work and study for August mcat

[jjannie]

I'm new to this forum. so far found most of the posts very interesting and informative....
I'm out of school for almost 3yrs. Now, i plan to go back to school and start study for this aug. mcat. Are there any advice on how to start review and how to cope with full time job and study schedule? is there anyone in the same situation and how do you do it?

Thanks.

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[docjolly]

Hi Jjannie,

welcome! I will be taking the August MCAT as well and may be working full time (I'd like to avoid teaching over the summer, if at all possible)...I've been out of school for almost 3 years (I graduated from college in May of 2002), and so I can empathize a great deal with what you are going through..

Working full time and studying for the MCAT, as many posters after me will tell you, is extremely difficult. But fear not! Many people have done it in the past, and have been successful...I suggest that you create a schedule of what your daily routine will be like...You may want to consider: What time will I be working during the day (this includes the amount of time needed for transportation)? Do I have other time consuming responsibilities that can affect my ability to study? How many hours of sleep do I need each night to function properly? How many hours/day can I realistically spend studying? Will I be taking a prep course or studying on my own?Which subject area am I the weakest at? strongest? What day of the week can I reserve for "me" ?

The more you know about what your work/social schedule will be like, the better you can organize your time to study...

Hope this helps!

 

[edik]

I think I posted already somewhere in this forum. I took last August's MCAT, while working in IT full-time with a deadline a week before MCAT, 2 hour commute, being out of school for 7 years, and only having 2 months to study.
Basically you have to be very motivated. Forget about days off. My only true day off last summer was the 4th of July. My social activities were pretty much confined to Saturday nights. No books (I actually bought Harry Potter 5 on CDs and listened to it during my commute).
I took the Kaplan course. Best thing for the MCAT! I made sure to do the homework for each class, attended every class, practice test, etc. 3-4 times a week I went to the Kaplan center to do practice questions, including all AAMC material. I found Kaplan books and practice tests the most useful. Lectures were OK, but not as useful.
So it could be done. Motivation is the key!

 

[Kazema]

I'll be taking the April MCAT and took the TPR course over the course of the current semester. Some of the instructors were better than others, but I think that what I basically paid for was to have someone tell me what I should understand, what I should memorize, and how to take the test (strategies). And of course the ton of practice material and diagnostic exams they give is definitely a big plus. The review books do contain some errors but are generally a good resource, and outline very clearly what you need to know.

If you're really organized and can make a study schedule and stick to it you probably don't need to pay >$1k for a class, but it's been helpful for me so far. The course was recommended to me by a friend who improved her score by about 10 points, and as of the latest practice test I've improved by about that much too. The cost, in addition to the $1k, is having no social or leisure life for the semester. Basically all I did this semester was schoolwork, MCAT studying, and a couple hours a week volunteering. There are a couple students in my review class who are working full time, and it's basically the same for them; work, MCAT studying, and MCAT classes are all they do.

Hopefully it'll all pay off though.

Of course, I have yet to take the actual test so take what I say with a grain of salt.

 

[jjannie]

Thank you all. I guess it's possible, but like you said: no social, no free time . well, there is still hope for me....oops, there are ton of things that need to review . oh, I don't think i will take any prep-course. I took the Kaplan course a few years ago but didn't find any useful (maybe just me). Does anyone of you use EK review book for verbal? is it really helpful?

i hope i will be fine in august and not chicken out... again . yup, need to start scheduling now.

for april testers, good luck you all .

sincerely thanks

 

[Blade28]

Are you planning on taking any prep courses this time around, or just going to study on your own?

 

[jjannie]

i will just study by my own. i have the princeton review materials and kaplan review books. i might take one class for mba program this summer too. no time and no budget for the course.