Studying --> Taking... Time in between?

[StayingSteady]

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So I'm taking a Kaplan course this summer. I'm actually planning on taking the real MCAT in January 2009 because I'm also working 40 hrs/week over summer and won't get enough time to study. just wanted to take the course now rather than during school when I have even less time. Anyway, I'm planning on studying a lot this summer (obviously not as intensively as someone taking it in Aug/Sept), and then keeping up with practice tests/sections throughout first semester next year, and then studying hardcore for my 3 weeks of winter break before taking it in january. don't know if this is a good idea, but many people keep on saying "just study hardcore for 6-8 weeks before the test and you'll be fine," but I'll only have about 3 weeks of that. Anyone else done this or planning to do it?

 

[niranjan162]

I would just wait till your close to ur test. I just took it yesterday but originally I was gonna take the 5/31 test (after i had studied all throughout the school year. Of course, once classes started I kept it up for a few weeks but eventually stopped and forgot everything. Moral of the story is, you can start studying now, but don't plan on it being of any use, because chances are you will just forget it all.

its easy to say yea i'll keep up with it, but usually doesnt work out that way. Better to just start closer to ur test date.

 

[chickensandwich]

I would just wait till your close to ur test. I just took it yesterday but originally I was gonna take the 5/31 test (after i had studied all throughout the school year. Of course, once classes started I kept it up for a few weeks but eventually stopped and forgot everything. Moral of the story is, you can start studying now, but don't plan on it being of any use, because chances are you will just forget it all.

its easy to say yea i'll keep up with it, but usually doesnt work out that way. Better to just start closer to ur test date.

agreed. even though the two tests i sat in on were less than 2 months apart, my "intense studying" 2 weeks were basically me having to review the content from before.

i think it depends where you're starting from though. if you aren't particularly strong in any of the sections (phys, bio, chem, gchem) /you didn't take the pre req classes yet, doing it so early may help you understand it so that when you're intense studying it's just quick review. if you're already pretty familiar with it and the content review is just that -- reviewing and not learning for the first time, then i really think anything done more than ~6 weeks in advance has extremely diminished returns.

 

[SN2ed]

I'm not sure how well your plan would work because you never know when school can bog you down. Also, there's too many factors that can come into play. Just remember that your Kaplan access does expire after awhile.