The MCAT Twitter Thread (AKA MCAT-oholics)

[ridethecliche]

Alright, so many of us are in the same boat, right?

We all have to take this exam, and lets be honest, it sucks. It's a roadblock and it's annoying. But we HAVE to do it, so we might as well enjoy it.

At the same time, I think having a 'support group' would be helpful. So why not post about MCAT trials/tribulations here?

Did you have an awesome study session? Grasp concept that you were having trouble with? Beast that practice test?

If so, post!

Did you have a crappy study session? Are you failing miserably at figuring out something seemingly simple? Just get frustrated at that practice exam you just took?

If so, post!

MCAT-oholics unite!

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[ridethecliche]

Gonna go study for 4-5 hrs then gym then meet a friend for drinks.

Taking a TBR exam tomorrow (No VR probably) and then another on monday after work (no VR).

The rest of the week will go to reviewing old exams and associated content review. AAMC 5 next sunday.

Booyah!

 

[ModusProbandi]

Going to try and cover all the rest of Bio today. It's another 96 pages. It would be a miracle if I can maintain the concentration but I'm highly motivated to finish.

//73 pgs to go.

"You buy generic because it's the same quality but cheaper (and check to make sure it's dolphin-safe)." - TPR Biological Sciences

 

[ilovemcat]

I'm getting my butt kicked on TBR passages.

Some of these questions are so wierd. Check this one out:

"An organic compound with a density that is less than 1.00 g/mL is added to an organic liquid, also with a density that is less than 1.00 g/mL. What can be said about the concentration of the solution?

The (molality or molarity) is greater than the (molality or molarity) of the solution; the (density of the solution is greater than that of pure organic liquid or the relative densities of the solution and the organic liquid cannot be determined without more information)."

Talk about mind F**K.

 

[Bancrofti]

I'm getting my butt kicked on TBR passages.

Some of these questions are so wierd. Check this one out:

"An organic compound with a density that is less than 1.00 g/mL is added to an organic liquid, also with a density that is less than 1.00 g/mL. What can be said about the concentration of the solution?

The (molality or molarity) is greater than the (molality or molarity) of the solution; the (density of the solution is greater than that of pure organic liquid or the relative densities of the solution and the organic liquid cannot be determined without more information)."

Talk about mind F**K.

I would have probably guessed C... density of the solution is greater than that of pure organic liquid.

A/B I would cancel out because we could compare molality but we won't know anything about molarity without knowing the identity of the organic compound or organic liquid.

If you're adding a solid to a liquid and the volume isn't changing, at least not a significant amount, then the overall density of the solution should increase because there are now more total particles in solution than there was previously.

My thought process could be completely wrong, but that's what I'd go with... and my uncertainty on questions like these is why I know I have a longggg way to go as far as prepping

 

[ridethecliche]

My thought is: eff the mcat.

I went out tonight. It's almost 3 am and I have to be up early tomorrow to go for a bike ride with some friends.

Duders and duderettes, this is what caffeine was created for. eff yes.

 

[sacha]

I'm getting my butt kicked on TBR passages.

Some of these questions are so wierd. Check this one out:

"An organic compound with a density that is less than 1.00 g/mL is added to an organic liquid, also with a density that is less than 1.00 g/mL. What can be said about the concentration of the solution?

The (molality or molarity) is greater than the (molality or molarity) of the solution; the (density of the solution is greater than that of pure organic liquid or the relative densities of the solution and the organic liquid cannot be determined without more information)."

Talk about mind F**K.

I remember doing this question, getting it wrong, reading the solution & understanding it. but now... all is forgotten -_-

 

[ModusProbandi]

Time to dive into AAMC #3 and hope that my PS score doesn't fall and that my VR is a 10 at least.

Two more sections for biology, then Ochem all next week. Hopefully my boss won't overwork me this next week.

//About to do verbal. EEK! I felt like physical sciences was kinda hard, kept reading to a minimal, hopefully that didn't backfire. Need to review radioactive decays (what happens to the neutrons). Don't fail it, I can't afford the emotional stress.

AAMC#3 Timed

PS: 15 100%!
VR: 10 -Guessed on the last 3, didn't finish in time.
BS: 10

Total: 35

I guessed for an entire O-chem passage, literally just guessed because of a lack of patience.

