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You know when you feel the weight of sadness. You may feel exhausted, hopeless, and anxious. Whatever you do you feel lonely and don’t enjoy the things you once loved. Things just don’t feel like they used to. These are some symptoms of the Dental Admission Test. If you or a loved one are suffering from symptoms of DAT, the Six Step Program just might be for you. Simple, effective, and only half as long as the twelve step program, these six steps will guide you through your dark hours and toward enlightenment. Because you deserve to be happy! Because you deserve to be successful! So put your best foot forward today!
The Six Step Program does not guarantee high scores on the DAT. The author is not to be held liable for emotional damages and other side effects.
Step 1: Commit yourself!
Not to a psychiatric hospital silly. But to a stable monogamous relationship with the DAT. She never cooks, never cleans, and always make you feel insignificant. She never puts out, hates your friends, and always kicks you when you’re down. Through it all, your love and devotion for her is unwavering. Sure you can fantasize your days away, or flirt around the dusty bar while swallowing the guilt. When the last ray of sun fades in the horizon, you’ll still come home to her sweet cold embrace. Smile through the hardship and bear all the blame, because it doesn’t have to be eternal. You’ll have the last laugh eventually, leaving her behind to torture other lost souls. Simply put, when you’re genuinely excited for the weekend because you have more time to dig through textbooks, you have just taken the first step.
Step 2: Adjust study habits!
Though everyone will have varying study habits, the bottom line is always efficiency. Say for every hour of studying 15 minutes (if not more) goes into web surfing and socializing. Say you fully comprehend 80% of what you read and fully retain 80% of what you study. That’s about 30 minutes of learning for every hour of work. Now I’m just throwing numbers out there, but you know it’s not that far-fetched from reality.
Time how long you are able to maintain focus, and use it as the baseline for a study session. Take breaks in between study sessions no longer than the study sessions themselves. Just like pumping iron, you should steadily increase the reps (study to break ratio) and sets (study time). You can skip all the leg days you want! Take a day off here and there if you’re not in the mood, but never lose sight of your overall goal.
Don’t read a textbook from cover to cover! Google abbreviated notes, lectures slides, lecture tests and flashcards. To show my appreciation to the undisputed best study material, here is a little poem I like to call
“High on Flashcards”
Flashcards in the morning, flashcards at night.
Flashcard is the painkiller to soothe my pain.
Flashcards feel good, flashcards feel right.
Flashcard is the heroin that runs through my vein.
Flashcards for days, flashcards for weeks.
Flashcard is the everlasting line of cocaine.
Flashcards for you, flashcards for me.
Flashcard is 1 part OJ and 1 part champagne.
Step 3: Know what to study!
If step 1 is setting foot on the dance floor, then 2 and 3 are the dance itself. The previous step is completely meaningless if your focus is off target. Understanding how the DAT is scored is key to getting good results.
A very rough breakdown of the scoring system goes:
15-20 demonstrates how well you understand the core material.
20-23 goes beyond the basic package and requires repetition and comprehension of minor details for individual subjects.
24-26 is repetition on top of repetition and a hint of luck.
26+ requires a surplus of rabbit’s foot, four-leaf clovers and maybe a horseshoe or two.
So what does this all mean? Scoring evenly on every section is the easiest and most effective way to improve your score and you should always dedicate more time on your weaker subjects!!! Let’s look at an example.
Subject 1: PA-22 QR-22 RC-22 Bio-22 GC-22 OC-22 TS-22 AA-22
Subject 2: PA-20 QR-22 RC-24 Bio-20 GC-24 OC-22 TS-22 AA-22
Subject 3: PA-14 QR-22 RC-30 Bio-14 GC-30 OC-22 TS-22 AA-22
Although all 3 tests result in the same overall score, subject 1 has studied most efficiently and is more likely to score higher than subject 2 while subject 3 will most likely score less than a 22 on the DAT. Why is that?
Looking at subject 3, you see a monster chemistry novelist who can’t visualize a four chambered heart. The problem here is that a normal human being is never not going to consistently score a 30. Instead of increasing a 22->30, which takes a tremendous amount of practice and luck, he/she should work on pushing 14->22 which is infinitely more achievable with much higher consistency!
