What did you memorize? More important, what do YOU wish you HAD memorized!?

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DrJD

DrJD

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If you are going into the test what have you all chosen are the best things to actually memorize. (Amino acids, pathways, enzymes, etc. etc. etc.) SHARE!!

More importantly for those of you who have already taken the test, what do you wish you had memorized? That one question that you knew if you had just memorized that last item you could have gotten it right!

I think this thread could be really useful to future MCAT takers. Thanks to everyone who helps!!!
 
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BUMP... Anyone else... what did you memorize or what do you wish you had!
 
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DrJD said:
More importantly for those of you who have already taken the test, what do you wish you had memorized? That one question that you knew if you had just memorized that last item you could have gotten it right!

I think this thread could be really useful to future MCAT takers. Thanks to everyone who helps!!!
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Excellent idea for an ongoing thread!
 
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MASS SPEC....MASS SPEC!

I had literally three questions based on some element of Mass Spec. Luckily I guessed correctly, but still, I wish I had memorized it and not skipped over it
 
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DrJD said:
If you are going into the test what have you all chosen are the best things to actually memorize. (Amino acids, pathways, enzymes, etc. etc. etc.) SHARE!!

More importantly for those of you who have already taken the test, what do you wish you had memorized? That one question that you knew if you had just memorized that last item you could have gotten it right!

I think this thread could be really useful to future MCAT takers. Thanks to everyone who helps!!!
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awesome thread...👍
 
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one thing i was happy that i did memorize
FOR SINGLE MIRROR/LENS
optics
if the image is real, it's inverted
if the image is virtual, it's right side up.

:]
 
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DrJD said:
If you are going into the test what have you all chosen are the best things to actually memorize. (Amino acids, pathways, enzymes, etc. etc. etc.) SHARE!!

More importantly for those of you who have already taken the test, what do you wish you had memorized? That one question that you knew if you had just memorized that last item you could have gotten it right!

I think this thread could be really useful to future MCAT takers. Thanks to everyone who helps!!!
Click to expand...

No need to memorize any of those things that you mentioned. Definately be familiar with the basic structure of an AA and some basic enzyme stuff.

Just try to get a good understanding of all the basic stuff. Untill you're comfortable with the basics of every testable topic, don't start memorizing anything exotic.

Being very comfortable with the basics can get you a very high score.
 
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Honestly, I wish hadn't memorized as much and just done practice problems. I memorized all these formulas and what not. When the test came, all I need were the concepts. My advice, do more MCAT style problems. Along the way, you'll also potentially memorize stuff by repetition.
 
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The only things I wish I had memorized are Biology-related, in that there was actually a question that asked you to specify the structure of testosterone. That kind of thing irked me.

For everything else though, especially in PS, you need to know the underlying concepts behind each topic and not just memorize the formulas.
 
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ghostfoot said:
That's wrong, but I'm glad it worked out for you.
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for mirrors or even single lenses i don't see how it would be wrong
maybe if you're using multiple lenses/mirrors but i don't think the mcat is going to be that complex.

m = - i / o

if the image is real, i is going to be positive, making m negative, and therefore inverted

o - i don't see how this value could be negative..
 
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How to recognize which one is the best reducing/oxidizing agent from the reduction potential.

Also the isoelectric point of AAs.
 
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gradu8in2003 said:
VSEPR models

and..

the Bible. It would've helped to have a variety of prayers to call out rather than just the most common few...
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definitely second you about vsepr, lol and prayers. 2 or 3 on PS on vsepr, crazy, I hardly remember any on the practice tests
 
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I wish I had taken more AAMC full length practice tests for the real thing. I also wish that I had been familiar with angular momentum, even though the EK Physics book said not to worry about it.
 
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Haven't taken it yet, but I took a diagnostic test from Kaplan today.

I had a question involving which amino acids are polar charged...good thing my cell bio teacher quized us a few weeks before on that subject.

Understanding P-chem is going to by my crux 🙁
 
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I memorized about a billion formulas for the physical science section, and if I remember correctly, they gaev me every formula I needed. Maybe some of the real basic ones were needed and not given. I don't remember.

There will always be some crap on there that they don't expect anyone to get. I remember a question about UV-spectroscopy, a subject that we didn't cover at all in class. I think our professor talked about it for about 2 seconds, basically telling us that it exists, and then we moved on.
 
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halekulani said:
for mirrors or even single lenses i don't see how it would be wrong
maybe if you're using multiple lenses/mirrors but i don't think the mcat is going to be that complex.

m = - i / o

if the image is real, i is going to be positive, making m negative, and therefore inverted

o - i don't see how this value could be negative..
Click to expand...

Oohh yea you should have specified single optical devices in your previous post. Even this is shady if you suppose the possibility of imitating multiple mirrors/lenses without actually having them. It might be pushing it to assume that there will never be a complex mirror/lens problem on the MCAT.
 
