Will this work for the bio section?

[Booshiba]

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Hey, forum!

So I've been studying for 2 weeks now focusing on Gen. Chem. and Bio. I have to say the Bio has me freaked out. I started out by only reading and realized it wasn't really getting anywhere so I started to tackle some problems...the way I'm doing it is writing down each problem from the destroyer with each answer choice. Then after each answer choice I write down some basic knowledge of it and that kind of just explains in itself why any given answer choice isn't the correct answer. I can be good at memorization if I really put the time in and my girlfriend always bashes me and says I'm dumb for wasting time trying to completely understand and KNOW everything when some stuff just has to be memorized. Is this method of what I'm doing efficient? So far all I have is the DAT Destroyer, Ferali's and the notes here on the forums. I've decided to dedicate a week straight to Bio then hit the QR for 2 days then back to the O. and Gen. Chem. Thanks for any input!

Best,
Carlos

P.S. I'm a Bio major and some of this stuff does come back to me, am I just overwhelmed because I barely started studying? Does it get better the deeper I go? I guess you could call this a "motivate me" thread...but don't get me wrong I'm extremely driven as it is...I wake up every day at 8am to start studying and go all day until 4:30pm so I can beat the traffic home.

 

[Booshiba]

One more thing....I'm a terrible test taker and that is that. I've known topics better than some A+ students and even tutored C- students to B+'s and A's and then I myself get a C on the exams. Anyway to over come this kind of thing?

Just want to say thank you to this forum for being here. Even when I dont post up concerns just reading other peoples threads and comments of pointers is so helpful is really a blessing.

 

[FlossFloss]

I say this because I've tutored for many years, and when we tutor students from B+ to A's it's ultimately their effort and capability that gets them to that point, so shouldn't and doesn't reflect your own performance in tests. It might be your capability at the end of the day that you're getting C's. Either that or you're not studying the way you're wired to.

That said, I suggest you go through Kaplan and if you have time Feralis notes. I also found destroyer bio to be helpful (though really unbelievably specific at times). To put it in perspective, I did about 70 of the destroyer problems just for ****s or so I thought. 1 question out of them on some randomly specific topic I never studied ever before came out word for word on the DAT. They have so many questions on destroyer that you gotta think one will come out, and it's worth it. Good luck.

 

[Booshiba]

Is there a way to find out how I'm wired to study? Being perfectly honest here I've struggled through out all of my college career to do well on exams in which I knew the material and the drop of a hat outside of class. I've studied weeks early, I've crammed, Iv'e memorized, I've genuinely understood topics and I just always seem to either get nervous or freak out or just second guess myself I dont know what it is. I don't do drugs, I drink occasionally, I was not dropped on my head as a child (LOL) I think I just get nervous on tests...even all my friends and family know me as the smartest guy in the group and I am fortunate enough to say that the circle I've grown up in is a very well educated one.

When I was a piano performance major, right before a performance and literally as I walked out on stage I would say out loud "**** it" and with all the clapping no one ever heard..it was like my secret way of saying screw you all I'm here to do my best and none of you can do what I am about to...I have yet to find a way of doing this with exams.

edit: Over and out for today. I'll check back on this later tonight or tomorrow. Getting back to studying. Work hard now play hard later is what I've been telling myself lol Chin up!

 

[H4LfAd1ME]

don't worry. when i was at the two week mark, i was still pretty confused as well. i second what FlossFloss said about going over Ferralis's notes (update it with info if you're still unclear about certain things). I also used the Cliffnotes AP Biology review book and supplemented it with stuff from the Princeton Hyperlearning MCAT biology book if i was still confused.

the bio section is RANDOM--anything can come up so it's really a game of luck what your specific test will ask you. as for if you should continue "knowing" the material rather than just memorizing it, a LOT of the bio material on the DAT is straight up memorization (ie. names of specific things in anatomy/physiology, lab procedures, etc). However, you still have to know how the processes work (which in my opinion is still memorization) but not to a deep extent. Don't waste time trying to know absolutely everything about a specific category. Remember, the DAT tests your general knowledge of bio--they don't have enough time to test you on extremely minute things. It won't go as in depth as you went over in a biology course in school.

i'm not in any way a good test taker, but i did well on the DAT and that's probably because of how I was efficient in studying. Review, do questions, review, do questions, review, do questions! I would say I spent 30% of my time relearning the material and 70% of my time reviewing and doing questions. I learned the most when I was going over questions and reviewing the material--it really nails the material into your brain. DAT destroyer pretty much has the general types of questions the real DAT uses (albeit more tricky), so keep doing those and reviewing! And don't worry if you get like 50% of the questions wrong the first time, go over the questions again and you should do much better the second time around after you "get" the general gist of the question types. Destroyer works best if you go through it multiple times.

gluck and don't get scared! it's a mental game.

 

[TheDanger]

I've only been studying for a little over two weeks now, but I tried studying back in January using a similar method to what you've described. I wrote down endless notes that took a ton of time. Needless to say, this was not efficient at all. For other reasons I stopped studying for the DAT all together.

