Will 3 months be enough time to study for the MCAT?

[psyflgirl]

I recently started studying for the MCAT (3 weeks ago), I have been doing content review with Kaplan 7 subject books and I have only been able to get to the second chapter for each subject. I am stuck with stereochemistry and I have spent like 2 days trying to get it, so I am starting to get anxious about running out of time. I plan to take the MCAT at the beginning of May so that I can get the scores on time to apply in June. I work full time (and cannot afford to not work) and I have 12 weeks left to study, I have been studying 4 to 6 hrs (Mon to Thurs) and 7 hrs on Sundays but this is only allowing me to review one chapter per day, some days I cannot concentrate and that does not help. I have read a ton of forums, but I would appreciate some advice on how to improve my studying habits, and how to make the most out my time. I have been reading the Kaplan books, watching Khan as needed (takes a lot of time), and doing end of chapter questions, and the Kaplan section questions that are available for some chapters, and doing flashcards which I have not really gone over. I have not yet done a full practice exam which I know I should have done to begin with but it feels like 7 hours I will not be able to review. Are there any other resources you would recommend to make studying easier? I am ok with CARS, social sciences, biology, and biochemistry but not so good with chemistry, organic chemistry, and physics. Will I have enough time to get ready? Any helpful tips are greatly appreciated.

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[Fat_Albert]

The general consensus is yes, but you know yourself best. I'm studying myself and I definitely understand what you're going through. Stereochemistry took me a while too just because I took gen chem like 3 years ago and haven't touched it since, but then I realized that reading these review books weren't super efficient for me so I tend to just watch videos first and then kinda skim through the text then do practice passages. It's working better for me.

 

[Zenabi90]

All I'm going to do is ask Why, because only you can answer these, and once you answer them, only you can decide how to fix them.

I have been studying 4 to 6 hrs (Mon to Thurs) and 7 hrs on Sundays but this is only allowing me to review one chapter per day, some days I cannot concentrate

Why? Once you figure out why, fix it. Turn off your phone, turn off your internet if you need to. Earplugs or noise cancelling earphones if you can't handle noise.

doing flashcards which I have not really gone over

Why are you doing them if you won't use them?

I have not yet done a full practice exam which I know I should have done to begin with

Why would you? You haven't finished content review, what's the point of doing an FL?

 

[Magus5454]

Re the flashcards, its like making a index card for a test , just making them helps and the OP will have them in the future

 

[ZukosRedemption]

You shouldn't have troubles with stereochemistry if you've taken Orgo classes already. If you haven't, Khan academy is a great free resource that shows you the concepts visually.

 

[Zenabi90]

Re the flashcards, its like making a index card for a test , just making them helps and the OP will have them in the future

I understand that the most value of a flashcard is in making them. But that's also only if the student is making good flash cards.

I was reading between the lines a little, it seems the OP was doing flash cards but not really understanding the purpose of it, or feeling like it was not helping the study process at this time. I use more open ended questions to try to get at what the poster is really feeling.

 

[Magus5454]

I understand that the most value of a flashcard is in making them. But that's also only if the student is making good flash cards.

I was reading between the lines a little, it seems the OP was doing flash cards but not really understanding the purpose of it, or feeling like it was not helping the study process at this time. I use more open ended questions to try to get at what the poster is really feeling.

Ooh i understood that too, if OP is struggling with an issue like stereochemistry, something else is going on.

It makes me wonder how they did in ochem etc

 

[psyflgirl]

All I'm going to do is ask Why, because only you can answer these, and once you answer them, only you can decide how to fix them.



Why? Once you figure out why, fix it. Turn off your phone, turn off your internet if you need to. Earplugs or noise cancelling earphones if you can't handle noise.


Why are you doing them if you won't use them?


Why would you? You haven't finished content review, what's the point of doing an FL?

Thanks for the advice. Concentration is an issue I have been having for a while. I think the whole process makes me anxious and stressing over how much time I have left makes me not focus on what I am doing at the moment. Turning off my phone sounds like a good start. I have been doing the flashcards because I want to make sure that I just don't forget about the weaknesses I have been finding as I review, and because I hope to be able to finally fix my studying schedule to fit the flashcards too. The practice exam I have read I should take a diagnostic test to know what I should focus on, but I do think about like a waste of time since I know that I need to go over the material first.

 

[psyflgirl]

I understand that the most value of a flashcard is in making them. But that's also only if the student is making good flash cards.

I was reading between the lines a little, it seems the OP was doing flash cards but not really understanding the purpose of it, or feeling like it was not helping the study process at this time. I use more open ended questions to try to get at what the poster is really feeling.

I understand making the flashcards itself helps to remember the material. Open ended questions flashcards sounds better than concepts which is what I have been doing. Open ended may help more with the understanding the material instead of just kind of memorizing concepts. Thanks.

