The Official 5/1/2010 MCAT Club...

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Let the games begin...

 

[bigballer27]

ahhh just finished aamc 7 WTF was that verbal? lol it was waaay harder than the others, i felt. i usually don't run out of time but i was pressed for time on this one

sciences were same as i expected, but a few more tricks on this one for the PS

and why is there so much reading comp on these science sections? i thought reading comp was for the verbal section!!!

 

[RuSkaya]

Yeh I finished AAMC 6 PS with 15 min left to go back and review marked answers but with AAMC 7 PS I had maybe 3 min to go back and review them

 

[bigballer27]

crap i thought i was on a streak! haha now im back to being all nervous about my verbal again...

at least my sciences were ok :/

 

[RuSkaya]

crap i thought i was on a streak! haha now im back to being all nervous about my verbal again...

at least my sciences were ok :/

hah no don't let it discourage you just go over it carefully. how do you review your verbal sections?

 

[bigballer27]

hah no don't let it discourage you just go over it carefully. how do you review your verbal sections?

i just go back through it and see if i missed anything cuz i didnt understand the passage or because i didnt understand the question or because it was stupid

but overall, its usually because i didnt understand the passage fully, so i dont spend too much time on reviewing verbal but maybe i should?

 

[bigballer27]

and damn guys we gotta beat out 4/10! hahaha

school allll day tomorrow 🙁 hopefully i can get in an EK101 verbal test to keep me fresh before aamc 8 on wed woohooo this time im getting a 38 no joke 😉

 

[Geekchick921]

Go baller go!

I keep meaning to do more of the tests in EK 101 but I never get around to it. I need to start trying to do one every day til the test.

 

[RuSkaya]

i just go back through it and see if i missed anything cuz i didnt understand the passage or because i didnt understand the question or because it was stupid

but overall, its usually because i didnt understand the passage fully, so i dont spend too much time on reviewing verbal but maybe i should?

Yeh I used to go over verbal really quickly or hardly at all but when I started using AAMC passages I now go through each question in detail...

For each Q (both right and wrong), I write a sentence or two down as to how I got to my answer... and then I'll read through explanations AAMC gives and compare our reasoning... I try to identify what type of question it is and whether there is a more or less common way to answer those type of questions.

As far as getting the author's tone, I read elsewhere on this site that it helps to hear the author's voice while you're reading. So I've been trying that especially with the boring passages where my eyes tend to glaze over.. and I think it may be helping

I've been feeling a little more confident going into verbal ever since I've started looking at it methodically...

 

[bigballer27]

yeah i pay attention to when my understanding differs from the aaamc solutions. but for verbal, its always me not understanding the passage fully. maybe 2-3 that i miss are just stupid mistakes of me not paying full attention to detail in the question or answer choice

my science review is pretty thorough though, usually test+review takes up one whole entire day

the EK101 passages are so random loll i just did test 10 and it had a passage about pimps and prostitutes hahaha

 

[WhiteCoatFuture]

Hey everyone.. just checking in. Congrats on the awesome scores!! Mine are topping out at 30 😳(

My verbal is consistently an 11 and I make dumb mistakes in sciences.. especially the Physical sciences section. AAMC 9 tomorrow. Wish me luck!

I've had 5-hr energy while taking a practice test. I actually like it. I take half the bottle at the beginning and the other half either b4 the writing section or right before Bio. I need to decide which I feel works best. Doesn't make me gittery at all which is something I was worried about. I'll definitely be using it for the real deal. 👍

Good luck in the final push through the last few days, everyone!

 

[bigballer27]

Hey everyone.. just checking in. Congrats on the awesome scores!! Mine are topping out at 30 😳(

My verbal is consistently an 11 and I make dumb mistakes in sciences.. especially the Physical sciences section. AAMC 9 tomorrow. Wish me luck!

I've had 5-hr energy while taking a practice test. I actually like it. I take half the bottle at the beginning and the other half either b4 the writing section or right before Bio. I need to decide which I feel works best. Doesn't make me gittery at all which is something I was worried about. I'll definitely be using it for the real deal. 👍

Good luck in the final push through the last few days, everyone!

haha thats good man, i think im gonna try half a bottle before verbal. caffeine does stimulate the mind (when taking small amounts), so maybe it can stimulate me to understand these passages

 

[NYYk9005]

Hey guys, I just joined this second because misery loves company and everyone else in this thread is going for the 5-1 MCAT like me!

