Stressing about the DAT. Need advice!

[SladerJ]

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Hey everyone!

So I take my DAT in just under a month (June 27, 2015 to be exact) and naturally the stress has really been getting to me lately. More so than normal but I'll get to that in a minute.

First a little about my backstory,

I am about to be a Senior at UAB (University of Alabama at Birmingham) and I'm double majoring in Molecular Biology, and Music w/ a concentration in Classical Guitar. I am also a Chemistry minor.
I am Vice President of my fraternity on campus (Theta Chi Fraternity, Eta Psi Chapter), a member of the UAB Rugby Club, a member of the UAB Pre-dental society, and I have been in the UAB Guitar Ensemble for several years and give classical guitar recitals every semester. I also played electric guitar for the UAB Marching Blazers for a couple of years.

I worked in a pharmacy for two years as a pharmacy technician, I have about 12o hours of dental shadowing, have volunteered with several organizations on campus multiple times such as Habitat for Humanity, Christian Mission Service, and have help put on several philanthropy events to raise money for the USO( a total of about 80 hours or so)

However,
My sGPA is a 3.0 and my oGPA is a 3.1 🙁
So I'm stressing way more than I should for my DAT because my chances of getting in anywhere are really riding on this test. I have been studying for the past month and I have about a month to go till my test (I'm also taking a couple of summer classes). I'll be sending in my application literally the day after I finish my DAT. I'm just so nervous because if I don't do well on the DAT then I might not be able to fulfill my dream of becoming a dentist.

I have been studying using: Chads Videos, DAT Destroyer, Math Destroyer, DAT Bootcamp, and Cliffs AP Bio book. Most of my practice scores have been quite average lately (around a 17-18) and it's been discouraging to say the least. As for the DAT Destroyer and Math Destroyer......lets just say they're destroying me.

Any study advice or tips on how to better prepare? Also, any advice on how to better memorize large volumes of information? ( Math rules and formulas, Orgo reactions, Gen chem rules and the like)

 

[predent_mathlete]

Personally I find writing things out extremely helpful in memorization. I don't mean once for notes, but write it so many times that you could recite it in your sleep. I'm a math major so memorization isn't really my thing, but last semester I took a proofs course where we had to memorize proofs of theorems for exams. I would have pages and pages where I just rewrote them over and over until they were burned into my brain.

 

[DAT Destroyer]

Hey everyone!

So I take my DAT in just under a month (June 27, 2015 to be exact) and naturally the stress has really been getting to me lately. More so than normal but I'll get to that in a minute.

First a little about my backstory,

I am about to be a Senior at UAB (University of Alabama at Birmingham) and I'm double majoring in Molecular Biology, and Music w/ a concentration in Classical Guitar. I am also a Chemistry minor.
I am Vice President of my fraternity on campus (Theta Chi Fraternity, Eta Psi Chapter), a member of the UAB Rugby Club, a member of the UAB Pre-dental society, and I have been in the UAB Guitar Ensemble for several years and give classical guitar recitals every semester. I also played electric guitar for the UAB Marching Blazers for a couple of years.

I worked in a pharmacy for two years as a pharmacy technician, I have about 12o hours of dental shadowing, have volunteered with several organizations on campus multiple times such as Habitat for Humanity, Christian Mission Service, and have help put on several philanthropy events to raise money for the USO( a total of about 80 hours or so)

However,
My sGPA is a 3.0 and my oGPA is a 3.1 🙁
So I'm stressing way more than I should for my DAT because my chances of getting in anywhere are really riding on this test. I have been studying for the past month and I have about a month to go till my test (I'm also taking a couple of summer classes). I'll be sending in my application literally the day after I finish my DAT. I'm just so nervous because if I don't do well on the DAT then I might not be able to fulfill my dream of becoming a dentist.

I have been studying using: Chads Videos, DAT Destroyer, Math Destroyer, DAT Bootcamp, and Cliffs AP Bio book. Most of my practice scores have been quite average lately (around a 17-18) and it's been discouraging to say the least. As for the DAT Destroyer and Math Destroyer......lets just say they're destroying me.

