Would it be stupid, neurotic, useless etc....

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tvanhens

OK, I am ending my freshman year in about a month and a half. I am sitting on straight A's right now and have my final papers for all required classes done (I started on the first day of classes). My only class that has a final is my easiest class which I have a perfect score in, Math. Heres my question: Would it be stupid, neurotic, useless etc. to purchase a MCAT preparation kit like examkrackers to get a giant head-start on the MCATs? I have taken biology I, physics I and chemistry I already and I have hours upon hours of free time as my volunteer term has ended at the hospital and its too late in the year to start another.
 
Of course it wouldn't be stupid! But it might not be necessary. You have straight A's, so you obviously understand the material very well...you've basically been studying this whole time. Don't worry too much, but it's not a bad idea to get a good feel for this test early...
 
Of course it wouldn't be stupid! But it might not be necessary. You have straight A's, so you obviously understand the material very well...you've basically been studying this whole time. Don't worry too much, but it's not a bad idea to get a good feel for this test early...

So maybe I shouldn't buy something as expensive as examkrackers yet but I should take some practice tests and maybe study with a cheaper book?
 
It would be a good idea to get the best preparation possible as soon as possible. What do you think the people who get 40's do?

Most of them study from the beginning.

It wont hurt to have a decent grasp of the material by the time you start your other prereq classes either.
 
So maybe I shouldn't buy something as expensive as examkrackers yet but I should take some practice tests and maybe study with a cheaper book?
You can buy the EK books...you're probably going to buy them anyways when you prep in the summer before your junior year? and since the editions are exactly the same, it wouldn't be bad to buy them now. I think you're best prep would be in verbal. The sciences are much easier than in your classes and prepping for the sciences requires remembering info from your classes, which is not too hard. verbal practice would be the most useful...not necessary though. if you have time, why not...but don't worry too much. you have a lot of time.
 
It would be a good idea to get the best preparation possible as soon as possible. What do you think the people who get 40's do?

Most of them study from the beginning.

It wont hurt to have a decent grasp of the material by the time you start your other prereq classes either.

Thats the way I view it. However, I was a little worried that I would spend a significant amount of money on a prep book and since I haven't taken some of the relevant that would go to waste.
 
Horrible idea. HORRIBLE. Get out and do something. Or go to a bookstore and get some books that genuinely interest you. It's too early for you to be neurotic like this.
 
Horrible idea. HORRIBLE. Get out and do something. Or go to a bookstore and get some books that genuinely interest you. It's too early for you to be neurotic like this.
yeah, maybe you should listen to brianmartin...it's your freshman year and you have a 4.0. you are off to a great start. relax a little. you will have a lot of time to study for the mcat.
 
you'd be better off putting some of that free time toward clinical experience, imo
 
This is a long process. After a strong year, you're certainly entitled to a good break. However, if you feel like you don't need one, then by all means start prepping. It won't be every meaningful or useful by any means because you haven't had two-thirds of the material on the exam yet. But even if you had, there's no way for you to retain it for another two years so it will have been a wasted effort. I do suggest at least going over what you have learned, either using a book or your own notes, and strengthening your grasp on the basics you have. If not, start researching for future clinical experiences.
 
im gonna have to agree with the others who advise against it. you understand the material, as long as you complete everything relatively early then u should do fine. studying early is fine, but id say freshman year is too early. if you feel anxious then study up to a year before you take the test, but no earlier than that. you should instead work on rounding out your extracurriculars. either get involved clinically or get some research experience under your belt. and relax, travel, be with high school/college friends. no reason to go off the deep end so early or you might burn out. just dont forget the material you learned.
 
Horrible idea. HORRIBLE. Get out and do something. Or go to a bookstore and get some books that genuinely interest you. It's too early for you to be neurotic like this.

Thank you! OP, you seem like a bright and hardworking guy/girl. Keep the grades up and then do really intense, focused studying for the MCAT in the months leading up to it. Right now you should take some of that free time to have some fun! If you really want that fun to help you you could pursue an interesting extracurricular, but I suggest just doing whatever you want for a while.
 
