Improving test-taking confidence & upper division vs. lower division.

[datsa]

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I got a B in Ochem I and a B in Physics I; both retakes from 25 years ago. I missed the A in Ochem by 15 points out of 600. Very disappointing since I studied harder than I've ever studied before. I did get an A in Bio. But now my science GPA is 3.2. I want to get it to 3.5.

I plan on spending the winter break restudying what concepts I did not understand in both courses, in preparation for Ochem II and Physics II.

Interestingly both the Ochem and the Physics professor stated, after reviewing my tests, that my basic problem is not that I don't know the material; rather, that I lacked confidence on the test. Immediately after a test, I usually am able to point out my mistakes and correct them; it is only _during_ the test that I can't come up with answers or work problems correctly. Indeed, in going over the test with my professor, I was able to correct my own test in office hours without reviewing the material.

In fact, I am a lowsy test-taker. Which doesn't bode well for the MCAT. Taking practice tests help, but it doesn't make up for test anxiety.

Does anyone know a way to deal with these issues effectively?

Also, would taking upper division sciences, such as Advanced Organic Chemistry and another Physics course beyond the basics compensate for my lower divison flubs, or do med schools just limit themselves to the basic core courses (Chem I & II, Calc I & II, Bio I & II, OChem I & II, Physics I & II).

How do people (especially non-trads) who have not done well in the basics compensate for their academic mistakes in these classes?

 

[Captain Fantastic]

Is it just anxiety or do you think you have other problems like not reading the question completely before starting to work on the answer?

Atonement comes through more coursework and great grades. Take upper level courses and make As. Things like Biochemistry and Physiology are taught in medical school. Do well in those courses now and eliminate doubt about your hacking it in medical school. Of course the stakes get higher. A poor showing in these same courses has the opposite effect.

 

[datsa]

Is it just anxiety or do you think you have other problems like not reading the question completely before starting to work on the answer?

More like anxiety to me, perhaps with a bit of dyslexia-like learning disorder. For example, more than once, the following scenario has happened to me during a test:

Question: Order the following organic molecules in order of increasing basicity.

My answer: I would order them in order of _decreasing_ basicity. What is frustrating is that my doing so is completely automatic; I read the question, understand that it says "increasing basicity" and then go ahead and put them in the opposite order.

On biology tests, I routinely switch items around without realizing it until after I get the test back. These things happen even when I go over the test during the exam. It is only when I am out of a testing environment that I notice my mistakes.

Atonement comes through more coursework and great grades. Take upper level courses and make As. Things like Biochemistry and Physiology are taught in medical school. Do well in those courses now and eliminate doubt about your hacking it in medical school. Of course the stakes get higher. A poor showing in these same courses has the opposite effect.

Yes, I have been told to try this route, and it looks like I'll have plenty of time to do so, given the years it will take me to recover from these additional B's, on top of all the other B's I have already gotten.

 

[Sol Rosenberg]

Are you getting enough sleep before your tests? Try to avoid caffeine on the test day. I found that my rate of making careless errors dropped drammatically when I made sure that I got 8+ hours of sleep the night before test day, and I avoided caffeine those days. Also do lots of practice problems so that you are not surprised by anything on the test. Take your time on the test and read the questions carefully. If you really do know the material and you are adequately rested you will probably see an improvement.

 

[Faze2]

Is it just anxiety or do you think you have other problems like not reading the question completely before starting to work on the answer?

Atonement comes through more coursework and great grades. Take upper level courses and make As. Things like Biochemistry and Physiology are taught in medical school. Do well in those courses now and eliminate doubt about your hacking it in medical school. Of course the stakes get higher. A poor showing in these same courses has the opposite effect.

Speaking of Bio Chem and Physiology, when i first began taking classes again I took Chem and Physiology. I don't think I was ready for Physio because I had not taken Bio but the pre med advisor was the Physio prof and she kind of pushed me into it and said I would be fine. I also missed the first two classes cause I signed up late. I wound up doing HORRIBLY on the first test cause I missed 2 hour and half lectures and had never had BIO. But I stuck with it and constantly improved. Got a C on the second test😕 , a B on the 3rd test😳 and an A on the final🙂 , but becuase of the first and second test scores, I wound up getting a C+ in the class. I know I could have done better if I would have been there for the first 2 lectures, and if I would have taken BIO first. Should I take Physio over after I take BIO, or should I concentrate on doing well in BIOCHEM and other upper level courses?

