Non science reading

[mrmandrake]

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Hey guys,

This message is for those of you who did very well in the reasoning section. I've had some people tell me that something that helps with this section is a lot of reading, and by reading I mean leisurely reading. They tell me just to pick up good books and read them. I was thinking about looking up some literary classics. Do you guys recommend any books that would make me extremely comfortable with the type of language used on the MCAT? Thanks.

 

[notdeadyet]

I dont think leisure reading will help you. Learn to read critically at a fast speed.

I agree. If you don't know how to read properly by now, a few months of trying to learn how will not be all that effective.

Practice exams, practice exams, practice exams. For verbal, do all the full lengths and get the Exam Krackers book with the nine practice exams. Do the Kaplan and TPR practice exams.

Ponying up for a subscription to the economist isn't going to do it.

 

[mrmandrake]

thanks guys ... i just have 2 years before i take it so i thought some high level leisure reading would help in case i get bored doing passages. i guess ill just pound away and practice practice practice 🙂

 

[Wrigleyville]

It's a little late to improve your reading skills through leisure time activities -- just work on a ton of passages in practice exams.

 

[HailMary]

I think I'm one of maybe five or six people on the planet who actually really like the verbal section (I guess as much as you can like any section of the MCAT). I disagree with people who say to just do passages, especially if you're not taking the test for another two years. If I read nothing but MCAT passages for two years I'd probably want to kill myself. Read magazines like Reader's Digest, The Economist, the New Yorker, short stories, and any book that catches your eye. Reading a newspaper every day is also a really good idea, you can read the big newspapers online, usually for free. The MCAT tests your ability to think critically and analytically about something you just read, so you should be able to get a sense of the author's point of view, tone, and main argument. This is really different than science reading, which is generally why people hate verbal. Also, if you only read passages you're going to be really underprepared for the writing sample. I know it's not weighed as heavily as other sections, but it still matters and you need to have a grip on current events. Best of luck, and happy reading!