SN2'd first day

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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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mehc012 said:
lol, I literally posted the Anki deck which is my sole source of studying (other than TBR passages and EK1001 discretes, the useful bits of which end up in Anki anyway). I take zero notes, have zero process, except the Anki which I shared.

I've got no secrets to give!

Hopefully I'll go up once I cover E&M, optics, genetics, and thermodynamics and can answer those with more than 'yeah, I vaguely remember that from highschool or college' :/
Click to expand...

Did you post the new updated deck?

I haven't been doing then as much as before. How much time do you spend on it.
 
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pbrocks15 said:
Did you post the new updated deck?

I haven't been doing then as much as before. How much time do you spend on it.
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No...I may or may not have gotten through any chapters since the last time we spoke.
Seriously, though, my work has been killing me...I had a 15.5hr day this week in addition to several 10-5s.
I'm not worried, though...I get into these little blocks and then I break out of them and crank through 4-5Ch in a few days.

I spend 30min/day on MCAT Anki.
 
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mehc012 said:
No...I may or may not have gotten through any chapters since the last time we spoke.
Seriously, though, my work has been killing me...I had a 15.5hr day this week in addition to several 10-5s.
I'm not worried, though...I get into these little blocks and then I break out of them and crank through 4-5Ch in a few days.

I spend 30min/day on MCAT Anki.
Click to expand...

Well keep it up! You got this!
 
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pbrocks15 said:
Well keep it up! You got this!
Click to expand...
Thanks!

Also, I kind of plan to start doing biweekly cram blocks...set up a cram deck, go through 500 or so cards (without affecting scheduling). Every card I get wrong will be tagged so I do it 1x/day for the next several days. Every few days I will randomly select a different 500 card set, and so on.
 
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I would start a new thread but after seeing the responses to this thread I think I'll ask here for some much needed advice. Back in March I decided to try the free AAMC 3 without any content review (although I was in OCHEM and just finished physics) and got a 35 -14/9/12. So I was pretty ecstatic. Started a modified SN2ed schedule around the middle of May and just finished up content review last week. So this week I took AAMC 9 and got a 36 -14/9/13. I understand it is a great score but I am kind of bummed because of the minimal improvement.

Did y'all feel like AAMC 9 was more difficult or AAMC 3 excessively easy? Any thoughts on how to see more improvement?
Thanks in advance for the help.
 
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JMMTB said:
I would start a new thread but after seeing the responses to this thread I think I'll ask here for some much needed advice. Back in March I decided to try the free AAMC 3 without any content review (although I was in OCHEM and just finished physics) and got a 35 -14/9/12. So I was pretty ecstatic. Started a modified SN2ed schedule around the middle of May and just finished up content review last week. So this week I took AAMC 9 and got a 36 -14/9/13. I understand it is a great score but I am kind of bummed because of the minimal improvement.

Did y'all feel like AAMC 9 was more difficult or AAMC 3 excessively easy? Any thoughts on how to see more improvement?
Thanks in advance for the help.
Click to expand...
People say AAMC 3 is easiest but I have been hearing recently that all of the exams are equal in difficulty , They test normally different content so your lack of a jump in score might be that AAMC 9 might test areas that you are particularly weak in.. No one can answer this question unless you do some serious post game. Why did you get those questions wrong ? The ones you got right did you know for sure the right answer or did you use the process of elimination , try and nail down why you got that score then you can say what really went wrong .. But great job!! A great score like that should not go unseen !!👍:clap::clap:
 
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pbrocks15 said:
The dealership by my house has the Aston Martin Vanquish in matte white. It's beautiful, its only $130,000. Although it's used its in amazing condition.
Audi's are amazing cars. The RS5 and RS7 are rare, you don't see those out often.
The Veneno doesn't even look realistic. There's a youtube video of a guy who bought it and he's talking about it.

Have you heard of Mansory? They customize cars. If you wanna kill some time check their website out: http://www.mansory.com.
Click to expand...

What about your 3?
 
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So, anyone here able to correct me if I've got this wrong?

During the MCAT, if I finish PS early, I then have that time plus break time (10min), right?
And then again after VR.
But I can't combine them to get like, a 45-min break after VR, right?
 
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poop420 said:
People say AAMC 3 is easiest but I have been hearing recently that all of the exams are equal in difficulty , They test normally different content so your lack of a jump in score might be that AAMC 9 might test areas that you are particularly weak in.. No one can answer this question unless you do some serious post game. Why did you get those questions wrong ? The ones you got right did you know for sure the right answer or did you use the process of elimination , try and nail down why you got that score then you can say what really went wrong .. But great job!! A great score like that should not go unseen !!👍:clap::clap:
Click to expand...
Thanks for the advice. I'm definitely going to look more in depth at both tests tomorrow and see if I can nail down my weaknesses.

Also everyone is talking about Anki flashcards. I found the Anki website, but how do you open the files?
 
