(Very) Long-Term MCAT Prep?

[handstanding]

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Hi all,

I'm wondering if anyone here has started preparing for the MCAT over a year before actually taking it. I plan to take it spring 2014.

I've heard a few people recommend using MCAT work books while you take prereqs to help learn the material more thoroughly (I'm still taking prereqs). Has anyone done this? Did you feel like it helped, hurt, or made no difference?

I'm considering getting some workbooks and trying to get through a certain amount of practice material each week. Are there any cons to this approach? Any input on making it as effective as possible?

 

[mathwhiz09]

Hi all,

I'm wondering if anyone here has started preparing for the MCAT over a year before actually taking it. I plan to take it spring 2014.

I've heard a few people recommend using MCAT work books while you take prereqs to help learn the material more thoroughly (I'm still taking prereqs). Has anyone done this? Did you feel like it helped, hurt, or made no difference?

I'm considering getting some workbooks and trying to get through a certain amount of practice material each week. Are there any cons to this approach? Any input on making it as effective as possible?

I wouldn't recommend using actual MCAT workbooks with actual multiple choice questions (i.e. TPRH Science Workbook) so early, but MCAT content review books can be great to use concurrently. Biology comes down to a great deal of memorization anyway, so the more you can commit to memory the first time through, the easier it should be for you to review it when you're further along in your hardcore MCAT study mode in a year or so. Same thing with the other sciences, though I'd say Biology is the most significant here just due to the sheer volume of content you'll need to know.

Personally I'd start with either Princeton Review MCAT content books (2010) or the Exam Krackers Complete MCAT study package (2007).

 

[handstanding]

I wouldn't recommend using actual MCAT workbooks with actual multiple choice questions (i.e. TPRH Science Workbook) so early, but MCAT content review books can be great to use concurrently. Biology comes down to a great deal of memorization anyway, so the more you can commit to memory the first time through, the easier it should be for you to review it when you're further along in your hardcore MCAT study mode in a year or so. Same thing with the other sciences, though I'd say Biology is the most significant here just due to the sheer volume of content you'll need to know.

Personally I'd start with either Princeton Review MCAT content books (2010) or the Exam Krackers Complete MCAT study package (2007).

Thanks for the input, mathwhiz. That's helpful to know. Do those content review books have any practice questions, or is it all just review material?

Do you think there would be any advantage in practicing questions in the same format as on the MCAT at this point? Or is that something that I should leave for closer to test time?

 

[mathwhiz09]

Thanks for the input, mathwhiz. That's helpful to know. Do those content review books have any practice questions, or is it all just review material?

Do you think there would be any advantage in practicing questions in the same format as on the MCAT at this point? Or is that something that I should leave for closer to test time?

A little of both...they split the material into chapters and each chapter has review questions (so I would certainly consider that practice questions, though not necessarily MCAT)

I would advise against practicing with real MCAT questions right now...save it for later in the process, after your content base is solid.

 

[Premedengineeer]

I plan on taking the MCAT in january 2014 and for now I have started with the princeton review books. They have a lot of info.

 

[mcloaf]

I plan on taking the MCAT in january 2014 and for now I have started with the princeton review books. They have a lot of info.

IMO this is a colossal waste of time and effort, but I guess if you've got the time to burn go for it.

 

[Premedengineeer]

IMO this is a colossal waste of time and effort, but I guess if you've got the time to burn go for it.

why would that be? I heard that TPR was good.

 

[mcloaf]

why would that be? I heard that TPR was good.

I've just never seen any reason for any sort of light studying so far in advance. I'd rather be doing other things and enjoying life that far in advance and wait until 3-6 months ahead of time and do my studying when I'll get better returns on the time I'm investing to study. That being said, as long as you're not killing yourself studying so that you burn out early it shouldn't hurt anything, just seems like time that could be better spent elsewhere.

 

[Premedengineeer]

I've just never seen any reason for any sort of light studying so far in advance. I'd rather be doing other things and enjoying life that far in advance and wait until 3-6 months ahead of time and do my studying when I'll get better returns on the time I'm investing to study. That being said, as long as you're not killing yourself studying so that you burn out early it shouldn't hurt anything, just seems like time that could be better spent elsewhere.

Did I forget to mention that I would like to score 40+?

 

[mcloaf]

Did I forget to mention that I would like to score 40+?

That doesn't change anything about what I wrote.