should I buy Berkeley Review books with 1 month to go?

[sekistudent]

I'm taking my test on 1/29. I've been using the examkracker lecture series and 1001 questions series. I like the lecture books but Im pretty disappointed with the 1001 question series. The questions are harder than the practice aamc tests and frankly I dont want to spend my last month doing lots of math and chasing wild gooses. Not much value for me. The reason Im thinking about buying the berkeley review books is because I want more practice questions that are realistic and everyone seems to think its the best.

so... should I buy the berkeley review books with just a month to go?
with the follow up questions being... are there good practice questions on there?

thanks for your response.

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[Bananas99]

I'm taking my test on 1/29. I've been using the examkracker lecture series and 1001 questions series. I like the lecture books but Im pretty disappointed with the 1001 question series. The questions are harder than the practice aamc tests and frankly I dont want to spend my last month doing lots of math and chasing wild gooses. Not much value for me. The reason Im thinking about buying the berkeley review books is because I want more practice questions that are realistic and everyone seems to think its the best.

so... should I buy the berkeley review books with just a month to go?
with the follow up questions being... are there good practice questions on there?

thanks for your response.

To be honest, you probably won't even get them even after your test date. Their ordering system is horrible.

 

[sekistudent]

Well,

I'll get'em off of craigslist. I can prolly pick one up in the next 2-3 days.

 

[BerkReviewTeach]

I'm taking my test on 1/29. I've been using the examkracker lecture series and 1001 questions series. I like the lecture books but Im pretty disappointed with the 1001 question series. The questions are harder than the practice aamc tests and frankly I dont want to spend my last month doing lots of math and chasing wild gooses. Not much value for me. The reason Im thinking about buying the berkeley review books is because I want more practice questions that are realistic and everyone seems to think its the best.

so... should I buy the berkeley review books with just a month to go?
with the follow up questions being... are there good practice questions on there?

thanks for your response.

I'm biased perhaps, but the passages and questions are extremely helpful if you have time to work through them all (or most of them). If you are on the west coast and ordered them priority mail from BR, you could have them in a week, which would give you 16 days. That's really pushing it, but could work. If you're on the east coast, you're probably losing another four days at least, which I think gives you 12 days, which is too little time with them if you ask me.

Your best bet would be to find them used and pay by Paypal to have them sent the same instant. Best of luck finding a seller with fast turnaround (they're out there, but not always easy to find when you need them). I'd suggest sticking to SDN or in person pickup if you use Craigslist, because there have been a few too many people burned on Craigslist using the mail. If you can have them for two weeks or more, they'll be excellent for exactly what you need (more passages with great explanations).

To be honest, you probably won't even get them even after your test date. Their ordering system is horrible.

What you have posted, which I'm hoping is a typo as written, is that they won't ever get them, even after their exam date. That is completely incorrect and having no personal experience ordering the materials makes it something you should not be posting.

Aren't you a sophomore in college who registered at SDN a couple weeks ago? I mean this as politely as possible, but how are you in any position to comment on how long it takes if you've never ordered them yourself? They've come as fast as four days and as slow as three to four weeks. Typically it's in the one to two week range total turnaround time (from dropping the order in the mail to getting the books delivered). It's unfair to say what you've posted as well as incorrect. The extreme timeline cases are often to Canada or orders using personal checks.

Given that you also posted the following quote in the thread before this one...

When you buy the Berkeley Review book, are the passages included in the book? If not are they for sale separately on the website?

...it would be courteous to not post any inferred insight into the time it took to get the books or the ordering system. BTW, the layout of the books can be seen on their website, which will tell you everything you need to know about the passages.

 

[Bananas99]

I'm biased perhaps, but the passages and questions are extremely helpful if you have time to work through them all (or most of them). If you are on the west coast and ordered them priority mail from BR, you could have them in a week, which would give you 16 days. That's really pushing it, but could work. If you're on the east coast, you're probably losing another four days at least, which I think gives you 12 days, which is too little time with them if you ask me.

