working full time
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I worked full-time while studying for the DAT. Most of my studying was done on the weekends and I would study on weeknights if I wasn't too tired after work. I studied for about 5 to 6 weeks, but since my study time was scattered, the total amount of studying is probably around 3 to 4 weeks. I didn't have time to attend a DAT preparation course, so I just used a Kaplan book bought from the bookstore and a couple of DAT simulation programs bought off the internet.
I was happy with my scores, so it's definitely possible to study well while working full-time. The only problem I had was not being able to find a big enough block of time to take a practice test with all sections back to back, so on the real test, I was unprepared for the mental exhaustion by the time I got to QR and did the worst on that.
Hope this helps and good luck!
I was happy with my scores, so it's definitely possible to study well while working full-time. The only problem I had was not being able to find a big enough block of time to take a practice test with all sections back to back, so on the real test, I was unprepared for the mental exhaustion by the time I got to QR and did the worst on that.
Hope this helps and good luck!
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I worked full-time while studying for the DAT. Reviewed for maybe a month, ~3hrs/day. My chem and orgo were weak since I hadn't seen the material since I took the classes 4 years ago. So I spent most of the time reading the Kaplan BB, Princeton Review, and Cliffs Quick Review. My main focus was on reviewing bio, chem, and orgo. I didn't do much with RC or PAT, and math...I've always been horrible at and didn't even have time to bother with it so that's why my QR score was so terrible.
The only practice tests I actually worked on were the Kaplan subject tests. I bought Destroyer, Topscore, Achiever, and CDP but didn't really have time to work them. I didn't touch Destroyer and only did a couple tests from CDP and a test each from Achiever and Topscore.
Ended up with:
Bio 20
Chem 18
Orgo 16
PAT 18
RC 21
QR 13
AA 18
TS 18
Not the best by any means, but if I had more time to actually practice the tests after reading over material...I could've made better scores.
The only practice tests I actually worked on were the Kaplan subject tests. I bought Destroyer, Topscore, Achiever, and CDP but didn't really have time to work them. I didn't touch Destroyer and only did a couple tests from CDP and a test each from Achiever and Topscore.
Ended up with:
Bio 20
Chem 18
Orgo 16
PAT 18
RC 21
QR 13
AA 18
TS 18
Not the best by any means, but if I had more time to actually practice the tests after reading over material...I could've made better scores.
I took summer classes and worked 30 hours/week and didn't have much time to dedicate to studying for the DAT properly. I also had out-of-town guests the weekend before the DAT, with the actual DAT being sandwiched between the summer semester's end, and two days before the fall semester began. Probably the thing that helped me prepare the most was taking Cell Biology during the 2nd half of the summer (though it isn't required). Otherwise, I just read through the Kaplan book and tried the practice tests the night before the DAT. The PA section of the Kaplan practice test wasn't even comparable to the difficulty of the real DAT -- it was much, much more difficult in the real thing. I wish I had gotten an aid that specialized in that section.
These are my scores, to the best of my memory and I'm pretty satisfied with them, given my time constraints. Still, I can't tell you how jealous I am of kids who take a semester off (and don't have to work) JUST to study for the DAT. Where's a sour grapes icon when you need it? 🙂
Bio 22
Chem 18
Orgo 17
PAT 16
RC 21
QR 16
AA 19
TS 19
LHTRAN07, you give me hope! I'm trying to get into U-T, too.
These are my scores, to the best of my memory and I'm pretty satisfied with them, given my time constraints. Still, I can't tell you how jealous I am of kids who take a semester off (and don't have to work) JUST to study for the DAT. Where's a sour grapes icon when you need it? 🙂
Bio 22
Chem 18
Orgo 17
PAT 16
RC 21
QR 16
AA 19
TS 19
LHTRAN07, you give me hope! I'm trying to get into U-T, too.
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Best of luck to you! I hear they're meeting today to decide the next batch of acceptances, so you should try calling within the next few days!
Are you an in-stater? I know that UT weighs your sGPA the most, then your DAT, and then your LOR/extracurriculars. So if your GPA is good, then you're most likely set to go. Hope you hear some good news soon! Let me know how it goes.
Are you an in-stater? I know that UT weighs your sGPA the most, then your DAT, and then your LOR/extracurriculars. So if your GPA is good, then you're most likely set to go. Hope you hear some good news soon! Let me know how it goes.
Thank you! I know ... my ears are burning!! 
Yes, I am an in-stater. I fall into the "well-rounded" category, so I am just hoping that they will take a chance on me. I have two academic "lifetimes" and a lot of life experience in between and my grades have been much improved, but not without the occasional blemish. My GPAs are decent, but not outstanding. With any luck, the committee might be feeling magnanimous today!
Yes, I am an in-stater. I fall into the "well-rounded" category, so I am just hoping that they will take a chance on me. I have two academic "lifetimes" and a lot of life experience in between and my grades have been much improved, but not without the occasional blemish. My GPAs are decent, but not outstanding. With any luck, the committee might be feeling magnanimous today!
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I did... it's definitely doable if you stay incredibly disciplined, and you're willing to give up your nights and weekends. I would get up at 5:30 AM for work every day, work a full 9-hour day (studying during my 1-hr lunch break and whenever else I could), get home around 4, study until I went to asleep (10-11ish). On weekends, it was nothing but study and workout. Drove my gf crazy, haha, but it was worth it...
<--- click on my predents link for my scores.
I did this for couple months; I used Kaplan MCAT course material for Bio, GChem, and OChem; Destroyer, Achiever, Barron's (for PAT and QR practice), and Wikipedia (for all the plant bullsh*t in the Bio section).
