How much time did you spend studying?

[05med05]

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I know everyone has different study habbits and different academic backgrounds and all, but I'm just curious to know how much time some of you put in, in terms of quality study time specifically for the mcat.

Prior to this past year I had very little science background. I took most of the prerequisite couses (phys/bio/orgo) this past year, with the exception of the first half of first year physics/bio and all of general chem (which I took too many years ago to remember).

I probably put in 5 solid weeks of 8 hour days and countless hours of listening to EK's audio osmosis cds on various 3 hour weekend car trips over the last 6-8 months (I don't think they helped very much, but that's beside the point).

I had absolutely no idea how long it would take me to prepare, so I took the advice of a friend who was in a similar situation as my own, who wrote the mcat last year (and did very well). He indicated that any more than 5 weeks before and you would probably start forgetting things or just get too burnt out...

Anyhow, I didn't feel like I prepared enough, so I'm just wondering what some of your strategies were and if they were successful.

 

[antissa]

I had a half year of gen chem, half year of orgo, evolutionary biology, molecular biology, health & disease, genetics, by the time I wrote this summer. I took physics over the summer to fill in that gap, and the only thing I was really missing was the second half of orgo (I don't think one half was enough for this test) and physiology (but my health & disease class covered the preliminaries of anatomy). I devoted about 3 months of nonstop study to both MCAT and that physics class, but for the first 2 months, my physics class got the priority, and it wasn't until two weeks before the MCAT that I really concentrated on it. I did all the AAMC tests and two Kaplan full lengths, and it would've been nice to have some more time (I think I was trying to do too much at once this summer) but I'm not sure how much more prepared I'd be

 

[Chouster]

I committed my soul this summer to studying MCAT only. I did every possible damn thing I could, and like William Hung said "I try the best I could, I haf no regret". But I still worry everyday that my summer may have been wasted bcuz of those 85 minutes for the verbal section. Please I hope not!

 

[OHare]

6 hours a day for 6 weeks straight, yet for some reason I still feel iffy on PS. They STILL threw me some loops even though I was THAT prepared. I couldn't believe it.

 

[Jon Davis]

I studied 2.5 months straight. The last month I did hardcore, about 15 hrs a day.
I felt like I wasted my time.
I could have dated so many hot girls. 😍
Sigh.

 

[OHare]

holy shiz man; i hope the med schools recognize that dedication. you'd make a good surgeon.

 

[DieselPetrolGrl]

holy shiz man; i hope the med schools recognize that dedication. you'd make a good surgeon.

if i become one i wont use plastic cutlery like dr nick does
i swear


i studied like ...many more study times than ever
i feel weak from studying
i actually read books...i usualy dont even buy them
i took 14 tests
i did WORK
WORK!!!

 

[Psycho Doctor]

I could have dated so many hot girls. 😍
Sigh.

and my hot girl almost dumped me for cheating on her with my organic text book and MCAT study aids; she caught me too many times spending hours with aamc practice tests and felt i let her down. 🙁

 

[Assembler]

I started studying on June 20th. Put in at least 8 hours a day, sometimes more. Never skipped a day of studying.

And in the end, I still got whooped.

Goes to show you how much studying really can do 👎

 

[Psycho Doctor]

i guess the moral of the storry is to go in cold...then we can't be so disappointed

 

[DieselPetrolGrl]

i just want u to know i beat revolver ocelot but the hostages died anyways..im sorry ..on the bright side i have his colt!

 

[Nakhrewali]

cmon you guys! Quit being so hard on yourselves... You all worked SO hard all summer and you need to give yourselves some credit. You really will not know how well you did until you see your scores in October. Until then, just relax and go get your drank on. 😛

 

[MDtoBe777]

I got up every morning at 7:30am. Started studying by 8. Studied until 11:30. Took a break till 1. Studied till 3:30. TPR Class from 4-6:30. Ate dinner. Studied from 7:30-11. I still felt screwed walking out of the test. Man, I feel like I wasted this summer. 🙁

 

[silkworm]

I had my pre-reqs 4-5 years ago, so I needed to do some serious reviewing. I started late May, pretty much reviewing one chapter of EK books a day. Early June I started Kaplan, but I didn't really go to their classes that much, just studied on my own using their material. In June and July, probably averaged about 3 hours a day. Last three weeks probably 6-7 hours a day.

 

[DieselPetrolGrl]

I had my pre-reqs 4-5 years ago, so I needed to do some serious reviewing. I started late May, pretty much reviewing one chapter of EK books a day. Early June I started Kaplan, but I didn't really go to their classes that much, just studied on my own using their material. In June and July, probably averaged about 3 hours a day. Last three weeks probably 6-7 hours a day.

classes suck anyways silkworm..i went..they are POTTY

(btw do u raise them? ihave been considering it as a hobby. i really perfer the old school raw silk to the new synthetic stuff and i heard about lots of techniques on giving them camphor and boiling then gently unwinding their cucoons..pm me if u can help me start this hobby - thanks)

 

[Assembler]

i just want u to know i beat revolver ocelot but the hostages died anyways..im sorry ..on the bright side i have his colt!

You'll get 'em next time.

👍 👍

 

[silkworm]

classes suck anyways silkworm..i went..they are POTTY

(btw do u raise them? ihave been considering it as a hobby. i really perfer the old school raw silk to the new synthetic stuff and i heard about lots of techniques on giving them camphor and boiling then gently unwinding their cucoons..pm me if u can help me start this hobby - thanks)

If you mean silkworms then I've never seen one up close before. I just like the sound of the word among other things.

 

[DieselPetrolGrl]

bummer 🙁

maybe i should study up on them

 

[licious]

I worked 9-5 and took a prep class 4 nights a week. During the work period, I was only able to keep up with the readings (not the homework) in the course. I got 2 weeks off work before the MCAT and by that time I was familiar with almost all the info through courses and mock exams so I just focused on practice questions and more mocks for most of the day. All in all I think I did 9 mocks including that for the courses.

 

[Elastase]

I used to have silkworms in elementary school.. They are cool as lil worms but then they turn into nasty ass moths that mate, lay tons of eggs in a shoe box, and die...they have sex and subsequently die for their sins...fuccking moths

 

[DieselPetrolGrl]

i dont care what u had mike because i still want to beat u up
maybe not if u had silk to pay me off with
but now that i have nothing to study for..boy are you gonna get it shrimp!

 

[DD214_DOC]

I started studying on Monday, August 9. I studied most of the day up until Thursday.

I mean seriously, this should all be review for us, so what is the point of studying 15 hours a day for 3 months? You should remember most of the stuff required for the MCAT, and anything else you're supposed to figure out on the exam. At the most you really should just need a quick review for formulas and stuff.

This is all I did and I have no regrets.

 

[acetylcoa]

I used to have silkworms in elementary school.. They are cool as lil worms but then they turn into nasty ass moths that mate, lay tons of eggs in a shoe box, and die...they have sex and subsequently die for their sins...fuccking moths

horny moths! I had silkworms too in elementary school. i got so mad when they put their booties together, and laid a bunch of eggs on the toy houses i let them live in. grrrrrrr!!!!!! 👎

 

[myodana]

almost 4 months.