Subjects 1 and 2 on the other hand are much more comparable. While 20->22 is easier than 22->24, there is another important reason why subject 1 will be more likely to score higher than a 22AA. The DAT is exploitable in that it is a fully multiple choice test. Knowing the right answer is just as important as knowing the wrong answers. By distributing your knowledge evenly across all the sections, you have the advantage of eliminating more wrong answers than someone who is weak in any particular subject. In other words, subject 1 would be more likely to get a question right by elimination and guessing on RC and GC than subject 2 would on PA and Bio.
Step 4: Know when you’re ready!
Did you catch all that? Well done! You’re nearly there! The last three steps are much easier to follow. One of the best part about the DAT is its flexibility. Use the customizable test dates to your advantage! Firstly, never and I mean NEVER take the DAT unless you are fully confident in your abilities. The test is not only costly in time and money, but also in spirit. An unsatisfactory score as a result of uncertainty can be very crushing. Give it your all and have no regrets!
At one point towards the final stage of studying, you will experience a sense of saturation followed by a brief period of invincibility. Congratulations! You have peaked! Now quickly take the test before the fatigue and indifference kicks in! Keeping your abilities at the top plateau can be very tiring and a lack of fresh material will result in boredom.
Step 5: Accept personal limitations!
This will undoubtedly bring me some heat, but I assure you my intentions are good. People have different capabilities and that’s a simple fact. The score distribution will always resemble a bell curve no matter how much it shifts horizontally. Identify your biggest weakness, be it a test section, time management, stress control… Seek to improve with all of your effort. If you’ve truly truly truly reached your limit and cannot progress further, you have done splendidly regardless where you fall on the curve.
Step 6: Be proud of your accomplishments!
Look back on all the steps you have taken to this glorious conclusion. Recollect all the tears shed and all the sweat drops. The parties you’ve missed, the fantastic moments that could have been. Remember that girls you used to love. Remember your friends. The ones you admire, the one driving you home when your world is a spiral, and the ones that never stopped cheering long after you’ve thrown in the towel. Drink and be merry! You’ve accomplished something incredible! Best of luck with your future endeavors! After all, behind every glorious conclusion is an even brighter beginning!
The Six Step Program does not guarantee high scores on the DAT. The author is not to be held liable for emotional damages and other side effects.
Step 1: Commit yourself!
Not to a psychiatric hospital silly. But to a stable monogamous relationship with the DAT. She never cooks, never cleans, and always make you feel insignificant. She never puts out, hates your friends, and always kicks you when you’re down. Through it all, your love and devotion for her is unwavering. Sure you can fantasize your days away, or flirt around the dusty bar while swallowing the guilt. When the last ray of sun fades in the horizon, you’ll still come home to her sweet cold embrace. Smile through the hardship and bear all the blame, because it doesn’t have to be eternal. You’ll have the last laugh eventually, leaving her behind to torture other lost souls. Simply put, when you’re genuinely excited for the weekend because you have more time to dig through textbooks, you have just taken the first step.
Step 2: Adjust study habits!
Though everyone will have varying study habits, the bottom line is always efficiency. Say for every hour of studying 15 minutes (if not more) goes into web surfing and socializing. Say you fully comprehend 80% of what you read and fully retain 80% of what you study. That’s about 30 minutes of learning for every hour of work. Now I’m just throwing numbers out there, but you know it’s not that far-fetched from reality.
Time how long you are able to maintain focus, and use it as the baseline for a study session. Take breaks in between study sessions no longer than the study sessions themselves. Just like pumping iron, you should steadily increase the reps (study to break ratio) and sets (study time). You can skip all the leg days you want! Take a day off here and there if you’re not in the mood, but never lose sight of your overall goal.
Don’t read a textbook from cover to cover! Google abbreviated notes, lectures slides, lecture tests and flashcards. To show my appreciation to the undisputed best study material, here is a little poem I like to call
“High on Flashcards”
Flashcards in the morning, flashcards at night.
