Study advice - really confused

[sfsn]

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Hi, everyone,

I am confused about how to study for the MCAT. I'm a nontrad who is registered for the 6 May MCAT. I have been using EK books for the new MCAT, and I inherited an access code to "e-MCAT Practice: The Official MCAT® Practice Site" that expires 5 March.

Other current responsibilities: taking one biostatistics class, working on a paper for my lab, volunteer at a hospital (4 hours/week), volunteer as math tutor to adults (2.5 hr/wk), taking a "for fun"/non-credit language class (1 hr/wk + time to complete weekly assignment), work in a bakery (~15 hr/wk). I applied to basically add more stuff to my plate but I probably shouldn't until after the MCAT.

tl;dr: How should I be studying?? I feel like I've wasted 1.5 months since I started studying in January and my test is in 2 months. I'm going around and around in my head about this, but I need to get out of my head. I'd appreciate a no-BS response that slaps me and sets me on the right path. I'm in need of some guidance.

What I've been doing:

I started reviewing in January. I have been reading through the EK chapters and doing the short set of questions after each section (but not the 30-min exams - I was going to do them after most of my first passes through the books). I was going to follow mcatjelly's study plan (or whichever one involved doing 3 passes through each chapter of each book), but I didn't have time to do that. Instead, I ended up just reading through the chapters, which I'm not sure was the best thing to do, because all I was doing was reading and answering short questions, not actually practicing MCAT-type questions in an MCAT-type environment. So, I don't think I have found the right thing for me yet, and I feel like I have wasted the past 1.5 months since I started. I went back to SDN to read about expensive test prep options in hopes that I could find something to help structure my studying. But then I talk myself back into the thought that nothing can help me if I don't put in the work first. I have been going back and forth re: paying for a class, in the meantime just reading through stuff, and all of a sudden 1.5 months have gone by.

I've taken all my prereqs (but no psych/soc), but because of using this MCAT prep strategy that hasn't worked for me so far, I feel lacking in content knowledge, specifically physics and chemistry, since I finished physics/chem after the spring 2015 semester (only a year, but use it or lose it..). I think gen and orgo chem could be improved by doing a lot of practice, and I guess physics, too, once I put in the work, but physics makes my mind go blank and my heart flutter more (more scared of it).

Anyway, I am just so confused about how to properly use my EK and e-MCAT resources. I have trouble spending money (which is why I have only the books), but for something as important as the MCAT, I can get over that.

I don't say the following to hint that I would be helped by paying $2000+ for a class, because I wish I didn't need to do that; I'd of course like to do this on my own and know that I didn't need something "external" to help me out - shouldn't my desire to become a physician (I think..as much as I can have without actually being one and experiencing that whole path myself..this would belong in another thread, though) be motivation enough? I've been pretty good at school so far/good grades, but maybe it's because I was good at "picking up what my teachers put down," so to speak. Because the class had a structure, I knew what I had to do: what to learn, what kinds of questions could be on tests, etc. My MCAT studying has been self-studying from books that contain a talking cracker and tons of typos, which distract me more than I should let them..but I digress..my point is, there has been less structure, and perhaps I haven't done as well as I hoped I would within such an environment.

So maybe that last paragraph means that I would be well served with a class, and if so, which? (I know, this opens up a whole other discussion/SDN search/Google search - which I have done, and my findings have also confused me (Kaplan? TPR? Altius? something else?) Or finding an MCAT tutor in my area off of wyzant (I found a couple I would reach out to if I went this route)?

I don't know if anyone out there can provide any advice, but I thought I would at least post this instead of continuing to have this debate alone in my head.

Thanks for any help you can give! Thanks for reading, and please let me know if I can share other info to give a better sense of my situation.

 

[CHoge25]

OP since you want a no BS response I will give you one and I hope you do not take it the wrong way.....

