how to use a combination of study materials

[crazymedgirl]

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Hey guys,

I was hoping some of you might have some tips on this. I am planning on studying for the MCAT on my own (no prep course) and I was thinking about using the Examcrackers study materials as well as The Berkeley Review.

How did you all create a study plan that combined using two different test prep materials? Did you actually study the entirety of both sets of materials? That seems like overkill (or very difficult to actually accomplish.)

Did you mix and match (like use EK for bio, TBR for physics, etc)?

If I was going to follow the 10 week study plan on EK's website, for example, how would I incorporate the BR materials into it? I'll be in school full time when studying and will likely have no more than 2-3 hrs a day to study on weekdays.

Suggestions?

 

[olemissbabydoc]

Hey guys,

I was hoping some of you might have some tips on this. I am planning on studying for the MCAT on my own (no prep course) and I was thinking about using the Examcrackers study materials as well as The Berkeley Review.

How did you all create a study plan that combined using two different test prep materials? Did you actually study the entirety of both sets of materials? That seems like overkill (or very difficult to actually accomplish.)

Did you mix and match (like use EK for bio, TBR for physics, etc)?

If I was going to follow the 10 week study plan on EK's website, for example, how would I incorporate the BR materials into it? I'll be in school full time when studying and will likely have no more than 2-3 hrs a day to study on weekdays.

Suggestions?

Personally, I chose one method to follow primarily (EK for me) and used the other materials (TPR, TBR, Kaplan, AAMC) to fill in the gaps.

 

[olemissbabydoc]

Be sure to use all the practice tests available to you! 🙂

 

[futuredoctor10]

I do think studying every word of both sets of materials could be very time consuming. I would use one source primarily, for each subject, and fill in gaps with the other book(s).

 

[marele86]

I've been using EK and TBR, so I guess I'll throw in my thoughts.

I'm near the end of my content review, and I agree with everyone else - you would get the highest yield for your time if you use one system. I definitely would have been done a couple of months ago if I had stuck with EK, but I really like using TBR alongside it, so I'm okay with the extra time. For me personally, I just feel better being overly thorough about it.

For example, I'm finishing up TBR Physics right now. I used them almost exclusively on the light chapter until I got to optics, where EK makes the whole complicated subject much easier and more intuitive with a cool 3-step system. I did all of the TBR passages to make sure I understood how to use the equations and think about mirrors/lenses, and then after a few days (of studying a different subject) took the EK Light/Optics section test (to get rid of anything that was only in my super short-term memory).

I use the BR scores as practice to solidify the content, and the EK section scores as my indications for how well I did on any given section. If it's below a 10, I go back later and redo the section - usually by focusing on the opposite review book.

For Verbal, I use only BR, and for Biology, I use only EK. It's only the physical sciences section that I'm combining them on.

 

[Malayna]

Hey guys,

I was hoping some of you might have some tips on this. I am planning on studying for the MCAT on my own (no prep course) and I was thinking about using the Examcrackers study materials as well as The Berkeley Review.

How did you all create a study plan that combined using two different test prep materials? Did you actually study the entirety of both sets of materials? That seems like overkill (or very difficult to actually accomplish.)

Did you mix and match (like use EK for bio, TBR for physics, etc)?

If I was going to follow the 10 week study plan on EK's website, for example, how would I incorporate the BR materials into it? I'll be in school full time when studying and will likely have no more than 2-3 hrs a day to study on weekdays.

Suggestions?

I've been using the following plan for the last month or so and it works for me.

Read and complete 5 sections (the review and phases 1 and 2 of the homework) from the BR outline each week. For some of the biology topics, I'll read the EK text. For verbal reasoning, I follow the handouts from my BR lectures and also do PR and EK passages. I plan to do this for 8 weeks total (12/21-2/14) until I finish all of my reviewing.

After finishing that, I'll go back and do the phase 3 homework for each section over a three week period (2/15-3/7). I hope that will allow me to remember some of what I might forget. After that I plan to spend one week doing nothing but BR review exams and going to office hours (3/8-3/14).

After that, I'm going to be done with my content review. From there I plan to take three CBTs a week for four weeks (3/15-4/11). I'll take the exam one day and thoroughly review it the next. For the seventh day each week, I plan to do one of the BR test strategy packets (math tricks, etc...). I plan to spend the last week (4/12-4/18) just quizzing myself and going to office hours every day they have them.

The total time is sixteen weeks of study and tests and one week of startegy.

