SN2'd first day

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TexasSurgeon

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EDIT: This was supposed to be a thread about the first day of SN2. However as with all intelligent life, things evolve. This thread has now become a support page for people following the SN2 plan. You can think of it as Alcoholics Anonymous for people studying to take the MCAT using the SN2 plan.

EDIT July 1, 2014:
If you are interested in @mehc012's Anki Deck, DO NOT SEND A PM. Here is the link: https://www.dropbox.com/s/7if6wgaif98rkoa/mehc012 SN2edCh4s.apkg
**A NOTE: @mehc012 and several others (myself included) want to tell you guys that studying from another person's deck will probably not be as beneficial to you as creating your own cards. Yes you can take advantage of @mehc012's generosity, but you won't get the same advantage. Study the material. Create cards as you go along. You will find it more helpful to your studying. **

EDIT July 22, 2014:
The following is @TBRBiosadist's official MCAT Verbal Reasoning Strategy:
@TBRBiosadist's strategy that got [him] from a 7 average to scoring 13-15 average..

Spend the bulk of your time reading. Up to 3 minutes per passage.
  • Read the first and last paragraph thoroughly to begin with. Understand what the authors main point will be because 90% of questions require nothing more than a general idea.
  • After this, read the entire passage slowly enough where you dont feel like you need to reread sentences for understanding.
Next is just answer questions, there is a few tricks here that work about 90% of the time
  • Unless the passage is asking you about a specific detail, dont look back. READ EVERY ANSWER THOROUGLY AND THEN Answer what makes sense from the general point of the passage. Its very easy to prove a wrong answer to be somewhat correct if you dig hard enough, dont. Answer what your gut says and move onto the next question, dont contemplate to much. With that being said...
  • Answer like you were dropped on the head as a child. Alot of times if Im arguing between two answers, there is the answer that is 100% correct, and one that is 90% correct. Be an idoit and choose the one that seems like it is correct. However.....
  • "Always" is a word to avoid. If an answer uses this word, or definites like it, it is something to avoid. I would say 80% of the time the wishy washy answer is more correct then the highly affirmative one. This leads to my final point....
  • 100% of the time you are not actually looking for the "right" answer in verbal, this isnt PS or BS where 1+1 almost always equals 2 (unless we are talking about the different sedimentation values for Ribosomes). In verbal you are looking for the answer that isnt wrong. Often times an answer will seem very "right" but one aspect of it is clearly wrong, as compared to an answer that isnt wrong, but doesnt seem as right as that answer, these are meant to fool you. Choose the answer that isnt wrong.
I understand that I few of these tips may be at odds with each other. Ultimately you must adjust slightly for each passage, but it comes down to one thing. Read thoroughly. Read every sentence in the passage. Read every question. Read every answer. Then the correct answer will be fairly obvious. This may seem like it takes longer, but it takes much less time than skimming, and then trying to find the correct information later.

Or to summarize in one sentence

Understand what the hell the author is arguing

EDIT July 26, 2014:
@DoctorInASaree uploaded a guide to Verbal Reasoning. If you're interested, it's worth a look. Here is the link: https://www.dropbox.com/s/2byivymmqwlvjms/MCAT VR Primer DRSAREE.pdf

EDIT 2, July 26, 2014: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/sn2d-first-day.1074344/page-52#post-15510851
________________________________________________
Just finished the first day of SN2...man is it long and exhausting.

The first day is BR physics chapter (translational motion) + 1/3 of the passages. I felt like I wasn't able to apply the stuff I read into the stuff I was tested on.

Has anyone felt this way when following the schedule? It just seems like the contents of the chapter didn't really stick in my head when I took the practice passages. Will this improve over time?

EDIT 3, March 4, 2015:

For verbal, if you are feeling lost and confused, I highly highly recommend you to look into the MCAT Strategy Course by @Jack Westin. I've been working with him, and nothing comes close to his course and teaching. It's a strategy course, so it will cover everything, not just the VR/CARS section.
 
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plus ill probably choke on a verbal passage, screw up a few easy ps and bs problems because I over thought them, end up with a high 35-40s score, and be plenty happy with that
 
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TBRBiosadist said:
plus ill probably choke on a verbal passage, screw up a few easy ps and bs problems because I over thought them, end up with a high 35-40s score, and be plenty happy with that
Click to expand...