You are doing too much other ****. Cut out all the unnecessary stuff. A couple hours here and there that you are picking up in the hospital/tutoring is no where near as important as preparing and doing well on the MCAT. You need to be 100% focused and committed to the MCAT, or else do not even think about taking it. I do not mean to scare you but this test is no joke, and has serious implications on your future. If that alone is not enough motivation for you then you may need to rethink taking it. From how you described you are not a very good self studier, and therefore having 25+ extra hours of non studying time is killing you.

I put off the MCAT for almost 2 years because I did not have the time between school, work and a social life to commit...... I finally got so sick of it hanging over my head that I blocked off 4 months of my life and fully committed to it (8-12 hours a day). Make it a schedule to wake up every morning, put in 4 hours before lunch, 4 hours before dinner, and 4 hours after dinner. Rinse, Sleep, Repeat. Was it tough? Yes. Did it suck having to essentially live in a cave for awhile and not hangout with friends and family as much as I would want to? Yes. But it also is very rewarding (at least I found it) knowing that you are putting in the work and getting closer to accomplishing your goals. If you are not ready to commit to it.... DO NOT TAKE IT..... there is nothing wrong with that. Keep beefing up your EC's gaining experience and when you are ready the MCAT will still be there (but NEVER goes away).

Now for studying purposes.... If your test is May 6, you should have most of your content done by the end of March at the latest. You need to have ATLEAST a full month of strictly doing as many practice tests as you can get your hands on. DO NOT BUY ONE OF THE COURSES! Get motivated and use the money you would for that course to buy as many (maybe up to $500) practice tests as you can. Aim to take at least 10+, and start taking them asap. I took about 25 tests and when I took the test felt very comfortable taking it....

To summarize: you are not fully committed, and if you cannot get yourself then do not take it. If you can flip that switch and get motivated. Finish your content as soon as possible and start taking practice tests. The more the better. As you are taking them, you will find your weaknesses and know what to focus on, as well as becoming a better test taker. GL OP

 

[sfsn]

OP since you want a no BS response I will give you one and I hope you do not take it the wrong way.....

You are doing too much other ****. Cut out all the unnecessary stuff. A couple hours here and there that you are picking up in the hospital/tutoring is no where near as important as preparing and doing well on the MCAT. You need to be 100% focused and committed to the MCAT, or else do not even think about taking it. I do not mean to scare you but this test is no joke, and has serious implications on your future. If that alone is not enough motivation for you then you may need to rethink taking it. From how you described you are not a very good self studier, and therefore having 25+ extra hours of non studying time is killing you.

I put off the MCAT for almost 2 years because I did not have the time between school, work and a social life to commit...... I finally got so sick of it hanging over my head that I blocked off 4 months of my life and fully committed to it (8-12 hours a day). Make it a schedule to wake up every morning, put in 4 hours before lunch, 4 hours before dinner, and 4 hours after dinner. Rinse, Sleep, Repeat. Was it tough? Yes. Did it suck having to essentially live in a cave for awhile and not hangout with friends and family as much as I would want to? Yes. But it also is very rewarding (at least I found it) knowing that you are putting in the work and getting closer to accomplishing your goals. If you are not ready to commit to it.... DO NOT TAKE IT..... there is nothing wrong with that. Keep beefing up your EC's gaining experience and when you are ready the MCAT will still be there (but NEVER goes away).

Now for studying purposes.... If your test is May 6, you should have most of your content done by the end of March at the latest. You need to have ATLEAST a full month of strictly doing as many practice tests as you can get your hands on. DO NOT BUY ONE OF THE COURSES! Get motivated and use the money you would for that course to buy as many (maybe up to $500) practice tests as you can. Aim to take at least 10+, and start taking them asap. I took about 25 tests and when I took the test felt very comfortable taking it....