 

[Etorphine]

Time to dive into AAMC #3 and hope that my PS score doesn't fall and that my VR is a 10 at least.

Two more sections for biology, then Ochem all next week. Hopefully my boss won't overwork me this next week.

//About to do verbal. EEK! I felt like physical sciences was kinda hard, kept reading to a minimal, hopefully that didn't backfire. Need to review radioactive decays (what happens to the neutrons). Don't fail it, I can't afford the emotional stress.

AAMC#3 Timed

PS: 15 100%!
VR: 10 -Guessed on the last 3, didn't finish in time.
BS: 10

Total: 35

I guessed for an entire O-chem passage, literally just guessed because of a lack of patience.

good to see all that hard work paying off eh? Welcome to the 15 club.

 

[ridethecliche]

Messed up a bit today. Tried reviewing too much and freaked myself out when I didn't remember some of the basics.

Bio stuff leaves my head so fast that it's a little sad...

I've been concentrating on chem and physics for the last 2 weeks and I guess it shows. Oh, I did a bunch of orgo too.

I'm going to take the PS/BS of TBR 8 today and 9 tomorrow.

I'm taking off friday this week and next monday. That will be the time to do another run through of some of the bio weak spots, start some of the passages in earnest, and hit some of the EK VR tests that I've been slacking on pretty hard.

Work.Cut.Out.For.Me.

As a plus, I have a nasty farmers tan since boston weather decided that it should be 73 today and I went out for a 2 hour bike ride. Funzies!

 

[ridethecliche]

The 15 things you should know about coffee.

http://theoatmeal.com/comics/coffee

 

[ilovemcat]

The 15 things you should know about coffee.

http://theoatmeal.com/comics/coffee

That's my new homepage now.

 

[ridethecliche]

Finished PS and BS sections. Honestly I was distracted during it and really didn't want to do it but made myself.

I ran out of time during the PS and had to guess on a bunch of questions in 2 passages, but still got a 10. 1 Question away from an 11!
BS I finished with 10 mins left and got a 9.

For TBR, I don't think those are too bad.

I'll humor myself and take the last PS/BS section tomorrow after work and try to stick to the time on it and not get distracted.

Then I'll take time off from a CBT till the weekend which should give me time to review some old exams, do some content review, and do some passages till sunday when I take aamc 5.

I think I'll be amped for that more than anything else. I'm having a hard time treating the TBR's like the 'real deal' now. With the AAMC's that's much easier since they're the closest to the real thing!

I'm not burnt out. I know this because I had a great weekend and feel pretty full of energy when it comes to studying. Looking forward to the week ahead.

 

[sacha]

Time to dive into AAMC #3 and hope that my PS score doesn't fall and that my VR is a 10 at least.

Two more sections for biology, then Ochem all next week. Hopefully my boss won't overwork me this next week.

//About to do verbal. EEK! I felt like physical sciences was kinda hard, kept reading to a minimal, hopefully that didn't backfire. Need to review radioactive decays (what happens to the neutrons). Don't fail it, I can't afford the emotional stress.

AAMC#3 Timed

PS: 15 100%!
VR: 10 -Guessed on the last 3, didn't finish in time.
BS: 10

Total: 35

I guessed for an entire O-chem passage, literally just guessed because of a lack of patience.

awesome job!

 

[ridethecliche]

Time to dive into AAMC #3 and hope that my PS score doesn't fall and that my VR is a 10 at least.

Two more sections for biology, then Ochem all next week. Hopefully my boss won't overwork me this next week.

//About to do verbal. EEK! I felt like physical sciences was kinda hard, kept reading to a minimal, hopefully that didn't backfire. Need to review radioactive decays (what happens to the neutrons). Don't fail it, I can't afford the emotional stress.

AAMC#3 Timed

PS: 15 100%!
VR: 10 -Guessed on the last 3, didn't finish in time.
BS: 10

Total: 35

I guessed for an entire O-chem passage, literally just guessed because of a lack of patience.

Well done man. And you're only going up from here!

You're RIGHT on track. Hopefully, I see something in that vicinity when I switch over to the AAMC's.