I had to stop myself from chastising you for berating yourself, then I realized that it's something you have developed that works well for you. Even though you are putting yourself down, I understand your process and "get" that it motivates you.
To support you I am willing to berate you in encouragement, however, I am not adept at such things.

Let me take a shot: If you don't score high, I'm going to think less of you and not respect any of your advice, you a-hole. :mooning:
 
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Oh, thank you so much! Now I can acquire my beauty sleep in peace 😀

I believe in the law of gravitation - that whether we like it or not (I like it): we are all attracted to each other in some way. My default position with everyone else is that we're already on friendly terms. 🙂

Lunch? Let's skip to dinner!😍[/QUOTE]


@DoctorInASaree dinner would be lovely! 😍
 
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namesthegame21 said:
Is anyone here planning on using/used BR's CBTs? I'm nearing the end of content review and need a good amount of practice tests. I have all AAMCs (8) and TPR (11), but need a few more and want to plan ahead. I also have the SA package, planning on doing it too. Anyone taken the GS since SwedishMD suggested them?
Click to expand...

Did you start using TPR?
 
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TBRBiosadist said:
SO if I get a 40+ on my MCAT I will donate $50 to charity, stop masturbating for a month, and post my real face here

If I get a 44 or 45 I will donate $50 to charity and $50 dollars to my university, stop masturbating for 2 months, and post my real face and first name here
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some things r jus too hard to give up even with that score
 
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TBRBiosadist said:
OHGODOHGODOHGOD IM AT FULL FREAKOUT. I just can't sleep but **** I just need to....**** I dont know. I "know" everything basically, Im having a hard time finding gaps in my knowledge and I memorized all the major equations but do I ******* "know" it or do I KNOW it. MY stupid ******* mistakes that I make are going to sink this..... ****!

Edit:I just took a bunch of melatonin and Valerian root, goodnight yall
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this has got to stop
 
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aspiringMD/DO said:
He may not necessarily have to ability to relate to or speak to the ladies.
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dis one doh.... had me cryin.

well played

xD1nnKz.gif
 
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Hey guys so I set up my AAMC practice dates to be every Wednesday and Saturday (I'll be done with all the practice tests about 3-4 days before the real thing) but... this week I'm in a little predicament, I know AAMC 6R is the self assessment which I have forgotten most of it. I plan on doing it today as practice and time it for the 77, 60, 77 questions for PS/VR/BS. Do you guys think this week I should move my practice tests to Thursday and Sunday and then revert back to my normal schedule after this Sunday? My fear is that if I take AAMC 6R and try to post game it tomorrow while other things, I would be too tired to do AAMC 4 on Wednesday.
 
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sillyjoe said:
Survey:

What is the best song to listen to before the MCAT?

What is your pre-MCAT ritual going to be?
Click to expand...

1. I don't have a song yet but more likely than not I will be very quite as I seem to score better with a calm and quite mentality.

2. My exam is a 8am, a place an hour from my house. I'll probably make myself some eggs, and then hop in the car and once I get to my seat I'm going to make myself a little "Cheat sheet" with all my PS equations.
 
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sillyjoe said:
Survey:

What is the best song to listen to before the MCAT?

What is your pre-MCAT ritual going to be?
Click to expand...
Listen to "Lose Yourself" defs, take a quick shower, slug down an energy drink, blast jams while driving to test center, sit down and run through all my basic concepts, then go beast mode on that test.
 
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TBRBiosadist said:
Listen to "Lose Yourself" defs, take a quick shower, slug down an energy drink, blast jams while driving to test center, sit down and run through all my basic concepts, then go beast mode on that test.
Click to expand...

Do you study well when your all amped up? You're not afraid you might have to piss half way through a section? I guess if your used to it you'll probably have no problem during the real thing.
 
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pbrocks15 said:
Do you study well when your all amped up? You're not afraid you might have to piss half way through a section? I guess if your used to it you'll probably have no problem during the real thing.
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My highest practice test scores have been when Ive drunken at least a total of 300mg of caffiene before and through the testing period.

I also eat a little salt to promote water retention
 
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TBRBiosadist said:
My highest practice test scores have been when Ive drunken at least a total of 300mg of caffiene before and through the testing period
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When your going through the exam are you hyper (in a good way)? Like are you looking back and forth from question to passage quickly and just working faster?