To summarize: you are not fully committed, and if you cannot get yourself then do not take it. If you can flip that switch and get motivated. Finish your content as soon as possible and start taking practice tests. The more the better. As you are taking them, you will find your weaknesses and know what to focus on, as well as becoming a better test taker. GL OP

This is what I thought. I did not take it the wrong way and really appreciate your candid thoughts. I'll look back to it when I feel like taking on more things.

Silly question, but I'd rather look dumb than risk being <100% clear: when people say "content review," are people taking notes, doing practice questions after reading corresponding chapters, doing subject tests (like physics tests, CARS tests, etc.)? How do you know when you're done and ready to take FLs? Or I assume as you review your wrong answers on FLs, you'll end up doing content review along the way.

(answered my question I think:
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/how-to-go-on-about-content-review-sigh.1177580/
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/finished-content-review-now-what.1144561/)

And as for the practice tests, these are FL tests from the various test prep companies out there, right? I see that you recommended in another thread EK>NS>Kaplan=Princeton (and NS slightly better than Altius)

Never mind, I just answered both my questions : /

Thanks again for reply. After writing my desperate post above, something in me clicked and I was able to do some physics problems/review, hope to carry on that momentum now

 

[yeezuswest]

If I were in your position I would aim to be finished with all content review by March. From March to May I would be doing questions from AAMC/Khan Academy, namely the Question Packs and Section Banks. In addition, you should aim to start doing a full-length test per week until May. In total you're looking at $70 for the QPacks, like $20 for each FL, and then I don't remember how much the Section Banks were.

 

[CHoge25]

This is what I thought. I did not take it the wrong way and really appreciate your candid thoughts. I'll look back to it when I feel like taking on more things.

Silly question, but I'd rather look dumb than risk being <100% clear: when people say "content review," are people taking notes, doing practice questions after reading corresponding chapters, doing subject tests (like physics tests, CARS tests, etc.)? How do you know when you're done and ready to take FLs? Or I assume as you review your wrong answers on FLs, you'll end up doing content review along the way.

(answered my question I think:
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/how-to-go-on-about-content-review-sigh.1177580/
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/finished-content-review-now-what.1144561/)

And as for the practice tests, these are FL tests from the various test prep companies out there, right? I see that you recommended in another thread EK>NS>Kaplan=Princeton (and NS slightly better than Altius)

Never mind, I just answered both my questions : /

Thanks again for reply. After writing my desperate post above, something in me clicked and I was able to do some physics problems/review, hope to carry on that momentum now

No such thing as silly questions! But content review in my terms is getting through the materials/taking notes.....the questions at the back of chapters are nice for quick check of understanding but really do not mean much. Another thing of note: Do not harp on concepts you don't fully understand the first time through.... Mark it as a weak area and keep going. The key is to keep moving through the material, not stay stagnant on a few concepts because chances are those concepts wont even be on your test. For instance, First time through Bio/Biochem book I took very organized notes in a notebook.... I would do this for every subject so I had a Notebook to study for each subject and also the book if I needed. After this I would take a practice test one day, and then go over it the next day/review one of my subject notebooks. I would keep repeating this and as you go you will learn the subjects that you need to study more than others. Putting the notes in a notebook allowed me to study a whole subject of topics I was weaker on/needed to learn in the span of a couple hours/one day (depending how in depth I needed to), rather then reading from the book.

Also a sidenote... I have read on here that people would take full days reviewing practice tests and stuff.... DO NOT DO THIS. I would not spend more than 2 hours reviewing a practice test..... The point of the practice test is REPETITION, not stressing over small details. Yes you have to know outside info, but best way to learn this is repetition. To be honest, it is quantity over quality when it comes to practice tests.

It is never too soon to start taking practice tests either, turn into a machine and get goin... Once you get in a routine/in the right mindset it is easy.

 

[aldol16]

Don't sweat the small details with content review. Make sure you understand how everything works in isolation and in conjunction with other things. For example, how metabolism is integrated in the liver and other organs (e.g. Cori cycle, glucose-alanine cycle, etc.). And you should do practice tests. Those will be the true measures of whether you're ready for it or not.

