The Official 01/30/09 MCAT Club

[BloodySurgeon]

Since January is nearby, I decided to refine the January MCAT club to it's two dates. For those of you who are taking it on Friday, January 30th, here is the place where you can vent, discuss, and support each other for this upcoming test. Best of luck guys!

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[nexus6]

What's the deal with the headphones? Has anyone used them before? What did you think of it? Some have said it's not good to wear if you don't practice with them. I personally don't like ear plugs, but I wonder if they're more comfortable than ear plugs...

the headphones, at least for me, were terrible and very uncomfortable. they aren't earplugs-- they are fullsized- earcup headphones and look like this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Headphones_1.jpg

i never keep them on. people don't generally make that much noise in the room either way (since they are all also testing).

 

[BlueElmo]

Really close for you guys now! Good luck people.

 

[ksmi117]

Really close for you guys now! Good luck people.

Thanks! I just got done taking a practice test... perhaps I shouldn't have done it so late at night as I couldn't focus very well. But it's good to know I can pull off a good score even under those conditions.

 

[Vihsadas]

Good luck guys!

 

[futuredoctor10]

On a related note, why doesn't AAMC just instantaneously release your score after the test as they do with the GREs if the concensus on this forums on the matter is that the curve is already set, and people who take the exam with you don't affect your score?

Very good question.

Good luck to the 1/30 club!

 

[HawkeyePostOp]

taking my last aamc practice test in 10 mins.

eeeek.

 

[olemissbabydoc]

good luck with that last practice test!

for me, the headphones were just an annoyance.

 

[swamprat]

im taking my last aamc/last practice test wednesday

 

[jmp20]

those headphones look BAAALLIN! I cant wait for this test to end. I'm off to Chile the day after the test for a semester sin preocupaciones. Good luck everyone!

 

[nexus6]

scary how close we are to d-day

 

[wannabesrgn]

Yeah. I'm definitely starting to get nervous. I also just want to be done with this thing. It's so bittersweet.

 

[nexus6]

quick question that im not sure belongs here----

but should we be able to actually use the henderson / hasslebalch equation? deriving it is no problem-- but im having a really tough time figuring out which appropriate numbers i should be using. any help at all would be greatly appreciated.

 

[wannabesrgn]

Yeah, pretty sure you should know how to use it. I've seen it come up on several practice tests.

 

[HawkeyePostOp]

14/9/13 on my final aamc practice test. by far my highest score. If I get anywhere near that high on the real thing I swear I will donate my firstborn to SDN.

jmp20: Chile sounds awesome

 

[dray5150]

Yeah I agree you SDN has been a great support. Good luck to everybody. We have all worked hard for this.

 

[nexus6]

im trying not to panic-- but i just couldn't take another prac. test again. i just really don't want to take this test again if i do bad this time around. i have to get these damn negative thoughts out of my head. good luck to everyone.

 

[RRTinCO]

Well, I'm officially done studying. This wait is agonizing, and I know it will just get worse after we take it .

 

[elyswim]

I'm worried I won't be able to sleep the night before, anyone know how to deal with that?


Oh and what are you guys doing tomorrow?

 

[wannabesrgn]

AAAAAHHHHHH. sorry had to just say that.

i'm gonna relax all day tomorrow to try to bring my brain function back for game day.

my last resort for not being able to sleep is a glass of pinot noir. but also will not drink the usual caffeine i have every day (a couple cups of tea) to ensure that i will be tired.

 

[wannabesrgn]

oh and definitely not coming on this site tomorrow either. just makes me nervous. good luck everyone!

 

[swamprat]

yeah i have been bugging over this past week for this exam. i've had so many negative thoughts along with the what if i dont sleep thing. glad 2 see im not alone lol. i've been waking up at 645-7am this whole week though so my schedule hopefully is adjusted enough. my biggest worry as of lately is freaking out when i start reading the first passage. im gunna keep my cool though

 

[wannabesrgn]

all i know is as soon as i leave that test center ill be in heaven. and this song is gonna play as angels come down with ambrosia...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Qx2lMaMsl8

 

[nexus6]

all i know is as soon as i leave that test center ill be in heaven. and this song is gonna play as angels come down with ambrosia...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Qx2lMaMsl8

lol

i plan on taking it easy all day tomorrow. watch a little tv-- maybe even a movie. i know i shouldn't study, but i didnt get the chance to review optics today, so im going to spend like 30-45 min. max tomorrow morning on that.

as far as sleeping goes, i might have a beer or two-- but i definitely dont recommend much. the 2nd time i took the test, i actually had a bit more than i anticipated and ended up very tired the next morning.

i also don't plan on visiting this site tomorrow (haha), so good luck to everybody. i'll see you on the other side.

 

[iA-MD2013]

Well, I'm officially done studying. This wait is agonizing, and I know it will just get worse after we take it .

I'm glad some of you are done studying! It's really important to stay relaxed at this point.