Flashcard is the painkiller to soothe my pain.
Flashcards feel good, flashcards feel right.
Flashcard is the heroin that runs through my vein.
Flashcards for days, flashcards for weeks.
Flashcard is the everlasting line of cocaine.
Flashcards for you, flashcards for me.
Flashcard is 1 part OJ and 1 part champagne.
Step 3: Know what to study!
If step 1 is setting foot on the dance floor, then 2 and 3 are the dance itself. The previous step is completely meaningless if your focus is off target. Understanding how the DAT is scored is key to getting good results.
A very rough breakdown of the scoring system goes:
15-20 demonstrates how well you understand the core material.
20-23 goes beyond the basic package and requires repetition and comprehension of minor details for individual subjects.
24-26 is repetition on top of repetition and a hint of luck.
26+ requires a surplus of rabbit’s foot, four-leaf clovers and maybe a horseshoe or two.
So what does this all mean? Scoring evenly on every section is the easiest and most effective way to improve your score and you should always dedicate more time on your weaker subjects!!! Let’s look at an example.
Subject 1: PA-22 QR-22 RC-22 Bio-22 GC-22 OC-22 TS-22 AA-22
Subject 2: PA-20 QR-22 RC-24 Bio-20 GC-24 OC-22 TS-22 AA-22
Subject 3: PA-14 QR-22 RC-30 Bio-14 GC-30 OC-22 TS-22 AA-22
Although all 3 tests result in the same overall score, subject 1 has studied most efficiently and is more likely to score higher than subject 2 while subject 3 will most likely score less than a 22 on the DAT. Why is that?
Looking at subject 3, you see a monster chemistry novelist who can’t visualize a four chambered heart. The problem here is that a normal human being is never not going to consistently score a 30. Instead of increasing a 22->30, which takes a tremendous amount of practice and luck, he/she should work on pushing 14->22 which is infinitely more achievable with much higher consistency!
Subjects 1 and 2 on the other hand are much more comparable. While 20->22 is easier than 22->24, there is another important reason why subject 1 will be more likely to score higher than a 22AA. The DAT is exploitable in that it is a fully multiple choice test. Knowing the right answer is just as important as knowing the wrong answers. By distributing your knowledge evenly across all the sections, you have the advantage of eliminating more wrong answers than someone who is weak in any particular subject. In other words, subject 1 would be more likely to get a question right by elimination and guessing on RC and GC than subject 2 would on PA and Bio.
Step 4: Know when you’re ready!
Did you catch all that? Well done! You’re nearly there! The last three steps are much easier to follow. One of the best part about the DAT is its flexibility. Use the customizable test dates to your advantage! Firstly, never and I mean NEVER take the DAT unless you are fully confident in your abilities. The test is not only costly in time and money, but also in spirit. An unsatisfactory score as a result of uncertainty can be very crushing. Give it your all and have no regrets!
At one point towards the final stage of studying, you will experience a sense of saturation followed by a brief period of invincibility. Congratulations! You have peaked! Now quickly take the test before the fatigue and indifference kicks in! Keeping your abilities at the top plateau can be very tiring and a lack of fresh material will result in boredom.
Step 5: Accept personal limitations!
This will undoubtedly bring me some heat, but I assure you my intentions are good. People have different capabilities and that’s a simple fact. The score distribution will always resemble a bell curve no matter how much it shifts horizontally. Identify your biggest weakness, be it a test section, time management, stress control… Seek to improve with all of your effort. If you’ve truly truly truly reached your limit and cannot progress further, you have done splendidly regardless where you fall on the curve.
Step 6: Be proud of your accomplishments!
Look back on all the steps you have taken to this glorious conclusion. Recollect all the tears shed and all the sweat drops. The parties you’ve missed, the fantastic moments that could have been. Remember that girls you used to love. Remember your friends. The ones you admire, the one driving you home when your world is a spiral, and the ones that never stopped cheering long after you’ve thrown in the towel. Drink and be merry! You’ve accomplished something incredible! Best of luck with your future endeavors! After all, behind every glorious conclusion is an even brighter beginning!
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