This time around, I'm using a method similar to the one indicated in dentalWorks' 8 week plan.
On Day 1 I read a chapter of Cliff's and then watch about an hour's worth of youtube videos on the same subject. I find "CrashCourse" and "Bozeman Science" to be the best accounts. After watching a couple of videos that explain the topic in a bunch of different ways, it really seems to clear things up for me. The visuals also help. I then make online notecards with the help of Feralis' notes.
On Day 2 I reread the same Cliff's chapter. This time things make a lot more sense and it's almost as if I'm just reviewing facts that I already know. Then I go through the notecards until I get them all correct.

I haven't taken the DAT yet so obviously I don't know if this method with get me a good score, but I've noticed that I'm understanding the material this way and not just trying to pound a million facts into my head.

 

[FlossFloss]

Is there a way to find out how I'm wired to study? Being perfectly honest here I've struggled through out all of my college career to do well on exams in which I knew the material and the drop of a hat outside of class. I've studied weeks early, I've crammed, Iv'e memorized, I've genuinely understood topics and I just always seem to either get nervous or freak out or just second guess myself I dont know what it is. I don't do drugs, I drink occasionally, I was not dropped on my head as a child (LOL) I think I just get nervous on tests...even all my friends and family know me as the smartest guy in the group and I am fortunate enough to say that the circle I've grown up in is a very well educated one.

tbh, there's really only one way to study that works for literally everyone no matter how incompetent they are. that is just to start early and follow the material as you go, and review it as you go. It is just that people like you and me (I'm the same exact way as you where I blank out in critical moments) just unconsciously refuse to do it the right way because it's ridiculously annoying and painstaking. Even though you think you're doing it weekly you probably aren't reviewing the material before the class and after the class. I probably still haven't broken out of the habit just yet but it definitely brought my grades up doing it the right way last semester =). You and I'm not wired to take in and regurgitate. Better get in some sort of good habit before dental school starts!

 

[Faux]

For biology, I used flash cards (www.quizlet.com). Its a vast subject and its hard to keep track of all the data for 3 months, I needed a refresher every few days. I only made cards for information I knew I'd forget. Obviously you're not going to make a card asking for the powerhouse of the cell. Use your cards wisely and review them.

I went through ap bio barons and made cards.
went through destroyer bio and made cards
went through Feralis.

If you have a good amount of cards, just divide by a certain number of days Go over that particular set that morning and night.

 

[Jophiel]

I think it's inefficient to take apart each question at a time- if you're a bio major you're bound to already know some of the stuff behind each question so there isn't any point to write it all out. My main refresher for bio was to read through review and skim the parts I knew well and annotate the stuff I knew I was more iffy on.
Also to a certain point your girlfriend is correct, for example, trying to grasp every detail of the endocrine system (or the immune system for that matter) will drive you crazy. Just memorize the big players, where they're made and what they do.
I think to combat any nerves you might get you should start doing realistic full length practice tests as often as possible. It'll be good review to see what you know and what you don't as well as get you as comfortable with the setting as possible. I laughed at your blurb about playing piano, and to an extent you can do that before your test. When I pulled into my test center my hands were super shakey and I could feel my heart racing so I plugged in my Ipod and blasted the Pokemon theme song. I sang along to it like a crazy person and afterwards I was all smiley, calm, and happy having done something stupid and crazy to get the jitters out.

 

[Booshiba]

I'm having trouble with this question...here goes.

What is NOT true about a vaccine?
A.) Many vaccines are made from killed or weakened pathogens
B.) Vaccines may be made from toxic but inactivated by-products of dangerous organisms such as bacteria
C.) Vaccines represent strategies used to reduce risk of illness
D.) Vaccines are given for diseases such as hepatitis, and can be made from viral fragments
E.) Attenuated vaccines contain a low concentration of the pathogen and will illicit an immune response

The correct answer is E...but why? I have googled and found that attenuated vaccines are NOT supposed to illicit an immune response but I've found cases where it can happen. Attenuated vaccines are also given super low concentrations. Is this question a case of "which one of these has the ability to be false?"

The books answer is as follows..." An attenuated vaccine contains a version of the living microbe that has been weakened and modified in the lab. However the ability to induce protective immunity remains as virulence is lost." Maybe I'm over thinking it or I'm tired.

 

[tons_of_fart]

Go get some rest.

 

[threemileisle]

I'm having trouble with this question...here goes.

What is NOT true about a vaccine?
A.) Many vaccines are made from killed or weakened pathogens
B.) Vaccines may be made from toxic but inactivated by-products of dangerous organisms such as bacteria
C.) Vaccines represent strategies used to reduce risk of illness
D.) Vaccines are given for diseases such as hepatitis, and can be made from viral fragments
E.) Attenuated vaccines contain a low concentration of the pathogen and will illicit an immune response

The correct answer is E...but why? I have googled and found that attenuated vaccines are NOT supposed to illicit an immune response but I've found cases where it can happen. Attenuated vaccines are also given super low concentrations. Is this question a case of "which one of these has the ability to be false?"