 

[blackandgold1]

Time to dive into AAMC #3 and hope that my PS score doesn't fall and that my VR is a 10 at least.

Two more sections for biology, then Ochem all next week. Hopefully my boss won't overwork me this next week.

//About to do verbal. EEK! I felt like physical sciences was kinda hard, kept reading to a minimal, hopefully that didn't backfire. Need to review radioactive decays (what happens to the neutrons). Don't fail it, I can't afford the emotional stress.

AAMC#3 Timed

PS: 15 100%!
VR: 10 -Guessed on the last 3, didn't finish in time.
BS: 10

Total: 35

I guessed for an entire O-chem passage, literally just guessed because of a lack of patience.

holy mother. good job!!!!! i would die for that ps score

 

[blackandgold1]

just a random question: am i the only one who has gained weight during my past 4 months of studying lol the gym has moved down on my priority list from #2 to like #35. ugh someone console me and tell me im not alone haha

 

[cartman1980]

just a random question: Am i the only one who has gained weight during my past 4 months of studying

+1

 

[raltima07]

I took GS 2-5: I kill the verbal with around a 12-13, I get around a 8-9 on BS, and a 7 on PS. Everyone says GS is harder, and I have not finished my physics review yet. I plan on taking AAMC 4 on Sat to see how I do...

I feel so sad and depressed....

 

[ModusProbandi]

I took GS 2-5: I kill the verbal with around a 12-13, I get around a 8-9 on BS, and a 7 on PS. Everyone says GS is harder, and I have not finished my physics review yet. I plan on taking AAMC 4 on Sat to see how I do...

I feel so sad and depressed....

Don't let it get to you. State of mind is half the battle.

 

[Glazebrook]

just a random question: am i the only one who has gained weight during my past 4 months of studying lol the gym has moved down on my priority list from #2 to like #35. ugh someone console me and tell me im not alone haha

I've actually lost weight because I'm not eating as much food due to a lack of appetite. Must be the stress

 

[ridethecliche]

I've lost weight too, but that's because I started lifting less and eating less to compensate. My back injury (reinjured in Nov) still hasn't healed and I figured that I should cut out anything sketchy so I can get back to being able to live my life like a human being again.

In any event, I present to you TBR 9.

Last TBR exam taken.

Again, just the BS and PS sections.

Finished PS on the dime. BS I finished with 20 mins left.

PS: 44/52. Score 13
BS: 34/52. Score 9

I hope I fare better on the AAMC's for the BS!

The TBR BS section is a killer. My last AAMC was a 9 as well and I'm hoping that I can get atleast an 11. The PS score shocked me, but I'm excited by it. I'd love to get a 12 on the real deal.

VR is going to be 10 by all current estimates and I'd love to push that up to an 11.

This doesn't mean much, but my best sections from TBR are PS: 13, VR: 12, and BS 11. I.e a total of 36.

I think that means that a 32 is not out of my reach and I need to work my ass off to push that estimate up. Review of the old exams begins tomorrow. Will do that on tues/weds/thurs. Friday will be brushing up on some content from weak points that come up in the exam review and then doing passages to work on them.

It feels like all my hard work is coming together. Now I just need to keep my head in the game for the next 3.5 weeks.

GO TEAM!

 

[sacha]

I took 3 days off all mcat prep & i feel completely recharged. woohoo. going to kick some thermochemistry ass today. I just took my weight out of curiosity & i've lost 7 pounds over the last 2 months of studying! probably cause i cut down on carbs for dinner so I would stop falling asleep in the library. good to know that helped both my mind & body

 

[ModusProbandi]

PS: 44/52. Score 13

Realized your goal eh?

 

[ModusProbandi]

Did absolutely nothing yesterday. Just got off work, feeling down about not doing MCAT studying, but excited to get back on top of things. Need to finish work presented on the pg 7. Took an online tutoring position in biology and chemistry, great way to review topics and make some extra cash, I'll have the console on while studying.

TPR O-Chem Review: 518-600 Ew.


TPR Science Workbook Re-Review + OChem



//Done Reading...talk about a ridiculous amount of isomers.

Chapter 1 : Structure, Bonding, Stability

Questions: 32/37 (85%)

P1: 5/5
P2: 6/7 [Ethyl Acetate is non-polar, shoulda chose it by POE anyway]
P3:
P4: [Saved]

I really need to start working on O-chem, it's the last stretch......

