If you feel MCAT studying tends to deaden one's soul and spirit, how did you counteract that?

[Gauss44]

If you feel MCAT studying tends to deaden one's soul and spirit, how did you counteract that?

(Note that I am not asking whether or not YOU felt that way, I am asking about ways to counteract that feeling. Ex. Listening to music after studying, calling a friend, etc.)

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[realba11]

If you're getting to that point, you're doing too much at once and getting overwhelmed. Have a realistic to-do list for the day then be done. Work hard for the given time then go meet friends, workout, do a hobby (i play guitar). Balance studying and non-studying in 1 hour rotations (give or take whatever you need). That way, you can build up stamina needed for the test while having a life outside of it.

 

[mmcoffee]

If you feel MCAT studying tends to deaden one's soul and spirit, how did you counteract that?

(Note that I am not asking whether or not YOU felt that way, I am asking about ways to counteract that feeling. Ex. Listening to music after studying, calling a friend, etc.)

I get really depressed when I study for the MCAT, mainly because I didn't do well the first time and I start to lose hope. I think part of the bad feeling I get is from the "hopelessness" part, so I try to counteract it:

1. By doing things (that are unrelated to the MCAT) that I know am good at (even if they are really simple) to build up my confidence again.

2. Exercising. I stopped the first time I studied for this test and I nearly lost my mind. It REALLY does help, even if it's just 30 minutes on the treadmill 3x a week.

 

[mmcoffee]

Oh this may sound super lame, but I also read the "med school acceptance" posts on the threads here to give me an extra boost of hope 😛

 

[aspiringdocO]

This is my 3RD time taking it (i know recipe for MCAT depression). So when I find myself doubtful and discouraged, I listen to music, watch a tv show or read for fun. I purposefully kept Sundays as a no MCAT study day so that I can spend time doing enjoyable things.

Also I think it's important to have breaks in between your studying time just to avoid burn out. I'm starting to time my study sessions to 2 hours and then I will take a 30 minute break (ie eat and do flashcards). Throughout the day I shoot for showing 4 study block sessions and it seems to be going well so far.

 

[petyr_baelish]

I know how you feel. MCAT studying sucks because it's not easy, plus we've already invested so much to get to the point of even attempting the MCAT, and yet we still have no credibility as a premed until we have that score. You only need to look around these forums or shadow a physician once to get the dreaded "That's nice that all your LoRs, prereqs, research experience and volunteering is done, but have you taken the MCAT yet?" question.

The bottom line is this: you need to do what it takes to be psychologically ready to study effectively for this exam. That differs for everyone.

My tips are to work on your self-confidence, plan a vacation, keep your social life healthy (but moderate), get a hobby. Trim the fat. If something you are doing doesn't serve you or help you inch to your goals, consider eliminating it. Learn to be happy because you will ALWAYS have something pressing and important that needs to be done if you want a career that pays you more than 100k/year. 'Real' life doesn't begin after the MCAT. You definitely don't want your career to be soul-sucking. Life is too precious for that.

 

[newbeginnings]

This is my 3RD time taking it (i know recipe for MCAT depression). So when I find myself doubtful and discouraged, I listen to music, watch a tv show or read for fun. I purposefully kept Sundays as a no MCAT study day so that I can spend time doing enjoyable things.

Also I think it's important to have breaks in between your studying time just to avoid burn out. I'm starting to time my study sessions to 2 hours and then I will take a 30 minute break (ie eat and do flashcards). Throughout the day I shoot for showing 4 study block sessions and it seems to be going well so far.

I think you and I are on the same boat. This test is my #1 enemy. Except mine is worse because my sibling breezed through it and did well. So, now I have the constant comparisons going on for me. But I do feel this test is different, and better to our advantage for some reason.. We just have to focus and keep ourselves motivated.

 

[aspiringdocO]

I think you and are on the same boat. This test is my #1 enemy. Except mine is worse because my sibling breezed through it and did well. So, now I have the constant comparisons going on for me. But I do feel this test is different, and better to our advantage for some reason.. We just have to focus and keep ourselves motivated.

Its refreshing to see that I am not the only one struggling. It's easy to compare your performance to others, but IT IS so important for us (especially) to stay focused and determined on succeeding for ourselves. Not others. Yes, we definitely should keep each other motivated. PM if you want to study through skype. And yes I feel like this test works better to my advantage and yours since the context is changed slightly plus one of my majors was psychology so I plan on this being my easiest section. Good luck studying! 🙂

 

[jamcat]

There have been some great ideas here on how to balance MCAT studying with other things, but I found that one thing that was key for me was making studying fun. I actually enjoyed the studying portion, because (mostly) everything that we had to learn helps explain the world around us. Perhaps changing the mentality from "ugh, one more test to study for" to "wow, I'm understanding a lot more about the natural world" can help.