 

[iA-MD2013]

lol

i plan on taking it easy all day tomorrow. watch a little tv-- maybe even a movie. i know i shouldn't study, but i didnt get the chance to review optics today, so im going to spend like 30-45 min. max tomorrow morning on that.

as far as sleeping goes, i might have a beer or two-- but i definitely dont recommend much. the 2nd time i took the test, i actually had a bit more than i anticipated and ended up very tired the next morning.

i also don't plan on visiting this site tomorrow (haha), so good luck to everybody. i'll see you on the other side.

That sounds like a good plan.

 

[iA-MD2013]

I'm worried I won't be able to sleep the night before, anyone know how to deal with that?


Oh and what are you guys doing tomorrow?

Sleep well tonight! Chances are you won't sleep very well the night before your exam so make sure you're well rested now.

 

[BlueElmo]

wow, you've been promoted to Moderator jg. Good job!

 

[Zona Pellucida]

Good Luck to you all!!

 

[iA-MD2013]

wow, you've been promoted to Moderator jg. Good job!

Thanks elmo!

 

[Vihsadas]

Thanks elmo!

A deserved birdmotion.

Good luck all. Put your books down and relax. It's time to take it all in, take a few (or many) deep breaths, AND OWN THIS BEAST!

 

[olemissbabydoc]

Good luck everyone!

 

[RRTinCO]

Best of luck everyone, I hope we all do awesome

 

[8mile]

good luck guys!

 

[HawkeyePostOp]

good luck

try to get some sleep!

 

[FutureScaresMe]

Ahhh so nervous!! Good luck everyone! Does east coast start 3 hours before us are do we all take it at the same time? Anyone else taking it in Cupertino?

 

[ksmi117]

Ahhh so nervous!! Good luck everyone! Does east coast start 3 hours before us are do we all take it at the same time? Anyone else taking it in Cupertino?

Unless y'all start at 10 and the ESTer's start at 7, everyone is at 8.

Me = very discouraged right now, not a good sign the day before the test.

 

[Ibn Rushd]

It's game tiiime! Good luck everyone!

 

[Revilla]

Unless y'all start at 10 and the ESTer's start at 7, everyone is at 8.

Me = very discouraged right now, not a good sign the day before the test.

No, no, no, you're going to do great! You'll get a test that quizzes you on all your strengths and leaves out any weaknesses and you'll walk out of there on cloud nine!

From a Jan. 31st'er, good luck tomorrow guys!

 

[olemissbabydoc]

Good luck to you all. I'm sure you're kickin some MCAT in the rear as I speak!

 

[Vihsadas]

Now that you guys are done your MCAT. It's time for my obligatory modly message. I hope you guys rocked that CAT, but please remember that we have always been extremely strict with the following rules. Now, get off of SDN and go to gym, a movie or hang out with some friends! You're done your MCAT!


1) Do not discuss the specifics of the MCAT exam. This includes, but is not limited to:

• Divulging one or more answer choices, parts of answer choices, or the answer itself
• Revealing the question stem itself or a part of the question stem
• Outlining part of the process required to solve a problem
• Soliciting specific information about a question
• Highlighting the specifics of a passage, including information not directly related to a question.
• Posting entire questions
• Discussing any other information that would make it easier to answer an MCAT question.
• You may post only general information about the topics covered on the exam, "I had a passage about rickets", and your feelings, "I thought the rickets passage was very hard."

**If one of your posts is identified as revealing too much information, your account will be immediately post-held for seven days.

As a litmus test, ask yourself the following question before posting:

• “Will what I am about to post make it easier for another member to answer an MCAT question? Will it give them a specific idea about what to expect on an exam?"
  

If the answer is yes, or you are unsure, do not make the post. If you absolutely must, send a private message to a moderator and ask us if it’s okay.


2) Do not make posts that falsely claim that MCAT scores are available.

The stress of waiting for scores is intense enough where posting false “scores are up” posts serves only to increase the unneeded and unwelcome anxiety of your peers. These types of posts fall under "trolling and intending to inflame".

**Users caught posting false information will be post-held for seven days.


Please understand that these rules are here not only to maintain the testability of the MCAT exam and the integrity of the admissions process as a whole, but also to protect you. The AAMC actively searches SDN for people who disclose information from their MCAT exams. If you are caught doing so, the AAMC reserves the right to void your MCAT score and revoke your eligibility to write future MCAT exams--meaning that you will never be able to attend a US Medical School. Consequently, please realize that we maintain an extremely strict policy for the good of everyone. Thank you for your attention, and if you have any further questions please do not hesitate to contact a moderator.

 

[BlueElmo]

So how was it everyone? Tell us about your lovely picnic with that 5-hour test.

 

[MCATstudent7]

without talking about specifics, i thought the verbal was extremely simple and I didn't study even a minute for that section in the past 3 months. I thought the physical sciences was tough, but that's my weakness. Biological sciences was different.. I'm not sure what I can talk about and not, and I don't wanna be banned so..

