SN2'd first day

[TexasSurgeon]

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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[mehc012]

Anyone playing catch up after thanksgiving?



Would you suggest avoiding their full lengths? I unfortunately already took all the AAMCs (I was considering retaking a few, but did not want to rely too heavily on material I've seen already).

I never tried any FLs other than the AAMCs, as I was in a time crunch and never finished all of them. Sorry I can't help more.

Don't forget the SAs, though!

 

[TeddyBoomBoom]

I can't recommend this plan enough. I'm a non trad student who took some of the core science classes literally 10+ years ago.

Obviously, I had a lot of work to do.

I followed the plan vigorously, and put in a looooootttt of work. I'm quite sure that my good score (33) would not have happened without the plan made available here on sdn.

Stick with it
Just my 2 cents!

 

[vanillabear55]

Need advice for my full lengths guys:

I already took all the AAMCs (between april and july of this year).

I was considering retaking 3, 9, 10, and 11. 3 because its free and 9, 10, and 11 because they're the most representative.
Additionally I have a kaplan exam I bought and never took, and was going to buy 3 TBR full lengths.

Thoughts? I know Sn2 suggests not retaking old material, but I feel like I need to revisit at least a few of them and get a feel for a score based on AAMC....anyone know if TBR scores are similar to real mcat scores or if they're much lower/higher?

any/all advice is appreciated - thanks!

 

[mehc012]

Need advice for my full lengths guys:

I already took all the AAMCs (between april and july of this year).

I was considering retaking 3, 9, 10, and 11. 3 because its free and 9, 10, and 11 because they're the most representative.
Additionally I have a kaplan exam I bought and never took, and was going to buy 3 TBR full lengths.

Thoughts? I know Sn2 suggests not retaking old material, but I feel like I need to revisit at least a few of them and get a feel for a score based on AAMC....anyone know if TBR scores are similar to real mcat scores or if they're much lower/higher?

any/all advice is appreciated - thanks!

If they're retakes, you won't get a reasonable feel as to the score.

 

[vanillabear55]

If they're retakes, you won't get a reasonable feel as to the score.

I know, but I'm trying to weigh that against how realistic the TBR full lengths are...which I have no idea haha, I was trying to get a mix of things and not rely too heavily on one company. Maybe do 5 TBR, 1-2 AAMC retakes, and a Kaplan?

which leads to the next question of what order to do them, eeeeshhhhh

 

[mehc012]

I know, but I'm trying to weigh that against how realistic the TBR full lengths are...which I have no idea haha, I was trying to get a mix of things and not rely too heavily on one company. Maybe do 5 TBR, 1-2 AAMC retakes, and a Kaplan?

which leads to the next question of what order to do them, eeeeshhhhh

No, straight-up, AAMC retakes will be less than useful. Best to spend your time otherwise.

 

[TexasSurgeon]

No, straight-up, AAMC retakes will be less than useful. Best to spend your time otherwise.

Slightly disagree if you're like me who never remembers stuff

 

[mehc012]

Slightly disagree if you're like me who never remembers stuff

a) The main reason they want to use AAMC is to get 'a more accurate score prediction'. That is the one way in which retakes are likely to be the least helpful source. Take those, score several points above where you want to be, and you're asking for heartache when the real deal knocks you down.

b) Even if you don't remember the questions (though I find it unlikely that your brain will not store even a slight subconscious hint), you've already taken these exams and (hopefully) reviewed them thoroughly. That means that you theoretically have specifically reviewed all of the 'problem' subjects and minutiae that you'll find on this exam. At that point, it's more akin to taking a test after asking the prof to tell you exactly which subjects you need to know, remember, and cover - no, you don't have the answers, but you are unrealistically 100% prepped on all of the subjects on the exam.