As for whether to enroll in a test-prep course, I completely agree with you that it's a huge investment and likely would be a huge waste of money as well. If you're more comfortable with a course and couldn't do well without one, then by all means, enroll in the course. But if your practice exams tell you that you can do well with a little more practice/review without a course, then you don't need one. In my personal opinion, MCAT courses are a huge waste of money and really only the wealthy can really afford them. So it was never an option for me and I've just never thought about ever taking one.

 

[sfsn]

*Important parts are BOLDED*

This is a "which FLs to take?" question (skip to question below).

First, thanks for all the advice above. I think it was that I was putting off doing the mentally hard work of MCAT prep, but since then (and cutting out unnecessary activities), I've been able to get into a groove.

I am taking the 6 May test, but in my mind, I'm telling myself I'm taking the 23 April test (to increase that baseline anxiety that I can then channel to maintain that energy/quick pace).

Since starting this thread, I've finished a content review (not on an "expert" level, but I've gone through the AAMC outline, watched videos, read, taken notes, etc. - like what was said above:
"Do not harp on concepts you don't fully understand the first time through.... Mark it as a weak area and keep going."
"Don't sweat the small details with content review. Make sure you understand how everything works in isolation and in conjunction with other things."

After content review, I've taken:
AAMC 1/2-length practice test
TPR's free FL
Next Step's free diagnostic
Gold Standard's 1/3-length free diagnostic
AAMC Chem/phys Q Bank

I also have everything that comes with AAMC's bundle and Barron's 4 FLs (but the CD-ROM keeps freezing on me so I've given up on the 2 on the CD for now).

I'm using Anki cards as well.

Here's the question:
Which FLs to take and how many? (skip below to "My idea")

To me, FLs have been really helpful for learning/reviewing bio content, especially details of organ systems. I feel comfortable with timing of the sections and overall endurance.

Right now, I feel that bio is what I need to work on the most. Chem/physics could still definitely use work, but nothing that requires much more than continuous passage practice/review and concept study/review. But for bio, I gotta get down organ systems and their details, and also not getting a brain-freeze when I see lots of technical terms. Plus other stuff I'm sure.

I remember reading around here that NS and EK are good and that I would need to call Kaplan and TPR to buy theirs (edit: can get 2 TPR FLs with ISBN registration).

I'm thinking I could take 10-15 more FLs between now and the test.

My idea:
NS (4 or 6 tests) - buy their 4-, 6-, or 10-test bundle?
EK (4 tests) - or fewer, since it's not a bundle
AAMC (1 practice test - I accidentally took the sample test back in Feb, so I could retake it now to refamiliarize myself with the format but it wouldn't be a true test of my knowledge).
create my own mini-tests by splitting up the AAMC bundle material

Would Kaplan or TPR would be particularly helpful for what I need to work on (bio)?

I'd devote 2 days per test (including review).

Or, as @CHoge25 said, if I use no more than 2 hours to review (or find a middle ground: maybe I could review some tests in 2 hours, some over 1/2 day), then I could fit in more practice tests.

I don't need as much CARS practice as I do bio or chem/physics. Psych/soc is also fine, but I will sometimes see on tests a few terms I haven't seen before, and I don't want to miss out on those in case they show up on the real test. I wish I could skip CARS and psych/soc to do more bio, but I don't want to neglect them either.

I always write too much in these, hope it wasn't too hard to follow.

tl;dr: which tests to take, how many, does the order matter as long as the AAMC one is last, how to balance doing a thorough review vs. getting lots of practice, I need to get better at bio!

Thanks for any advice you can give.

 

[sfsn]

Actually, I just noticed there's a current thread asking similar things: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/current-consensus-on-materials.1191049/

Sounds like EK and NS are recommended. Maybe I'll do all 4 EK tests, buy 6 NS FLs, do AAMC stuff, and then figure out what else to take if I have time.

