week before the big day

[richard86]

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So I have my OAT scheduled for Oct. 5 (not going to change the date anymore!!)..I have been doing fairly well on practice tests, but every now and then (usually as I lay in bed trying to sleep, but can't because I keep thinking about the OAT) I wonder if on the day of the OAT I'll get all the questions in my weak areas😕. Many past posts have stated that the opted.org exam is a good indicator--are the questions for organic chem similar in terms of content? My kaplan scores in orgo fluctuates from a 320-400 and my opted.org score was a 380 on orgo..I seem to be better at the conceptual and trend (boiling points, acidity, etc..) questions than the reaction questions..Are there a lot of multi-step synthesis questions? Some kaplan tests on the orgo section have so much reaction questions, while others would have only 2-3 and the rest are mainly trends, isomerism, and beginning Orgo 1 material.
I guess I'm just starting to freak out!! On top of that I had 3 exams this week so I couldn't review much for the OAT at all , and I feel like I'm forgetting some formulas and reagents!! Do you guys have any advice on what I should review during my last week? Should I try to strengthen my weak areas, or focus on my strengths so that they remain as strengths? AHH🙁 Sorry if my post doesn't make much sense, it's 1:30 and I've been awake for over 17 hours,lol.

 

[Oogilily]

Just keep reviewing what you have done. Polish the the things you know and maybe look up a few things you don't. Keep going over equations to keep them fresh. As for O. Chem, it was nearly as bad as I thought it was going to be. I got a 400 in that section and was completely surprised. I don't think there are any multi-step synthesis equations, they are all single step if I remember right. Maybe others can correct me though. But O chem was my best section but I thought it was my weaker subject. And don't freak out!! Be confident and just go in and take the test and do good on it. The isn't nearly as bad as you think it is right now. It'll be ok 🙂. Good luck on your last week and let us know how you did.

 

[butterfly413]

i don't remember specifics about the ochem section. but i actually did a ton better in it than on the practice exams. for me, i freaked out about my weaknesses (physics and ochem), and ended up doing really well in those sections as a result. the areas i was really confident in (bio, rc) i ended up doing not as well as i expected.

i'd say, probably put more time in strengthening your weaknesses, but don't completely abandon any subject area. GOOD LUCK!👍

 

[CherryberryMint]

dont worry Richard!!
i totally know what you are talking about.
days before my OAT , i feel like i was going to have a break down!
before i sleep i would think about what if the oat is totally hard and i fail after one month of no-life-crazy-studying. i could barely relax and even when i talk to my roommates, the endocrine system and laws of thermodynamics would just randomly pop out. lol. im sure by the end they had enough of it just like me. looking at your score i think you are in good hands right now, dont worry too much, just listen to that "dont worry be happy song" hehe it helped me a lot, i am sure it will help you!!!

GOOD LUCK!!!!! 🙂

 

[richard86]

Thanks for the motivation guys! I hope all my efforts will pay off..I can't wait to get this weight off my shoulders!! I just hope I do well and not have to re-take.

 

[pienfoo]

hey there. No worries you'll do just fine. I saw some of your other posts and you seem like you've got your stuff down reaally well. No one can fully feel prepared for something like the OATs, dats, mcats, etc etc. I actually just took mine for the second time today, and even though i felt like i was guessing most of the time the scores turned out just fine. Try to relax the day before the test by eating your favorite foods and listening to your favorite music (sounds kinda morbid haha) and get a good night's sleep. To make sure I got enough sleep i took sleep meds, but i take the all the time so i know it won't give me amnesia or anything like that. anyway g'luck and hopefully we'll hear good things back from ya. 👍

 

[richard86]

thanks pienfoo. I think you're right, I don't think I can ever feel fully prepared for the exam! Well I took my last topscore test yesterday and my scores were decent minus RC. I'll try to keep my nerves calm on the day of the exam.. goodluck with your applications and interviews everyone