 

[vanillabear55]

Slightly disagree if you're like me who never remembers stuff

Yeah...I'm pretty sure I don't remember it haha

a) The main reason they want to use AAMC is to get 'a more accurate score prediction'. That is the one way in which retakes are likely to be the least helpful source. Take those, score several points above where you want to be, and you're asking for heartache when the real deal knocks you down.

b) Even if you don't remember the questions (though I find it unlikely that your brain will not store even a slight subconscious hint), you've already taken these exams and (hopefully) reviewed them thoroughly. That means that you theoretically have specifically reviewed all of the 'problem' subjects and minutiae that you'll find on this exam. At that point, it's more akin to taking a test after asking the prof to tell you exactly which subjects you need to know, remember, and cover - no, you don't have the answers, but you are unrealistically 100% prepped on all of the subjects on the exam.

I took them when I was studying for a summer MCAT which didn't pan out, followed by a 2.5 month break (stupid decision), and now I'm redoing everything following Sn2ed for a Jan MCAT.
I 100% get your points.
I've decided to take 5 TBR, 1 Kaplan, and 2-3 GS. I will probably take AAMC 3 because it is free and I took that the longest ago, but I'll probably take it first, give myself a slight ego boost to push me through the home stretch.

Thanks everyone! Hope you're all doing well

 

[ayocaptain628]

dec. 6th!
gl to @DoctorInASaree and the other people from here taking the mcat today

 

[TexasSurgeon]

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!!!

 

[vanillabear55]

So for my ANKI people out there- do you suggest using it the day before or the morning of the test?

 

[mehc012]

So for my ANKI people out there- do you suggest using it the day before or the morning of the test?

I did...helped me calm down and feel like I was being productive, even though it probably didn't do much. It just made me feel confident, you know?

 

[vanillabear55]

I did...helped me calm down and feel like I was being productive, even though it probably didn't do much. It just made me feel confident, you know?

Definitely, leaning towards it myself

Did you do anything special like any specific content areas/some sort of custom study or just what cards were due for those days?

 

[mehc012]

Definitely, leaning towards it myself

Did you do anything special like any specific content areas/some sort of custom study or just what cards were due for those days?

I made a Cram deck with ALL of my cards randomly mixed in and just sat outside in my hammock doing however many cards I felt like doing without pushing myself. It was nice because if I had had a doable batch of cards, I would have felt pressure to get through them. Instead, at some point I just started thinking "man, I know this stuff cold, I really don't even need to do these" and eventually calmed down and stopped doing them.

 

[vanillabear55]

I made a Cram deck with ALL of my cards randomly mixed in and just sat outside in my hammock doing however many cards I felt like doing without pushing myself. It was nice because if I had had a doable batch of cards, I would have felt pressure to get through them. Instead, at some point I just started thinking "man, I know this stuff cold, I really don't even need to do these" and eventually calmed down and stopped doing them.

I like the way you think haha

Now I just really wish I had a hammock... and the weather to enjoy one in right now

 

[Montisumo]

sup folks,

im finding that im able to review 1 PS chapter a day (and kind of grasp concepts)+ do the in chapter questions. I do the EK lecture exams for each of these chapters the following day. Also, every day I do 3 verbal passages + review them thoroughly (understand why the wrong answers are incorrect). I'm not sure if I'm moving too slowly, but I feel that if I try to review more than 1 chapter a day, I'll miss a lot of information, and practice. What do you guys think? I'd love to hear your thoughts. I'm a neuroscience PhD, so I've been out of these undergrad classes for a few years, but I am finding that I can kind of recall some? of this info, or atleast have a strong sense of where to find it if I dont.

 

[Montisumo]

Also, I'm finding that Kaplan books are kind of vague... I always find myself needing other resources, but for EK, there are many more figures and diagrams, plus the in chapter examples are easier to follow along. This is all IMO. My friend got a 39 just using EK set. I'm thinkin of stickin with EK, doing my Kaplan class then re-reviewing all the chapters using my Kaplan books to fill in gaps. (OFC take practice exams along the way)

 

[mehc012]

Also, I'm finding that Kaplan books are kind of vague... I always find myself needing other resources, but for EK, there are many more figures and diagrams, plus the in chapter examples are easier to follow along. This is all IMO. My friend got a 39 just using EK set. I'm thinkin of stickin with EK, doing my Kaplan class then re-reviewing all the chapters using my Kaplan books to fill in gaps. (OFC take practice exams along the way)

Sounds like you've got a plan. Honestly, your book preference is just that: a preference. They will all get you where you need to go. For me, I did better with more info and more text. For you, EK is working. So go with what works.

