT. Does this sound feaseable?

Yes, you have to have no social life to do well on the MCAT. No joke. Cut out anything other than your regular schoolwork.

In my opinion, it's up to you on whether you want to do a class. I personally took Kaplan, thinking of it as my "boost" and "motivation" to get started with studying, but turns out, it was a waste of my money. I can't say the same for TPR as it seems helpful for a lot of people, but I think it boils down to you and what you will make time for.

My opinion is you don't need it since you're still in college - just pull out your old notes, buy some of the review books, and do self-study. You'll be better off and $1700 richer. Just requires discipline...and if you don't have that, then definitely do the TPR class.

But you definitely need to focus on practicing passages, and not learning the content. You should know the content since you've taken it all relatively recently, so just focus on answering questions and nailing down concepts that you find fuzzy.

Good luck!

 

[WhiteCoatSyndrome]

Wow. How many school and MCAT studying threads do you need? You've literally made dozens of threads on the same subject. The general consensus in them is to NOT do it.

This is a bit of an exaggeration, and this isn't a "should I or shouldn't I take the MCAT during school" post, I was asking how much study is typical during the school year. I already said I'm planning on taking the MCAT in July, which last time I checked was well into the summer, I also plan on doing some studying during the school year as well, however. If it comes around to next summer and I feel I need an extra month of study, I can push the date back to august or September and take a year off.