 

[krukshanks]

1. Find a study buddy! Most people get depressed because they can't figure out a verbal problem or they can't memorize some information from a science chapter after a ton of reading. If you have a study buddy, you can discuss with him/her about the problem or chapter you are having trouble with, or you can retell the information of the chapter to deepen your memory. Sometimes just talking to a friend would also help too!

2. Exercise. If I get too tired, I just go jog/work out in cardio room. I listen to my favorite music when doing so too.

3. This I'm not sure about and might differ from person to person, but I found myself calmer if I read MCAT stuff before I sleep, and I memorize the material better this way. Give it a try.

 

[the_fella]

I just start playing around on Reddit or facebook, or help a friend with his German (via facebook). Or get something to eat, or watch some TV. I take a lot of breaks. :/

 

[Doremonster]

Just try to take breaks and do something that you enjoy. Also contrary to what many people say on the boards, I find that having a part time job helps. I study and exercise on my off days and don't on days I work. I feel like this refreshes my mind by interacting with other people and also a major confidence boost. You may feel that the studying "deadens and empties" the soul but to other people it's quite the contrary. Feeling miserable during the process is normal, but you should enjoy the journey.

 

[ag9124]

I find myself miserable only when i know i should be studying and I am not using my time wisely. Studying counteracts this feeling for me.

 

[razzmatazz87]

I did NOT dwell on this forum while studying because I think sometimes the people here are a bit too intense...the "is my XX score good enough?" got me down

Alternatively, I cuddled my four legged child, I worked out, I made sure to hang out with friends weekly to stay sane. Keep reminding yourself that while studying is hard now, it DOES end. I felt weird a month post exam because I felt like I needed to be studying something in all my free time.

Good luck

 

[newbeginnings]

Its refreshing to see that I am not the only one struggling. It's easy to compare your performance to others, but IT IS so important for us (especially) to stay focused and determined on succeeding for ourselves. Not others. Yes, we definitely should keep each other motivated. PM if you want to study through skype. And yes I feel like this test works better to my advantage and yours since the context is changed slightly plus one of my majors was psychology so I plan on this being my easiest section. Good luck studying! 🙂

Yes, I'm queen of comparing myself to others. It's horrible. So imagine when my sib did well and is just such a calm person in general. I'm a little scared of biochem since I didn't take it yet, but imo it's more about understanding how to take the test itself and comprehension than obsessing over tiny details in content review - something I did last time and got screwed over.

 

[newbeginnings]

I just start playing around on Reddit or facebook, or help a friend with his German (via facebook). Or get something to eat, or watch some TV. I take a lot of breaks. :/

curse reddit. I installed stayfocused to avoid reddit, but I find myself going on a different browser to counteract it 🤣... but the guilt I feel is making me avoid it a lot better now.

 

[Ulgarmoose]

Moved in with my SO recently, she keeps me motivated and vice versa. It's great to know after studying for several hours I still have plenty of time to spend with her to relax.

Also, I never study more than 6 days consecutively.

 

[TBRBiosadist]

Did SN2's with little to no break days due to work and the such. My secrets? Exercise, one allowed sexual break a week, gun-to-head psychology (convince myself if I don't study someone will kill me), eating right, and caffeine, over 48 oz of coffee per day for me

 

[petyr_baelish]

Did SN2's with little to no break days due to work and the such. My secrets? Exercise, one allowed sexual break a week, gun-to-head psychology (convince myself if I don't study someone will kill me), eating right, and caffeine, over 48 oz of coffee per day for me

I highly do not recommend this approach.

You sound like a premed I read about on another site who used to "run around the block as fast as he could, looking like a psycho" just to get "pumped" for his MCAT study session.

 

[markvin14]

I make sure to exercise at least 4 times a week and most importantly, I try to hang out with friends that aren't pre-meds or medical students or anything related to science. It really helps me forget about this horrible test for a couple hours hahah

 

[TBRBiosadist]

I highly do not recommend this approach.

You sound like a premed I read about on another site who used to "run around the block as fast as he could, looking like a psycho" just to get "pumped" for his MCAT study session.

eh i got a 35 but i felt I under performed on the real thing, but i think that was due to not sleeping the night before and drinking to much caffiene