Taking me forever to get through Kaplan book. Need encouragement

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larrywalkerdds

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Its amazing to see so many people have read the big blue Kaplan book 4-5 times. I'm having trouble just going through it once. It literally takes me 4 hours to read one chapter and complete and understand the problem sets associated with each chapter. At this rate, I feel like it's going to take 4 months to get ready for the DAT. I feel like I'm learning everything for the first time so it takes me a long time to read each chapter particularly in organic chemistry and general chemistry. Were any of you in a similar situation? Sorry to whine but I really need some encouragement so at least I know I'm doing the right thing. When did you begin to see improvement?

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Yep, I was in the same situation. Just make sure you read everything - and if it helps, use a pencil to underline areas that are new to you, and make sure you go over them until you understand.

If you study 25-30 hours a week for 3 months, you can go through the book 3 times and take your DAT. You have to find your pace, and adjust to this study-pattern.

Good Luck
 
Mo007 said:
Yep, I was in the same situation. Just make sure you read everything - and if it helps, use a pencil to underline areas that are new to you, and make sure you go over them until you understand.

If you study 25-30 hours a week for 3 months, you can go through the book 3 times and take your DAT. You have to find your pace, and adjust to this study-pattern.

Good Luck

Did you do topscore and practice problems too or just read the book 3 times?
 
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larrywalkerdds said:
Its amazing to see so many people have read the big blue Kaplan book 4-5 times. I'm having trouble just going through it once. It literally takes me 4 hours to read one chapter and complete and understand the problem sets associated with each chapter. At this rate, I feel like it's going to take 4 months to get ready for the DAT. I feel like I'm learning everything for the first time so it takes me a long time to read each chapter particularly in organic chemistry and general chemistry. Were any of you in a similar situation? Sorry to whine but I really need some encouragement so at least I know I'm doing the right thing. When did you begin to see improvement?


Quality over quantity. You only need to read it once. Don't listen to people who say they have read it 4-5 times and allow that to scare you. Just read it once at your pace and then take a practice test, go back to your wrong answers and try to pick the correct answer from the remaining choices. Then go back and read only those areas where you made your mistakes. For example if you made a mistake on calculating Molarity (bad example - I know), just read the part on how to calculate molarity.

If you read Kaplan well the first time, you won't be going back very much.


You'll do well, you seem to have the right approach to things.
 
Keep plugging away, Larry.

Like the above poster said, don't aim for a specific number of readings through the book, just aim to learn what is in the book. If that takes one pass or 7 passes, then so be it.

You'll do fine. Take comfort that you are learning the material and that you'll do well.
 
I actually took a whole year of studying before I took the DAT. TAKE YOUR TIME. I made sure to crack through all the science and memorization first and then a few months before I took the real tests I focused on PAT and taking full-length practice tests.

Do as many full-length tests as you can, if its in the computer, the merrier.

Keep in mind that your DAT score is greatly influenced on how fast you are with the computer.. so be sure to do a lot practicing on computer tests..
 
Hey;

Well, i only went through the book twice. The last time I went through it I made sure to really know the reactions in organic chemistry and the nomenclature in biology. The one section I was really worried about was chemistry. Are you taking the Kaplan course? I did. The course itself didn't help me. What did help were the tests. I took all the section tests, and three full length Kaplan tests, at the time that I would be taking the real one, so I would be used to it. I was consistently scoring 17-18 on chemistry, 20-25 on Organic, and 20-23 on Biology. When I took the real DAT I scored 20 on Chem, 23 on organic, and 25 on Bio.

The quantitative reasoning is a joke in kaplan; the real one is different. Reading is about the same, and the PAT is also a joke. The real one is a lot harder, so expect your PAT point to go down a little.

Good luck! If you have any questions let me know!

Claudiadent
Tufts Class 2008
 
ItsGavinC said:
Keep plugging away, Larry.

Like the above poster said, don't aim for a specific number of readings through the book, just aim to learn what is in the book. If that takes one pass or 7 passes, then so be it.

You'll do fine. Take comfort that you are learning the material and that you'll do well.

Great advice.
 
something that helped me a ton w/ organic was kaplan's organic edge. it's an online review more like getting a tutor in organic than studying for the dat -- a great foundation i was able to build upon, though
 
C.A. said:
something that helped me a ton w/ organic was kaplan's organic edge. it's an online review more like getting a tutor in organic than studying for the dat -- a great foundation i was able to build upon, though

I didn't know it was an on-line class too, interesting? Organic Edge is also a book by Kaplan that you can purchase. I found it to be useless. It was essentially the organic chemistry section that is present in the big blue Kaplan book plus a little more information. I didn't feel that it explained material very well. I liked Exam Krackers a little better. Their o-chem book focused on what you needed to know without the excess information.
 
Mcataz,

Where have you been man, you haven't posted for a while. By the way have your taken your DAT yet, and if you did how did it go.
 
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