 

[pch]

Hi, everyone,

I am confused about how to study for the MCAT. I'm a nontrad who is registered for the 6 May MCAT. I have been using EK books for the new MCAT, and I inherited an access code to "e-MCAT Practice: The Official MCAT® Practice Site" that expires 5 March.

Other current responsibilities: taking one biostatistics class, working on a paper for my lab, volunteer at a hospital (4 hours/week), volunteer as math tutor to adults (2.5 hr/wk), taking a "for fun"/non-credit language class (1 hr/wk + time to complete weekly assignment), work in a bakery (~15 hr/wk). I applied to basically add more stuff to my plate but I probably shouldn't until after the MCAT.

tl;dr: How should I be studying?? I feel like I've wasted 1.5 months since I started studying in January and my test is in 2 months. I'm going around and around in my head about this, but I need to get out of my head. I'd appreciate a no-BS response that slaps me and sets me on the right path. I'm in need of some guidance.

What I've been doing:

I started reviewing in January. I have been reading through the EK chapters and doing the short set of questions after each section (but not the 30-min exams - I was going to do them after most of my first passes through the books). I was going to follow mcatjelly's study plan (or whichever one involved doing 3 passes through each chapter of each book), but I didn't have time to do that. Instead, I ended up just reading through the chapters, which I'm not sure was the best thing to do, because all I was doing was reading and answering short questions, not actually practicing MCAT-type questions in an MCAT-type environment. So, I don't think I have found the right thing for me yet, and I feel like I have wasted the past 1.5 months since I started. I went back to SDN to read about expensive test prep options in hopes that I could find something to help structure my studying. But then I talk myself back into the thought that nothing can help me if I don't put in the work first. I have been going back and forth re: paying for a class, in the meantime just reading through stuff, and all of a sudden 1.5 months have gone by.

I've taken all my prereqs (but no psych/soc), but because of using this MCAT prep strategy that hasn't worked for me so far, I feel lacking in content knowledge, specifically physics and chemistry, since I finished physics/chem after the spring 2015 semester (only a year, but use it or lose it..). I think gen and orgo chem could be improved by doing a lot of practice, and I guess physics, too, once I put in the work, but physics makes my mind go blank and my heart flutter more (more scared of it).

Anyway, I am just so confused about how to properly use my EK and e-MCAT resources. I have trouble spending money (which is why I have only the books), but for something as important as the MCAT, I can get over that.

I don't say the following to hint that I would be helped by paying $2000+ for a class, because I wish I didn't need to do that; I'd of course like to do this on my own and know that I didn't need something "external" to help me out - shouldn't my desire to become a physician (I think..as much as I can have without actually being one and experiencing that whole path myself..this would belong in another thread, though) be motivation enough? I've been pretty good at school so far/good grades, but maybe it's because I was good at "picking up what my teachers put down," so to speak. Because the class had a structure, I knew what I had to do: what to learn, what kinds of questions could be on tests, etc. My MCAT studying has been self-studying from books that contain a talking cracker and tons of typos, which distract me more than I should let them..but I digress..my point is, there has been less structure, and perhaps I haven't done as well as I hoped I would within such an environment.

So maybe that last paragraph means that I would be well served with a class, and if so, which? (I know, this opens up a whole other discussion/SDN search/Google search - which I have done, and my findings have also confused me (Kaplan? TPR? Altius? something else?) Or finding an MCAT tutor in my area off of wyzant (I found a couple I would reach out to if I went this route)?

I don't know if anyone out there can provide any advice, but I thought I would at least post this instead of continuing to have this debate alone in my head.

Thanks for any help you can give! Thanks for reading, and please let me know if I can share other info to give a better sense of my situation.