I'm feeling really nervous right now!!

Anyway, I took a TPR course and it was helpful in everything but verbal (which SUCKS).

I took The Princeton Review (TPR) Test 1 back in February and got a 19 (6 PS, 5 V, 8 BS) 🙂()
I then took the AAMC#3 a couple weeks later and got a 26 (10 PS, 7 V, 9 BS)

I decided to focus more on the AAMC tests since I hear they are more indicative of performance, but my friend who took the actual test in January said I should take all the Princeton Review tests...

A few days ago I took TPR's test#3 and got a 27 (10 PS, 7 V, 10 BS)...
Last night I just took TPR test#2 and didn't finish the PS or V and quit the BS and the test and ended up with a 10 in PS, 5 in V 🙂scared🙂 and 4 in BS (even though I left out about 2/3 of everything)

I think I need an injection of confidence, so I am going to go with the AAMC tests from here on out!
For some reason I think I can really do well on the PS (expect anywhere from 10-12), and I am very confident in the BS once I get orgo more locked down and review some Bio topics that trouble me (10-12)...

But I am DYING in Verbal. I am really hoping the Princeton Review Verbal passages are ridiculously harder than the actual ones. I got the EK 101 book and will try to punch out as many of those as possible...
I ran out of time on the first one in that book a couple days ago and ended with 28 right out of 40...At this point, I am praying for a 10 on verbal, I would actually be okay with a 9 as well (sick right?).

I know others have trouble with the verbal, so...ANY TIPS?!?!
~ I am contemplating taking a 5 hour energy during the verbal to keep my alertness up and get me to pay attention to the small details- but I usually NEVER take any sort of caffeine- never even drink coffee...but I am desperate!

I might take AAMC#4 tomorrow night (if I'm not too tired- I have class from like 8:30 am to 8:30 pm). But, yeah the Verbal is HARD! lol

Anyone else take TPR and compare its verbal to the actual? The AAMC practice passages seem a lot easier to read than the TPR passages of DEATH.

Good luck guys, hopefully I'll be back here tomorrow to post my verbal adventures!

 

[Geekchick921]

The verbal passages that always kill me are the ones about things like art and literary analysis/criticism. I go cross-eyed within the first paragraph.

 

[bigballer27]

Hey guys, I just joined this second because misery loves company and everyone else in this thread is going for the 5-1 MCAT like me!

I'm feeling really nervous right now!!

Anyway, I took a TPR course and it was helpful in everything but verbal (which SUCKS).

I took The Princeton Review (TPR) Test 1 back in February and got a 19 (6 PS, 5 V, 8 BS) 🙂()
I then took the AAMC#3 a couple weeks later and got a 26 (10 PS, 7 V, 9 BS)

I decided to focus more on the AAMC tests since I hear they are more indicative of performance, but my friend who took the actual test in January said I should take all the Princeton Review tests...

A few days ago I took TPR's test#3 and got a 27 (10 PS, 7 V, 10 BS)...
Last night I just took TPR test#2 and didn't finish the PS or V and quit the BS and the test and ended up with a 10 in PS, 5 in V 🙂scared🙂 and 4 in BS (even though I left out about 2/3 of everything)

I think I need an injection of confidence, so I am going to go with the AAMC tests from here on out!
For some reason I think I can really do well on the PS (expect anywhere from 10-12), and I am very confident in the BS once I get orgo more locked down and review some Bio topics that trouble me (10-12)...

But I am DYING in Verbal. I am really hoping the Princeton Review Verbal passages are ridiculously harder than the actual ones. I got the EK 101 book and will try to punch out as many of those as possible...
I ran out of time on the first one in that book a couple days ago and ended with 28 right out of 40...At this point, I am praying for a 10 on verbal, I would actually be okay with a 9 as well (sick right?).

I know others have trouble with the verbal, so...ANY TIPS?!?!
~ I am contemplating taking a 5 hour energy during the verbal to keep my alertness up and get me to pay attention to the small details- but I usually NEVER take any sort of caffeine- never even drink coffee...but I am desperate!

