MCAT study blues

[majiendi77]

Advertisement - Members don't see this ad

I am a 36 year old emergency room RN who is studying for the MCAT. I got my biology degree in 2000 and I retook Gen Chem 1&2 and O chem 1&2 this past year and got A's in those. I feel fairly confident and those areas but physics.....no way. I feel very overwhelmed with studying for this test because there is so much information, so many materials.... I just wondered if anyone had any tips on how to study? Like section by section? Should I learn all the sections THEN start taking practice tests? Should I take parts of a practice test according the areas I am studying on at the time? ANY help at all would be wonderful. Currently I am using Kaplan and ExamKracker books. I have done the 1001 questions out of the chem and o chem one. I just feel disorganized I guess when I study so I would just like to know if anyone else out there felt this way and what you did for it!

Thanks!
Erin

 

[Zelda840]

It sounds obvious, but make sure you are working the most on your weakest area. It can be satisfying to do what you're already good at, but ultimately this is a numbers game and a 15 on one section won't do you any good if you get a 5 in another.

 

[majiendi77]

right.....I am about to start studying the physics bc that is my most difficult area. /sigh.

 

[Zelda840]

I definitely feel you. That was my weakest area as well. Lots of people say it's the easiest area to improve on, but I guess it just depends on how your brain works. I found verbal to be relatively simple and physics to be absolutely terrible.

 

[DrCharlemagne]

EK has a schedule on their website, and there's a very intense study calendar here at SDN. I loosely followed the EK schedule since it fit better with my full-time lab job. Jumping around in topics is fine as long as you find ways to review what you've covered along the way.

Just make sure to take real practice tests on the regular. That's the one thing I skipped that I think really hurt me, since I never really got to the point where I practiced pacing on the exam.

 

[Zelda840]

by the way....cute doggie in your av! 🙂

 

[Violagirl]

I am going to suggest Freelanceteach's physics' videos to you. They are lengthy but he goes at a slow enough pace which makes it easier to follow along. The videos are all on youtube but his website has them posted in order so it makes it easier to figure out in what order to actually watch them. He also provides equation sheets and sample problems in documents on his site too, I highly recommend him!


http://www.freelance-teacher.com/videos.htm#PHYSICS

Good luck!

 

[majiendi77]

by the way....cute doggie in your av! 🙂

Ha! thanks. That is one of my three. He like paper towel rolls.

 

[majiendi77]

I am going to suggest Freelanceteach's physics' videos to you. They are lengthy but he goes at a slow enough pace which makes it easier to follow along. The videos are all on youtube but his website has them posted in order so it makes it easier to figure out in what order to actually watch them. He also provides equation sheets and sample problems in documents on his site too, I highly recommend him!


http://www.freelance-teacher.com/videos.htm#PHYSICS

Good luck!

Ok that sounds great. I like seeing some instruction as well

 

[Gfliptastic]

Hi,

We are the same age and graduated college the same time lol

However, I offer you my advice since I am further along in the process than you are. Also, I am a former Kaplan MCAT teacher. I also did my own MCAT tutoring while I waited to matriculate. (And all of my students are now in med school which makes me happy).

Even before I got to med school and realized they advocated the same method, I am all about "see 1, do 1, teach 1". What it means is you can watch someone do a question on a topic (like a physics problem), you do a related question, then you teach someone how to do what you did. Nothing illustrates mastery better than being able to teach someone else.

I am going to guess the vids that were posted are good. So watch one. Find a question similar to the topic. And if you don't have a study partner, you still have one - your dog. Granted its more helpful to have someone to ask you follow questions, still, if you can walk thru a problem, you understand it.

EK are pretty good books. I worked w/ them in the past (after I quit Kaplan). Just be ready to gauge your progress. Make sure you take practice exams like the AAMC. And take them seriously. Not only is the MCAT a knowledge test, it's rigor challenges your stamina too. I always stress the importance of test taking stamina. It makes NO DIFFERENCE how much you know, if by the end of the section you either run out of time, or are just too tired.

Save 4 practice full-lengths for the 4 weeks before your actual MCAT. And do 1 each week until your real one. Logic is that you will be so used to full-length MCAT's that the real one will be less anxious for you since it's almost habitual to you.

Good luck!!!

 

[majiendi77]

Hi,

We are the same age and graduated college the same time lol

However, I offer you my advice since I am further along in the process than you are. Also, I am a former Kaplan MCAT teacher. I also did my own MCAT tutoring while I waited to matriculate. (And all of my students are now in med school which makes me happy).

