the different books!!! help me choose!!

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medhoney

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Hey guys. I'm planning to take the MCAT in January or maybe February. I'm looking in to what books I need to buy to help me fully prepare. :confused: Does anyone have any suggestions to the specific sections as to which books are really good? (i.e. I have read in other threads that EK 101 is really good for Verbal. what about for PS and BS?) Any help is appreciated. I haven't started with the material yet and I'm already feeling overwhelmed. :eek: Thanks.
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Biology: 1. EK Bio + EK 1001 Bio, non-detail oriented 1. BR/TPR Hyperlearning, detail oriented 3. Kaplan

Physics: 1. BR 2. Nova 3. TPR Hyperlearning 4. Kaplan

Verbal: 1. EK Verbal + EK 101 Verbal 2. TPR Hyperlearning 3. BR 4. Kaplan (Avoid if possible)

Organic Chemistry: 1. BR, by far 2. TPR Hyperlearning 3. EK/Kaplan

General Chemistry: 1. BR, by far 2. TPR Hyperlearning 3. EK/Kaplan
 
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Kinesio said:
SN2ed, I wonder if you ever get tired of posting that info from Boondocks over and over.
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Not that much. I've been on this forum long enough that I've seen the majority of the thread topics posted multiple times. I get more annoyed by some of the other thread topics that pop up from time to time.
 
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SN2ed said:
Not that much. I've been on this forum long enough that I've seen the majority of the thread topics posted multiple times. I get more annoyed by some of the other thread topics that pop up from time to time.
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Do you recommend getting FL CBT's from TBR's website? How is the difficulty compared to the real exam?

Thanks
 
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medhoney said:
Did you number those by preference? Really thankful!
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That list was basically a consensus and it has been changed a few times to most accurately represent the view of most of the people who have taken and prepared for past exams. Those books are most helpful and work for 95% of people. It is ranked because some people may not be able to afford all the #1 ranked books or may have other ones and may decide not to buy higher ranked ones. If you have nothing right now I'd say go with the #1's on the list and also think about buying EK 1001 books for problem practice and TPR hyperlearning science workbook for passage based practice.

There you have it. In about the 2 or 3 posts above is everything you will learn or everything there is to know regarding books for the MCAT in this forum.

Now if you need a schedule, then SN2ed has two of those also that will work for 95% of people. They come in a 3 month variety or 4 month variety and the link is in his signature.

Hope this helped,

-LIS
 
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so this ranking list is still applicable even if i've been out of undergrad for awhile and now only barely remember stuff especially from ochem? i feel like i need a whole new start with a refresher from everything. i feel so rusty and i'm so scared the MCAT now.:scared:
 
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LostInStudy said:
That list was basically a consensus and it has been changed a few times to most accurately represent the view of most of the people who have taken and prepared for past exams. Those books are most helpful and work for 95% of people. It is ranked because some people may not be able to afford all the #1 ranked books or may have other ones and may decide not to buy higher ranked ones. If you have nothing right now I'd say go with the #1's on the list and also think about buying EK 1001 books for problem practice and TPR hyperlearning science workbook for passage based practice.

There you have it. In about the 2 or 3 posts above is everything you will learn or everything there is to know regarding books for the MCAT in this forum.

Now if you need a schedule, then SN2ed has two of those also that will work for 95% of people. They come in a 3 month variety or 4 month variety and the link is in his signature.