Your pace is also somewhat unimportant, as long as you have enough time to factor it in. If you have enough time between now and your test to proceed the way you've outlined it, (AND SOME UNANTICIPATED BREAK DAYS), you're set. Just keep on keeping on...the hard part is sticking with things once you've planned them out!

 

[Montisumo]

*correction, Kaplan chapter 5 in Gen. Chem is wayyy better than EK lecture 1 on chemical kinetics, looks like there will be some back and forth after all. Ty for the answer friend!

 

[TBRBiosadist]

Wow this thread is still alive. Hi!

 

[Cawolf]

I didn't post much in here, but I always read it.

Helped me through my studying!

 

[mehc012]

Wow this thread is still alive. Hi!

It's clinging to life, more like. I think it'll pass soon.

 

[sillyjoe]

Ahhhh the memories....

 

[TBRBiosadist]

all good things come and go friends, but the memories......well they're probably pretty damn temporary as well.

 

[TexasSurgeon]

I can't believe this still is popular enough to be on the 2nd page.

Hopefully it stays alive though the change!

 

[deleted647690]

I know it's 80 bajillion years late, but yeah, I did just recently finish content review. Won't be useful for those in my test date (no, you are not going to retain 2800+ cards in 2days) but I know many of you are not 27thers.
It's a bit clunky and incredibly overly detailed, but I love it! And hey, my current FL avg is ~41...it may not have been the Anki, but then again, I used nothing but Anki, EK1001, and practice passages!

Mehc's MCAT Madness Anki Deck (2014 exam)

For a quick Anki overview, here is a thread I started, and then woefully allowed to go dormant...still has some good info in it, and if anyone sends me a specific question (by replying to that thread, please don't PM because then no one else gets to see it), I will try to add an entry to that thread!
Anki Central

Now, I like to type in answers, as I feel that it really makes it obvious whether I knew the answer or not, so most of my cards will have some sort of typing component. Therefore, a lot of my cards will have a typing hint displayed just above the typing prompt - italicized cues as to the capitalization or format of the answer. Here's an overview of my commonly used typing hints:

lc means that it is in lower case
Uc means that the first word is Upper case, and
'ABB' means an abbreviation such as LH or FSH.
'alpha' means alphabetical order.
lclist, means a comma-separated list with no caps.
2words, 3words, etc should be self-explanatory. 2and means 2 words with an 'and' in between. Same with 2or
# means a number
,,,and means a list with 3 commas and an 'and' at the end.
'y' means nothing...it's just the default and likely means I made that card before I started making Typing clues.

I often abbreviate the typing and only do the first word if there are multiple.
If I use an acronym for that list, it will be on the card when you review it, and typing will be in the order of the acronym.

Oh, and if you use mobile, be sure to go into settings and turn off typing responses because it's super annoying there.

I named my deck something specific so that it doesn't get mixed in with yours.


MAKE SURE YOU EDIT THESE TO YOUR LIKING!
During your first pass through the deck, stop EVERY time you hit a card you dislike, or which just doesn't 'click' for you, and edit it until it does...change the words, the phrasing, the typing hint, take typing out, whatever. Do not keep a card in your deck which feels 'off' to you. For this reason, I recommend that your first pass through new cards be done on the computer, as editing is far easier. Alternatively, you could suspend/mark any off-kilter cards and then make time later to revise them.

Good luck and good studying!
-mehc012

PS - If you downloaded the first half of my deck, once you import this one simply search for the tag 'shared' and delete those cards, and you should be able to merge everything perfectly! There will be a few (<30) duplicates because I changed the format of some cards to enable typing...when you run into those, just delete whichever version you dislike.

Sidenote for picky Anki users like me: Remember, Anki always makes the notes for any imported deck a new Note type to avoid messing up formats...so if you downloaded the first half of them, you'll have 2 Basic+ Note types, etc...this is easy enough to change, just go in the Browser, select one of the two versions of that Note format from the sidebar, select all of those cards, and "Change Note type" to the other Basic+. You should end up with 0 cards of one Basic+ type and all cards of the other, and then you can simply delete the duplicate Note type. Or you can not worry about it, but it would drive me bananas. Good skill to learn for after importing decks anyway, or you'll end up with as many Basic Note types as the number of decks you import+1!