The books answer is as follows..." An attenuated vaccine contains a version of the living microbe that has been weakened and modified in the lab. However the ability to induce protective immunity remains as virulence is lost." Maybe I'm over thinking it or I'm tired.

You're over-thinking. What is the definition of an attenuated vaccine? It's a vaccine that's been modified to have a lower virulence. Concentration is irrelevant. It may eventually be delivered in a low concentration, but even if it were highly concentrated, it would still be considered an attenuated vaccine.

RE: memorizing vs understanding. A lot of people say Bio on the DAT is all about memorizing and the luck of the draw, but I disagree. Unfortunately, I've never had the kind of brain that allowed me to see a fact once or twice and then retain it forever. Yes, memorizing is vital, but understanding the material will help you remember. Like TheDanger said, it's vastly more efficient than pounding facts. The trick is figuring out what you need to know and what you don't need to know, and when to stop and move on to the next topic.

I scored between 25-30 in Bio on all the practice exams I took (27 on the real thing). I think of it as drawing mental maps and compartmentalizing major topics. From there, you can slot random facts into the framework you've built and that context will provide links to the other facts you've stashed. Hopefully, on most of the questions you encounter, you'll be able to recall the fact off the top of your head. But for the ones you're not sure about, it becomes a game of logic and problem solving. It's these questions that will make the difference between a 20+ and a 25+ on Bio.

If you have a deep understanding of the material, you'll be able to quickly scan your mental archives and use other facts you know to at least eliminate 1-2 of the unlikely answers. Most questions have choices where, even if two answers seem correct, the way one is written will just sound a little bit off. Maybe part of my ability to discern that comes from my writing background, but I'd bet that understanding the material helps quite a bit. Even if you don't know the answer immediately, you'll possess the ability to eventually get there with some critical thinking. On all of my tests, I'd have anywhere from 2-5 questions I wasn't completely sure about but by understanding the material, I still got 80-90% of them correct.

PM me if you have any questions.

 

[Booshiba]

Okay. I got it. I was probably just tired honestly. But thank you for the advice it never gets old reading pointers and getting help.

 

[MBlue16]

I know DAT destroyer problems are harder than the real test. As Flossfloss said earlier, it can be very specific at times. Don't stress yourself out too much trying to get 100% on the practice exam. The most important thing is that you learn to understand the logic behind the questions. You will be fine!

Also, I told everyone getting ready for DAT to check out Chad's video. If you have the time, the video is a really good resource to review the material.

 

[Bottle]

I agree with your girlfriend. I especially agree on blindly memorizing gen bio. A lot of gen bio is overally simplified and it is difficult to understand them.

 

[cknguyen6]

Definitely look into using DAT bootcamp because you can drill yourself on specific bio subjects you're struggling on. There are practice tests for cell and molecular bio, taxonomy, anatomy and physiology, developmental bio, genetics, & evolution, ecology and animal behavior. For example, I didn't understand genetics problems in destroyer at all (or anywhere for that matter), so I took the genetics practice test and at the end, they give you a really good explanation and sometimes a youtube link that explains things really well. I made sure I understood EVERYTHING if I got a question wrong. When I understood it, I wrote it on a flashcard and reviewed it as many times as I could.

I thought the bio section for dat destroyer was a little overkill, but I don't regret going through it the 2-3 times that I did in the weeks before my test. It's nice if you want to cram little details in, but I thought DAT bootcamp was more comprehensive of the actual DAT. I felt the same way you did- except I felt that way all the way up until two weeks before my test haha. I was never great at biology and it was my weakest subject, but I made a 21 on that section in the end. Don't get discouraged! The beginning of studying is always the toughest!

 

[Booshiba]

In Chads Titration video in the gen chem portion...at minute mark 17:38 where is he getting the values of .002 and .001??? Hopefully someone can help it has slowed me down.

 

[dbd]

Try asking on the DAT discussions threads.

 

[Booshiba]

On coursesaver itself?

edit: Got it

 

[Booshiba]

Does anybody have a picture of the exact Kaplan Bio book to get? I did google it and I feel like there are several versions some with more content than others and I just strictly want the Bio portion of the Kaplan DAT Bio prep. Any pointers?

edit: If you can show me how it looks then I can go to an actual book store and purchase it rather than buying online.

double edit: I even found a bunch of free online flash cards on that quizlet website. They even have what appear to be pdf's from the Kaplan book. For today I'll start with that but I have a feeling the entire book wont be online for free.

 

[shyfox9p]

Well, I have two kaplan blue books. Same thing, but the covers are different. One is given if you take the class the other is given when you buy it at a book store.

 

[Aliengod3]

When I studied I bought Barron's AP Bio flashcards as well as the AP Bio Cliffsnotes. They will cover pretty much everything you'll need to know.