Study Pattern

[Nma]

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Ok, i'm set to take the may 31st mcat, and at the moment i am studyin the EK content books, but my doctor friend told me to skip contents and head str8 for questions even after i told her that i needed refreshment bcos i took these courses 2yrs ago.
My question is...how r u guys (those that graduated already) studying? R u doing the questions already? ie 1001 questions and referring bak to content when u have to? or r u doing it sequentially, ie studying contents w/ 3omins exams at the back...and then after covering contents move on to 1001 and then full length?

Please give me ur best suggestions, i need to optimize my plan.
Thnx!

 

[RSAgator]

Follow the 10 week EK schedule. People who are doctors now likely aren't as in touch with these things as they maybe once were (and even then they may have been out of touch). Study the material with a mix of questions in between. Even if you are very good with physics lets say, it helps to do content review so that you can see what is tested and from that see which areas you don't know and hone in on those. Questions are useful tools for seeing what you're getting wrong, but one of the best methods of self correction is arriving at an incorrect answer through an incorrect thought process and then correcting the flaw in that process. If you simply don't know material you have very little to correct.

 

[Nma]

thnx dcohen, thats what she sed too. ie...that the more answers u get wrong, the better.
Right now, i am actually studying my old EK books(5th edition) and i was initially planning on taking the prep. course to reinforce in march...but right now it seems like a waste of money......so my current gameplan is studying contents(EK) with which there r questions after each section....and then 30min exam for each lecture....after covering the books then i plan to attack the 1001 and then full length.

 

[RSAgator]

i like that plan, mainly cause it's exactly how I'm doing it right now and I feel like I'm learning a decent bit. One thing to consider doing is after week 5 spend a week reviewing everything up to that point. Some people take diagnostics during their study time, I personally think it's pointless. You don't want to get a question wrong and say to yourself "well I would have gotten it right if I'd studied it" but rather you want to say for every question you get wrong either "ok I approached this incorrectly and need to fix this this and this" or "ok I really need to review this."

That being said if you don't think you'll have enough time to take your practices after you study then toss some in the mix. Definitely aim to have the last few AAMC's done and reviewed by test time, if not all of them.

 

[MossPoh]

I'm at the point now where I've at least skimmed all the material to some extent. I think after covering about a third of the material, one should start taking practice exams. You then do the two concurrently. That is my short answer.

 

[tncekm]

I'm taking the test May 27th. My course of action will be to take complete all readings (not in detail, but taking notes of "essential" material), and to do all assigned works with the TPR material (passages and independent questions). About 7 weeks from my MCAT administration, it will be nothing but EK1001/101 and practice MCATs from Kaplan, TPR, GS, and AAMC (as many as I can get my hands on, saving a few AAMC for last). Based on my performances in the different sections, I'll review my weak points and keep reinforcing my strong points be keeping up on the frequency of my test taking/practice problems.

I haven't taken the MCAT yet, but this is the most logical process I could think of given the amount of time I have available to me.

So, in your case, I'd suggest finding more "homework material" that you can complete while you do your review and save the good stuff, like EK1001/101 and AAMC for when you're coming down on the last couple of months after you've completed all of the content review.

I personally wouldn't waste "too many" of the practice tests early on because I think that material should be used only when you're ready to give it your all. I would, however, combine and time passages and problems in a way that may be similar to what you'll see on the MCAT.

 

[Nma]

U guys r right on, and it seems we're all following the same pattern! I'll definitely save the full lengths for last...and dont think i'll bother with the prep course since i am on track already.

 

[Hershi]

Ill be taking the mcat most likely in sept. I have started reviewing ek books ...basically reading a chapter a day and hope to finish by may (breaks during exams and what not). then from may thru aug ill do questions and work on weak areas with full lengths every 2 weeks and I guess the last 3-4 weeks take full lengths 2-3 times a week and reviewing material lightly. how does this sound ?

 

[mterp45]

Ill be taking the mcat most likely in sept. I have started reviewing ek books ...basically reading a chapter a day and hope to finish by may (breaks during exams and what not). then from may thru aug ill do questions and work on weak areas with full lengths every 2 weeks and I guess the last 3-4 weeks take full lengths 2-3 times a week and reviewing material lightly. how does this sound ?

like my friend Borat would say, "nice..very nice.... I like" 😀

 

[AWhitehair]

Ill be taking the mcat most likely in sept. I have started reviewing ek books ...basically reading a chapter a day and hope to finish by may (breaks during exams and what not). then from may thru aug ill do questions and work on weak areas with full lengths every 2 weeks and I guess the last 3-4 weeks take full lengths 2-3 times a week and reviewing material lightly. how does this sound ?

Good luck. With that schedule you may face burn out early on. Seven months is a long time to study for the MCAT. By the time you get to the fourth month you will have to go back a refresh from the first month and so on. It can be done, but that is a long route to take. Different strokes.