 

[ridethecliche]

I'm down on verbal.

I slacked on it for a bit and was cocky because I didn't see anything below a 10 on aamc and averaged about 11 on TBR. EK is kicking my ass now.

I've had two 9's back to back and I'm not all that happy about it as I'm counting on this section to be consistent. 1 question away from a 10 this time.

One thing I've found, often I'll pick wrong when I'm between two answers. The other thing is that I do MUCH better when I underline/highlight stuff as I'm doing the questions.

I bombed one entire passage on the test I just took and would have had an 11 easy if I had done the same for that passage as I had done for the rest of them. So, now I need to learn to highlight efficiently. Good thing is that I was on the last question with a minute left, so the timing isn't off that badly.

For the rest of tonight, I'm going to:
-Review the EK exam I just took, though I figured out half my mistakes before reading the reasons they gave. A good sign I think.
-Go over a TBR bio section.

Realized your goal eh?

We'll see how it translates when I take AAMC 5 this weekend.

I might wake up early and take it saturday morning. I'm going to a friends 'spring fling' in town at noon, so I should have plenty of time if I wake up early.

 

[ridethecliche]

AHHH!!!

I can't get into my TBR CBT account online for some reason. It says that it's inactive! My old page that isn't refreshed says that I have access till the 30th of may!

I have atleast 5 exams to review on there. I am FREAKING out!

 

[berriesandcream]

AAMC 3 in chunks:

PS 9
VR 4
BS 8


I think my verbal is mostly because I was exhausted and briefly read through passages. With a month left, I need to work on EK 101 for VR, and study quicksheets because I sometimes referred to the kaplan quicksheets for references sometimes (hormones and some physics equations).

I thought I was doing well on verbal, but I hadn't practiced in like a month. So, for the next month, I need to avidly work on EK 101. Has anyone done the PR verbal book? how does it compare?

 

[blackandgold1]

so i just discovered two HUGE moles on my forehead today and am pretty freaked out that they're cancerous. in the midst of it, i decided to take a full length to divert my attn until i go to the dr's.

AAAAND i got a 34... i have no idea how, since i was soo unfocused and out of it, but yayyyyyy.

ps-11
vr-11
bs-12

 

[blackandgold1]

I thought I was doing well on verbal, but I hadn't practiced in like a month. So, for the next month, I need to avidly work on EK 101. Has anyone done the PR verbal book? how does it compare?

i'm currently doing the tpr verbal wkbk and its helped SO FREAKING MUCH. i would definitely recommend it. it helps you start focusing on main idea and author questions which is what the aamc verbal is all about.

 

[ModusProbandi]

Sitting in the library, 25 more pages of Ochem to go until I'm finally finished with the material I was supposed to have completed by yesterday. Thankfully my college is filled with enough nerds to warrant a fairly large 24hr lounge.

 

[sacha]

Sitting in the library, 25 more pages of Ochem to go until I'm finally finished with the material I was supposed to have completed by yesterday. Thankfully my college is filled with enough nerds to warrant a fairly large 24hr lounge.

I'm in the library too - 8 pages left to complete today's goal. but this last bit of TBR thermochemistry is driving me crazy.

 

[ridethecliche]

After getting sick the first week of April, I find myself sick yet again.

It's another viral thing according to the doc and I think it should clear up by the weekend.

I slept from about 7 PM till well, just now! Needless to say, no work was done last night.

I'm also worried about how things are going to work out for right now. With my TBR CBT account inactive, I can't get in to review the exams I took. This makes having taken them pretty much useless. I know my weak spots, so I can do practice passages on those topics, but I'm feeling kind of lost because reviewing those exams was going to be a big part of this week.

 

[raltima07]

After getting sick the first week of April, I find myself sick yet again.

It's another viral thing according to the doc and I think it should clear up by the weekend.

I slept from about 7 PM till well, just now! Needless to say, no work was done last night.

I'm also worried about how things are going to work out for right now. With my TBR CBT account inactive, I can't get in to review the exams I took. This makes having taken them pretty much useless. I know my weak spots, so I can do practice passages on those topics, but I'm feeling kind of lost because reviewing those exams was going to be a big part of this week.

why is your account inactive?