As I've said in the past, I highly highly recommend using Destroyer after you've established a "solid" base for Bio, Gchem, and Ochem. At the very least, it'll really pinpoint where your weakness(es) are, and it's "proactive" studying since you're actually challenging your knowledge base rather than just relying on rote memorization. Some people scoff at the thought of paying $$ for a giant book of hundreds of questions with answers, but if you take the time to read all the answer explanations for each question (esp. the ones you get wrong), you'll gain a LOT from it. And Dr. Romano will cringe at this, but you really don't need to buy a brand new version of Destroyer - just try to get a clean used version from someone (go to the classifieds section of SDN and search for "Destroyer") who has either: a) a recent (within 6 mos. or so) version of Destroyer, or b) an older version, but is willing to include all updates to that version that they've received from Dr. Romano.
I also highly recommend Achiever since it most closely mimics what your exact testing conditions will be like (i.e. on a computer). It was also GREAT for the PAT section since the answer keys allow you to rotate the object so you can see it from all different angles; something you can't do when the object image is printed on a piece of paper. DON'T take the tests on Achiever until the final stages of your studying b/c it'll be a waste, and you'll really discourage yourself. Also, Achiever is notorious for being more difficult than the real thing, but it'll definitely be to your benefit if you use it correctly - I remember thinking to myself on test-day, "Wow, the real thing is actually easier than Achiever; this is awesome!".
Hope this helps, and best of luck. It definitely is possible to do well on the DAT while working full time - it just requires commitment and a ton of discipline!
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Wow! Those are some great scores! Congrats -- looks like you have the pick of the litter, too, of schools to choose from.
Yeah, one thing I ought to mention is that I should have bought the test prep materials before signing up for the DAT... It was so gosh-darn expensive that I was struggling for a while and extra test-prep stuff seemed like a luxury expense that I didn't think I could afford. I didn't really know about all the Destroyer and whatnot, either. I would definitely invest in that stuff if I had it all to do again. I think the DAT's scoring can seem pretty arbitrary and many people's scores can swing in either direction, with a little more (or less) preparation and luck. It sounds like the poster above me has a great recipe, though! Listen to him! 👍
Yeah, one thing I ought to mention is that I should have bought the test prep materials before signing up for the DAT... It was so gosh-darn expensive that I was struggling for a while and extra test-prep stuff seemed like a luxury expense that I didn't think I could afford. I didn't really know about all the Destroyer and whatnot, either. I would definitely invest in that stuff if I had it all to do again. I think the DAT's scoring can seem pretty arbitrary and many people's scores can swing in either direction, with a little more (or less) preparation and luck. It sounds like the poster above me has a great recipe, though! Listen to him! 👍
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When I was studying for the DAT, I was working full time as a research tech (over 40 hours per week) and I was volunteering as a teacher one night a week. It took about 2 months to study. I didn't study everyday, because sometimes you have a good study day and sometimes you have a bad study day. There are a few days where I just feel like I'm not making any progress (staring at the same page for a long time), so I would take that day off. I think the important thing for me is taking a few days off from studying (it kept me sane). 😀
When it got closer to the test date, I studied during lunch and any breaks I got at work. On the weekends, I would study for half of the day and relax for the other half and hangout with my friends.
I mainly used the Kaplan book to review the material and I did all the questions from the DAT destroyer and EXAM crackers 1001 questions.
Scores:
PAT: 21
QR:22
RC:19
BIO:20
GC:18
OC:19
TS:19
AA:20
When it got closer to the test date, I studied during lunch and any breaks I got at work. On the weekends, I would study for half of the day and relax for the other half and hangout with my friends.
I mainly used the Kaplan book to review the material and I did all the questions from the DAT destroyer and EXAM crackers 1001 questions.
Scores:
PAT: 21
QR:22
RC:19
BIO:20
GC:18
OC:19
TS:19
AA:20
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I wouldnt recommend working full time while preparing for the DAT ... i definitely was borderline burnt out with just studying 8+ hours most days ... throw a job on top and i might have been in a straight jackets!
Wow is right ... PSU SHC 414 ... congrats, very solid scores!
Wow is right ... PSU SHC 414 ... congrats, very solid scores!
At the end of the day, I don't think anyone would actually recommend doing it... But some of us didn't have a choice. Being able to study 8 hours a day = lucky! 
I really need a high DAT score since my GPA is not stellar. Just wondering how much studying it would take for me to get a high DAT score. Another factor is that I have been out of school for a while. If it means studying full time for the DAT for two or three months so be it. Do you think that will be enough studying?
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At the end of the day, I don't think anyone would actually recommend doing it... But some of us didn't have a choice. Being able to study 8 hours a day = lucky!
Indeed!!
Before I answer this question, I forgot to mention something else in my previous post. Unless you're an extremely unfocused or undisciplined person, DONT take a prep course like Kaplan. I think they're a tremendous waste of time and money.
Now to this question...
2-3 months should be sufficient (could be more though... depends on how long you've been out and how much you've still retained since), but honestly, believe me when I say that your performance is going to be more a function of how you study and what your test strategy is.
You can study in an unproductive manner (the definition of this will vary from person to person) for 6 months straight and still not be able to achieve 20+ scores.
When I say test strategy, this applies particularly to the RC (and possibly QR and PAT) section. There are a number of different ways you can attack the RC section - some people like to read the questions before reading the passage or vice versa, some people will use some of the limited time allotted to take notes while reading the passage.
If you're interested, PM me and I'll let you know what my strategy for RC was... disclaimer, though, I consider myself a very fast reader, so this strategy might not work for you.
