What kind of stop watch do you use to time yourself?

[SnYpaJY]

---

Members do not see this ad.

I'm using a running stop watch, the kind coaches have lol

Is the timer on the actual MCAT on the computer screen?

When you guys practiced a lot, did you find yourself not looking at the time as often? I feel like the more I look at it, the more anxious I get, and the more anxious I get, the more stupid mistakes I make!

 

[Isoprop]

It's at the bottom of your screen. It tells you how much time you have left. There's also a warning when you have 5 minutes. I don't remember if it warns you when you are half-way through?

Anyway, it's out of the way and I don't notice it unless I look for it. I'm too engrossed in the questions/passages.

 

[loveoforganic]

I used cell phone timer. Set it and flipped it over so I couldn't look at it.

 

[RogueUnicorn]

personal opinion, but i don't think timing should be a concern until much much later in the game

 

[SnYpaJY]

personal opinion, but i don't think timing should be a concern until much much later in the game

That's what I thought too. Accuracy before speed, but SN2ed stated in his 3 Month Schedule:

"Timing:

- ALWAYS complete your practice problems under TIMED conditions
- For BR passages: 6-7 minutes per passage, work towards 6 minutes
- For the EK 30-minute exams….well 30 minutes
- EK 1001, except Bio series: 30 seconds to 1 minute per question
- EK 1001 Bio: 6 minutes per passage + 30 seconds to 1 minute per discrete, work towards less time
- EK Verbal 101/TPR Verbal: 6-7 minutes per passage, work towards 6 minutes
- AAMC FLs: Use their timing"

Granted I'm not on the three month program. I think SN2ed has a good reason for this.

 

[BennieBlanco]

That's what I thought too. Accuracy before speed, but SN2ed stated in his 3 Month Schedule:

"Timing:

- ALWAYS complete your practice problems under TIMED conditions
- For BR passages: 6-7 minutes per passage, work towards 6 minutes
- For the EK 30-minute exams….well 30 minutes
- EK 1001, except Bio series: 30 seconds to 1 minute per question
- EK 1001 Bio: 6 minutes per passage + 30 seconds to 1 minute per discrete, work towards less time
- EK Verbal 101/TPR Verbal: 6-7 minutes per passage, work towards 6 minutes
- AAMC FLs: Use their timing"

Granted I'm not on the three month program. I think SN2ed has a good reason for this.

BennyBlancian philosophy:

Always be mindful of time, yet don't focus on it until after you have mastered the concepts/problem solving.

 

[IndianVercetti]

I think if you work at a steady pace, you'll finish just fine. If you can do your practice tests at a fast, but thoughtful pace, not losing focus, then you should be finishing the PS/BS sections with good time to spare.

I think verbal is the tricky one, especially for people like myself who aren't naturals at it. What I'm trying to do is look at the timer after 20-22 questions are over - approximately 3 passages. Ideally, the timer should say 35-37 minutes remaining or more. Then I know I'm in good shape.

 

[rama kandra]

http://www.online-stopwatch.com/
http://www.online-stopwatch.com/
http://www.online-stopwatch.com/
http://www.online-stopwatch.com/
http://www.online-stopwatch.com/

IM NO SPAM BUT DOGG, YOU GONNA GET A 35 WITH THIS TIMER!


ps - i highly recommend you use this full screen for your paper tests. I also would minimize it out of focus for the real thing.

 

[RogueUnicorn]

That's what I thought too. Accuracy before speed, but SN2ed stated in his 3 Month Schedule:

"Timing:

- ALWAYS complete your practice problems under TIMED conditions
- For BR passages: 6-7 minutes per passage, work towards 6 minutes
- For the EK 30-minute exams….well 30 minutes
- EK 1001, except Bio series: 30 seconds to 1 minute per question
- EK 1001 Bio: 6 minutes per passage + 30 seconds to 1 minute per discrete, work towards less time
- EK Verbal 101/TPR Verbal: 6-7 minutes per passage, work towards 6 minutes
- AAMC FLs: Use their timing"

Granted I'm not on the three month program. I think SN2ed has a good reason for this.

different philosophies. i disagree with this opinion very strongly

 

[MichaelRW]

different philosophies. i disagree with this opinion very strongly

so what DO you agree with?

 

[TurkSurg]

I agree. If you keep getting answers wrong under, say, 7 mins per passage why would you keep timing yourself? Get the answer questions correct first, then move on to timing.
Of course..I'm not trying to say take 30 mins per passage.

BennyBlancian philosophy:

 

[Global Warming]

different philosophies. i disagree with this opinion very strongly

I agree w/ Bleargh. I tried doing the passages under timed condition since the beginning and ended up completely face planting on nearly all of them. This did 2 things.

1) Killed my confidence - I succumbed to making a ,"I lost confidence help me help me I'm scared" thread on SDN.

2) I wasn't learning as much.

The truth is, time will become less of an issue naturally as you progress through your studies. I value the ability to concretely nail down every concept, regardless of the time, than to rush through it and get 1/7 everytime. The first time you do a practice passage, the main goal is to become familar w/ the MCAT style and nailing down concepts. Every passage has a lesson to teach. You can then do different passages from a different book the second time, timed, or go for FL's to do timed passages.

 

[DreamingPremed]

It's never bad to work on your timing from the get-go. Start at 8 mins per passage and work down to 6. If you put yourself on a stop watch, then you will find yourself going back to the passages less and focusing more on what you read.

Anyway, I use a free online stopwatch with an alarm found here:

http://timer.onlineclock.net/

 

[RogueUnicorn]

so what DO you agree with?

i've never looked through it deeply enough to form a point by point comparison. i joined after i took the mcat so it has never been of much interest to me.

 

[BennieBlanco]

i've never looked through it deeply enough to form a point by point comparison. i joined after i took the mcat so it has never been of much interest to me.

like the poster before said, why rush and get 3 of 7. Use common sense.

If you can't find the correct answers in 7 min, then try 12 min. Once you have matured in the art, then always do 7 or so.

Concept before tick tock

 

[BennieBlanco]

I agree. If you keep getting answers wrong under, say, 7 mins per passage why would you keep timing yourself? Get the answer questions correct first, then move on to timing.
Of course..I'm not trying to say take 30 mins per passage.

If you are clueless and need 30 min, then take it.

Then do it again.

Then do a similar (conceptually) passage you've never seen before.

Strategy for anyone to succeed...

 

[SnYpaJY]

Should I use the count down or the stop watch when I'm practicing?

What does the actual MCAT do? (i'm guessing countdown, but you never know!)

 

[RogueUnicorn]

countdown on the real deal

 

[BennieBlanco]

countdown on the real deal

There is a lot of advice on this site. But 90% of advice is from those who haven't done anything. It is kind of funny when you read people asking for advice, then see all the posters respond. Most aren't even very good at what they are giving advice on.

Bleargh you can at least listen to because he's been to the mountain top.

Just a thought...

Everyone should really think about who they listen to. Even me, I have done nothing yet.

 

[RogueUnicorn]

it's funny you call it a mountain top, because it sure felt like a damn deep valley...

also, i know you know this, but for the benefit, perhaps, of a passerby, i feel that alot of things people about which ask advice is half a dozen one way, six the other. it just comes down to personal preference and individual situations for quite a bit of issues...