 

[ridethecliche]

why is your account inactive?

Dunno. I only used it on my computer. It said it was going to expire on 5/30/11 (I have a screenshot) but when I went in yesterday it said it was inactive.

I'm a little overwhelmed at what to do. Taking those tests was okay, but reviewing them is where it really matters. I think they said that they'd give me a new account, but I don't know if I have the time or patience to go through all the exams from scratch instead of reviewing what I got wrong.

I'm trying to figure out how screwed I am if I don't bother with it if I don't get my old account back. I might just use the TPR workbook to do passages in my weak areas.

Ahhh!!!

 

[sacha]

Dunno. I only used it on my computer. It said it was going to expire on 5/30/11 (I have a screenshot) but when I went in yesterday it said it was inactive.

I'm a little overwhelmed at what to do. Taking those tests was okay, but reviewing them is where it really matters. I think they said that they'd give me a new account, but I don't know if I have the time or patience to go through all the exams from scratch instead of reviewing what I got wrong.

Ahhh!!!

don't let it get to you. why don't you just go through a few tests with the solutions. since you did them quite recently, there's a good chance you'll remember your thought process. don't go through all of the tests if you feel a time constraint. and then you can jump to the aamcs. goodluck!

finally done with my studying for the day. did pretty decently on thermochem passages. tomorrow's electrochemistry day & then I'll be done with elminating weaknesses in gen chem. i hope!

 

[ridethecliche]

don't let it get to you. why don't you just go through a few tests with the solutions. since you did them quite recently, there's a good chance you'll remember your thought process. don't go through all of the tests if you feel a time constraint. and then you can jump to the aamcs. goodluck!

finally done with my studying for the day. did pretty decently on thermochem passages. tomorrow's electrochemistry day & then I'll be done with elminating weaknesses in gen chem. i hope!

I don't know what the tutor mode is like for TBR but it might be worth a shot.

Honestly, I was interested in the BS sections where I was shaky (getting 7-9's) and the PS sections where I faltered.

As far as PS goes, I know most of my weak spots:electrochem, magnetism, optics, some acid base stuff. For BS, I'm not as certain. A bit of it is lapse in content, and a bunch is orgo. I was really interested in reviewing the orgo stuff.

As a worst case scenario, I can review the passages that concern those topics because I'm surely going to learn a ton. That's probably going to be most time efficient.

I have access to one of the big prep companies online passages and such, so I might just make quizzes from those and use those as practice.

Honestly, I'm pretty bummed out by this, but I guess I did learn something because I was consistently breaking 30 on my last 3-4 exams. (for the last 2 I'm using my VR average of 11 as I didn't do those sections).

I'm curious how much I'll lose if I don't go back and just review the heck out of the 6 AAMC's that I have yet to take and work on weak spots that come out of those. I'm worried that it'll be a lot. I.e. 1-2 pts worth on the PS/BS sections. I think I'm just going to suck it up and do what I said in bold. Might take time, but it'll be worth it and give me confidence.

 

[ridethecliche]

This song is so clutch!

[YOUTUBE]http://youtu.be/q3cLHxmNHdc[/YOUTUBE]

 

[ridethecliche]

why is your account inactive?

Access is back. Looks like they were doing routine maintenance. Oops.

 

[ilovemcat]

kinda reaching that point where i simply don't care anymore, lol. this is very baddd

 

[ridethecliche]

kinda reaching that point where i simply don't care anymore, lol. this is very baddd

Don't make me come over there.

I've sort of rediscovered girls. It's really bad for my studying mojo. FU spring. I have enough distractions as it is!

I have a 4 day weekend now. Time to kick some ass!

 

[ModusProbandi]

kinda reaching that point where i simply don't care anymore, lol. this is very baddd

Your avatar says it all.

 

[ridethecliche]

Took another EK101 verbal exam.

I was doing GREAT but a literature analysis passage really threw me off. I had two wrong in the first 20 questions then got 7 wrong in the next 20. Ouch.

In the lit passage, I narrowed most questions down to two answers and then picked the wrong one. I got 4/6 wrong in the passage. Yeah, that's right. Wrong... I think the inference based questions are a huge weakness for me and these kinds of passages reek of them.

