shaum's Bio VS. Cliff's AP Bio

[ILoveSmiling]

Hey guys. I'm debating on whether I should buy the Shaum's Bio book or the Cliff's AP bio book. I"m taking the DAT this May and was wondering which of these two books (or others) prepares you the most for the DAT. I would really appreciate any advice I can get!

Also, does anyone have any tips on how to prepare for the Gen. Chem section. I haven't heard of much that is out there.

Thank you.

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[TheWiredNerv]

AP Cliff's bio

 

[Sbosu]

buy cliffs ap bio, and kaplan book as well as DAT destroyer were good for chem.

 

[therealsquat]

.

 

[nwdmd]

cliff's!

as for the lib advice:

$10 is not exactly "$$$"

plus it'll be booger free and you can sell or give it to another predent (karma)

 

[fiddlestix]

cliff's!

as for the lib advice:

$10 is not exactly "$$$"

plus it'll be booger free and you can sell or give it to another predent (karma)

you could use the $10 for a 30 of natty when you need a break from studying and those boogers for mid study snacks

 

[sajjy]

both of them costs like 15 or less each....might as well get both....some of the chapters of cliffs are good but for couple of them schuams is good.....
but using a textbook (Campbell) is the best option.....these review books are best if you have taken a lot of bio classes

 

[smile101]

I have them both and the campbell textbook. So, far I think Cliff does a really good job of summarizing Campbell, but if you want details, then I advise to atleast read over that section in Campbell. I found Schaum's helpful in certain ways for few topics...
I guess (ofcourse depending on how much study time you have) it will be a good idea to get them both and review them side by side OR get one of them and review it with campbell side by side. You will be amazed with how much info you can gather by coupling them!!!

 

[gym.addict]

I used Cliff's AP Bio with good results. I think it summarizes things in an easy to understand manner with sufficient detail.

 

[Willem]

I just got out of the test 30 minutes ago and Ive got to say, not a single thing I read out of cliffs helped me. Maybe my luck was just poor, but this section was just brutal. 75th percentile, but I had 91st percentile on AA.....yet going into this I felt bio was my best subject by a mile. Among the people I know, I feel only teachers know more than me. Orgo, gen chem...I thought I was weak in as I took gen chem 7 years ago (and got a D+ in the 2nd part of) and orgo I took at a non competitive local college.

The bio section was like someone kneeing me in the groin about 20 times. I really questioned whether I even deserved to be in the testing center. In fact I questioned my whole existance in the 22 minutes I spent on this section. You might say I should have spent more time on it, but whats the point of spending time on something you havent the foggiest idea about. I got a 19 but to be fair I feel I must have guessed right on a lot of things because I felt I did worse.

My recommendation to everyone is to not rely on Cliff's, destroyer, kaplan, or examkrackers(1000 questions AND audio osmosis). I did all of their test prep materials and while doing their questions I felt like I was a god among lesser mortals, hardly missed a thing. I dont know if Schaums is any better than the previous things I missed, but all I can recommend is dont rely on Cliff's/kaplan/destroyer/examkrackers for a thing unless you are really starting from zero. The few topics I did learn about in those materials did not help me on a single problem.


Maybe I got a bad test or maybe it was just my nerves...and biology being the first subject in the test. If I decide to retake it however (I was just a point short from rounding up to 22 and my gpa is really garbage) I will pick up the campbell biology book and just read it every night before I fall asleep. I will quote it like religious scripture to other people. If you want to do better than a 19 I recommend the same. To answer those questions you dont need to know facts, you need to be able to speak it as a language.

 

[TheWiredNerv]

That is unfortunate Willem but I don't think reading Campbell every night is necessary to get better than a 19.

 

[Willem]

Yeah, like I said, maybe I was just unlucky but that bio section has my utmost respect right now. It was practically shellshock. I literally spent a whole minute or two after the bio section was over just to remind myself that I have been studying for this test for 2 months almost every day and I am prepared.

Dont get me wrong, I'm not one for dramatics. This is not like me at all. I am just trying to warn those who come after me. Dont sit there and memorize little details about each step of cellular respiration, photosynthesis, etc because the questions on this stuff were basic. For the rest youve got to go broad spectrum and really just immerse yourself in biology. In fact, considering how difficult the questions are I think its more important for you to work on walking in with a cool composure rather than spending a whole week of studying 6h/day trying to remember details. You are going to be guessing half the time and your prior knowlege will be of little help directly. Your ability to sift out unlikely answers seems to be the real key here. None of these test preps really prepare you for this section. Even on the achiever I was getting 22, 23 (i forget what the third score was but it was probably a 20) in bio.


Like I said, I know I am sounding all doom and gloom about this bio section and I realize that my stress walking into the test probably was a big factor. But I just want to let people know in advance that you may spend weeks studying bio and not see a single question regarding any of it except for the really basic things you already knew before you started studying (36 atp per glucose, photosynthesis creates oxygen, etc).

 

[streptmutan]

Willem
I totally understand what you are saying, and am so glad that you did! I too feel like i am a god among lesser mortals when it comes to answering gen biology questions! I also dominate all of these study guides but i know that the biology section will be like no other, and am curious of just how it actually is!! I have put off the DAT until now and i am about to grad and hope that it will help me bcause i dominate most of what i touch when it comes to gen bio, chem and orgo! I have been studying for almost a year and still have about 4 months before i take it! the one thing i dont really know is if it will be worth it to Read Campbell everyday!! Because I wILL do it if its really necessary to dominate !! I HAve to DOMiNate the DAT ! All sections!! i take from your message that you think it is worth it to do so! could you please give me an idea of the thinking level necessary to answer the most difficult question on the test? it would be greatly appreciated!! thanks,Good luck getting in!

 

[sunu44]

do not listen to people here...cliff for bio is not enough!!

 

[tRNA]

hey Willem, how was examcrackers for that gchem? u think its worth buying, i also had very bad grade for gchem in school

 

[TheWiredNerv]

do not listen to people here...cliff for bio is not enough!!

And reading an entire text book and spending that much time on one section of the DAT is not enough or at least I think so. Bio section is not just reading Cliff's and spitting it out on the test. Learning all the bio in cliff's AP gives you things to think about on each question. There are many questions that require you to know many aspects of bio to arrive at the correct answer. Cliff's is great for this but don't just memorize things or you are doomed.

 

[ILoveSmiling]

Wow.. .. Well Thank You Everyone For You Help And Your Opinions!