Hey, thanks for sharing this with people! Do you think this would be worth using if we are taking the new 2015 exam?

 

[mehc012]

Hey, thanks for sharing this with people! Do you think this would be worth using if we are taking the new 2015 exam?

Yup. The old material is still on there. If you see something come up that you don't think is current anymore (though, really check to see if it is) you can always delete it. I also think that since I used TBR Bio and was very thorough in my review, it covers a fair amount of biochem (as a side note on that topic, I got >80% correct on the trial Biochem section...didn't study for it beyond what's in here and dgaf at that stage of the exam).

 

[deleted647690]

Yup. The old material is still on there. If you see something come up that you don't think is current anymore (though, really check to see if it is) you can always delete it. I also think that since I used TBR Bio and was very thorough in my review, it covers a fair amount of biochem (as a side note on that topic, I got >80% correct on the trial Biochem section...didn't study for it beyond what's in here and dgaf at that stage of the exam).

I'll probably use your cards to study then! I don't know if you saw the other thread I created, but I wanted to know how to properly make and use Anki cards for MCAT study. I may study this summer (still haven't decided when I am taking the exam), but do you just make cards for material as you go through the prep books and then just review them every now and then? I am new to anki; I don't know if you know of any threads that explain how to effectively do this.

 

[mehc012]

I'll probably use your cards to study then! I don't know if you saw the other thread I created, but I wanted to know how to properly make and use Anki cards for MCAT study. I may study this summer (still haven't decided when I am taking the exam), but do you just make cards for material as you go through the prep books and then just review them every now and then? I am new to anki; I don't know if you know of any threads that explain how to effectively do this.

Did you try the one in my Sig called "Anki Central"?
Also, make sure you use the post linked in my sig for the flashcard deck...it's the most up to date one.

Or, search through this thread for posts by me with keywords like 'Anki' or 'EK1001'...I describe my own study tactics pretty thoroughly. They may not work for you, but it's a starting point!

Don't study them occasionally..study your Due Anki cards everyday. Anki will keep track of which ones need to be only occasional.

 

[banana_phone]

Is anyone else using the Sn2ed schedule to prep for an upcoming spring/summer MCAT? I test 4/23, and am going to be wrapping up content review next week. I had been improving on my TBR passage scores but did my 2nd 1/3 for a batch of chapters today and did pretty badly on a lot of them.

Talk about demoralizing. I have taken one TPR FL (506) and one NS FL (508). Taking a second NS test tomorrow, and really hoping to see some improvement which will show me that my scores today were due to tiredness/distraction..

This schedule can be so tough on the ego!

 

[Bleu]

Is anyone else using the Sn2ed schedule to prep for an upcoming spring/summer MCAT? I test 4/23, and am going to be wrapping up content review next week. I had been improving on my TBR passage scores but did my 2nd 1/3 for a batch of chapters today and did pretty badly on a lot of them.

Talk about demoralizing. I have taken one TPR FL (506) and one NS FL (508). Taking a second NS test tomorrow, and really hoping to see some improvement which will show me that my scores today were due to tiredness/distraction..

This schedule can be so tough on the ego!

I didn't realize this thread existed. I'm using the schedule but not testing until the summer for an application in "17." I'm starting next week because I can't do all day everyday studying. Some days will be longer some shorter.

 

[mehc012]

I didn't realize this thread existed. I'm using the schedule but not testing until the summer for an application in "17." I'm starting next week because I can't do all day everyday studying. Some days will be longer some shorter.

When I did SN2ed, I was working a few jobs with inconsistent hours (always averaging a bit above F/T total, though). My solution was to break the schedule down into tasks, instead of days. Some days I could tackle several tasks, sometimes one, or even none. This helped me keep an eye on my progress and feel productive without being overwhelmed by a rigid schedule. Just an idea. Good luck!

 

[Sed8&Intub8]

Miss those days, not! Well maybe a little