I might take AAMC#4 tomorrow night (if I'm not too tired- I have class from like 8:30 am to 8:30 pm). But, yeah the Verbal is HARD! lol

Anyone else take TPR and compare its verbal to the actual? The AAMC practice passages seem a lot easier to read than the TPR passages of DEATH.

Good luck guys, hopefully I'll be back here tomorrow to post my verbal adventures!

haha don't worry i was in the same position as you, and my verbal still sucks too. the TPR is much harder than the real ones, and i think the scale is a little more generous too

work with the AAMC and the EK for now, and leave the TPR verbal out

 

[bigballer27]

The verbal passages that always kill me are the ones about things like art and literary analysis/criticism. I go cross-eyed within the first paragraph.

hahaha i actually LOVE those, especially compared to the government/economy ones. MAN those get me all the time for some reason

and i HATEEEEE the psychoanalyses ones. the questions start giving hypothetical situations and all this other bs i hate. if i get a passage about Freud, im screwed!

 

[NYYk9005]

The Verbal is really weird for me. I try to get my confidence and excitement up for verbal passages, and then read them and on like 80% of the passages I feel confident and understand what the author is trying to say and why he or she is saying it...

Then I go to the questions and answer them and feel fairly confident in my answers, but find out I am wrong because I chose something stupid or forgot something (bad short term memory?- I know stress has a negative impact on the hippocampus)

I try to follow a Kill'Em technique (C.E.L.M):
C: Confidence (act like you are reading the papers of high school students)
E: Excitement (after I read the first paragraph, I psych myself into getting pumped for what this guy is saying)
L: Let it go (Just go with the first instinct on questions and move on, don't stay stuck on questions at all- Don't spend more than a minute on any question)
M: Main Idea after every passage- this can take 10 seconds, but it's a good way to tie everything together

 

[bigballer27]

The Verbal is really weird for me. I try to get my confidence and excitement up for verbal passages, and then read them and on like 80% of the passages I feel confident and understand what the author is trying to say and why he or she is saying it...

Then I go to the questions and answer them and feel fairly confident in my answers, but find out I am wrong because I chose something stupid or forgot something (bad short term memory?- I know stress has a negative impact on the hippocampus)

I try to follow a Kill'Em technique (C.E.L.M):
C: Confidence (act like you are reading the papers of high school students)
E: Excitement (after I read the first paragraph, I psych myself into getting pumped for what this guy is saying)
L: Let it go (Just go with the first instinct on questions and move on, don't stay stuck on questions at all- Don't spend more than a minute on any question)
M: Main Idea after every passage- this can take 10 seconds, but it's a good way to tie everything together

never heard that one before, but if it works then keep it up haha

A WEEK AND A HALF!!!

 

[bigballer27]

BTW Geekchick, i take that poetry analysis stuff i said back lol i just screwed up on that passage on AAMC 8

overall, same score though :/+1 in verbal, and -1 in bio

i guess the positive is that my score is staying consistent

2 more tests, saturday for aamc 9 and next wed for aamc 10

 

[RuSkaya]

I honestly cannot wait to get this over with already! My motivation to study has been dwindling I can't help it! Taking AAMC 8 tomorrow 😳

 

[je6ch]

Did anyone actually get the last passage for the verbal in AAMC 6?
I feel like I'm wasting my time trying to understand why I got things wrong cause honestly, I still don't get the passage.

I got a 9 in BIO. Freaking out...
Taking AAMC 7 tomorrow, hopefully I'll do better.

 

[je6ch]

another question:

when you guys review your practices tests, what exactly do you analyze?
I feel like the reason I get things wrong is cause either I didn't know the information or I didn't pay attention to a certain fact.

What exactly do you guys learn from doing analyzing your mistakes?
I'm trying to see if it's possible for me to understand the logic of the test but it's not working.

 

[bigballer27]

another question:

when you guys review your practices tests, what exactly do you analyze?
I feel like the reason I get things wrong is cause either I didn't know the information or I didn't pay attention to a certain fact.