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Vihsadas said:
The question I missed in bio on my real MCAT was a stupidly easy one. Remember how the hardy-weinberg equilibrium can be applied to real situations!!
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As in the factors that need to be true in order to apply it? Or literally how to solve for p and q?
 
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smeagol said:
Oohh yea you should have specified single optical devices in your previous post. Even this is shady if you suppose the possibility of imitating multiple mirrors/lenses without actually having them. It might be pushing it to assume that there will never be a complex mirror/lens problem on the MCAT.
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i had a multiple mirror lens problem on the test (magnification of some bug in a microscope or something) but it was still straightforward. what i memorized still applied.

the point is what did you memorize for the MCAT, not for every possible scenario in a physics problem book.
 
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DrJD said:
As in the factors that need to be true in order to apply it? Or literally how to solve for p and q?
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Well not just how to solve for P and Q, but what those letters mean in real life in terms of genotype/phenotype. It's a good thing to know how to apply an allele frequency to calculate phenotypic frequency and vice versa.
 
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one question for sure was percent mass of CO2. it took me a couple of seconds to figure out but i got it! 27% 👍
 
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whosthis said:
one question for sure was percent mass of CO2. it took me a couple of seconds to figure out but i got it! 27% 👍
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What do you mean percent mass? I don't mean to write out the actual MCAT question because that is not allowed... However! Percent mass based on partial pressure? Was it the mass of a gas and you had to figure it out from the molar mass?

Thanks for sharing!
 
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sorry, didnt know about that, but yeah it was dealin with a question that was not passage based. cant remember exactly. it was just a simple question. but i kinda got confused for a sec!

C has 12 g/mol O has 16 g/mol, the total weight is 44g/mol and to find carbons weight, you divide 12/44 = 27%
 
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halekulani said:
i had a multiple mirror lens problem on the test (magnification of some bug in a microscope or something) but it was still straightforward. what i memorized still applied.

the point is what did you memorize for the MCAT, not for every possible scenario in a physics problem book.
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Hehe it's interesting to read that you came across a multiple lens problem after having said in a previous post you thought it was unlikely to show up on the MCAT 😀

Well my point is you shouldn't tell people to memorize things that are just plain false. The appearance of a virtual inverted object isn't even regarded as an exception, it's simply a phenomenon that happens frequently with two or more lenses.

The compound microscope is an example of a common optical instrument that can produce virtual, inverted images. If the object distance is beyond the focal point of the objective lens, and the initial image has a distance that is smaller than the focal length of the eyepiece, the eye perceives a virtual, inverted image.
 
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smeagol said:
Hehe it's interesting to read that you came across a multiple lens problem after having said in a previous post you thought it was unlikely to show up on the MCAT 😀

Well my point is you shouldn't tell people to memorize things that are just plain false. The appearance of a virtual inverted object isn't even regarded as an exception, it's simply a phenomenon that happens frequently with two or more lenses.

The compound microscope is an example of a common optical instrument that can produce virtual, inverted images. If the object distance is beyond the focal point of the objective lens, and the initial image has a distance that is smaller than the focal length of the eyepiece, the eye perceives a virtual, inverted image.
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ah i see what you're getting at. i should remove the 'always'
i didn't even know that a compound microscope would produce a virtual inverted image.

the thing is even with multiple lenses, the question appeared to be more difficult than what they were really asking for. with a complex setup, they did not ask for anything more than a basic plug and chug. what i posted was just something i was taught to remember basic things about m = -i/o and i thought it would help.
 
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Does anyone else agree with me that this thread is absolutely stupid and uesless ? Here is my opinion on what you should memorize for the MCAT. You should memorize everything. You know why ? Because the writers of the MCAT can and will ask you a question on any particular topic they wish. I hardly believe that the writers of the MCAT are sitting around a table saying, "Oh, let's put a question on here about X; test-takers always forget to memorize X!" Have you ever heard of the saying, "chance favors the prepared mind"? There is nothing more true when it comes to the MCAT. Also, when it comes to the physical sciences, formulas are good and useful, but understanding concepts will prove more useful.

ST
 
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StarTrack said:
Does anyone else agree with me that this thread is absolutely stupid and uesless ? Here is my opinion on what you should memorize for the MCAT. You should memorize everything. You know why ? Because the writers of the MCAT can and will ask you a question on any particular topic they wish. I hardly believe that the writers of the MCAT are sitting around a table saying, "Oh, let's put a question on here about X; test-takers always forget to memorize X!" Have you ever heard of the saying, "chance favors the prepared mind"? There is nothing more true when it comes to the MCAT. Also, when it comes to the physical sciences, formulas are good and useful, but understanding concepts will prove more useful.

ST
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Appreciate your opinion, but if you think you should just memorize everything then go get busy and don't worry about reading this thread! After all, if it is stupid then it is not worth your time. 🙂 (Just being silly, I can appreciate your opinion however, if this kind of thing isn't useful to you that is fine, but maybe its useful to others?)

