May 31st MCAT takers...

[Blondnuttyboy]

Hey May 31st folks...

I just wanted to know how far along you guys or if you've even started studying. Granted this will be my 3rd time but I was just curious..I have jack **** for motivation and it's about 2.5 months away and I can't myself to start.

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[dr.kicia]

i am also taking 31st of May exam. I am using EK. I am on the lecture 4 in bio, lecture 3 in chem and physics and lecture 2 in orgo.
I am not studying a lot now due to the lack of time. I will hit the books full time at the beggining of may. I am hoping it will be enough for practice especially that i am really fresh with the material since i am taking orgo, phys2 and chem2 this semester. But it all depends on a person. I am for instance doing the best when i am under the preasure and i move very quickly thru the lectures in EK once i have time. I think in general i would be able to do one lecture in everything per day if i had 10 hrs/day to commit to MCAT. And i feel like i only need to do a lot of FLs and practice rather then just simple memorization of the material.
I will see where i will stand in terms of FL at the beggining of may and it there is a need i will reschedule for the june MCAT. I want to make sure that i will take this sucker only ONCE.

 

[moto_za]

hi premed friends... i am planning on the 30th too.. been trying to study on and off.... do you guys/gals think we might be at a disadvantage by taking it in may rather than april, as far as applying EARLY? THANKS

 

[TalulaTalula]

hey, i'm retaking in May 31st. i had initially registered for the April 12th test. But I became frustrated with the slow improvement in VR and decided that it was worth the 50 bucks to reschedule and not feel unprepared for the section that destroyed me in the previous MCAT.

So far, I've finished most of EK Bio, with the exception of the last chapter on Population. I was able to get my hands on some excellent video lectures that covered most of the EK material, so I just read the EK Bio for preview. I'm using TPR for Chemistry (1 chapter left---Electronchem, eeek!) and Physics (2 chapters left), though the latter is supplemented with some Nova practice. As for Orgo, I don't like the EK study material, I find my model kit and old text more useful. Granted that my worries aren't with the sciences, it's with VR. I make myself do at least several passages a day and modify the EK method to study it.

As for motivation, it's hard. some days i get frustrated to where I don't even want to see another passage, be it VR, PS, or BS. I think what keeps me going is that i reward myself with breaks. For a month and a half, i studied everyday, averaging about 7 hrs/day. Then I became burned out and had to step back, and realizing that I need some respite from the insane study schedule. Take a week or two off if you need it because if you truly understand the concepts, they will be right at your finger tips when you come back

 

[HristosKaran]

Well I was originally going to take it April 16th, but I quickly realized that that would be too soon, so I rescheduled for May 11th. I studied all spring break and I have been making progress, but I decided to reschedule even later to May 31st. I hope this pays off ($100 extra bucks!). The main reason I switched is also due to verbal like someone else mentioned earlier. I don't feel like I will have everything down pack by the time May 11th rolls around. I studied verbal for two weeks straight, after my diagnostic and my verbal scored jumped from a 5 to an 8, but I left it alone for another two weeks and it fell back down to a 6!! And since then my scored has jumped back to an 8. I firmly believe that to do well in verbal, you have to practice a couple passages every couple days. Good luck studying guys! Like pretty much everyone here, I plan to study hardcore in May after the semester is over.

PS Does anyone else have a feeling that the May 31st exam is going to be more difficult then the others, for some odd reason I am getting that vibe.

 

[MarathonMan]

I'm May 31st too, but I don't think it will be any harder than the others, stop freaking yourself and possibly others out. that's bad JuJu! Besides, even if it is harder, that means most everyone will do worse, which means the curve will give you more credit. Relax, it's not the difficulty of the questions you have to worry about, it's your competition! Anyways, this is my 2nd time taking the test and I haven't been in school in 5 years. I took orgo freshman year almost 9 years ago! So I'm just plodding along like y'all, but motivation has been waxing and waning, so I totally understand. Keep going everyone, we still have a lot of time!

 

[jmart]

I have finals this week and after that I'm going to hard core study. I went through the Kaplan course once adn wasn't ready so this time I'm giving it my all.

 

[Blondnuttyboy]

I haven't taken any CBT diagnostics...are you guys doing those? Where can I get some from now until May? Also, how many are yall going to take? I don't even want to waste my time taking full length papers tests..

I feel like everyone is using EK..I'm old school with TPR I guess : )

 

[HristosKaran]

I'm May 31st too, but I don't think it will be any harder than the others, stop freaking yourself and possibly others out. that's bad JuJu! Besides, even if it is harder, that means most everyone will do worse, which means the curve will give you more credit. Relax, it's not the difficulty of the questions you have to worry about, it's your competition! Anyways, this is my 2nd time taking the test and I haven't been in school in 5 years. I took orgo freshman year almost 9 years ago! So I'm just plodding along like y'all, but motivation has been waxing and waning, so I totally understand. Keep going everyone, we still have a lot of time!

True My B lol....so far I've only been working on paper practice tests except for kaplan's subject tests. I've done the diagnostic, 3R, as well as a another practice kaplan diagnostic (went with a friend). I think i'll start doing the computer based tests in a week or two since I still think its a little early to use those up, but its never a bad idea to start!

 

[thzone1986]

well if u take it may 31st you get your MCAT scores back June 31st..so you'd be sending your app in 1 month later than the earliest applicants are. How much that actually hurts your chances....that's debatable

 

[Vanguard23]

I'm taking mine May 31st. Doing Kaplan's stuff, material on here and EK's Verbal book.
The last FL I took(FL 4) I made a 26 on, but that was under non-ideal conditions(ie, someone walking in, chatting their cell phone off while I was taking it). I think could have managed a 28 if I had better conditions.

 

[Phoenix.]

thzone: Can't you just submit your app on June 1st even though your score isn't back? Then they can start verifying your transcripts so that you're good to go once your score is in? Also, I spoke to a couple of people who took the August MCAT last year and who said that they received lots of secondaries from schools even before their MCAT score was released. So it doesn't seem like it'd really impact your application much. As it is, they don't review anyone until their app is complete, which includes secondary essays and letters. So would taking the May 31st really put you that far behind someone who had their score before June?

Everything I wrote above is based on the assumption that most of us know that we will be applying to some schools regardless of our MCAT score (i.e., in-state schools), so that those apps won't be that delayed. As for other schools you'll wish to add after you get your score back, there could be a bit of a delay, but doens't seem like you'll be that far behind if you turn your secondaries in ASAP.

I rescheduled from 4/16 to 5/16 but and thinking of going for the end of May too. We'll see. Just depends on what opens up near me. Right now I had to reschedule pretty far away.

 

[Blondnuttyboy]

I'm going to try to finish all of TPR's science workbook by March 31st..that'll give me two months to practice sections in science with all the necessary background info.

I dont think I'm going to even touch verbal until March 31st either but I'll go ape**** all of April.

I want to be ready to go (FL - 30-33ish) by April 31st and then give myself an entire month to review, drill, etc....any good last month strategies??