I could possibly need this haha
 
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When I drink too much coffee/caffeine for let's say a midterm/final, I have the urgency to pee almost always 30 minutes in. However, this past term I had a final paper due after studying biochemistry for about 30+ hours over the past two nights (got about 5 hours of sleep somehow but very exhausted), I drank two large coffees. Wrote my paper like a wild man within 4 hours. Submitted the paper and literally jumped on my bed and slept. Wanted to wake up and go to the gym before I went home for the summer but I never got around to it.
 
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I listen to a lot of rap during my breaks if I'm down or tired. It helps a lot.

Going to start watching some Netflix before bed from now on. Haven't done this in ages.
 
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pbrocks15 said:
When your going through the exam are you hyper (in a good way)? Like are you looking back and forth from question to passage quickly and just working faster?

I could possibly need this haha
Click to expand...
For me it makes me work better/faster AND have better memory in verbal and in general both am MORE analytical and MORE confident in my answers, so I catch trap questions more often, but I question the easy ones less.

It defs isnt for everyone though and I would say try it on a few fls first
 
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Oh, hyper wise, Im usually shivering from the amount of energy I have and feel like Im going to jump out of my seat any second
 
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One of my friends recommended having a snickers bar between each section, tempting... Might try it on my next AAMC CBT FL.
 
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pbrocks15 said:
What makes coffee more of a diuretic compared to energy drinks?
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Energy drinks are usually full of sodium and "electrolytes" which despite whatever magical properties they do have do promote a higher osmotic pressure of your body fluids, so you dont lose as much water through the kidneys in the short term
 
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TBRBiosadist said:
Energy drinks are usually full of sodium and "electrolytes" which despite whatever magical properties they do have do promote a higher osmotic pressure of your body fluids, so you dont lose as much water through the kidneys in the short term
Click to expand...

Hm, that explains a lot about my last finals week during spring term lol.
 
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I'm taking the TPR prep course but i'm also very interested in doing the SN2ed schedule. Is it possible/viable to do both? If so, which should I do first? I really, REALLY want to achieve my highest score on this thing.
 
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malamia said:
I'm taking the TPR prep course but i'm also very interested in doing the SN2ed schedule. Is it possible/viable to do both? If so, which should I do first? I really, REALLY want to achieve my highest score on this thing.
Click to expand...

I did exactly that - I took a TPR classroom course (finishing this week) while also doing SN2's schedule. It's definitely viable. What I did is that I followed primarily SN2's schedule and then I would supplement with passages from TPR science workbook for all 4 subjects. TPR gives you a full, entire schedule but I didn't really follow that. It would have been too much to do both.
 
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DoctorInASaree said:
Me too! Oct 21st. I purchased AAMC, TPR, and TBR FL tests. I bought a few Kaplan tests, and ugh.

HERMIONE with TBR! 😀 I love your signature!
Click to expand...

Im Oct. 25th 🙂. I just got PM'd by another 35+ scorer who said they were very helpful, so based on feedback and a little more research I decided to put in an order in for the TBR tests.

BUT THIS: "At the present time the AAMC does not offer testing dates for the MCAT during the autumn months of October, November, or December. During this period our online CBTs will be down and not available untilDecember 15th, when they open up again for the January testing dates. Exams purchased for the year 2014 must be completed by the last exam date given in September of 2014. They cannot be extended into a new year." 🙁(((((

I have emailed them but in the past had no luck with responses. This is worrying me. :wtf:

Thanks Saree 😍, I'll admit I was a big potter-head back in the day. We had a huge feud with the Twi-terds at my school lol
 
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pbrocks15 said:
Did you start using TPR?
Click to expand...

Yes I did. Biggest regret. Books, online resources are good, but the actual hw structure and lectures sucked IMO. And that amount of money means a lot to a self-supporting student 🙁

Their CBTs are good though
 
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namesthegame21 said:
BUT THIS: "At the present time the AAMC does not offer testing dates for the MCAT during the autumn months of October, November, or December. During this period our online CBTs will be down and not available untilDecember 15th, when they open up again for the January testing dates. Exams purchased for the year 2014 must be completed by the last exam date given in September of 2014. They cannot be extended into a new year." 🙁(((((
Click to expand...

There's no way this can't be an error! I mean, we've already signed up for our seats and everything, so I guess someone just forgot to edit this blurp. This is the first year they're having tests during October, November, and December, right?

Also, this 'do all 2/3's' day is killing me. I'm supposed to review this all tomorrow and still get a long chapter of Gen-Chem in + 1/3? Huh...
 
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