NEED ADVICE .. What to do during the last month before MCAT?

[FAJ210]

Hi fellow pre-meds,

So I have been following my self constructed study plan for my MCAT test of April 1,2016. I have been rigorously studying since August 2015. I have done a extensive content review and have taken couple of AAMC practice exam. Now I am down to the last month of my prep and was wondering does ANYBODY have any tips or strategies of how to approach this last month. ANY ADVICE WOULD BE APPRECIATED. Thank you.

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[CowboyNiceguy]

Take as many practice tests as possible.

 

[TallPreMed]

Take ALL of the exams!

 

[danib2k15]

Take all of the practice tests you can. pace appropriately. DO NOT BURN OUT. Take it VERY easy on the last week especially. Get lot's of sleep! Focus your studies to what needs work (based on what you get wrong on the practice exams). Make sure to make time to relax and do fun things. Have I mentioned rest? Good luck!

 

[eteshoe]

What have your scores been on the AAMC practice exams? Upward trend?

 

[Pagan FutureDoc]

You've been studying for 7 months. Relax, you've got it as well as you are going to get it. Take practice tests and do some reviews to stay sharp but ease off the gas, you will burn yourself out before the test then you won't be sharp and focused on test day.

It is possible to over study

 

[EverStriving]

1. Start by identifying any weaknesses you may have left, by looking over questions you got wrong or got right for the wrong reason. Then, specifically address those weaknesses.

2. Make sure to start adjusting your sleep schedule to the MCAT start time (if it isn't aligned already) at least a week before the test.

3. Go through dry runs of exactly what you will eat and drink throughout test day. You don't want to be blind sided by indigestion or caffeine-induced polyuria.

4. Don't study the last day or two to rest up your mind. Try to chill out.

5. The night before, visualize the test. Imagine yourself running into passages that look like Greek at first glance (you will). Visualize yourself being confident, keeping calm, and just working through it.

6. Destroy the MCAT on test day. Go to the restroom every break - don't wait for the need to make itself known. Eat if you're hungry; don't eat if you're not. Drink if you're thirsty; don't drink if you're not.

7. Celebrate.

Edit: I can count, I swear!

 

[Lawpy]

1. Start by identifying any weaknesses you may have left, by looking over questions you got wrong or got right for the wrong reason. Then, specifically address those weaknesses.

2. Make sure to start adjusting your sleep schedule to the MCAT start time (if it isn't aligned already) at least a week before the test.

3. Go through dry runs of exactly what you will eat and drink throughout test day. You don't want to be blind sided by indigestion or caffeine-induced polyuria.

4. Don't study the last day or two to rest up your mind. Try to chill out.

5. The night before, visualize the test. Imagine yourself running into passages that look like Greek at first glance (you will). Visualize yourself being confident, keeping calm, and just working through it.

6. Destroy the MCAT on test day. Go to the restroom every break - don't wait for the need to make itself known. Eat if you're hungry; don't eat if you're not. Drink if you're thirsty; don't drink if you're not.

8. Celebrate.

You forgot #7 (probably intentional ); nonetheless, probably one of the best advice I have seen on the forums. Well said.

 

[EverStriving]

Fixed! thanks. I was going to go

7. ???
8. profit

But decided against it and then forgot to fix the numbering hah

 

[piii]

As many practice passages as possible. Healthily spaced practice exams. Review all answered. Memorize high yield. Work on timing.

 

[BeachBaby]

focus on your weakest subject area and build endurance with practice tests

 

[ChrisMack390]

For 3 weeks - practice practice practice practice. Timed full lengths are great, but also individual sections and qbanks.

For the last week - practice test, 2 days of lighter review, practice test, 2 days of lighter review. Relaxing day. TEST.

 

[FAJ210]

Thank you again for all this great advice. GOOD LUCK TO ALL MY FELLOW FUTURE MCAT TAKERS.

 

[FAJ210]

What have your scores been on the AAMC practice exams? Upward trend?

My first practice exam which was 6 months ago i scored 498 and then in December I scored a 505 but the one I took last week I scored a 514 which I dont think is going to translate to the actual exam because for what i have heard the real MCAT is just a whole another beast. One thing I can say my timing has gotten better but I sometimes tend to over think on graphical and statistical science base passages. I definitely feel confident with all the comprehensive science content that I have been studying like a mad man compare to when I first started my prep all the practice question seemed like a foreign language.

 

[FAJ210]

Should I take a full practice test everyday ??
And I am a little worried about PSYCH because I have heard from people that there were concepts on the real exam they have never seen in their life? All i went over was the PSYCH & SOCIO book from TPR. Should I seek any other source to cover more content like KHAN ACADEMY VIDEOS? or ANY OTHER BOOKS?

 

[CowboyNiceguy]

I did a practice test every day for two weeks before my real exam. And I scored a little higher on the real exam than on my typical practice test. Could be variance in the topics on my exam, could be the pressure of the test environment.

 

[eteshoe]

Should I take a full practice test everyday ??
And I am a little worried about PSYCH because I have heard from people that there were concepts on the real exam they have never seen in their life? All i went over was the PSYCH & SOCIO book from TPR. Should I seek any other source to cover more content like KHAN ACADEMY VIDEOS? or ANY OTHER BOOKS?

I would do every other day. That way you can review your weaknesses on the off days

 

[Smash Williams]

I studied for about the same amount of time, but what works for me may not work for you. That said...

I scheduled the final content review pass of biochem (IMO the highest yield subject) to end about a week before the test. If you're more confident there and less in psych/soc, use the first part of the month to go over that. I used that final week to go over the highest-yield topics 2-3 times. For this, I used my Kaplan QuickSheet, but it'd be just as easy to make a up 16-20 page set of notes with the stuff you most want to beat into your brain. I read that sucker outloud twice to make sure I was processing it. I also played "recreate important formulas from memory" on a white board, because even if they didn't show up on the exam in a math-based problem, knowing the relationships would be helpful.

I took my final practice test three weeks out and did fine. I had a second untaken test ready in case I had struggled to do two weeks out, but it wasn't necessary. I disagree that you should take practice tests in the week or so before the MCAT because I think that just makes you neurotic about things that may be out of your control by that point. But you know what study style works best for your brain. I was not concerned about timing but was about content. You may not feel the same way.

 

[FAJ210]

WOW , you guys have given me some great advice . I will most definitely apply all the given strategies as the test day approaches. Thank you again.

 

[Flashfan]

The biggest issue I had was finding practice material for the new MCAT. Utilize Khan for psych content, as it looked pretty good. I am a psych major so that helped a lot with that, but I still hadn't seen everything from sociology. Even if the tests don't seem like that real thing, it helps to get into the flow and learn how to move on in a time limit. Use the question packs and anything you can from AAMC.

 

[kiwifriend]

I would try to do the Next Step Test Prep practice exams if I were you. I thought they were super helpful. They are wayyyyyy harder than the actual exam, but I honestly think that they were the reason I felt as prepared as I did for the test.