 

[Captain Fantastic]

Speaking of Bio Chem and Physiology, when i first began taking classes again I took Chem and Physiology. I don't think I was ready for Physio because I had not taken Bio but the pre med advisor was the Physio prof and she kind of pushed me into it and said I would be fine. I also missed the first two classes cause I signed up late. I wound up doing HORRIBLY on the first test cause I missed 2 hour and half lectures and had never had BIO. But I stuck with it and constantly improved. Got a C on the second test😕 , a B on the 3rd test😳 and an A on the final🙂 , but becuase of the first and second test scores, I wound up getting a C+ in the class. I know I could have done better if I would have been there for the first 2 lectures, and if I would have taken BIO first. Should I take Physio over after I take BIO, or should I concentrate on doing well in BIOCHEM and other upper level courses?

If it were me I'd chalk it up to experience and move on. There's a risk in retaking it, too. Since it would be your second time at the material you'd pretty much have to get an A. The problem is, you'll be very bored in the class since you've done it before, which is not a recipe for success. You passed the course, I'd let it sit and work on doing well in the rest of your classes.

Focus on the pre-reqs if you haven't finished them. Take your intro bio course, genetics, and maybe a cellular biology course. Finish your chem and organic chem sequence. Once you get those under your belt you'll be ready for biochemistry. Remember, it's a marathon not a sprint. Slow and steady wins the race.

 

[datsa]

Are you getting enough sleep before your tests? Try to avoid caffeine on the test day. I found that my rate of making careless errors dropped drammatically when I made sure that I got 8+ hours of sleep the night before test day, and I avoided caffeine those days. Also do lots of practice problems so that you are not surprised by anything on the test. Take your time on the test and read the questions carefully. If you really do know the material and you are adequately rested you will probably see an improvement.

Thanks for your advice; however, I feel like the damage has already been done. It will take years worth of A's to offset the B's that I've gotten. I had planned on applying to a summer internship but with my recent string of B's (these are my 3rd and 4th B in post-bacc, not to mention all those other B's), I think my chances are slim. Yuck. I keep kicking myself for not doing better on the finals in these classes; then I'd have a nice GPA to show for these programs. Not anymore.

 

[Faze2]

Much appreciated Ed2Brute.

 

[Non-TradTulsa]

Thanks for your advice; however, I feel like the damage has already been done. It will take years worth of A's to offset the B's that I've gotten.

If you do agree with your professors that you have test-taking anxiety and a lack of confidence - and you haven't been able to resolve it - I'd find a therapist who has dealt with these issues. For some people, test-taking is a real disorder, and it's treatable. You're wise to recognize that you need to find some solutions before taking the MCAT - that's never a fun day for anyone. 🙁

If you need to "pad" your GPA, I'd take as many upper-division life science classes that you can - biochem, cell bio, micro, and genetics aren't required for medical school but they sure don't hurt, in my opinion. I would not recommend taking Advanced Organic or Physical Chem or any other higher-level courses (beyond what's required for medical school) in chemistry or physics - if you do that, all the pre-health folks will be gone and only the chem/physics majors will be left. You could end-up getting hung out to dry.

 

[abyssinianson]

I have a bit of test taking anxiety as well, especially when it comes to standardized tests. To cope with this, I found that constant exposure worked well for me. Being familair with the MCAT format through different practice tests from EK, Kaplan, TPR, and the AAMC really made me feel comfortable with the frame of mind required to focus on properly attacking the MCAT. Leave a lot of time for your review to really sink in and develop your mastery of the review material as well as the test taking strategies required to do well on the test. SDN has a lot of very helpful tips that I found very valuable.

 

[Terpskins99]

I have a bit of test taking anxiety as well, especially when it comes to standardized tests. To cope with this, I found that constant exposure worked well for me. Being familair with the MCAT format through different practice tests from EK, Kaplan, TPR, and the AAMC really made me feel comfortable with the frame of mind required to focus on properly attacking the MCAT. Leave a lot of time for your review to really sink in and develop your mastery of the review material as well as the test taking strategies required to do well on the test. SDN has a lot of very helpful tips that I found very valuable.

I second this completely. Familiarity breeds confidence. Keep taking those practice exams under test taking situations (always time yourself). Take them in the morning when you least want to. Drill drill drill! Make a game out of it if you have to (albeit a sick twisted emotionally-masochistic game, but whatever). 😉

I also think it helps to try to put things into perspective. Its just another exam. If you don't get the best result, so what? You CAN take it over again. Its not the end of the world, your plans just get delayed a little longer than expected.