I'm in a similar situation as you are, sfsn. I also have a lot of other things going on besides studying including a full time (very mentally draining) job and volunteering and I can only really put in a few hours a day on work days and 6-7h/day on days off. My exam is in Aug and I've just started studying about a month ago. I'm zipping through the material (I've covered all of psych/soci and biochem, 90% done physics and probably around 80% done gen chem). I'm using TPR 2016 books (the ones released just a month ago). While I'm going through the material, I've been taking brief notes and writing down important equations to know for physics.

I wrote the 2014 exam and when I studied for that one, I wrote very detailed notes with pages and pages of coloured diagrams/pathways etc. I found that it took WAY too long for me to cover the material so that's why this time around, I'm just taking down brief points from each chapter. My plan is to finish all content review by end of May so I have a few months to do practice questions and flip back to the books to solidify the information in my head (as zipping through them over the last month has proved that I've already forgotten a lot of concepts).

I'm not 100% sure whether my way of studying is the best. Can anyone please give me some advice? I'd really appreciate honest advice, like sfsn said, "to slap me into shape and on the right path". I feel like I'm in this 100% alone and I feel discouraged at times when I'm studying because even if I feel like I understood each concept, but as soon as I do the passage questions, I end up with only 3-4 questions correct. I've been doing the practice problems at the end of each chapter in the TPR books and I haven't been doing too great on them. But because I figured when I start doing practice questions and FL exams, I'll be flipping back on the material anyways, I'm just making a mental note of what I'm doing wrong (after reading the answer) and then moving onto the next chapter.

Any help/advice would be very much appreciated!! Thank you!

 

[aldol16]

I'm not 100% sure whether my way of studying is the best. Can anyone please give me some advice? I'd really appreciate honest advice, like sfsn said, "to slap me into shape and on the right path". I feel like I'm in this 100% alone and I feel discouraged at times when I'm studying because even if I feel like I understood each concept, but as soon as I do the passage questions, I end up with only 3-4 questions correct. I've been doing the practice problems at the end of each chapter in the TPR books and I haven't been doing too great on them. But because I figured when I start doing practice questions and FL exams, I'll be flipping back on the material anyways, I'm just making a mental note of what I'm doing wrong (after reading the answer) and then moving onto the next chapter.

If it's not working for you, you should probably change your method of studying. Work in practice problems as you're doing content review to reinforce those concepts. It can be difficult to find practice problems that cover a specific concept, but Khan Academy does a really good job of titling their practice passages so that you know which concepts are covered in that question.

 

[Medgrant]

From the advice that ive been given: Take 5-10 FLs, but youre only a month out. I'd go ahead and mix a couple of NS and EK exams just for practice, re-use your AAMC sample exam a couple of weeks out from the exam and use the AAMC exam 1 as your last FL about 5-7 days out from your exam. At this point, I would focus on only one FL a week so you don't get burned out trying to take 6-7 hour exams every few days. Analyze reasons on why you missed questions on the FLs and focus on improving on those reasons.

From reddit:
"
-Kaplan: 1,2,3

-TPR: Demo,1,2

-EK: 1,3,4

-AAMC FL

I wouldn't recommend doing as many FLs as I did. In my last month, I was doing 2 a week and I felt burnt out by the time I took my exam. Try to stick to 1 a week."

 

[CHoge25]

*Important parts are BOLDED*

This is a "which FLs to take?" question (skip to question below).

First, thanks for all the advice above. I think it was that I was putting off doing the mentally hard work of MCAT prep, but since then (and cutting out unnecessary activities), I've been able to get into a groove.

I am taking the 6 May test, but in my mind, I'm telling myself I'm taking the 23 April test (to increase that baseline anxiety that I can then channel to maintain that energy/quick pace).

Since starting this thread, I've finished a content review (not on an "expert" level, but I've gone through the AAMC outline, watched videos, read, taken notes, etc. - like what was said above:
"Do not harp on concepts you don't fully understand the first time through.... Mark it as a weak area and keep going."
"Don't sweat the small details with content review. Make sure you understand how everything works in isolation and in conjunction with other things."