Hope this helped,

-LIS
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Hey LIS

I already have all the #1 books SN2ed recommended. I was just asking if TBR CBT's would be a good practice to do if I run out of practice questions from EK 1001 questions, EK 101 passages, TPR hyperlearning science and verbal workbooks, and AAMC tests
 
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eez said:
Hey LIS

I already have all the #1 books SN2ed recommended. I was just asking if TBR CBT's would be a good practice to do if I run out of practice questions from EK 1001 questions, EK 101 passages, TPR hyperlearning science and verbal workbooks, and AAMC tests
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This is actually one thing everyone DEFINITELY agrees on and that is: DO THE AAMC TESTS LAST. SAVE THEM FOR 2-3 WEEKS BEFORE YOUr TEST. I have heard very good things about the TBR CBTs. I haven't heard bad things about them (like kaplan for having a crappy VR and TPR for being too hard) but people don't buy them because they are expensive. The more practice you can get the better. Malayna got a 15 on the PS and said that their PS sections were excellent practice and the BS sections were good at preparing her for tough biology passages. So in short I'd say yes but make sure you're saving AAMC tests for last. Not using those last is a big NO-NO. You could mix the TBR tests in with AAMC 3-6 so that you can work on your test taking skills but AAMC 7-10 should be your last 4 practice tests.

Hope this helped,

-LIS
 
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eez said:
Hey LIS

I already have all the #1 books SN2ed recommended. I was just asking if TBR CBT's would be a good practice to do if I run out of practice questions from EK 1001 questions, EK 101 passages, TPR hyperlearning science and verbal workbooks, and AAMC tests
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"if I run out..."

Haha, you will NOT run out with all that material!
 
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medhoney said:
so this ranking list is still applicable even if i've been out of undergrad for awhile and now only barely remember stuff especially from ochem? i feel like i need a whole new start with a refresher from everything. i feel so rusty and i'm so scared the MCAT now.:scared:
Click to expand...

There have been plenty of cases of people using the lower ranked books where they have started out without having had the pre-reqs classes in 4+ years and have done very well on the MCAT. You have the advantage over them because you know the best possible books to use. TBR are great for teaching you everything you need to know for the MCAT even if you haven't seen it for a very long time. Many people even say that they would have done better in organic if they had the TBR organic books along with their textbooks. So don't worry about being rusty or anything like that. If you are really really rust in biology or never took many biology classes I would suggest also getting the TPR hyperlearning biological sciences review book that is ranked #2 on the list because it walks you through everything you need to know in as much detail as you need to know it. As you're reviewing the books the only thing required is hard work and determination to learn and understand the material. And time of course.

Hope this helped,

-LIS
 
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LostInStudy said:
Yep. That TPR hyperlearning science workbook alone is taking me FOREVER to get through.

-LIS
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It's a beast. I didn't even touch the Gen Chem/Physics parts since I had so much practice from the TBR books. But I did all of the bio, and the vast majority of OChem (I was going to finish OChem the day or two before my MCAT and I just couldn't deal with it... haha... I had to stop studying.)
 
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eez said:
lol I dont know how thick the hyperlearning science workbook is from TPR :D
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It's 800 or 900 pages! It's huge.. so huge, in fact, that I would only ever use it at home because you have to bring so many books to the library for the MCAT and it took up too much room.
 
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That TPR Hyperlearning book sure is a beast to lug around. My TBR Bio books arrived yesterday. How do TBR Bio passages compare to TPR Bio questions. I'm no bio superstar but I often find the TPR questions to not be that difficult.
 
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capn jazz said:
It's 800 or 900 pages! It's huge.. so huge, in fact, that I would only ever use it at home because you have to bring so many books to the library for the MCAT and it took up too much room.
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lol

what about the TPR Hyp. verbal book ?
 
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meliora27 said:
That TPR Hyperlearning book sure is a beast to lug around. My TBR Bio books arrived yesterday. How do TBR Bio passages compare to TPR Bio questions. I'm no bio superstar but I often find the TPR questions to not be that difficult.
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Idk bout TBR Bio, most people here recommended EK Bio.
My EK Bio 1001 q's arrived yesterday :D
 
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Definitely do some other bio Qs also... EK bio 1001 was easier than the bio on my MCAT for sure.

The TPR Verbal workbook is very thin, a half-inch or less. But there's 72 passages... only 30 less than EK, but EK is so much bigger.
 
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capn jazz said:
Definitely do some other bio Qs also... EK bio 1001 was easier than the bio on my MCAT for sure.

