When to begin studying for the DAT?

[deleted1050822]

Hello everyone,

I am preparing to go into my junior year of undergrad in the fall, and hope to apply in the 2020-21 cycle (next summer). With this timeline, I am planning on scheduling my test date for mid-late June. I have seen many sources say that I should set aside around 3 months for "intense studying" for the exam, but I feel like this timeline will not allow that since I will be finishing up my classes in early May. I have completed almost all of my pre-requisite courses, and will be taking organic in the fall and spring. With this in mind, when should I begin studying for the exam? Is it too early to begin a light review of the biology courses I have taken to this point and my inorganic material?

I want to allow myself enough time to thoroughly go over the material, while still being able to perform well in my classes.

Thanks, and stay healthy!

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[0Mik3cho]

Some may disagree but I don't see any issue with preliminary studying. If you study with the aim of true understanding, then things will become intuitive. And when things become intuitive, they stay in your memory. It's been 4 months since my DAT and I still remember a lot of stuff really well, especially biology. Catchy mnemonics will also help you retain stuff that you do need to memorize. I still remember Never Let Monkeys Eat Bananas for leukocyte abundance.

If you do start some studying now, focus on the conceptual stuff in the sciences. Also, it is never too soon to start studying for the PAT so use some generators. With this much time, you have the luxury of developing your own strategies for the PAT and perfecting them over time. Turn PAT into a game and you might even enjoy it. Reading scientific articles could be a good way to prepare for RC though you may or may not find that necessary (I didn't).

 

[TheBookCookout]

I started studying about 5 months before test day, but that's mostly because I didn't have a really strong background in biology. I started in the fall semester and took my DAT during winter break. That might be excessive to some, but it was nice for me, because it allowed me to really get familiar with the material at a reasonable pace. I studied DAT material about 3 hours every day, and that month during break, I studied for like 10 hours straight every day. I'd say start with some free/cheap materials that you can access online (and won't expire), and when you get closer then you can buy an actual program. As mentioned, it is best to get as much experience with PAT as possible. You want that stuff to be second nature! Best of luck studying!