What exactly do you guys learn from doing analyzing your mistakes?
I'm trying to see if it's possible for me to understand the logic of the test but it's not working.

the poster above u gave some good advice for verbal, but for the sciences:

-make sure its not because of content, if it is then write it down and read the entire section on that and do some practice problems too
= if its not because of content then identify why u missed it, maybe stupid mistake maybe because u didnt pay attention to the passage which had the answer, or maybe u just did something stupid

as long as u identify it and make sure it doesnt happen again, usually thats good

never be satisfied - i think that helps too

 

[NYYk9005]

Careless mistakes are my second worse enemy behind the entire verbal section....

Time to take AAMC #4, be back in a while guys!!

 

[bigballer27]

Careless mistakes are my second worse enemy behind the entire verbal section....

Time to take AAMC #4, be back in a while guys!!

goodluck!

i feel like maybe i shoulda mixed up my tests too and not taken them in order?

o well 2 more tests to go...

 

[RuSkaya]

the poster above u gave some good advice for verbal, but for the sciences:

-make sure its not because of content, if it is then write it down and read the entire section on that and do some practice problems too
= if its not because of content then identify why u missed it, maybe stupid mistake maybe because u didnt pay attention to the passage which had the answer, or maybe u just did something stupid

as long as u identify it and make sure it doesnt happen again, usually thats good

never be satisfied - i think that helps too

Yeh this is how I've been going over sciences... if I find a weak area I go over it... if it's a calculation, I re-do it without looking at the answer b/c a lot of the time it was a careless mistake during the test.... Also, taking practice tests regularly is what helped me stop making as many careless mistakes as I used to.... I also found some common mistakes I was making (for ex, forgot hydrogen or oxygen gas is diatomic) and got a couple of questions wrong due to this mistake alone... it just got better with time - practice tests and going over every question

 

[NYYk9005]

Just took #4, idk if it is supposed to be easier than the others, but I am VERY content with my score- ESPECIALLY the verbal (never gotten over a 7 on any practice):
I ended with a 12 PS, 10 V, 11 BS = 33 and I am VERY happy- time to work hard and keep this up and keep all this positive mojo!

 

[bigballer27]

Just took #4, idk if it is supposed to be easier than the others, but I am VERY content with my score- ESPECIALLY the verbal (never gotten over a 7 on any practice):
I ended with a 12 PS, 10 V, 11 BS = 33 and I am VERY happy- time to work hard and keep this up and keep all this positive mojo!

congrats man! just ride that confidence into the test and you'll be gold

anyone doing the EK 101 passages? i feel like the tests get really stupid towards the end and the answer choices are kinda iffy

 

[WhiteCoatFuture]

Just took #4, idk if it is supposed to be easier than the others, but I am VERY content with my score- ESPECIALLY the verbal (never gotten over a 7 on any practice):
I ended with a 12 PS, 10 V, 11 BS = 33 and I am VERY happy- time to work hard and keep this up and keep all this positive mojo!

Congrats! Nice score. 🙂

anyone doing the EK 101 passages? i feel like the tests get really stupid towards the end and the answer choices are kinda iffy

I'm doing EK101. I've only done the first 6 tests though so I still have 8 left I guess.

On another note.. took AAMC 9 today. Got another 30. I'm happy with that. Would love to jump up a few points though!

 

[EscapedGoat]

Sup May 1st dudes/dudettes,

I was wondering you guys go about dealing with the science passages? I try to read them all the way through, but a lot of the time I don't know what the heck is going on and then I space out and yeah...anyone have specific strats they use when dealing with a passage where they have no idea what's going on? How long should I spend reading such passages?

Also, is it just me or is it hard to concentrate during the practice tests? I'm hoping the adrenaline on test day makes me more focused (and gets me more points!) b/c the whole 5 hour test thing is a real drag. Some of those verbal sections are so boring that it takes my entire willpower to not open a new tab in firefox and browse youtube.

Also, I'm stuck at around 10 for all the sections so far on the practices. I'd like to think I can do better, and I make a lot of dumb mistakes, but I don't know how to correct it. Maybe I'll try that 5 hour energy stuff, so I can actually concentrate.

 

[NYYk9005]

Sup May 1st dudes/dudettes,

I was wondering you guys go about dealing with the science passages? I try to read them all the way through, but a lot of the time I don't know what the heck is going on and then I space out and yeah...anyone have specific strats they use when dealing with a passage where they have no idea what's going on? How long should I spend reading such passages?