Yuck.

It was good for a 10. But I would have shot up to an 11 had I messed up on only 2 of those questions. Of course, there were two instances where I changed my answer and my first answer would have been right...Ugh.

I'll take another one tomorrow and see how it goes. Shooting to take one atleast every other day that I don't take a practice exam. I have 7 of the EK ones left and 4 of the TPR ones left so I think I should be good between all of those. Really hoping that I can eek out those one or two points.

 

[ModusProbandi]

T-minus 22 Days..........who else is taking at @ 2, May 21st?

 

[ridethecliche]

T-minus 22 Days..........who else is taking at @ 2, May 21st?

20th for me.

Goal for this weekend is to finish reviewing the 6 TBR exams I have left between tomorrow and saturday. Take AAMC 5 on sunday.

Review AAMC 5 and content review on monday. I'm nervous to take an AAMC again. I really want to break 32.

 

[ilovemcat]

Don't make me come over there.

I've sort of rediscovered girls. It's really bad for my studying mojo. FU spring. I have enough distractions as it is!

I have a 4 day weekend now. Time to kick some ass!

ha, tell me about it. can't wait to this thing over with.

 

[ModusProbandi]

5 more pages, till I'm done....with section 1 of Ochem. 5 more to go. Do some individual questions, passages, then review physics + chem via the rest of the TPR workbook/ICC/drills/everything.

-Finished individual questions on Orgo, gonna make a quick pass at some chem/physics in the tpr workbook. I'll do 3 of em, 3 chem, 3 physics, when I get home. Need to finish by May 5th the review of PS.

TPR Science Workbook: Last Passage Sweep

If I get 90%+ on these sections, I will not review the topic, unless I feel really shaky..


TPR G-Chem


4/29

P15: 7/8
P16: [SKIP!!]/9
P17 [AP]: 9/9

P28: 6/6

>Strength of ions are dependent on charge, and less on size

P29: 5/6
P30: 5/6
P31: 7/7
P32: 7/9 - Really stupid azz question.

46/51 = 90.1%

4/30

P41: 4/6 => corrected 1
P42: 7/7
P43: 2/7 [LOL]

#1 Didn't read question stem closely (EACH)
#2 Remember, Bromine is a liquid you dick. Thus, A.
#3 Legit
#5 Wrote equation wrong
#7 Don't remember how to add 2 digit equations.

P44: 6/7

=> Another sfjdkfj4em

P45: 6/7

=> you *****

P46 [AP]: 7/7

32/41 = 78.0%

5/1

P49: 6/7
P50 [AP]: 6/7

P59: 7/7
P60: 7/8
P61 [AP]: 8/8

34/37 = 91.8%


5/2

P69: 5/6 Na2O is a polyprotic base, that I did not know.
P70 [AP]: 4/5 -> dumb error.

P74:

P77:
P78:

5/3

P87:
P88:
P89:
P90:
P91:
P92:
P93:

TPR Physics

4/29

P8: 8/10 Not being careful....read the question carefully.
P9: 8/8
P10: 7/7
P11: 10/10
P12: 9/10
P13 [AP]: 6/7

48/52 = 92%

4/30

P21: 5/5
P22 [AP]: 6/7
P23 [AP]: 7/7

[Capacitors/Electric Circuits]

P36: /6
P37: /7
P38 [AP]: /8

5/1

P48: 10/12
P49[AP]: 4/5 -> Dumb Calculation error.
P50[AP]: 12/12 LOL
P51[AP]: 8/8

34/37 = 91.8% So typical.

5/2

P52:
P53:
P54:
P55:
P56:
P57:
P58:
P59:
P60:
P61:
P62:

Damn, that's a lot.

 

[ModusProbandi]

Just got off work, gonna watch an episode of the office, attack some chem and try and read o-chem

 

[ridethecliche]

Only got through one and a half exams today.
Going to do 4.5 tomorrow. Should be quick because the scores are higher.

Dobedobedo

 

[sacha]

EK Verbal is FINALLY rewarding me. starting to like this book.

 

[ridethecliche]

EK Verbal is FINALLY rewarding me. starting to like this book.

Teach me your ways...