All in all, I thought both science portions were kinda tough when compared to practice tests I took, and the verbal was extremely easy.

 

[aarm08]

So how was it everyone? Tell us about your lovely picnic with that 5-hour test.

i guess i'll start...

all i have to say is that i'm praying i'm not the only one who thought that that was harder than the practice tests i took (definitely harder than aamc and comparable, but maybe harder than the kaplan's i took)...UGH

 

[jh8cw]

VR: Passages were longer than usual. Had to speed up on one of the passages so I could complete the test on time. Got real nervous in the middle of the exam. Questions are tricky as usual (very much like AAMC and Examcrackers with a scholastic flare similar to Princeton Review). Disagree with MCATstudent's impression, perhaps we had different passages.

PS: Passages had a lot more unnecessary distractor information and seemed less organized than practice AAMCs. Definitely looked alot like Kaplan than AAMC. Had the feeling that majority of section was General Chemistry.

BS: Heavily passage based. Content felt like Kaplan/Princeton review as opposed to AAMC. Felt like curveballs. Had the feeling didn't test much on organic chemistry (like 10% of test). Some PS concepts were tested.

 

[Revilla]

without talking about specifics, i thought the verbal was extremely simple and I didn't study even a minute for that section in the past 3 months. I thought the physical sciences was tough, but that's my weakness. Biological sciences was different.. I'm not sure what I can talk about and not, and I don't wanna be banned so..

All in all, I thought both science portions were kinda tough when compared to practice tests I took, and the verbal was extremely easy.

I've been around these forums for a while and it seems you're allowed to talk about topics (i.e. "there was so much physiology" or "there were three molecular genetics passages" or "did anyone else think the kinematics passage was particularly hard?" or "why the hell was there a circuit in the passage with the toilet?" The last comment was a favorite of mine from one of the administrations last summer). What you're not allowed to do is mention specific questions or specific answers.

 

[aarm08]

VR: Passages were longer than usual. Had to speed up on one of the passages so I could complete the test on time. Got real nervous in the middle of the exam. Questions are tricky as usual (very much like AAMC and Examcrackers with a scholastic flare similar to Princeton Review). Disagree with MCATstudent's impression, perhaps we had different passages.

PS: Passages had a lot more unnecessary distractor information and seemed less organized than practice AAMCs. Definitely looked alot like Kaplan than AAMC. Had the feeling that majority of section was General Chemistry.

BS: Heavily passage based. Content felt like Kaplan/Princeton review as opposed to AAMC. Felt like curveballs. Had the feeling didn't test much on organic chemistry (like 10% of test). Some PS concepts were tested.

Agreed in many respects. Especially the "unnecessary distractor information" in PS and "felt like curveballs" in BS...it seemed much less straightforward in general than other practice tests

 

[aarm08]

without talking about specifics, i thought the verbal was extremely simple and I didn't study even a minute for that section in the past 3 months. I thought the physical sciences was tough, but that's my weakness. Biological sciences was different.. I'm not sure what I can talk about and not, and I don't wanna be banned so..

All in all, I thought both science portions were kinda tough when compared to practice tests I took, and the verbal was extremely easy.

i didn't think the verbal was extremely easy. i thought it was on par with other practice tests and perhaps harder because of being flustered by the PS.

 

[MCATstudent7]

i didn't think the verbal was extremely easy. i thought it was on par with other practice tests and perhaps harder because of being flustered by the PS.

heh, well i got my mind set after that PS section. I told myself that it was harder than usual (which im glad to see that everyone thought) and that I needed to concentrate on the rest of the test.

Just thought all the Verbal topics were easy and straightforward.

For the BS, wow OMG I am a damn pro at hormones (not bragging, sorry if it sounds that way), its DEF my strongest biology section and I was disappointed to see few (very few) hormone questions.. Did see alot of genetics and allele problems.. which I hate.

 

[Coffee]

I'm dying to ask...was there a word search function for verbal available on the exam?

 

[MCATstudent7]

VR: Passages were longer than usual. Had to speed up on one of the passages so I could complete the test on time. Got real nervous in the middle of the exam. Questions are tricky as usual (very much like AAMC and Examcrackers with a scholastic flare similar to Princeton Review). Disagree with MCATstudent's impression, perhaps we had different passages.

PS: Passages had a lot more unnecessary distractor information and seemed less organized than practice AAMCs. Definitely looked alot like Kaplan than AAMC. Had the feeling that majority of section was General Chemistry.

BS: Heavily passage based. Content felt like Kaplan/Princeton review as opposed to AAMC. Felt like curveballs. Had the feeling didn't test much on organic chemistry (like 10% of test). Some PS concepts were tested.

I had very long passages too and the questions are always peppered with flair from my experiences. I'm not a biology major; history and philosophy are my majors, so I'm used to all that flowery crap they use.