Taking a prep course more than once?

[Ari1584]

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After getting a 25 on my first mcat, i want to retake and change something about my study methods. I took a kaplan class a while ago and felt the class itself didn't help at all. I liked the online materials though but not so much the class. My family offered to pay for another class if i want it, but i am not sure that it is worth spending all that money all over again. I guess if i did try one again i would do a diff company, but i am not sure if its even worth it. Any advice??

 

[JJMountainMan]

After getting a 25 on my first mcat, i want to retake and change something about my study methods. I took a kaplan class a while ago and felt the class itself didn't help at all. I liked the online materials though but not so much the class. My family offered to pay for another class if i want it, but i am not sure that it is worth spending all that money all over again. I guess if i did try one again i would do a diff company, but i am not sure if its even worth it. Any advice??

Its just not worth it, its all about work ethic. I didnt have the ethic to work hard enough during my TPR class and when I finished the class was getting anywhere from 19-23 on my AAMC practice tests. Then I buckled down, bought the complete study package from Examkrackers and did every book cover to cover, and my TPR books cover to cover for the entirety of the summer pretty much as a full time job and pulled out a 30S. Its NOT about the class, its about how hard you are willing to work. Dont waste the money and just study.

 

[olemissbabydoc]

After getting a 25 on my first mcat, i want to retake and change something about my study methods. I took a kaplan class a while ago and felt the class itself didn't help at all. I liked the online materials though but not so much the class. My family offered to pay for another class if i want it, but i am not sure that it is worth spending all that money all over again. I guess if i did try one again i would do a diff company, but i am not sure if its even worth it. Any advice??

The ONLY way I'd recommend is if you fell into the "higher score - guaranteed" bracket, where kaplan will actually pay for your retake. If you raised your diagnostic more than their cut off, I certainly wouldn't pay for another class.

 

[Queenshawtii]

I was in the SMEP at UMDNJ for summer of 05 for MCAT prep with the intention of taking the august 05 MCAT, and at the end i didn't feel ready for the aug 05 MCAT. Then, I took Kaplan in 2006 for the last Paper exam in August 06. I wasn't too impressed with Kaplan either. I was really worried because my highest score with them was a 24 but i ended up with a 26 on the actual MCAT.

Next week, i'll be taking an EK course 45 mins away from me for the Jan 09 MCAT. I feel comfortable with EK because at SMEP they used EK books and my roomie was taking the EK course with our SMEP course and she highly recommended EK.

I need to take a guided course because i need to be able to get answers for my questions right away and I'm really rusty, I've been out of school for 2 years. Honestly, it really depends on you. If you are easily distracted, like me, it's worth it to pay for another course (with a different company). But, if you feel that you can buckle down and study the materials on your own it may be a waste of money.

If you raised your diagnostic more than their cut off, I certainly wouldn't pay for another class.

^i agree.

 

[BerkReviewTeach]

After getting a 25 on my first mcat, i want to retake and change something about my study methods. I took a kaplan class a while ago and felt the class itself didn't help at all. I liked the online materials though but not so much the class. My family offered to pay for another class if i want it, but i am not sure that it is worth spending all that money all over again. I guess if i did try one again i would do a diff company, but i am not sure if its even worth it. Any advice??

The change has to start with you. Whether you take a different course or study on your own, you will have to work to improve and find a way to look at the material differently.

Now I'm not as adamant as some of the other posters here against taking a different course for your second sitting, if you think you should take a course. Do what you feel/think you should do. You know yourself better than anyone. I would say that some people should study completely on their own (using different materials) for their second review. But, others benefit from a class. There are definitely some people who get a great deal from a class with a different (better) perspective on the material.

Ultimately, it will depend on where you are located. If you are in a region where all of the courses are essentially the same thing, then it would be a waste of money (and perhaps even more so time) to take a new class. But if you have an alternative to the corporate approach, then sit in on one of their classes and see if they do things in a way you like. If they do, then that might be your place.

Best of luck with round two and keep in mind that several thousand people take the MCAT twice and many of them improve. Change your atttitude and perspective, learn from your mistakes the first time, and keep the pedal to the medal for three months!

 

[Ari1584]

The change has to start with you. Whether you take a different course or study on your own, you will have to work to improve and find a way to look at the material differently.

Now I'm not as adamant as some of the other posters here against taking a different course for your second sitting, if you think you should take a course. Do what you feel/think you should do. You know yourself better than anyone. I would say that some people should study completely on their own (using different materials) for their second review. But, others benefit from a class. There are definitely some people who get a great deal from a class with a different (better) perspective on the material.

Ultimately, it will depend on where you are located. If you are in a region where all of the courses are essentially the same thing, then it would be a waste of money (and perhaps even more so time) to take a new class. But if you have an alternative to the corporate approach, then sit in on one of their classes and see if they do things in a way you like. If they do, then that might be your place.

Best of luck with round two and keep in mind that several thousand people take the MCAT twice and many of them improve. Change your atttitude and perspective, learn from your mistakes the first time, and keep the pedal to the medal for three months!

Thanks BerkReview for your input...i am actually looking into buying all the BR books this time around. I wish i lived in the Cali area, but unfortunately i dont..otherwise i would have signed up for a BR class. I just hate that im going to spend so much money for shipping out those books. But also, is it possible for me to order all of the practice exams? or do i have to be enrolled in the class to do so. If not, how much are they?

 

[Mei]

You don't have to be enrolled in the class to get their CBT exams. It's $100 for 3 exams (45-day access).

http://www.berkeley-review.com/TBR/bookdetails/orderinfo.html

 

[DrDre2001]

I thought u can take the class again for free with their guarantee?

I wouldn't really see any value of taking it again...but you could just go the first few classes and maybe the teacher(s) this time will be better than last time. And you'll get the online syllabus access extended with the guarantee, and that stuff is pretty good if you ask me...and im pretty sure you didn't finish all of it the first time u took the class.