In Person Tutoring Chicagoland

[T3CH______]

Hi I am just starting my MCAT journey, and my last standardized exams (ACT/SAT) I really learned well from an in person tutor. I was hoping to gauge people's feelings about in person tutors. I live in the Chicagoland area and prefer to work in person but am willing to work online. These large companies are really expensive and that would be a burden. I am hoping to hear any advice about studying for the MCAT as it just the beginning of my journey. I have not yet taken a full one just some practice problems so far. I was hoping to see how people are studying.

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[dimplesage]

When I studied for it, I started with the free Blueprint half-length diagnostic, which was a great starting point (and cuz it's shorter than a full FL, so it was somewhat manageable for a first go at it).

In terms of studying, this is a general look at what I did over 3 months:

1. Month 1 Content Review: I opted to purchase the Kaplan Review books for content review (which I recommend you buy used or buy an older version since they are expensive and don't change from year to year). I worked my way through the books, taking sparing notes.
   1. I took a FL at the end of this month to get a gauge of how I was doing (Free Blueprint FL)
2. Month 2 Practice Questions: I bought UWorld for practice questions since that seemed to be the most popular and quite comprehensive, but it is quite pricey I will say. I also struggled with CARS a lot, so I did Jack Westin passages daily whenever I could.
   1. I did 2 FLs this month.
3. Month 3 FLs and AAMC Study Materials: If you're going to buy anything, I would buy all of the materials possible from AAMC. Since they're closest to what the real test will be like, I found it useful to save these for last. I tried to work on my weaker sections and build stamina this month (while also trying not to burn out).
   1. I did about 1 FL a week this month.

Biggest pieces of general advice that I would give is that it is a lot of practice, but also a lot of learning from your mistakes. If you can figure out a way to review practice questions and identify weaker areas, that'll help you a lot in the long run.

There's a lot of advice out there on what study materials to use, when to use them, and how to review, so happy to chat more if you want to dm me. It's a marathon, not a sprint, so I wish you luck!

 

[pedneuro6894]

Milesdown Anki deck from Reddit and practice questions/tests are the way to go.

IMO, content knowledge is the most important aspect of the exam. I went from a 508 to a 520 and the only thing I really did differently was hammer content. People will tell you that learning how to dissect questions and read passages appropriately is more important, but if you know the content, there’s no dissecting to do.

Also, I had a wise person tell me: you can’t get good at the MCAT without practicing the MCAT. Practice questions and practice tests are your best friends (besides Anki). I took like 10 practice exams in 3 months. This not only helps with content (when reviewing your tests), but it also helps with the reading part, particularly with CARS because there is no content.

Lastly, no matter what happens, don’t void your score!!!!! The average of voided scores is higher than the average of scored tests (anxiety is a liar huh!?). Everybody walks out feeling like crap, so expect that and endure the pain of waiting the month to find out your score.