The TPR Verbal workbook is very thin, a half-inch or less. But there's 72 passages... only 30 less than EK, but EK is so much bigger.
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If I'm getting TPR hyp. sci workbook and already have EK 1001 q's for bio
is that enough or should i get TBR bio also?
 
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Nope, that's definitely enough. Make sure you do the TPR Bio along with the EK bio and don't ignore it though.. haha. I tended to ignore my TPR book due to its size but I tried to use it up.
 
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capn jazz said:
It's a beast. I didn't even touch the Gen Chem/Physics parts since I had so much practice from the TBR books. But I did all of the bio, and the vast majority of OChem (I was going to finish OChem the day or two before my MCAT and I just couldn't deal with it... haha... I had to stop studying.)
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That TPR science workbook is a BEAST of a book. The questions in it range from easy to hard so you shouldn't worry about it being too easy.

Capn: I do the G. Chem and Physics passages in it also as I'm going along and doing TBR phases and it is a lot to do but by the time I'm done I know the subject inside out so I can't really complain. Not to mention I do Ek 1001 books in physics and G chem right after I read the TBR lectures. For me, using this method of practice beats the material into me. My question for you (if you end up reading this) is that do you think it helped or hindered you doing phase I and II at the same time?

Thanks,

-LIS
 
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meliora27 said:
That TPR Hyperlearning book sure is a beast to lug around. My TBR Bio books arrived yesterday. How do TBR Bio passages compare to TPR Bio questions. I'm no bio superstar but I often find the TPR questions to not be that difficult.
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Here's my opinion on it: I think that if you really really need the practice and just have to have it then yes I would get it but by no means is it an essential book like the other TBR books or the TPR hyperlearning science workbook. I think if you do the TPR science workbook and EK bio 1001 then by the time you are done with your practice tests you should have a solid foundation. The main thing I hear about TBR bio is that they have a really good molecular biology and genetics sections. I think the hyperlearning and internet sources are good enough for everything I need in these so I'm not going to spend the extra money. The only thing I would find useful would be passages in these subjects that might/might not be on the MCAT. I'm not knocking the TBR bio books, I'm basically just saying that I think the TPR sciencework book and Ek bio 1001 have enough practice for all the subjects. Plus I have the kaplan topical and sectional tests so I'm not too worried about those subjects.

Just my opinion,

-LIS
 
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LostInStudy said:
Capn: I do the G. Chem and Physics passages in it also as I'm going along and doing TBR phases and it is a lot to do but by the time I'm done I know the subject inside out so I can't really complain. Not to mention I do Ek 1001 books in physics and G chem right after I read the TBR lectures. For me, using this method of practice beats the material into me. My question for you (if you end up reading this) is that do you think it helped or hindered you doing phase I and II at the same time?

Thanks,

-LIS
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When I switched over to doing Phase II at the end of the week, it would help to reinforce the info, so I think I like that way better.
 
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wait, are you guys saying TBR bio > EK bio ?
can't we just study EK bio, answer EK 1001 bio questions and TPR hyperlearning science workbook (for bio)?
 
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eez said:
wait, are you guys saying TBR bio > EK bio ?
can't we just study EK bio, answer EK 1001 bio questions and TPR hyperlearning science workbook (for bio)?
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Sorry if that sounded confusing but we're basically saying the bolded part. I've never really heard of anyone fully supporting TBR bio for their content ever I think. Just that it is more detailed than the other books.

-LIS
 
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I also noticed that I am 8 of the latest posts on the first page of the MCAT discussions forums. This is not good. I need to get back to my TBR G. Chem review. I only got half of what I was supposed do today. Sorry to complain on here, I just need to get back to working hard again after having my hardest week of working on the MCAT ever last week (I logged 100 hours).