Your best bet would be to find them used and pay by Paypal to have them sent the same instant. Best of luck finding a seller with fast turnaround (they're out there, but not always easy to find when you need them). I'd suggest sticking to SDN or in person pickup if you use Craigslist, because there have been a few too many people burned on Craigslist using the mail. If you can have them for two weeks or more, they'll be excellent for exactly what you need (more passages with great explanations).



What you have posted, which I'm hoping is a typo as written, is that they won't ever get them, even after their exam date. That is completely incorrect and having no personal experience ordering the materials makes it something you should not be posting.

Aren't you a sophomore in college who registered at SDN a couple weeks ago? I mean this as politely as possible, but how are you in any position to comment on how long it takes if you've never ordered them yourself? They've come as fast as four days and as slow as three to four weeks. Typically it's in the one to two week range total turnaround time (from dropping the order in the mail to getting the books delivered). It's unfair to say what you've posted as well as incorrect. The extreme timeline cases are often to Canada or orders using personal checks.

Given that you also posted the following quote in the thread before this one...



...it would be courteous to not post any inferred insight into the time it took to get the books or the ordering system. BTW, the layout of the books can be seen on their website, which will tell you everything you need to know about the passages.

So you are mad because I am preventing you from getting a sale?

Don't worry, I just sent an order and I hope I get them soon.

 

[BerkReviewTeach]

So you are mad because I am preventing you from getting a sale?

Don't worry, I just sent an order and I hope I get them soon.

Please reread what I typed. I'm not mad about any order (you'll note in my message to the OP that I gave suggestions as to how to get them fastest, which is not necessarily directly ordering them from the company.) It's not about sales, it's about integrity.

And yes, I am a little upset by your post, but again not because of sales issues. Book sales do not impact me other than a sense of pride when people like the ones I helped edit. It has to do with honor. You have not been through the ordering process, and at this time have no personal experience, yet you posted a statement that basically reads "you'll never get your books." If you had ordered them and had a problem personally, I would have understood and not replied (except for an apology). But you posted a negative comment with no personal knowledge. It's just not kosher.

I know I take this way too personally, but I have been with a small company for some time, and I take pride in the way they do things. As primative and archaic as the ordering system and registration process are, the books and course are excellent. That's where they spend their energy and take pride. I have a great deal of company loyalty and pride. I apology for being hypersensitive, and know that the best thing would have been to ignore it. I just got a little bothered by what I perceived as an unfair negative post.

Once you get your books, I sincerely hope they work wonders for you. If you have questions, I hope you post them or PM me.

Olive branch extended! (only plant-like post icon they had)

 

[Bananas99]

Please reread what I typed. I'm not mad about any order (you'll note in my message to the OP that I gave suggestions as to how to get them fastest, which is not necessarily directly ordering them from the company.) It's not about sales, it's about integrity.

And yes, I am a little upset by your post, but again not because of sales issues. Book sales do not impact me other than a sense of pride when people like the ones I helped edit. It has to do with honor. You have not been through the ordering process, and at this time have no personal experience, yet you posted a statement that basically reads "you'll never get your books." If you had ordered them and had a problem personally, I would have understood and not replied (except for an apology). But you posted a negative comment with no personal knowledge. It's just not kosher.

I know I take this way too personally, but I have been with a small company for some time, and I take pride in the way they do things. As primative and archaic as the ordering system and registration process are, the books and course are excellent. That's where they spend their energy and take pride. I have a great deal of company loyalty and pride. I apology for being hypersensitive, and know that the best thing would have been to ignore it. I just got a little bothered by what I perceived as an unfair negative post.

Once you get your books, I sincerely hope they work wonders for you. If you have questions, I hope you post them or PM me.

Olive branch extended! (only plant-like post icon they had)

I apologize for my previous post. I should have thought twice about it. I was just kidding around
Yes, I can not wait to get those books. I know that my test date is 1-2 years away but I want to start studying now.
Have you taken the MCAT?
I have also heard that these books are good for people who only need a review of the material. Do you think it is also possible let say for someone who did not learn anything during their undergrad(I am not saying that I did not) to review this book and do well on the MCAT?

thank you

 

[agill786]

I'm biased perhaps, but the passages and questions are extremely helpful if you have time to work through them all (or most of them). If you are on the west coast and ordered them priority mail from BR, you could have them in a week, which would give you 16 days. That's really pushing it, but could work. If you're on the east coast, you're probably losing another four days at least, which I think gives you 12 days, which is too little time with them if you ask me.