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JMMTB said:
Thanks for the advice. I'm definitely going to look more in depth at both tests tomorrow and see if I can nail down my weaknesses.

Also everyone is talking about Anki flashcards. I found the Anki website, but how do you open the files?
Click to expand...
You just double click on them.
But really, the money in Anki comes from making your own cards. I always feel weird sharing mine not because I want people to do poorly, or work hard, or something, but because I honestly believe they'll get less than half of what I did from making them, and I worry that it'll contribute to them not making their own, ever.
 
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Complegely unrelated to mcat but today I met someone who couldnt find what 10% of a bill was.


This person was 27 and had graduated from high school.
 
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EK101 sucks ba*ls .. I would just use TPRH Verbal .. Most on here would agree with that. EK 101 is good if you need the extra practice but there explanations are just frustrating to say the least
 
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If I was put in a room with ek101, hitler, and pol pot and I had a gun with two bullets I would shoot ek101 twice.


In the kneecaps


And then pistol whip it to death.


Then stab it in the chest with epinephrine and bring it back to life.


Then pistol whip it to death again.
 
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poop420 said:
Is it just me or TBR didn't go over salts and how to identify neutral , acidic or basic ?
Click to expand...
No they did not, simple enough to do though.
A salt of a strong acid and weak base is acidic
A salt of a weak acid and strong base is basic
A salt of a weak/strong acid with a weak/strong base (respectively) is neutral.
 
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sherpame said:
I am a long time lurker and just decided to start the SN2ed schedule today. Any advice?
Click to expand...

Get out while your ahead.

Just kidding! The main advice I usually say is to go hard from the beginning and get an understanding of all the material. Don't pass over something and say you'll learn it later through the passages. Yes, you can solidify your understanding via the passages but make sure you have a good foundation in content. That being said, don't spend FOREVER on content. If you stick to the schedule you will be fine because the way Sn2ed does it makes content fly real quick.

Although it may be hard to find, throughout this thread we have been giving each other advice, try to find them.
 
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Hey, folks! Today's a break day, yay, but I'm obviously thinking about the MCAT either way.

I have a question for ya'll. Do you guys take detailed notes when you miss questions on Bio passages through TBR. It goes into such depth (compared to what I read in EK), there're a lot of times I feel like I don't have anything but facts (which are pretty useless) to write. I mean, I made plenty of mistakes where I didn't realize the answers were in the passage, and I clearly need to get better at that, but unlike Physics and Chem where I can outline why I got the problem right/wrong, I seem to have trouble writing anything down at all for Bio.

What do you guys tend to do?
 
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420skeptic said:
Hey everyone! I need a few opinions on what I should do.

I originally registered for the January MCAT because I work full-time, I have to take at least 2 courses this semester, and I got an 11 (3VR/5PS/3BS) on my diagnostic. So I figured I should give myself extra time, but now I'm considering rescheduling for Nov. 7th.

Here are my reasons:
1- At work, I literally do nothing but sit in front of a computer for 8 hours waiting for the phone to ring, which rarely happens because I work the midnight shift. So I know I'll have plenty of time to study while at work.
2- One of the 2 courses I have to take is a retake and the other course has an "easy" professor, so I don't think I'll be overwhelmed by that.
3- I spent the last week reading TPR and EK verbal books and now(after only a week) my verbal average is 9, so I'm progressing a lot faster than I thought I would.

Question:

Does it make sense to stick with my 5-month schedule and take the exam for the first time in January?

Or should I go with the sn2'd 3-month schedule and take it in November so that I'll still have time to retake it in case I bomb it?


Thanks for your help!
Click to expand...
I would go with the 4 month sn2'd schedule if you're gonna be working that much and taking classes
 
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pbrocks15 said:
Get out while your ahead.

Just kidding! The main advice I usually say is to go hard from the beginning and get an understanding of all the material. Don't pass over something and say you'll learn it later through the passages. Yes, you can solidify your understanding via the passages but make sure you have a good foundation in content. That being said, don't spend FOREVER on content. If you stick to the schedule you will be fine because the way Sn2ed does it makes content fly real quick.

Although it may be hard to find, throughout this thread we have been giving each other advice, try to find them.
Click to expand...

i have modified the schedule to 3.5 months. what is the best way to check your progress before taking the practice exams?
 
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MelloTangelo said:
Hey, folks! Today's a break day, yay, but I'm obviously thinking about the MCAT either way.

I have a question for ya'll. Do you guys take detailed notes when you miss questions on Bio passages through TBR. It goes into such depth (compared to what I read in EK), there're a lot of times I feel like I don't have anything but facts (which are pretty useless) to write. I mean, I made plenty of mistakes where I didn't realize the answers were in the passage, and I clearly need to get better at that, but unlike Physics and Chem where I can outline why I got the problem right/wrong, I seem to have trouble writing anything down at all for Bio.

