kaplan is making me lose it

[rose786]

---

Members do not see this ad.

And by "it", I mean my mind.

What's the deal with these tests? Are they harder or easier than the real thing? I took all of the subject tests and did:
good on bio (around 18-19)
average on GC and Orgo (16-17 )
reeeally bad on QR 🙁

Now I just did the science workshops and 😱 The chem requires so much math and I had to go maybe 10 min over the limit to finish. I have all my books down cold, but with some of these questions (especially chem) , I don't even know where to start. It required so much calculation and I suck at math.

I want to start Topscore and Achiever soon, but maybe I should push that back and really study these tests first? I have 3 weeks left and I just had my first freak-out.

 

[TheWiredNerv]

Keep studying. I'd say Kaplan is mostly easier than the DAT except for QR. QR is ungodly hard.

 

[Ron Jeremy]

Rose, are you getting help from a math tutor?

 

[rose786]

No. I just look it up on websites or in library books. I haven't really studied much for QR. 🙁

 

[jigabodo]

BB is hella easy, but I thought the subject tests weren't. Just keep going at it!

 

[musl85]

yea the subject tests were a pain, but i think you will be good to go once you do them a few times. worked for me 🙂

The subject tests are tougher than DAT especially for orgo, chem, and QR.

 

[Blackjack21]

i took kaplan and got 1-2 pts higher on the sciences on the real test...3-4 pts lower on pat....and 1 pt lower on QR and RC.....i could have easily done better if i didnt get so nervous when taking the real thing. I never had an issue with time on the practice tests but kept second guessing myself on the real thing and ran outta time on almost every section. keep at it, study hard (dont let those practice scores get u down), dont get nervous and youll be fine....good luck!

 

[Ron Jeremy]

Rose,
As you already realize, an improvement on your QR section will also directly lead to an increase in your GC section. As a result of improving your QR score, you have the opportunity to raise both your AA and Sci average.

I highly encourage you to hire a math tutor to go over the QR and GC problems your facing. Trying to figure out math problems on your own can be extremely inefficient compared to working with a good tutor.

I have tutored numerous people in math (DAT students and in regular math classes), and have seen dramatic improvements with approximately 10 hours of tutoring.

At minimum, you may be able to find tutoring help at your university for free. Otherwise, you may even be able to hire a math tutor locally.

Maybe you could work with a tutor for a two hour session, and see if it helps. The worst thing that could happen is that you may loose $50 bucks.

 

[rose786]

Well, I'm kind of crunched for time. You really think 10 hrs is enough?

 

[Ron Jeremy]

10 hours of actual math tutoring time could be enough to make a dramatic improvement on your QR score. But that assumes that you spend an additional 10-20 hours practicing math on your own time based on the lessons you learned during the tutoring sessions.

For example, let's say you were scoring 15 on your QR practice tests. That means that you are missing about 55-60% of questions. Therefore, a competent math tutor can help you figure out your largest stumbling blocks. Within the first 2-3 hours, the tutor will be able to figure out common problems and mistakes that you consistently make.

IMO, if you are crunched for time, by far the biggest risk you can take is trying to improve your math skills on your own. With a weak math foundation, taking more QR practice tests could lead to more disappointments.

 

[rose786]

Blech. One more thing for me to do... I'll look into it.