Guest trynit Posted March 3, 2006 Report Share Posted March 3, 2006 Hello, I'm a 31 year old non-trad that started studying for the MCAT September '05. I plan to write in August '06. It has been an uphill battle trying to find time to study while working full time, volunteering, etc. I've been focusing on the physical sciences since I haven't taken those subjects in over 10 years! My problem is this -- I'm starting to run out of steam. I work at a microscope ALL DAY, so when I get home from work, the last thing I want to do is crack open my books and read. I sincerly want to enter medical school, but it is hard to keep your energy and enthusiam up when you are working towards these goals on your own. The MCAT still seems so far away and I'm getting tired. I have already put in 6 months of good studying. I've been scoring really well on the Physical Sciences sections on all the practice exams that I have taken. I know that I can do this, but it feels like such a long haul. I feel like a bit of a whimp posting this because I read how much others are risking and sacrificing to get into med school as a non-trad. I'm looking for advice on how to stay focused on my goals. This forum definately helps, so thanks for all your posts. Hopefully, I'll get some good studying done this weekend... B. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest doctorwho Posted March 4, 2006 Report Share Posted March 4, 2006 Sounds like you are going to do just fine. I think you are preparing a lot longer than most people. Best of luck to you! Why not write it in April, you can always redo it in August, I believe. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest muchdutch Posted March 4, 2006 Report Share Posted March 4, 2006 I agree with doctorwho. If you are running out of steam, it could be just because it is so far away. If you register to write it in April, it may just light that fire under your butt to get in gear and buckle down. If you think you can do that and will be sufficiently prepared, then why not give it a shot? If you wait too long and drag it out too long, then you may not get that drive again, even closer to August. And as mentioned, if you don't do well in April, you can write again in August anyway. Good luck! Let us know how it turns out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest happy2bme Posted March 4, 2006 Report Share Posted March 4, 2006 6 months of studying!!! I commend you! I also wrote the MCAT 10 years post studying, but I only studied for I think 5-6 weeks while working full time and having a family.(but social life was deeply sacrificed) It sounds like your having burnout! Give yourself permission for a day or two off and get out of your house/library and do something fun. A sport, concert, movie, dinner out with friends etc.... Worse thing is not to be relaxed when you write the test because you are worn out and tired. I wish you the best of luck! One other thing make sure you are definitely timing your practice tests. I only timed one or two tests of mine for physical (the hardest for me) and on the real thing I didn't get to finish around 9-10 questions because I was slower than I thought. Needless to say I'm sure all those answers were not "C"!!! LOL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest fizio Posted March 6, 2006 Report Share Posted March 6, 2006 Hey there, I too was in your shoes. I studied for 4 months and waited to write in August. That was mistake numero uno! I should have written in April, as I scored a 6 in VR the first time around, and had to wait the whole year later. The great thing is the April will get you going if you do have to do it again, and it would be done in the same year. The studying was a challenge for me working full time and having a toddler to tend to when I got home. Most of it was done from 9-11pm through the week, and I did take one night on the weekend. My hubby was very supportive and took our little one on outings some afternoons when I needed a few hours of "real time" to do the practice tests. I mean real time in that I wanted to practice the writing part in the same frame of mind as on test day. I will say that for the second sitting, I was much more relaxed and decided just to buckle down for the last 6 weeks before. I only studied the VR, with the Exam crackers 101 in VR (an excellent prep) which brought my score into the safe Zone! I only skimmed my notes (Kaplan MCAT PREP) for the other sections. So as a long winded answer, I think from my perspective that you may be focusing too much study time, and should try for the April sitting. Good luck! fizio Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest trynit Posted March 6, 2006 Report Share Posted March 6, 2006 Thanks so much for all your replies!! I would LOVE to write in April, but don't feel that I'll be ready by then. I only want to write this exam once. I know that sounds like I'm putting a lot of pressure on myself, but I don't know if I am even capable of going into an exam unless I feel that I'm ready. Unfortunately, the April exam is bad timing for me, as I'm expecting a promotion at work in the next couple of weeks. I except the transition into this new job will take up a couple of acres in my brain, which doesn't leave much space to cram in what I still need to learn. I chalk it up to bad planning on my part. I think I got all psyched-up about the MCAT, thinking it was this impossible exam in which only hyper-intelligent people were sucessful at. As it turns out, it is not that bad. I spent way too much time preparing for the PS portion, and with my busy schedule, I don't have enough time to cram in the BS and practice VR for April. I'm not happy about writing in August, as I'm really going to miss my garden this summer. I know that if I write in April, I won't be seriously preparing for August. I'll spend most of the summer wondering how I did and if I REALLY need to be studying for August when it is so beautiful outside. In addition, it takes too long to find out your MCAT results! If I find out that I didn't do well in April, it will probably take me a week or so to scrape my ego off the floor and get pumped up for writing in August. If I prepare properly for August, I'll go into the exam feeling confident. From what I've read about the MCAT, confidence is half the battle. Thanks again for all your posts. I'll take the rest of the week off from studying and do things I enjoy. Then its time to hit the books again...:\ B. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Becca Posted March 7, 2006 Report Share Posted March 7, 2006 I'm not in your situation per se....however.... When I studied for my MCAT, I was working 40 hours per week and taking two full credit courses (as well as attempting to maintain a social life and keeping up at the gym). It was definitely tough.... ...but my saving grace was that I took a prep course which made me stick to deadlines, keep up with the material and make me become a lot more structured than I would have otherwise been. I ended up doing very well and not having to rewrite. And it meant that I only studied from May to Aug. Just a thought. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest PMD109 Posted March 7, 2006 Report Share Posted March 7, 2006 I too had a crazy schedule studying for the MCAT and as many of you know the debate over whether to take an MCAT prep course will never end. That being said, if you are crazy busy....some of the prep courses like Princeton review offer their courses for 2-3 hours Mon-Thursday in the summers. If you think it might help and can afford the course many people say at the very least MCAT prep courses force you study because you're in class each night. A big committment but maybe something to think about. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest satsumargirl Posted March 7, 2006 Report Share Posted March 7, 2006 Hey Trynit! I just want to say ... good for you for all the work you have already done!! It is WAY more than I was able to do. When I starting thinking of applying to med school, I bought the MCAT study book and after one weekend decided I just couldn`t bring myself to study stuff I never even cared about 10 years ago. This obviously limited my chances of getting in!! But my first choice school was Ottawa anyway....and here I am in my first year. So...good for you for all the work you have done so far. It shows that you ar at least more determined than...well me :b And try not to stress 'cause it is possible to make it into med school without having taken the MCAT! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest nbmom Posted March 10, 2006 Report Share Posted March 10, 2006 I just wanted to wish you good luck, I will be writing in august too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest potential md Posted March 11, 2006 Report Share Posted March 11, 2006 Hi there, One other thought. You may want to check into the requirements of the schools you're applying to and how they look at the MCAT score. As a result, you may end up concentrating on other sections than PS which it sounds like you excel in. For instance, for OOP applicants at Calgary, they use a formula to rank everyone that weights the VR & BS sections and disregards the PS section altogether. Good for you for buckling down for such an extended period. I'm impressed. I also wrote the MCAT last summer when working full time, and started studying in February for the August exam (well at first I thought April but quickly realized that after 12 years away from science that it would take me a bit longer than 2 months to prepare). I did mediocre and it ruled out my chances at several schools sadly. Now I'm faced with the situation that if I don't get in to the one school that interviewed me this year, I'll be faced with another summer of studying for that exam and having no life. ugh. I'm keeping my fingers crossed. It was a LONG day. Good luck! You're already way ahead of the game... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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