Your best bet would be to find them used and pay by Paypal to have them sent the same instant. Best of luck finding a seller with fast turnaround (they're out there, but not always easy to find when you need them). I'd suggest sticking to SDN or in person pickup if you use Craigslist, because there have been a few too many people burned on Craigslist using the mail. If you can have them for two weeks or more, they'll be excellent for exactly what you need (more passages with great explanations).



What you have posted, which I'm hoping is a typo as written, is that they won't ever get them, even after their exam date. That is completely incorrect and having no personal experience ordering the materials makes it something you should not be posting.

Aren't you a sophomore in college who registered at SDN a couple weeks ago? I mean this as politely as possible, but how are you in any position to comment on how long it takes if you've never ordered them yourself? They've come as fast as four days and as slow as three to four weeks. Typically it's in the one to two week range total turnaround time (from dropping the order in the mail to getting the books delivered). It's unfair to say what you've posted as well as incorrect. The extreme timeline cases are often to Canada or orders using personal checks.

Given that you also posted the following quote in the thread before this one...



...it would be courteous to not post any inferred insight into the time it took to get the books or the ordering system. BTW, the layout of the books can be seen on their website, which will tell you everything you need to know about the passages.

Would you suggest working on any particular book over the other by topic? I personally found the Bio to be very challenging and not something similar to what I saw on my MCAT.

I've also started the dreaded quarter system and have my exam on 01/29 so I'm kinda stressed on time as well. Would it be any benefit to focus on one book over the other?

Thanks in advance!

 

[BerkReviewTeach]

I apologize for my previous post. I should have thought twice about it. I was just kidding around
Yes, I can not wait to get those books. I know that my test date is 1-2 years away but I want to start studying now.
Have you taken the MCAT?
I have also heard that these books are good for people who only need a review of the material. Do you think it is also possible let say for someone who did not learn anything during their undergrad(I am not saying that I did not) to review this book and do well on the MCAT?

thank you

Yeah, I apologize for being a little thin-skinned. The truth is that it frustrates me to no end that these guys (they're my bosses and friends) don't care to improve their website. I get that teaching is their favorite thing, but for the love of God hire the people who did their CBT site to do their business website. The reality is that one of the owners did the site years ago and doesn't want to change it.

As for the books filling in the gap for someone who learned nothing, that's hard. If they are good at learning from the reading and practice, then definitely. But if they are an audio learner, then books (no matter how good) won't be enough. If you have two years with them, which I personally think might be too much (it will be hard to retain material you study in 2011 on a 2013 exam), you'll be able to extract the important points. I would do only the text part this early, doing the multiple choice questions in the reading section. Save the passages for the last six months before your exam.

Would you suggest working on any particular book over the other by topic? I personally found the Bio to be very challenging and not something similar to what I saw on my MCAT.

I've also started the dreaded quarter system and have my exam on 01/29 so I'm kinda stressed on time as well. Would it be any benefit to focus on one book over the other?

Thanks in advance!

The truth of the matter, and having taken the MCAT after a summer of absorbing information, I pretty much fall in step with the consensus SDN opinions on materials. I think the general chemistry book for BR is the best of all the books, because it has so many examples and teaches how to integrate physics, organic, and biology into gen chem. If you have limited time, that's the book to put your efforts into, because it will cover the widest range of MCAT material. It's also really good with concepts.

I think the new physics is next best. I love that they have taken the tircks they used to only discuss in classes and added them to the books. Both the physics book and g chem book are considered to be the best for a reason.

The organic book is good, but in all honesty could use an overhaul to get rid of some excess baggage. About 10% of the material hasn't been discussed in MCAT threads here at SDN since I've been posting. Things like the sugar tests for instance. I think that's a problem with the entire industry, given that posters often comment about materials in their books that isn't tested. As far as cramming with it in the last three weeks, I'd say focus strictly on the lab techniques section (it's excellent) and skim the carbonyls.