For materials I have BR books, BR class handouts, PR books, and EK books. I've found that the best combination is:

Gen Chem-BR for text and passages (I don't even bother with PR or EK)

Biology-EK for text (plus BR for Heart and Lung physiology and Kidney physiology), BR class handouts for summarizing and review, and PR/BR passages.

Org Chem-BR for text and PR/BR passages. I also really like the BR class handouts so far.

Physics-BR for text except Light and Optics which I'm using just the BR class handout (best thing I've ever seen for lenses and mirrors), BR for passages and EK review questions using BR tricks. If I have time, I might do some PR passages

Verbal-BR class handouts and EK text for strategies and EK/PR/BR passages

Review exams:-BR handouts and PR passage book

CBTs-9 BR and AAMC 7, 9, and 10

I feel really confident with this plan after speaking to people in my lab who studied this past summer.

 

[Sonyfan08]

I also have a similar question. How did you guys use both Kaplan and EK? I'm currently enrolled in the Kaplan class and have access to the material, but with only 3 months.. I really have to use my time wisely. What would you recommend and what worked for you?

 

[tmac11]

I also have a similar question. How did you guys use both Kaplan and EK? I'm currently enrolled in the Kaplan class and have access to the material, but with only 3 months.. I really have to use my time wisely. What would you recommend and what worked for you?

I have both Kaplan and EK also and am wondering the same thing. Any advice on how to use both efficiently would be greatly appreciated.

 

[futuredoctor10]

I have both Kaplan and EK also and am wondering the same thing. Any advice on how to use both efficiently would be greatly appreciated.

I am not using Kaplan for my retake, so I have not used them side-by-side but I have used books from both sources.

One possible suggestion you could try: You could read part of the first chapter for each subject in each book and get a feel for it. Then try using Kaplan or EK, whichever you like best for each subj, as your primary source and look up things you don't get in the other.

 

[SN2ed]

When using a combination of materials, use one book per section as your main content review book. Then, if needed, take a look at the other book for another perspective and/or to fill in any gaps. Finally, work through the practice passages in both books. If one of the books doesn't have a set of practice passages, it's not necessary to complete that book's problems unless you're weak in that area.

 

[futuredoctor10]

If one of the books doesn't have a set of practice passages, it's not necessary to complete that book's problems unless you're weak in that area.

Good point. Kaplan's books (unless it has changed from last year) have no passages but instead short answer problems. So, def use EK's passages even if you are using Kaplan for content review in a section.

 

[BerkReviewTeach]

I've been using the following plan for the last month or so and it works for me.

Read and complete 5 sections (the review and phases 1 and 2 of the homework) from the BR outline each week. For some of the biology topics, I'll read the EK text. For verbal reasoning, I follow the handouts from my BR lectures and also do PR and EK passages. I plan to do this for 8 weeks total (12/21-2/14) until I finish all of my reviewing.

After finishing that, I'll go back and do the phase 3 homework for each section over a three week period (2/15-3/7). I hope that will allow me to remember some of what I might forget. After that I plan to spend one week doing nothing but BR review exams and going to office hours (3/8-3/14).

After that, I'm going to be done with my content review. From there I plan to take three CBTs a week for four weeks (3/15-4/11). I'll take the exam one day and thoroughly review it the next. For the seventh day each week, I plan to do one of the BR test strategy packets (math tricks, etc...). I plan to spend the last week (4/12-4/18) just quizzing myself and going to office hours every day they have them.

The total time is sixteen weeks of study and tests and one week of startegy.

For materials I have BR books, BR class handouts, PR books, and EK books. I've found that the best combination is:

Gen Chem-BR for text and passages (I don't even bother with PR or EK)

Biology-EK for text (plus BR for Heart and Lung physiology and Kidney physiology), BR class handouts for summarizing and review, and PR/BR passages.

Org Chem-BR for text and PR/BR passages. I also really like the BR class handouts so far.

Physics-BR for text except Light and Optics which I'm using just the BR class handout (best thing I've ever seen for lenses and mirrors), BR for passages and EK review questions using BR tricks. If I have time, I might do some PR passages

Verbal-BR class handouts and EK text for strategies and EK/PR/BR passages

Review exams:-BR handouts and PR passage book

CBTs-9 BR and AAMC 7, 9, and 10

I feel really confident with this plan after speaking to people in my lab who studied this past summer.

You plan is absolutely perfect. You should start a thread with your 16-week study schedule so others can use it. A nine-week plan, like some people are using, is just not enough time to review and go over exams when you also have school to worry about.

 

[redlight]

well this thread seems a little BR biased. i was under the impression that BR=PR but were sold BR/PR based on region because i've only seen PR stuff and i'm on the east coast. i guess i was wrong?