For those of you that did well on the DAT, what made you guys think you were ready? Haha and if you never felt that way, is there anything that would've but you just never got time?
When did you know you were ready?
- Thread starter Kratoz24x
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Best story ever! I definitely never felt ready. In fact, the week before I was crying multiple times a day from the stress of "not knowing anything". But I did fine, and you will too!!! You know more than you think you do; your brain just can't recall everything randomly. When you get in there, however, certain words will trigger your brain to turn on and you will rock and roll!
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When I got 22AA on my last topscore a week before my test I used it as an indication I was ready. Also, when I felt like I wanted the test to be moved up a few days to get it over with I knew I was ready.
saca, how did you end up doing?? I remember you from the "May test scores" thread.
to the OP, I honestly wanted to move my day up as my test date drew nearer but looking back I think that could've been bad. You'll probably never feel like you're ready, I never did. I thought I wasn't ready even after I took the exam, it wasn't until I saw my 23 AA and 23 TS that I knew I might've been ready haha. I honestly did terrible on Top Score, I was around the 18 or 19 range for the sciences and basically hovered there the whole time, so I wouldn't say practice tests are a good indicator. Unless of course you're Saca, who got a 22 AA.
to the OP, I honestly wanted to move my day up as my test date drew nearer but looking back I think that could've been bad. You'll probably never feel like you're ready, I never did. I thought I wasn't ready even after I took the exam, it wasn't until I saw my 23 AA and 23 TS that I knew I might've been ready haha. I honestly did terrible on Top Score, I was around the 18 or 19 range for the sciences and basically hovered there the whole time, so I wouldn't say practice tests are a good indicator. Unless of course you're Saca, who got a 22 AA.
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I got a couple points better on the real thing than Topscore. If you are scoring well in topscore, I think it is safe to say you are ready for the DAT since most everyone does better on the real thing. To me, that makes it a good indicator that you are ready.
For me, I was nervous that I never truly felt ready. haha I pushed my DAT back by two weeks the second time around, and that was the best decision I made. If you feel panicked and feel like a week or two could be beneficial when your down to the wire, DO IT. Don't rush the test and get a lower score, if you can really utilize your extra time well - its worth it! Because I chose to push it back, it made me feel a lot more ready. I felt more calm, got in studying that I felt I would have missed had I rushed it, and did well
GOod luck!
Haha I can't wait to start throwing my books.
If you guys could go back and study for it, would there be a certain way you approached it to do better? Here's my schedule. If you could critique and lemme know if I should add/drop something, that'd be awesome
2 weeks: organic as a 2nd language(haven't taken orgo2), cliffs and chads videos, cdp (1 test)
3 weeks: destroyer/math, cdp(1 test)
3 weeks: acs genchem, acs orgo, read through Campbell's outlines/ schaums bio/ mcat bio, cdp (3 tests)
3 weeks: cant decide between achiever or qVault but that's here, Topscore, cdp (5 tests)
Also, any suggestions for reading would be cool.
If you guys could go back and study for it, would there be a certain way you approached it to do better? Here's my schedule. If you could critique and lemme know if I should add/drop something, that'd be awesome
2 weeks: organic as a 2nd language(haven't taken orgo2), cliffs and chads videos, cdp (1 test)
3 weeks: destroyer/math, cdp(1 test)
3 weeks: acs genchem, acs orgo, read through Campbell's outlines/ schaums bio/ mcat bio, cdp (3 tests)
3 weeks: cant decide between achiever or qVault but that's here, Topscore, cdp (5 tests)
Also, any suggestions for reading would be cool.
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im down to 2 weeks!....basically just doing a few more qvault tests, going fully over my orgo and gc notes (2 days), might go through destroyer one more time and quickly go through kaplan and cliffs notes that i have (theyre lengthy typed out notes)...and then just practice tests the last week or so.....at nights, i just plan on filling in my roadmaps, making sure to memorize important formulas etc and some review....i hope its enough....i was originally supposed to take it may 23 and pushed to june 8....i hope i dont need another week and "feel ready" but i dont think ill ever feel ready :/...my biggest indicator will probably be when i take my first topscore at the beginning of next week
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thanks...did u end up getting qvault?
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I think it comes down to feeling ready for each section:
After I'd done Chad's plus Destroyer for Ochem/Gen Chem (plus topscore + Achiever 1-3)
Bio was after making sure I understood all the topics on the ADA's list (pg 42 of this doc http://www.ada.org/sections/educationAndCareers/pdfs/dat_users_manual.pdf) - I used Cliff's AP Bio, George Wolfe's videos, wikipedia, etc
PAT was after I'd done all the Crack the DAT PAT practice tests
Reading was after I'd found a strategy that had worked for me and used it on 3 full length reading sections (=9 passages I think)
Math was after I'd done Math Destroyer
good luck!
After I'd done Chad's plus Destroyer for Ochem/Gen Chem (plus topscore + Achiever 1-3)
Bio was after making sure I understood all the topics on the ADA's list (pg 42 of this doc http://www.ada.org/sections/educationAndCareers/pdfs/dat_users_manual.pdf) - I used Cliff's AP Bio, George Wolfe's videos, wikipedia, etc
PAT was after I'd done all the Crack the DAT PAT practice tests
Reading was after I'd found a strategy that had worked for me and used it on 3 full length reading sections (=9 passages I think)
Math was after I'd done Math Destroyer
good luck!