My personal opinion of BR biology is that the details overwhelm me. I know there are people who learn well this way, but I'm not one of them. I liked a couple of the physio chapters (heart and lung was good and kidneys was great) and I think about two thirds of the passages are really good. But overall, if I had to study again, I would use the BR books for reference and their passages. I'd probably just do their cell, neuro, heart/lung, and kidney chapters.

As for verbal reasoning, I think their class is really good and their book would really benefit by an overhaul by the people who designed the class notes (politest way I can put it without pissing my bosses off). Some of the answer explanations in the book are longer than the passages, and I'm not one who does well with verbose explanations. I like verbal to be to the point (which is what makes the class notes good in my eyes). What I did recommend is doing only the passages with answer explanations that max out at two paragraphs. Those are the best ones. The really verbose explanations imply that something must be weird in the passage or question to need that much of an explanation.

I hope this helps.

 

[Bananas99]

Yeah, I apologize for being a little thin-skinned. The truth is that it frustrates me to no end that these guys (they're my bosses and friends) don't care to improve their website. I get that teaching is their favorite thing, but for the love of God hire the people who did their CBT site to do their business website. The reality is that one of the owners did the site years ago and doesn't want to change it.

As for the books filling in the gap for someone who learned nothing, that's hard. If they are good at learning from the reading and practice, then definitely. But if they are an audio learner, then books (no matter how good) won't be enough. If you have two years with them, which I personally think might be too much (it will be hard to retain material you study in 2011 on a 2013 exam), you'll be able to extract the important points. I would do only the text part this early, doing the multiple choice questions in the reading section. Save the passages for the last six months before your exam.


That is exactly what I was thinking. I am just going to go through the materials without actually doing the questions (orgo and chem). I am trying to pick up some concepts that I might not have learned during my undergrad work(I go to a community college, you know how it is) I am glad to say that I learn better from reading and practice and not proud to say am a horrible audio learner. It is not that I am not a good audio learner. I am just the kind of student who don't get it the first time a teacher says something and I must go home to study and practice it myself.
I have heard nothing bud good things about these books. I am hoping they can help me score a 30+ on the MCAT.

Do you have any idea if they will be updating the books in the next 1-2 years? I just want to make sure I will still have the newest edition by then.

 

[apumic]

^Haha. Yes, they'll update at least a few times within the next 2 years. I'm not sure of TBR's exact update cycle but it's likely 1x/yr or so.

 

[Bananas99]

^Haha. Yes, they'll update at least a few times within the next 2 years. I'm not sure of TBR's exact update cycle but it's likely 1x/yr or so.

you think it is a bad idea that I bought the book 1-2 years away from taking the actual exam?

I already sent the order

 

[apumic]

you think it is a bad idea that I bought the book 1-2 years away from taking the actual exam?

I already sent the order

Well...yes, but oh well. What's done is done. There's simply no point it getting your books so early; it's not like studying this early is going to do any good. If you had read a few posts, the idea of studying years (or even >4-5 mos) in advance is a pretty frequently debunked myth here. Truthfully, though, the changes may be minor over the next 2 yrs -- unless, of course, the AAMC changes the MCAT completely, which they have stated they will not do "before 2013/2014" (the timeline for MR5 is to make the changes for 2013 or 2014 administrations).

More information is available at the following:
http://www.studentdoctor.net/2009/0...cal-school-admissions-restructuring-the-mcat/
https://www.aamc.org/initiatives/64556/mr5/

 

[agill786]

Yeah, I apologize for being a little thin-skinned. The truth is that it frustrates me to no end that these guys (they're my bosses and friends) don't care to improve their website. I get that teaching is their favorite thing, but for the love of God hire the people who did their CBT site to do their business website. The reality is that one of the owners did the site years ago and doesn't want to change it.

As for the books filling in the gap for someone who learned nothing, that's hard. If they are good at learning from the reading and practice, then definitely. But if they are an audio learner, then books (no matter how good) won't be enough. If you have two years with them, which I personally think might be too much (it will be hard to retain material you study in 2011 on a 2013 exam), you'll be able to extract the important points. I would do only the text part this early, doing the multiple choice questions in the reading section. Save the passages for the last six months before your exam.