I don't believe that anyone would look to a thread like this as the be all end all of what they should or should not memorize. It is simply a forum for people to discuss what they happened to forget to memorize while doing what you suggested... "memorizing everything..." We are encouraging each other, and helping to jog each other's memory to make sure that we don't forget to memorize something. I think it's been helpful already, as a means of re-hearing some key concepts. And hopefully it will be just as useful to everyone else to comes and posts here.
 
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DrJD said:
Appreciate your opinion, but if you think you should just memorize everything then go get busy and don't worry about reading this thread! After all, if it is stupid then it is not worth your time. 🙂 (Just being silly, I can appreciate your opinion however, if this kind of thing isn't useful to you that is fine, but maybe its useful to others?)

I don't believe that anyone would look to a thread like this as the be all end all of what they should or should not memorize. It is simply a forum for people to discuss what they happened to forget to memorize while doing what you suggested... "memorizing everything..." We are encouraging each other, and helping to jog each other's memory to make sure that we don't forget to memorize something. I think it's been helpful already, as a means of re-hearing some key concepts. And hopefully it will be just as useful to everyone else to comes and posts here.
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You know, you're right. I'm sorry for being a little pessimistic earlier. Forgive me, for I am currently in the throes of studying for the MCAT. I'm taking them on Jan. 25. On seceond thought, I think this is a useful thread. I'm now going to remember to brush up on my mendelian genetics, hardy weinberg equations, and ir spec b/f i get in there to take the exam.
 
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For Bio, Definitely memorize what the different hormones do (and the whole endocrine system). Also, biological pathways are pretty important as well (especially the circulatory system). I had a lot of questions having to do with organellar functions, and although I studied that, I wish I would have focused more on it.


In Physics, I didn't study optics and AC/DC currents as much as I should have.

Good luck! 👍
 
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Granted, I took the MCAT back in June 2007, but I remember thinking that my MCAT wasn't so much about memorizing things, as correctly and quickly applying things/formulas. Basically, as you practice, what starts out as something "you must memorize" becomes instead something that you become more comfortable using without thinking too much about it. That's when you're ready for the MCAT. Granted, physical sciences was my weakness, and I had a real mental block when it came to the mathematical aspect of chem and physics problems, but I can tell you that the formulas and things you'd memorize were the least of my problems. Most of the errors I realized I made were from shoddy calculations that I later realized were off by a decimal point or two for idiotic reasons. It wasn't really a matter of "wait, what was that formula???" as trying to quickly apply the right formula correctly and derive the right answer. As for bio, my BS section felt a lot more like verbal reasoning than I expected it to. Sure, you have to know your stuff, but if you practice enough, you will. Then it's just unraveling the problems and applying the right principles and seeing the traps. Good luck!
 
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I basically memorized all of the main concepts presented in the Kaplan course. This method proved fine for bio (which is my strongest area since I do major in it) and orgo (since I had just taken the class).

I found the physical sciences to be particularly difficult, even though I had memeorized a million bits and pieces of info. IMO, the PS section is much less predictable (and therefore less memorizable). I would focus, instead, on broad concepts, on improving comprehension of dense science passages, and on teasing out the main concepts that the passage is presenting. Too often, it is easy to get bogged down by random details and forget the big picture.

Two things that would have helped me if I had memorized them:
1. the NAMES of the gas laws. I knew the concepts but didn't bother to remember whether it was Charles or Boyles, etc.

2. Different types of graphs & what they mean. (i.e. inversely proportional, hyberbolic, parabolic, exponential, etc.)
 
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ICanDoThis said:
I basically memorized all of the main concepts presented in the Kaplan course. This method proved fine for bio (which is my strongest area since I do major in it) and orgo (since I had just taken the class).

I found the physical sciences to be particularly difficult, even though I had memeorized a million bits and pieces of info. IMO, the PS section is much less predictable (and therefore less memorizable). I would focus, instead, on broad concepts, on improving comprehension of dense science passages, and on teasing out the main concepts that the passage is presenting. Too often, it is easy to get bogged down by random details and forget the big picture.

Two things that would have helped me if I had memorized them:
1. the NAMES of the gas laws. I knew the concepts but didn't bother to remember whether it was Charles or Boyles, etc.

2. Different types of graphs & what they mean. (i.e. inversely proportional, hyberbolic, parabolic, exponential, etc.)
Click to expand...


ya graphs really matter.
 
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TexasTriathlete said:
I memorized about a billion formulas for the physical science section, and if I remember correctly, they gaev me every formula I needed. Maybe some of the real basic ones were needed and not given. I don't remember.

They provided formulas for you? I thought you didn't get any formulas for anything?
Click to expand...
 
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I was pretty much fine with what what I memorized. What gave me problems was that I failed to understand some concepts thoroughly, particularly in PS. Don't just memorize stuff, understand it and know how to use it in unfamiliar contexts.
 
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