When to take Biochem?

[themanonthemoon]

I'll be taking the MCAT May of 2019 and I will be a senior this coming fall. I have a couple questions. I'm going to begin studying for the MCAT in January of 2019 since I will be in my last semester of school. My question: Would you guys think it would be better to take Biochemistry in my fall semester or in the spring semester closer to the MCAT? On one hand, it would be fresh in my brain since I would be finishing the class just prior to the big test, but on the other hand, if I took it this coming fall, my course load would be lighter and I would have more time for studying.

Also, do you think Fundamental Biochem (BIO360 at my school) would put me at more of a disadvantage than Biochemistry I (BIO461)? I'm currently planning on taking the more in-depth course, but if it's not much of an advantage, I can pass on it.

Thank you!

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[MCAT Self Prep]

Great question. Definitely good to prioritize your Biochemistry Class, so props for taking this seriously. I'd recommend taking it sooner than later as to lighten up your load for the semester right before the MCAT. During your Biochemistry Course, create flashcards for everything you are learning. Then, when you get close to your MCAT test date, whip out the flashcards and do a quick review.

In terms of taking the higher-level Biochemistry Course, I would take it unless it is only higher level due to math/calculations. Your goal is to learn as much as you can about metabolic pathways, enzymes, biomolecules, etc. Math-related content will not help you much for the MCAT.

Hope this helps! Best of luck studying!

 

[monkeym8]

Whoa! This is nearly the exact same timeline as me! I am a current senior who will be taking biochem this upcoming fall. I plan to take the MCAT in April 2019 or in August 2019 (Not sure when...) How will you go about being a full-time student and taking the MCAT?

 

[WrldPeace]

I'll be taking the MCAT May of 2019 and I will be a senior this coming fall. I have a couple questions. I'm going to begin studying for the MCAT in January of 2019 since I will be in my last semester of school. My question: Would you guys think it would be better to take Biochemistry in my fall semester or in the spring semester closer to the MCAT? On one hand, it would be fresh in my brain since I would be finishing the class just prior to the big test, but on the other hand, if I took it this coming fall, my course load would be lighter and I would have more time for studying.

Also, do you think Fundamental Biochem (BIO360 at my school) would put me at more of a disadvantage than Biochemistry I (BIO461)? I'm currently planning on taking the more in-depth course, but if it's not much of an advantage, I can pass on it.

Thank you!

As a current senior in her last semester (taking MCAT in May 2018 started studying this January), I HIGHLY recommend finishing all your sciences courses as early as possible. I'm taking 2 STEM and 2 Humanities courses with MCAT studying and I'd love to devote less time to classwork. The MCAT itself is a lot of mental preparation, so it's best to have as much time to devote to it as possible. You'll also want to unwind every now and then, and taking more heavy-duty classes during the semester you're prepping for MCAT is not ideal- based on my experience.

Also, I took Biochem in junior spring, and it's not as challenging a course as say Physics was for me. For the MCAT, you mainly need to memorize the relevant biochemical processes and understand how enzymes work.

 

[themanonthemoon]

Whoa! This is nearly the exact same timeline as me! I am a current senior who will be taking biochem this upcoming fall. I plan to take the MCAT in April 2019 or in August 2019 (Not sure when...) How will you go about being a full-time student and taking the MCAT?

Full time student, studying for MCAT, AND working about 30 hours a week Yeah my fiancee isn't particularly thrilled about it either. Time management and I'm only taking 14 credits in spring. I'm planning on taking the MCAT in late May of 2019 so I have 3 weeks to study full time with no school. I'm going to start studying in mid December (going to enjoy the first half of winter break before my hell begins). Balance is the key to everything.

I hate when people say "I don't have time" because 99.99999% of the time they're lying. They DO have time. They should rephrase their sentence and say, "I just don't make time for or prioritize those things." Granted, there are situations where people genuinely have no time, but those are rare. So instead of saying, "I don't have time for that", I say, "I'm not prioritizing that" and it's amazing how the time suddenly appears.

 

[themanonthemoon]

As a current senior in her last semester (taking MCAT in May 2018 started studying this January), I HIGHLY recommend finishing all your sciences courses as early as possible. I'm taking 2 STEM and 2 Humanities courses with MCAT studying and I'd love to devote less time to classwork. The MCAT itself is a lot of mental preparation, so it's best to have as much time to devote to it as possible. You'll also want to unwind every now and then, and taking more heavy-duty classes during the semester you're prepping for MCAT is not ideal- based on my experience.

Also, I took Biochem in junior spring, and it's not as challenging a course as say Physics was for me. For the MCAT, you mainly need to memorize the relevant biochemical processes and understand how enzymes work.

This is probably how my semester is going to pan out. 2 science courses and a couple electives which I'm happy about because this semester right now is killing me. I'm taking both Physics AND biochemistry which will be loads of fun. I'll be a senior this coming semester, any good tips you'd like to share?

 

[monkeym8]

Wow! That sounds intense. Its funny how time magically appears whenever and wherever you need it to

Best of luck!

 

[WrldPeace]

This is probably how my semester is going to pan out. 2 science courses and a couple electives which I'm happy about because this semester right now is killing me. I'm taking both Physics AND biochemistry which will be loads of fun. I'll be a senior this coming semester, any good tips you'd like to share?

Definitely! I'm currently on a 5-month MCAT Study schedule (Jan-May 2018), and I'd recommend not doing more than a 3 or 4 month schedule if possible. I went through a difficult burn out period around the 2.5 month mark (aka around last week lol), so when designing you schedule I recommend short-term and intense vs long-term and slower-paced. At my college, I wrote a senior thesis in the Fall which was time-intensive, so starting sometime during Winter Break/2nd semester of senior year was my only option.

I'm also doing Physics right now (last semester!) and a fair amount of the material I'm learning is also on the MCAT. Also, based on the 3 Practice Exams I've taken, having a solid grasp of Biochem is KEY for success on the Bio and Chem/Phys section (aka half of the MCAT).