The truth of the matter, and having taken the MCAT after a summer of absorbing information, I pretty much fall in step with the consensus SDN opinions on materials. I think the general chemistry book for BR is the best of all the books, because it has so many examples and teaches how to integrate physics, organic, and biology into gen chem. If you have limited time, that's the book to put your efforts into, because it will cover the widest range of MCAT material. It's also really good with concepts.

I think the new physics is next best. I love that they have taken the tircks they used to only discuss in classes and added them to the books. Both the physics book and g chem book are considered to be the best for a reason.

The organic book is good, but in all honesty could use an overhaul to get rid of some excess baggage. About 10% of the material hasn't been discussed in MCAT threads here at SDN since I've been posting. Things like the sugar tests for instance. I think that's a problem with the entire industry, given that posters often comment about materials in their books that isn't tested. As far as cramming with it in the last three weeks, I'd say focus strictly on the lab techniques section (it's excellent) and skim the carbonyls.

My personal opinion of BR biology is that the details overwhelm me. I know there are people who learn well this way, but I'm not one of them. I liked a couple of the physio chapters (heart and lung was good and kidneys was great) and I think about two thirds of the passages are really good. But overall, if I had to study again, I would use the BR books for reference and their passages. I'd probably just do their cell, neuro, heart/lung, and kidney chapters.

As for verbal reasoning, I think their class is really good and their book would really benefit by an overhaul by the people who designed the class notes (politest way I can put it without pissing my bosses off). Some of the answer explanations in the book are longer than the passages, and I'm not one who does well with verbose explanations. I like verbal to be to the point (which is what makes the class notes good in my eyes). What I did recommend is doing only the passages with answer explanations that max out at two paragraphs. Those are the best ones. The really verbose explanations imply that something must be weird in the passage or question to need that much of an explanation.

I hope this helps.

Thanks! I am going to work on that Gchem when I get the opportunity. I am on this dreaded quarter system and midterms approach faster than you know it, I also lost my EK 101 verbal passages and I don't have the funds to buy anything extra at the moment so I'm going to follow your advise with BR verbal and do the ones that are more concise.

Another Question, what exams would you feel are the best? I honestly can only do 3 of the Berkeley Review ones.

Thanks so much again!

 

[Nk099]

"What you have posted, which I'm hoping is a typo as written, is that they won't ever get them, even after their exam date. That is completely incorrect and having no personal experience ordering the materials makes it something you should not be posting."


I am 100% agree with the TBR guy. I bought their G-Chm, Phy and Org. books separately, and each time I paid with Money Order. The processes of shipping and getting the book to me was FAST (at least for me, sending from west coast to east coast). I received the books each time within 7-9 days of sending my payment. OP would definitely get the books on time, but these books contain lots of information that take more than a month to go throught and learn each specific subject perfectely.

 

[tarm800]

My suggestion is to take the aamc exams before your test, which are the best practice out there. If you have already done so, then scratch that. If I were you, I would get the books, I have them right now and they are very helpful. I would just skip the content, and go straight to quizzes after each chapter. Find the areas you are weakest in and do practice problems on that, I'm sure you know what you are weak in by now. Best of luck! and there are people out there that can ship fast, so don't be too discouraged, you might have to pay a hefty penny to get them, they're as expensive as they are on the berkeley review site. Ebay can also be quick sometimes if you buy a set that is ending soon.

 

[TwoPaddles]

you think it is a bad idea that I bought the book 1-2 years away from taking the actual exam?

I already sent the order

There's not much of a difference, it's only a couple passages more or less.

 

[sharmi]

I have TBR set of books from 2004. I bought it really cheap off Craigslist last year. I took the MCAT and scored 12's in the sciences but really low in the verbal which is why I am retaking it March. Should I go for the latest version of these books? I agree that the end of chapter problems are great even in the version I own but I would like to know whether there is a real benefit in getting the latest version.
I do plan on ordering their tests. Since I am taking the MCAT on March 26, when will be a good time to get their tests?