incompatible study habits?

[pocketsized]

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Hi everyone! I just discovered SDN and holy cow there is a ton of info on here that I am finding useful. Like many, I will be writing the MCAT later this summer and while I am excited to finally get to it - I am a bit worried about how my study habits might not be the best for preparing for it.

What works for me with all my classes is writing out a set of detailed, condensed notes for each topic. Throughout the term when I review I only go back to my own notes, never to the actual text or papers or lecture slides. But, now I am looking at the MCAT material and I am not sure if this approach is going to work. There is a lot of material and I am almost sure there will not be enough time to do my usual notes-review strategy, or if it would even be effective.

So my question then is: is there anyone who studies the same way as I do, and if so how did you approach the MCAT? Did you stick with your strategy or did you change it up?

 

[ksmi117]

Hi everyone! I just discovered SDN and holy cow there is a ton of info on here that I am finding useful. Like many, I will be writing the MCAT later this summer and while I am excited to finally get to it - I am a bit worried about how my study habits might not be the best for preparing for it.

What works for me with all my classes is writing out a set of detailed, condensed notes for each topic. Throughout the term when I review I only go back to my own notes, never to the actual text or papers or lecture slides. But, now I am looking at the MCAT material and I am not sure if this approach is going to work. There is a lot of material and I am almost sure there will not be enough time to do my usual notes-review strategy, or if it would even be effective.

So my question then is: is there anyone who studies the same way as I do, and if so how did you approach the MCAT? Did you stick with your strategy or did you change it up?

Exactly my study technique!! 😀 I read through the PR books twice. Second time, I made my own notes, then just used those. No problems with it here. But it does take time. When are you writing it?

 

[pocketsized]

Exactly my study technique!! 😀 I read through the PR books twice. Second time, I made my own notes, then just used those. No problems with it here. But it does take time. When are you writing it?

You have no idea how comforting it is to hear that I'm not the only one who does this!! I won't be writing till mid August (I won't begin studying till the end of April - stupid end of term deadlines) - but it doesn't feel like I have that much time. How long did it take you to get your notes together? Did you find yourself having to go back to them frequently while doing practice tests?

 

[ksmi117]

You have no idea how comforting it is to hear that I'm not the only one who does this!! I won't be writing till mid August (I won't begin studying till the end of April - stupid end of term deadlines) - but it doesn't feel like I have that much time. How long did it take you to get your notes together? Did you find yourself having to go back to them frequently while doing practice tests?

I started the note-writing in mid-December... tested on January 30th. You've got PLENTY of time. And no, writing them out usually is enough for me to remember concepts. I mean I forget some stuff, but rereading those notes was enough to evenutally retain it all. And you shouldn't be using your notes during the tests. That's not the point of practicing. Go back later and use the notes after you've gotten them wrong. You can't practice your educated guessing if you always go to your notes while testing.

 

[pocketsized]

I started the note-writing in mid-December... tested on January 30th. You've got PLENTY of time. And no, writing them out usually is enough for me to remember concepts. I mean I forget some stuff, but rereading those notes was enough to evenutally retain it all. And you shouldn't be using your notes during the tests. That's not the point of practicing. Go back later and use the notes after you've gotten them wrong. You can't practice your educated guessing if you always go to your notes while testing.

Whoa you do notes fast! I won't be doing them for the VR or writing section, but still, the PS and BS sections look heavy. My goal is to finish my own set of notes in no more than 1.5 or 2 months (so May, June) which will leave me July to practice.

Ahh I worded my question badly - didn't mean using notes while doing the practice tests themselves, but in between the tests. How long did it usually take you to go over the questions/concepts you missed in a test?

Does anyone else here take notes? My mother (she remembers things by reading them repeatedly) swears this study strategy is "a waste of paper" 😀

 

[CielloStelatto]

I have yet to take the MCAT, so I can't testify if the strategy works, but I'm a note-taker too. My class notes don't count for this. I typically wait at least 2 weeks after I first learn the material. For my MCAT studying, I am reading through the EK review books first, then going back a second time to take notes. I tend to write out my notes in a Word file, so it takes less paper. However, for any drawings, figures, graphs, etc...I keep a stack of printer paper nearby. It's worked for me so far! If you're the type of person that remembers through muscle memory of actively writing with a pen/pencil and paper, then I wouldn't recommend switching now. Good luck!

 

[ksmi117]

Whoa you do notes fast! I won't be doing them for the VR or writing section, but still, the PS and BS sections look heavy. My goal is to finish my own set of notes in no more than 1.5 or 2 months (so May, June) which will leave me July to practice.

Ahh I worded my question badly - didn't mean using notes while doing the practice tests themselves, but in between the tests. How long did it usually take you to go over the questions/concepts you missed in a test?

Does anyone else here take notes? My mother (she remembers things by reading them repeatedly) swears this study strategy is "a waste of paper" 😀

Um... I actually don't really know. I didn't spend nearly as much time as I should have reviewing the tests though. I only looked at the ones I got wrong. I'd read the description and if I understood it, cool. If not, I moved on. That was the one huge flaw in my studying.

As far as the paper thing, I usually write it out, then type it up. Lots of copying haha but it works.

 

[0Complications]

Um... I actually don't really know. I didn't spend nearly as much time as I should have reviewing the tests though. I only looked at the ones I got wrong. I'd read the description and if I understood it, cool. If not, I moved on. That was the one huge flaw in my studying.

As far as the paper thing, I usually write it out, then type it up. Lots of copying haha but it works.

I think you're going to owe someone a firstborn.

 

[ksmi117]

I think you're going to owe someone a firstborn.

Well I would go back to them sometimes. I just really got bored when reviewing the tests. I figured doing more content review would make up for it.