One thing people here seem to be neglecting is that the MCAT is more directed at challenging your ability to think critically, digest information, and function well under pressure than how well you can regurgitate information. It's not really a science test; it's a test-taking test. Just about everyone who takes the MCAT and is seious about going to med school will have been bombarded with all the material on the test for years. We all speak English (presumably), so all the basic anatomy, physics, chemistry, and biology should be old-hat for most. It's the questions that require you to synthesize everything you've learned and discard red herrings within the passage that trip people up. I'd suggest getting an exam guide and briefly going through it to train yourself how to interpret the material. Get a feel for what kind of questions will be asked on the test so that you develop a familiarity with the test structure and format and can integrate your MCAT studies with what you would normally be doing for your classes. In other words, figure out how you need to understand the material to do well on the MCAT so you can kill two birds with one stone throughout college.

That said, don't go overboard. You still have a few years before you'll take the MCAT, so don't bother killing yourself with intensive study right now. Enjoy school, take care of your classwork, and get involved in some extracurriculars. Stressing about a test that you're almost certainly going to do very well on 2-3 years in the future is pointless.
 
Well, you could, but I would ask how many people perfectly remember all the stuff they studied for the MCAT a year later--you would have to restudy everything you studied now anyway. Go make some money this summer--it will probably be the last chance you have to do that for about 7 years.
 
Well, you could, but I would ask how many people perfectly remember all the stuff they studied for the MCAT a year later--you would have to restudy everything you studied now anyway. Go make some money this summer--it will probably be the last chance you have to do that for about 7 years.


Agreed. I took the MCAT two years ago and most of the info is long gone. Sure I'd be better off now than before I started to study, but there are plenty of other things that would be more beneficial right now. Do something fun so you don't burn yourself out. Otherwise, try to find a job in a clinical setting. Better yet, do an EMT or phlebotomy program so you can get a decent job in a clinical setting. Volunteer somewhere. Relax. Plenty of med students were in much worse positions at the end of their first year of undergrad.
 
Agreed. I took the MCAT two years ago and most of the info is long gone. Sure I'd be better off now than before I started to study, but there are plenty of other things that would be more beneficial right now. Do something fun so you don't burn yourself out. Otherwise, try to find a job in a clinical setting. Better yet, do an EMT or phlebotomy program so you can get a decent job in a clinical setting. Volunteer somewhere. Relax. Plenty of med students were in much worse positions at the end of their first year of undergrad.

I agree. If you really want to prepare for the MCAT this early, start reading nonscience stuff. Read some literature you enjoy since verbal is probably the hardest thing to "learn."
 
I agree. If you really want to prepare for the MCAT this early, start reading nonscience stuff. Read some literature you enjoy since verbal is probably the hardest thing to "learn."


Good call! Start reading everything from research papers to historical novels. The more comfortable you are reading different types of material, the better off you'll be, and that way you'll be doing more than just MCAT prep
 
Neurotic? Definitely.
Useless? Probably.
Stupid? Not per se, but I think it's pretty stupid to blow the summer on studying for a test that you won't take for a couple of years (and so the studying won't do you any good) when you could be doing ANYTHING else.

The MCAT is not a particularly terrifying/difficult test. Studying for it this early is a waste of your time. Go forth and enjoy your summer.
 
Review books and classes may give you a heads up when you start taking more of your pre-reqs, but I would recommend what others have said and just go out and pursue something that interests you outside of school work. It is also never to early to try and volunteer at a hospital or clinic to see if this in fact is the way you what to go. Research may also be an option if any of your current professors are looking for help in their labs. Otherwise, congrats on your grades it sounds like you are off to a great start. Just don't kill yourself and cut off other opportunities in college that are just as important as GPA (friends, life experiences, etc.). Schools look for well rounded individuals as well.
 
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