Also, is it just me or is it hard to concentrate during the practice tests? I'm hoping the adrenaline on test day makes me more focused (and gets me more points!) b/c the whole 5 hour test thing is a real drag. Some of those verbal sections are so boring that it takes my entire willpower to not open a new tab in firefox and browse youtube.

Also, I'm stuck at around 10 for all the sections so far on the practices. I'd like to think I can do better, and I make a lot of dumb mistakes, but I don't know how to correct it. Maybe I'll try that 5 hour energy stuff, so I can actually concentrate.

Hey Goat!
With the Science, I just try to read enough to get the jist of what they are talking about, then go back to the passage when I need to (based on the questions). I do not concern myself with knowing 100% of what is going on in the passages.
I've had that happen with verbal, but I trick myself into saying 'wow this is so interesting!' rather than 'ugh 5 more passages...'- it's pretty easy to do, you should try it.

I haven't tried 5 hour energy, but I might experiment with it sometime...
I just hate any sort of caffeine/energy product.

 

[NYYk9005]

My progression has been so weird 😕

TPR #1:
6 PS, 5 V, 8 BS -> 19 MCAT
AAMC #3:
10 PS, 7 V, 9 BS -> 26 MCAT
TPR #3:
10 PS, 7 V, 10 BS -> 27 MCAT
TPR #2:
10 PS, 5 V, quit during Bio
AAMC #4:
12 PS, 10 V, 11 BS -> 33 MCAT

~ Planning on taking AAMC #5 tomorrow night!

 

[RuSkaya]

My progression has been so weird 😕

TPR #1:
6 PS, 5 V, 8 BS -> 19 MCAT
AAMC #3:
10 PS, 7 V, 9 BS -> 26 MCAT
TPR #3:
10 PS, 7 V, 10 BS -> 27 MCAT
TPR #2:
10 PS, 5 V, quit during Bio
AAMC #4:
12 PS, 10 V, 11 BS -> 33 MCAT

~ Planning on taking AAMC #5 tomorrow night!

That's a nice improvement on the AAMCs!

 

[jayveelo]

Hey guys!

Nice to see some others taking the MCAT May 1! Woo...gettin close. I just wanted to say thanks for all of the input. I've been secretly keeping up with these threads but have never actually posted. It's getting down to the wire now, and I'm in some serious need for some confidence. I simply CANNOT seem to get my VR reasoning score up whatsoever. It is so unbelievably frustrating. Does anybody else feel like this test just makes them feel dumb?!

 

[Geekchick921]

I'm doing the EK 101 book, too! I'm going to try to do at least the first 10 tests. I notice how well I do on the questions depends almost entirely on my interest in the topic. And the philosophical ones are just as bad as the art and literature criticism ones. Hopefully, I'll be able to focus better in the actual test setting, but I feel lik my eyes just glaze over the text and I don't absorb it.

 

[knightstale4]

Must keep going with practice....it can be very tiring and discouraging depending on the topic, but I am hoping that all that studying and practicing will come to some use on the real deal...😀

I want to be like this about the MCAT
But I am currently like this 😴😕

Hoping to get back to the crazy, psycho practice mode soon since the test is in less than 10 days 😱

 

[bigballer27]

I'm doing the EK 101 book, too! I'm going to try to do at least the first 10 tests. I notice how well I do on the questions depends almost entirely on my interest in the topic. And the philosophical ones are just as bad as the art and literature criticism ones. Hopefully, I'll be able to focus better in the actual test setting, but I feel lik my eyes just glaze over the text and I don't absorb it.

thats exactly how it is for me, which is kinda reassuring because the other test takers say that the actual test has interesting passages

T-8 days!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Geekchick921]

God I hope so. It's like, "Wait... WTF did I just read?!?"

My mom is awesome. She's coming to watch my daughter so the hubs and I can go see Kick-Ass after the test.

 

[NYYk9005]

When I took the practice test last night, I felt like I was sleepwalking through the entire thing- I was barely thinking and just going through the motions, but I still did well! Hopefully that just means everything comes naturally 😉.

 

[giantswing]

Hey guys!
It's getting down to the wire now, and I'm in some serious need for some confidence. I simply CANNOT seem to get my VR reasoning score up whatsoever. It is so unbelievably frustrating. Does anybody else feel like this test just makes them feel dumb?!

