Take MCAT after 2 months or 6 months?

[MedicinaeDoctor]

Advertisement - Members don't see this ad

i'm a slow reader/learner. i just graduated. i'm thinking about taking my mcat in jan 2012 and start studying through a (free) kaplan prep class this mid-july. is this too much time to devote to the mcat? i'm worried that i'm just going to start forgetting stuff after a couple of months. my other option is to study for around 2 months and take it in september, which doesn't seem like enough time for me. there are no other mcat dates in between september and jan. is this a stupid plan to take it after about 6 months? is this plan of taking it in january even realistic or do most ppl just get burnt out after about 3 months?

 

[NinjaMed]

i'm a slow reader/learner. i just graduated. i'm thinking about taking my mcat in jan 2012 and start studying through a (free) kaplan prep class this mid-july. is this too much time to devote to the mcat? i'm worried that i'm just going to start forgetting stuff after a couple of months. my other option is to study for around 2 months and take it in september, which doesn't seem like enough time for me. there are no other mcat dates in between september and jan. is this a stupid plan to take it after about 6 months? is this plan of taking it in january even realistic or do most ppl just get burnt out after about 3 months?

It has been mentioned that giving yourself too much time may be a bad thing for the reasons you mentioned -forgetting the material/burning out. Verbal reasoning training can start sooner since you are practicing a skill. With that, an option may be to start verbal training soon, then start the sciences later on in a 6 month schedule.

For the record, people don't burn out from merely studying. People burn out from doing something too much without proper breaks, i.e. a weakly planned schedule. Take that into consideration as well.

 

[Genemo]

I burn out from non-stop worrying about the test.

 

[MDminded]

I think 6 months is fine, but you'll need something to help you recall information (i.e. flash cards, notes, etc.) I have a pretty active family/social life, and so I keep finding things that will distract me for a weekend (i.e. a wedding, a sweet 16), and that took away time from my studying. It depends on how you schedule yourself - just be smart about devising a schedule (meaning, look up what others have posted on SDN and see if you can mimic something similar that is tailored to *you*) and you will do just fine. 🙂

 

[MedicinaeDoctor]

thank you all for your replies. sdn has been so helpful to me over the years. i'm honestly thinking about giving some $$ back to this site in the near future. i am a much more aware applicant because of it.

 

[horsesense21]

I am actually having this problem. Its now mid july and i wanted to take the test in september but feel that less then two months is not enough time. But the next test day isnt going to be till probably around the end of January. i would say my mastery of the topics is probably pretty low and i can dedicate many hours a day to studying but will 2 months be enough? Also another factor is my gpa isnt that great and so i really need to do well during the fall quarter (end of september to beginning of december) and i wouldnt be able to dedicate a lot of time studying for the mcat those months. if i did six months: it would be august and september hard core studying. oct, nov very little studying maybe like a practice test every other week and the time in between spend to review the tests a little every day. and then decemeber hard core dediciation and i would start school 3 weeks before the estimated first test date so i could probably do a decent amount of studying the first couple weeks but the last week probably wouldnt do anything.... the alternative is just to go hard core from now till september 7th. Which options is better? i have to apply for a school next summer. give me any advice, critizism, anything at all would be appreciated cause im really worried about not having enough time or having too much time and forgetting stuff