What do you guys tend to do?
Click to expand...
I'll let u kno when i do bio!
I've been doing physics chapters all week bc i dont have a good foundation but I will be alternating chapters between books soon, bio will be first bc after a cursory review it looks like they have 15! Passages per chapter which will be a ton of work
Congrats on the first week!!!
 
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Actually now I'm not sure

A quick search showed that Tbr bio has passages that test really minute details...but it seems that most people are saying that the mcat has lots of experimental passages like tprh sw?

I havent heard much anecdotal evidence of there being anything BUT experimental bio sections
Are some tests' BS
sections more rote memorization based than others?

Do yall think Tbr bio passages helped in prep for The FLs?
 
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sillyjoe said:
OK so my test is in 6 days and I have completely stopped caring. I have zero motivation to study or do anything productive.

Happy Saturday everyone!
Click to expand...

Lets_go_exploring.jpg
 
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pbrocks15 said:
Mansory Carbonado GT Lamborghini Aventador.

It's on their website.

Epic car, it's got lIke 1400hp, plus it's all carbon, and it looks hot as hell.
Click to expand...


Kourosh Mansory's Cars are #fastandferious although i prob would have to sell my kidney just to afford one.
 
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Is there a better thread maybe to ask advice? i am looking for people to give me real advice on allopathic schools and not from those who are just tryin for DO.
 
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ayocaptain628 said:
Actually now I'm not sure

A quick search showed that Tbr bio has passages that test really minute details...but it seems that most people are saying that the mcat has lots of experimental passages like tprh sw?

I havent heard much anecdotal evidence of there being anything BUT experimental bio sections
Are some tests' BS
sections more rote memorization based than others?

Do yall think Tbr bio passages helped in prep for The FLs?
Click to expand...

I think it could help but TBR sometimes has passages out of scope of the MCAT.
 
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sherpame said:
Do you even get good scores? This is terrible advice
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He's talking about the SA's, not FLs.
Though I personally want to take the SA's as they are a huge bank of AAMC questions, he has a point that if you are scoring well on the FLs and have gone through all of the chapters as per SN2ed, the SA's are not necessary, though they likely don't hurt. Also, I'm starting to think that scores have shockingly little to do with your preparation level, esp considering that I have 25% of my content left and it doesn't seem to be hurting me much.
sherpame said:
It's prob more important to focus on the studies and not the cars 😉
Click to expand...
Hey now. @orangetea has been on this thread since page 1, with plenty of helpful comments and study discussion...this is an advice thread, a commiseration thread, and a bit of a social thread to boot. A few off-topic posts here or there are not the end of the world.
 
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sherpame said:
i have modified the schedule to 3.5 months. what is the best way to check your progress before taking the practice exams?
Click to expand...
You have received multiple answers to your questions, and more likely would have been forthcoming if you had not become rude about it.
That being said, since you are clearly a new poster, I'm just going to ignore those other posts from now on and blame them on the internetz. So, here goes:
Definitely try to do it in 3-4mo. Your 3.5mo schedule sounds ideal. When you finish content review, take an AAMC and then, if not scoring where you want, the SAs.
Personally, I would then reorder the final 1/3s as such: chapters which the SA states you need to work on or which you got very low percentages on your first and second thirds get done first. They get the full workup: re-read chapters, do more EK1001s, maybe crack open an alternate review book or even a textbook to cover those topics. Take more time, even, than allotted in the schedule. Then, after those are done, work on ones where you scored well on the SA and the first ⅓s, prioritizing older ones (less need to review Ch10 than Ch1 given how recently you'll have seen them, right?) It's OK if you run out of time on those, because you prioritized your weaknesses and this is your third review of everything.

And above all, if your FLs are not scoring in the range you want 1.5wks prior to M-day: DO NOT SIT THE EXAM.

sherpame said:
im sure u don't even score high. i've seen ur advice in this thread and it's always fluffy bs.

@mehc012 how you always scoring so high?
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This came up after I finished...seriously, bro, keep treating other members of SDN this way, even those you deem 'less useful', and you're gonna have a bad time. Had this been posted before I wrote mine, you wouldn't have been getting a response, because you'd be on my ignore list. Remember that EVERYone can read what you write, not just those you are addressing.
 
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sherpame said:
im sure u don't even score high. i've seen ur advice in this thread and it's always fluffy bs.

@mehc012 how you always scoring so high?
Click to expand...


Aww man.. I guess it's time to post screen shots @sillyjoe.

You know for someone that's so inclined to do medicine.. you seem to be awfully critical/judgmental of "people". You do know that besides a 4.0 and a 44 it is VERY essential that an ALLOPATHIC physician can interact with PEOPLE?

But what am I saying.. I actually want to also apply to DO and incorporate the OMM model to open a clinic helping the underserved.

I wish you the best dear.
 
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