Any study advice or tips on how to better prepare? Also, any advice on how to better memorize large volumes of information? ( Math rules and formulas, Orgo reactions, Gen chem rules and the like)

Hi Slader,

I would like to offer you some encouragement and also let you know you are not alone with what you are feeling and experiencing.You are correct in stating your science is GPA is low so it is imperative your score as high as possible on the DAT. The DAT Destroyer is a VERY challenging book but so is the DAT. It will take hard work and perseverance but it is very doable.

You should feel very comfortable with the work in the Destroyers before attempting the DAT, there are many many versions of the DAT and I assure you they are not all the same. It is important that you prepare for whatever comes your way. Anything is fair game that is stated in the 2015 DAT Guide(see attachment)


It is much better to find out now that you do not understand something than on test day.

You can work now to make you weaknesses your strengths.

You are on the right track and have great study materials.

Hopefully some SDN students will also offer some advice.

Wishing you the best!!

Nancy

 

[Ame535]

Hey everyone!

So I take my DAT in just under a month (June 27, 2015 to be exact) and naturally the stress has really been getting to me lately. More so than normal but I'll get to that in a minute.

First a little about my backstory,

I am about to be a Senior at UAB (University of Alabama at Birmingham) and I'm double majoring in Molecular Biology, and Music w/ a concentration in Classical Guitar. I am also a Chemistry minor.
I am Vice President of my fraternity on campus (Theta Chi Fraternity, Eta Psi Chapter), a member of the UAB Rugby Club, a member of the UAB Pre-dental society, and I have been in the UAB Guitar Ensemble for several years and give classical guitar recitals every semester. I also played electric guitar for the UAB Marching Blazers for a couple of years.

I worked in a pharmacy for two years as a pharmacy technician, I have about 12o hours of dental shadowing, have volunteered with several organizations on campus multiple times such as Habitat for Humanity, Christian Mission Service, and have help put on several philanthropy events to raise money for the USO( a total of about 80 hours or so)

However,
My sGPA is a 3.0 and my oGPA is a 3.1 🙁
So I'm stressing way more than I should for my DAT because my chances of getting in anywhere are really riding on this test. I have been studying for the past month and I have about a month to go till my test (I'm also taking a couple of summer classes). I'll be sending in my application literally the day after I finish my DAT. I'm just so nervous because if I don't do well on the DAT then I might not be able to fulfill my dream of becoming a dentist.

I have been studying using: Chads Videos, DAT Destroyer, Math Destroyer, DAT Bootcamp, and Cliffs AP Bio book. Most of my practice scores have been quite average lately (around a 17-18) and it's been discouraging to say the least. As for the DAT Destroyer and Math Destroyer......lets just say they're destroying me.

Any study advice or tips on how to better prepare? Also, any advice on how to better memorize large volumes of information? ( Math rules and formulas, Orgo reactions, Gen chem rules and the like)

Imo you are using the best materials out there. Try to not let practice scores discourage you. The DAT is much easier than any of the practice tests. Learn from the wrong answers and search the topics you get wrong. The key is to go over Destroyer more than once, the second time will be much easier than your first time going through destroyer. Good luck!

 

[pulltheleverkronk]

Imo you are using the best materials out there. Try to not let practice scores discourage you. The DAT is much easier than any of the practice tests. Learn from the wrong answers and search the topics you get wrong. The key is to go over Destroyer more than once, the second time will be much easier than your first time going through destroyer. Good luck!

I agree with this- the DAT was, surprisingly, below the level of the stuff I practiced with. Especially Bootcamp. Just keep going with the practice material and try to not make the same mistakes twice. That was my mentality going in.

 

[3rdgenDDS]

There's definitely a learning curve with studying for the DAT and using Destroyer. Being a post bacc and having been removed from the bio/sciences for a few years, the learning curve was a little steeper for me. My first go at the Destroyer was long and tedious, because a lot of the material in there was new. But this is the hardest part, and every time afterwards is a little quicker, fewer notes taken, until you finally get to the point where you're getting most of the questions right, and that's when you know you're ready