Good luck to everyone with your studying or score receiving,

-LIS
 
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LostInStudy said:
I also noticed that I am 8 of the latest posts on the first page of the MCAT discussions forums. This is not good. I need to get back to my TBR G. Chem review. I only got half of what I was supposed do today. Sorry to complain on here, I just need to get back to working hard again after having my hardest week of working on the MCAT ever last week (I logged 100 hours).

Good luck to everyone with your studying or score receiving,

-LIS
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:eek:
 
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dr seuss said:
100 hours in a week is insane.
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It is. I basically live, breathe and exist as the MCAT. I have 7 weeks before my MCAT. I sleep 6 hours a night which is enough for me. I spend 20 mins eating each meal while watching an episode of The Big Bang Theory. Which is an hour a day for eating. I take a shower that takes me 30 mins. I study in 3 separate 5 hour blocks and take a 30 min break for rest/snacks. I waste almost no time. I should add though I do take 5 min breaks to stretch and check my email accounts every 90 mins just so I don't get lazy in my studying and I stay efficient. I have always been an extremely efficient person. I shouldn't be on SDN though because that usually comes out of my sleep time. This works for me because I am not prone to burnout. I rarely ever burnout. I have no idea why but I just don't. Last summer when I took organic I would read the book and do all the problems in the chapter and look up every single online resource everyday. I studied 10 hours a day outside of lecture/lab. I just got lost in my studies. I lost all track of time and immersed myself in the material. I do have a life. I just have a ton of problems outside of school so burying myself in work and doing good and being able to forget those problems works fantastically for me. Maybe that's why I enjoyed shadowing a neurosurgeon the most. I don't really know. It's not too insane for me, that's what I'm basically trying to explain.

Hoped this provided some insight,

-LIS

PS: My goal is to get in 800 hours. Then I will be satisfied. But I'm already behind 6-7 hours this week because I had some stuff that I couldn't manage to ignore this weekend.
 
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LostInStudy said:
It is. I basically live, breathe and exist as the MCAT. I have 7 weeks before my MCAT. I sleep 6 hours a night which is enough for me. I spend 20 mins eating each meal while watching an episode of The Big Bang Theory. Which is an hour a day for eating. I take a shower that takes me 30 mins. I study in 3 separate 5 hour blocks and take a 30 min break for rest/snacks. I waste almost no time. I should add though I do take 5 min breaks to stretch and check my email accounts every 90 mins just so I don't get lazy in my studying and I stay efficient. I have always been an extremely efficient person. I shouldn't be on SDN though because that usually comes out of my sleep time. This works for me because I am not prone to burnout. I rarely ever burnout. I have no idea why but I just don't. Last summer when I took organic I would read the book and do all the problems in the chapter and look up every single online resource everyday. I studied 10 hours a day outside of lecture/lab. I just got lost in my studies. I lost all track of time and immersed myself in the material. I do have a life. I just have a ton of problems outside of school so burying myself in work and doing good and being able to forget those problems works fantastically for me. Maybe that's why I enjoyed shadowing a neurosurgeon the most. I don't really know. It's not too insane for me, that's what I'm basically trying to explain.

Hoped this provied some insight,

-LIS

PS: My goal is to get in 800 hours. Then I will be satisfied. But I'm already behind 6-7 hours this week because I had some stuff that I couldn't manage to ignore this weekend.
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:thumbup:

I also enjoyed the general surgeon I shadowed. It was exciting to stay in the OR 8 hours a day (with breaks of course). I liked it so much that I asked him once if I could stay on call with him one day :D
 
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eez said:
:thumbup:

I also enjoyed the general surgeon I shadowed. It was exciting to stay in the OR 8 hours a day (with breaks of course). I liked it so much that I asked him once if I could stay on call with him one day :D
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Man, I would love to shadow a General Surgeon too. I just finished with Internal Med this week, Peds next week, then Internist after. Only after that will I be able to schedule with a general surgeon. but man, school will be starting by then on top of volunteer work. I hope I still have enough hours for the day or at least the week to study and do other things.:smuggrin:
 
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