 

[psyflgirl]

Ooh i understood that too, if OP is struggling with an issue like stereochemistry, something else is going on.

It makes me wonder how they did in ochem etc

I took Organic Chem I first term of last summer which is relatively recent. I got a B in the class and stereochemistry I think it was the reason for that B. I read the definitions and concepts and I feel like I know them, but when I try to apply it in actual practice questions I realize I don't really get it. I have tried videos but so far same thing I feel like I get it but I don't. I will keep looking for better videos, and maybe just practicing and going over the questions I get wrong will help more than reviewing the content again.

 

[psyflgirl]

The general consensus is yes, but you know yourself best. I'm studying myself and I definitely understand what you're going through. Stereochemistry took me a while too just because I took gen chem like 3 years ago and haven't touched it since, but then I realized that reading these review books weren't super efficient for me so I tend to just watch videos first and then kinda skim through the text then do practice passages. It's working better for me.

I agree, I am using Kaplan books and I feel that the language they use makes it more difficult at least for Organic Chem, the videos are a little better. For the other topics I think they are pretty good. I am only in the second chapter for all the topics and so far Chapter 2 which is the one for isomers and stereochemistry has been my lowest score. Kaplan has like section practice tests for some chapters and I have wondering if the scores I have been getting are "normal" for the first weeks of reviewing. Have you done any practice tests for the individual chapters? If so, would you mind sharing more or less around what percentages have you been getting? I have been between the 60s for Chem/Biochem and 70s for Bio, Social Sciences and CARS. I hope this gets better as I improve my study habits. Thanks for your answer.

 

[Magus5454]

I took Organic Chem I first term of last summer which is relatively recent. I got a B in the class and stereochemistry I think it was the reason for that B. I read the definitions and concepts and I feel like I know them, but when I try to apply it in actual practice questions I realize I don't really get it. I have tried videos but so far same thing I feel like I get it but I don't. I will keep looking for better videos, and maybe just practicing and going over the questions I get wrong will help more than reviewing the content again.

Stereochem is a big topic in ochem, feel free to pm me about what you dont get, ice tutored organic for 5 years

 

[Fat_Albert]

I agree, I am using Kaplan books and I feel that the language they use makes it more difficult at least for Organic Chem, the videos are a little better. For the other topics I think they are pretty good. I am only in the second chapter for all the topics and so far Chapter 2 which is the one for isomers and stereochemistry has been my lowest score. Kaplan has like section practice tests for some chapters and I have wondering if the scores I have been getting are "normal" for the first weeks of reviewing. Have you done any practice tests for the individual chapters? If so, would you mind sharing more or less around what percentages have you been getting? I have been between the 60s for Chem/Biochem and 70s for Bio, Social Sciences and CARS. I hope this gets better as I improve my study habits. Thanks for your answer.

I'm using TBR but even trying to read & understand it is quite difficult even though most people praise it (I have no idea why but the passages are good) I avg around 60% for the TBR phase 1 passages. I don't really have much info on kaplan's book besides the bio & biochem, but if you're referring to that 15 question test at the end of each chapter theyre relatively straight forward and I would make sure I do well on em just because they test more straight facts imo, but I wouldn't stress about getting questions wrong as long as you review and identify your mistakes. I kinda don't take those kaplan questions too seriously since they aren't representative of the actual mcat at all. Idk if you ever used organic chemistry as a second language, but I honestly would recommend that to help you review orgo, that's what I did & it's been great for me.

 

[psyflgirl]

I'm using TBR but even trying to read & understand it is quite difficult even though most people praise it (I have no idea why but the passages are good) I avg around 60% for the TBR phase 1 passages. I don't really have much info on kaplan's book besides the bio & biochem, but if you're referring to that 15 question test at the end of each chapter theyre relatively straight forward and I would make sure I do well on em just because they test more straight facts imo, but I wouldn't stress about getting questions wrong as long as you review and identify your mistakes. I kinda don't take those kaplan questions too seriously since they aren't representative of the actual mcat at all. Idk if you ever used organic chemistry as a second language, but I honestly would recommend that to help you review orgo, that's what I did & it's been great for me.

I always do the end of the chapter questions to make sure I understood the material but I don't take those too seriously either because they are easy compared to the questions from the passages. I was talking about passage questions, Kaplan has chapter specific practice tests for some chapters and those are nothing like the end of chapter ones. In the end of chapter questions I have been scoring in the 70s to 80s which I think is still low considering that they are pretty straight forward as you said. I have heard good things about organic chem as a second language, so I think I am just going to try to use that one. Thanks for your feedback.

 

[psyflgirl]

Stereochem is a big topic in ochem, feel free to pm me about what you dont get, ice tutored organic for 5 years

Thank you!