ME TOO. On everything. I've decided I'll be happy with a 27. Just nothing like, an 8 on the real thing. I'll read a verbal passage and be like, "Okay, I get it," and then get to the questions and have no idea what I just read.

 

[jayveelo]

ME TOO. On everything. I've decided I'll be happy with a 27. Just nothing like, an 8 on the real thing. I'll read a verbal passage and be like, "Okay, I get it," and then get to the questions and have no idea what I just read.

Yeah it's only SLIGHTLY disheartening (insert sarcastic tone here.) I took AAMC 7 yesterday...got a whopping 7 on the VR. I took the approach of reading confidently, and it must have made me cocky because I thought I understood most of it, felt pretty good, and then when I got my score I was shocked. Urgggg

 

[bigballer27]

Yeah it's only SLIGHTLY disheartening (insert sarcastic tone here.) I took AAMC 7 yesterday...got a whopping 7 on the VR. I took the approach of reading confidently, and it must have made me cocky because I thought I understood most of it, felt pretty good, and then when I got my score I was shocked. Urgggg

i feel you on that. you gotta just keep pushing through and make sure u dont pick an answer without having a good reason to

i usually see myself picking an answer without being 100% sure about it and its almost always wrong, but sometimes i still do it i don't know why lol. i think its because i want to finish on time and i just think its the best answer but afterwards im like "oh YEAH DUH its that!"

NEXT SATURDAY!

 

[giantswing]

So I'm totally lame, but I bought a lotto ticket today and will buy one before next Saturday. Giving God a great big window if he shuts this door.

 

[bigballer27]

So I'm totally lame, but I bought a lotto ticket today and will buy one before next Saturday. Giving God a great big window if he shuts this door.

lmaoo smart move though, at least win something huh? good thinking

 

[NYYk9005]

Hey guys, just took AAMC #5 and am pleased with my scores again!
PS: 13
VR: 10 (another double digit score!!!)
BS: 11 (I thought it was really weird)
MCAT: 34

It seems like the verbal is clicking for me! I was pulling 5s and 7s and ever since yesterday I have gotten two straight 10s!
I feel like the PS is the easiest since it is all basically the same at all times, and just equations, the BS is a little harder bc I need to know a lot more material and their passages confuse me at times.

But a 33 yesterday and a 34 today- so I'll take it 🙂. I just need this verbal score to stay in the double digits and I'm a happy camper!

 

[Ahsan]

hey guys, just took aamc #5 and am pleased with my scores again!
Ps: 13
vr: 10 (another double digit score!!!)
bs: 11 (i thought it was really weird)
mcat: 34

it seems like the verbal is clicking for me! I was pulling 5s and 7s and ever since yesterday i have gotten two straight 10s!
I feel like the ps is the easiest since it is all basically the same at all times, and just equations, the bs is a little harder bc i need to know a lot more material and their passages confuse me at times.

But a 33 yesterday and a 34 today- so i'll take it 🙂. I just need this verbal score to stay in the double digits and i'm a happy camper!

dude! Congrats!! Keep it up!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Ahsan]

so i'm totally lame, but i bought a lotto ticket today and will buy one before next saturday. Giving god a great big window if he shuts this door.

rofl!! Hahahahahaha!

 

[je6ch]

Took AAMC 7 today:
PS-12
V- 9
BS- 11

Dang... hated that verbal section. I completely did not understand one of the passages and just guessed on the answers.

Felt really awful after the Bio but did surprisingly decent.
Taking AAMC 8 Saturday, hopefully hit couple points higher...

keep going guys, never be content

 

[NYYk9005]

What will suck for 400, Alec.

When you take practice tests and get a score you are happy with and step into your actual MCAT examination and panic and fail!

 

[bigballer27]

glad to see everyone doing well now, especially in crunch time!

im consistently hitting a 10 on the VR in EK101 but cant seem to break a 10 on the aamc tests

 

[NYYk9005]

Small side note:
Anyone begin thinking about the writing section?
I think I'm going to take a break from my practice tests on Friday and focus on the writing section and review some sciences.
Then relax and night and watch the Yankees play and the NBA playoffs 😀.

I took a practice test Tuesday (10/5/incomplete), Wednesday (12/10/11) and Thursday (13/10/11) AND went to school the last two days- I need to take it easy 👍.