private help for MCAT

[MSc44]

did anyone seek out some private tutoring for sections like PS
How did you go back and teach it to yourself after being out of college so long.
I am using the EK books, but still finding soms stuff difficult. Im not taking the exam till jan. but not being able to do the problems well, makes me nervious, once im nervious and a bit discouraged, it becomes a little more difficult to concentrate....i dont get discouraged easily ( i work 9-5 so i dont want to waste time staring at problems) Im sure this happens to people alot who study for this exam, any advice

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[MSc44]

did anyone seek out some private tutoring for sections like PS
How did you go back and teach it to yourself after being out of college so long.
I am using the EK books, but still finding soms stuff difficult. Im not taking the exam till jan. but not being able to do the problems well, makes me nervious, once im nervious and a bit discouraged, it becomes a little more difficult to concentrate....i dont get discouraged easily ( i work 9-5 so i dont want to waste time staring at problems) Im sure this happens to people alot who study for this exam, any advice

anyone??? im sure some found it difficult, did you seek outside sources besided prep courses??

 

[GraC_undr_PrsR]

anyone??? im sure some found it difficult, did you seek outside sources besided prep courses??

I'm planning to take the exam next Jan-Apr (now that we have choices!). To prepare, I bought the Kaplan MCAT premier program book which comes with some online instruction. I had taken a Kaplan course years ago and wasn't impressed -- except for the library materials. Could you afford the fee for just using Kaplan materials? It might be cheaper. Also you could group study with others in your area. This is what I plan to do when I'm closer to the date!

~GraC

 

[RAD11]

Since you're not taking the August MCAT, you have plenty of time to go over the material more than once. It might be better to go slow on your study pace now to give yourself time to grasp the content. Do you have old textbooks to use for reference?

 

[remo]

I taught myself Physics and GChem for the April test and got an 11 on that section (diagnostic was a 7). I used Kaplan and EK and studied hardcore for 4 months. I liked the combination of Kaplan and EK. EK by itself is not all that it's all cracked up to be unless you have taken the pre-reqs recently. If you have any trouble with a section you have to go to real textbooks. That is the only way to really learn this stuff so you can perform under the pressure of the test when you don't have the time to try and figure it out. I would skip the private tutoring, it will cost a fortune. Re-take the physics and chemsity in the fall if you have to. That is the best way to learn this stuff.

 

[Orthodoc40]

I taught myself Physics and GChem for the April test and got an 11 on that section (diagnostic was a 7). I used Kaplan and EK and studied hardcore for 4 months. I liked the combination of Kaplan and EK. EK by itself is not all that it's all cracked up to be unless you have taken the pre-reqs recently. If you have any trouble with a section you have to go to real textbooks. That is the only way to really learn this stuff so you can perform under the pressure of the test when you don't have the time to try and figure it out. I would skip the private tutoring, it will cost a fortune. Re-take the physics and chemsity in the fall if you have to. That is the best way to learn this stuff.

Okay if you got an 11 on the April test I will hire YOU to be MY tutor!!
To the OP: I've tried some Kaplan tutoring and have to say you really are the best person to figure out what you need to do to prepare for the test. No one else can really tell you!

 

[MJB]

I'm currently getting brutalized because I don't have all the stupid equations memorized....

 

[QofQuimica]

did anyone seek out some private tutoring for sections like PS
How did you go back and teach it to yourself after being out of college so long.
I am using the EK books, but still finding soms stuff difficult. Im not taking the exam till jan. but not being able to do the problems well, makes me nervious, once im nervious and a bit discouraged, it becomes a little more difficult to concentrate....i dont get discouraged easily ( i work 9-5 so i dont want to waste time staring at problems) Im sure this happens to people alot who study for this exam, any advice

Just work the problems. Don't stare at them; as soon as you finish reading the problem, start writing down what you already know, and also what you don't know and want to know. As you do this, you will often find that the way to get the solution will be obvious, especially after you get a lot of experience with working problems. Don't worry if you can't do a problem straight away. The struggle is what teaches you to be a better problem-solver in general. Any problems worth doing are supposed to be difficult initially, and you are supposed to have trouble with them. If you weren't having any trouble, you wouldn't need to study, and you could go ahead and take the test next month, right?

Working problems is THE best way to teach yourself physical sciences, IMO. I was another self-studier (I did the Kaplan on line course), and I took physics and biology both in 1993, so I had to study both of those subjects like crazy. And that's exactly what I did; I opened the review book to page one, and started working the problems from start to finish. Ditto for the practice exams, the online workshops, etc.

You can do this. Just be consistent about practicing, put yourself on a schedule, and forgive yourself now for not knowing everything there is to know.

 

[JimmyG]

I am currently re-teaching myself gen chem and physics for the Aug MCAT. I am using EK books only and some old textbooks I found at the bookstore. In the beginning of the summer, I was very worried about not having the information down for the test and really pondered putting off the MCAT due to this. I, sadly, have quit my job and study a good 8+ hours a day but I am finally feeling secure. My advice to you is to start EARLY since you are working full-time right now. I can't say anything for any of the other MCAT prep materials, but I would strongly suggest obtaining one of the MCAT prep books to study from in order to focus your studies on what is tested on the MCAT, only. I have found the 1001 EK books help tremendously, as well, to practice basic problems. If you have taken the pre-reqs already, you can reteach yourself if you are disciplined to do it. Good luck.

 

[MSc44]

I am currently re-teaching myself gen chem and physics for the Aug MCAT. I am using EK books only and some old textbooks I found at the bookstore. In the beginning of the summer, I was very worried about not having the information down for the test and really pondered putting off the MCAT due to this. I, sadly, have quit my job and study a good 8+ hours a day but I am finally feeling secure. My advice to you is to start EARLY since you are working full-time right now. I can't say anything for any of the other MCAT prep materials, but I would strongly suggest obtaining one of the MCAT prep books to study from in order to focus your studies on what is tested on the MCAT, only. I have found the 1001 EK books help tremendously, as well, to practice basic problems. If you have taken the pre-reqs already, you can reteach yourself if you are disciplined to do it. Good luck.

Thanks for the advice all, im working on re-teaching myself physics and gchem...........taking a long time

u guys are all great though