After content review, I've taken:
AAMC 1/2-length practice test
TPR's free FL
Next Step's free diagnostic
Gold Standard's 1/3-length free diagnostic
AAMC Chem/phys Q Bank

I also have everything that comes with AAMC's bundle and Barron's 4 FLs (but the CD-ROM keeps freezing on me so I've given up on the 2 on the CD for now).

I'm using Anki cards as well.

Here's the question:
Which FLs to take and how many? (skip below to "My idea")

To me, FLs have been really helpful for learning/reviewing bio content, especially details of organ systems. I feel comfortable with timing of the sections and overall endurance.

Right now, I feel that bio is what I need to work on the most. Chem/physics could still definitely use work, but nothing that requires much more than continuous passage practice/review and concept study/review. But for bio, I gotta get down organ systems and their details, and also not getting a brain-freeze when I see lots of technical terms. Plus other stuff I'm sure.

I remember reading around here that NS and EK are good and that I would need to call Kaplan and TPR to buy theirs (edit: can get 2 TPR FLs with ISBN registration).

I'm thinking I could take 10-15 more FLs between now and the test.

My idea:
NS (4 or 6 tests) - buy their 4-, 6-, or 10-test bundle?
EK (4 tests) - or fewer, since it's not a bundle
AAMC (1 practice test - I accidentally took the sample test back in Feb, so I could retake it now to refamiliarize myself with the format but it wouldn't be a true test of my knowledge).
create my own mini-tests by splitting up the AAMC bundle material

Would Kaplan or TPR would be particularly helpful for what I need to work on (bio)?

I'd devote 2 days per test (including review).

Or, as @CHoge25 said, if I use no more than 2 hours to review (or find a middle ground: maybe I could review some tests in 2 hours, some over 1/2 day), then I could fit in more practice tests.

I don't need as much CARS practice as I do bio or chem/physics. Psych/soc is also fine, but I will sometimes see on tests a few terms I haven't seen before, and I don't want to miss out on those in case they show up on the real test. I wish I could skip CARS and psych/soc to do more bio, but I don't want to neglect them either.

I always write too much in these, hope it wasn't too hard to follow.

tl;dr: which tests to take, how many, does the order matter as long as the AAMC one is last, how to balance doing a thorough review vs. getting lots of practice, I need to get better at bio!

Thanks for any advice you can give.

I would take the NS, EK and AAMC tests for your last ~10 tests. I would take all 4 EK, a couple of the NS (or all if you have time), and the AAMC ones last. Good luck and I'm glad to hear you were able to get in the study groove!

 

[sfsn]

@CHoge25, just wondering, how did you review practice tests in 2 hours? I'm not trying to copy this method because I think it wouldn't work for me, but I'm just curious how you managed that. What did your reviews look like? Were you pretty set with content knowledge, which made it go faster? Did you review just incorrect or marked answers? Did you take any notes (e.g., write down the name of the general subject you needed to review, or write out specific details within that subject, etc.)? Etcetcetc. Just wondering.

 

[CHoge25]

@CHoge25, just wondering, how did you review practice tests in 2 hours? I'm not trying to copy this method because I think it wouldn't work for me, but I'm just curious how you managed that. What did your reviews look like? Were you pretty set with content knowledge, which made it go faster? Did you review just incorrect or marked answers? Did you take any notes (e.g., write down the name of the general subject you needed to review, or write out specific details within that subject, etc.)? Etcetcetc. Just wondering.

Your practice test isn't really going to be the place to learn content, just practice.... I would take notes of some things I was missing but did not stress over the small details because chances are you won't be tested on it. Just brush up on things you miss frequently in your next review session. I finished content before I started doing practice tests which definitely made it go faster. And I read all the answers but one's that I got correct I did not spend much time on, unless it was just a random guess. I would have a notebook for each subject that I would write down the test I took with some reminders and stuff I missed and review it next time I studied.