Even before I got to med school and realized they advocated the same method, I am all about "see 1, do 1, teach 1". What it means is you can watch someone do a question on a topic (like a physics problem), you do a related question, then you teach someone how to do what you did. Nothing illustrates mastery better than being able to teach someone else.

I am going to guess the vids that were posted are good. So watch one. Find a question similar to the topic. And if you don't have a study partner, you still have one - your dog. Granted its more helpful to have someone to ask you follow questions, still, if you can walk thru a problem, you understand it.

EK are pretty good books. I worked w/ them in the past (after I quit Kaplan). Just be ready to gauge your progress. Make sure you take practice exams like the AAMC. And take them seriously. Not only is the MCAT a knowledge test, it's rigor challenges your stamina too. I always stress the importance of test taking stamina. It makes NO DIFFERENCE how much you know, if by the end of the section you either run out of time, or are just too tired.

Save 4 practice full-lengths for the 4 weeks before your actual MCAT. And do 1 each week until your real one. Logic is that you will be so used to full-length MCAT's that the real one will be less anxious for you since it's almost habitual to you.

Good luck!!!

 

[majiendi77]

Ok so take a test a week 4 weeks before the MCAT. I take it in May. I still have a lot of time. I just want to use all that time I have in a good and productive way. So in between is it good to do practice passages on those topics?

 

[majiendi77]

Hey I'm just a few months ahead of you.. In the final stages of preparing for the January MCAT. I used examkrackers and feel it did a good job brushing me up on the subjects. I am, however, only 2 years removed from undergrad with a degree in biochem. So take it for what its worth. I will say that I've been using the Khan Academy videos on youtube to help with my weaker or areas. Great source for really getting the annoyances of general biology to stick in your head. I also highly recommend the gold standard full length MCATs. Like you, I work every day. So I get up early and take one of the 3 sections every morning before I head to work and it has helped a lot. Best of luck with your studying-!

MC

Yeah am like 13 years post biology degree. Which is why I retook all my chemistry classes again this past year. And got better grades than before lol! Verbal I need more practice on and also physics the most.....

 

[Gfliptastic]

Ok so take a test a week 4 weeks before the MCAT. I take it in May. I still have a lot of time. I just want to use all that time I have in a good and productive way. So in between is it good to do practice passages on those topics?

Save 4 AAMC's. Do the rest over time. You have plenty of time. Although, since you work, it is just right. And DO work thru passages. Slowly. So you understand better how they are written. And can anticipate questions.

It will help you w/ verbal. Because verbal is never ever about the details of the passage, moreso than how the information is assembled, how those details support an idea. It's a skill to develop. Reading for structure and not for detail. However, it's what you will do for the rest of your life as a physician. When you read journal articles, you aren't bogged down by scientist's writings. You want the gist. You want to know how well it is written. And how it applies to you and your practice of medicine.

Good luck!

 

[majiendi77]

I am going to suggest Freelanceteach's physics' videos to you. They are lengthy but he goes at a slow enough pace which makes it easier to follow along. The videos are all on youtube but his website has them posted in order so it makes it easier to figure out in what order to actually watch them. He also provides equation sheets and sample problems in documents on his site too, I highly recommend him!


http://www.freelance-teacher.com/videos.htm#PHYSICS

Good luck!

I used this guy for my organic class! These physics ones are so far very helpful! Thanks. I did not realize he had physics ones as well

 

[majiendi77]

You know also its the math part of physics that scares me. Because I know calculators are not used on MCAT. SO! it's like I have to figure out a quick method to solve something with the use of one. And it makes me want to cry 🙁

 

[shahcoco]

You know also its the math part of physics that scares me. Because I know calculators are not used on MCAT. SO! it's like I have to figure out a quick method to solve something with the use of one. And it makes me want to cry 🙁

It's daunting. I am not strong at physics either. But this only stresses learning the concepts behind physics even better, because you can't usually get away with plug and chug like you can with gen chem.

Try your best to understand why things are happening and apply them to the world around you. For example, try to think about the aspects of projectile motion and Bernoulli's principle if and when you play fetch with your dog.

 

[majiendi77]

I am so glad other people feel the same way. My boyfriend has no idea so I have no one to talk to about it or ask questions too. All the doctors I work with don't remember ANY of this stuff lol!