Guest mandm Posted April 1, 2003 Report Share Posted April 1, 2003 Hey everybody! I just CAN'T get motivated to study for the MCAT (the Aug one that is...). I have been away from this basic science stuff for awhile (I was going grad work) and now to re-dredge it is like pulling teeth! Eek! Anybody have any sage words of advice that' ll get me on track?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JAMIRA Posted April 1, 2003 Report Share Posted April 1, 2003 Hey Mandm I recently decided to write the MCAT this summer also and like you, I haven't looked at any chem or physics since nearly 4 years ago! That, in itself is motivation for me to get my you know what in gear. So' I've spent the last few days mapping out a plan for myself. I figure if I have a plan and take it one step at a time, it won't seem like the daunting task that it is. So, here is my plan: I have decided to take a prep course which begins May 29 ( Many people have said that it is not necessary, but I like the idea of having some structure and they also hold 4 practice MCATs, so I'll have a good idea of my progress and what to expect on the real thing) . I went out and bought an MCAT study guide/book ( The Gold Standard). Yesterday, I wrote out exactly what I plan to study each day from April 1st to May 29. It turns out that if I study just ONE chapter from the The Gold Standard each day (that's about 5 pages on average), then I'll have studied everything I need to know for the science sections by the time I begin the course. Of course, I realize on some days, I can probably do a lot more, while on others, less, so I've budgeted my time accordingly, and I've even worked in regular review days so I don't forget what I've already studied. I think I will get more out of the course if I already have the basic knowledge and can therefore concentrate on how to tackle the actual MCAT questions. Then there's the infamous verbal reasoning section - I'm not exactly sure how to prepare myself for this besides doing lots of practice questions and reading everything I can get my hands on... Same with the writing sample - I think practice is the key. So, I guess what I'm saying is that you need to set realistic goals that you know YOU will be able to stick to. Try not to think about it all at once - that's when it becomes too much and you will lose your drive very quickly. But when you start to see yourself progress, that will motivate you to keep going. The hardest part is to just get started. That's my advice - I hope it was helpful to you in some way... ~Jamira Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest mandm Posted April 2, 2003 Report Share Posted April 2, 2003 Hey Jamira: Great info-- thanks for that. It sounds like you are well on your way. I just have bite the bullet and get my a** in gear, I think. I am the procrastination queen. BTW: which course did you sign up for? Anyway, thanks again. If I can be of help-- just ask!] cheers! M&M Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JAMIRA Posted April 3, 2003 Report Share Posted April 3, 2003 Hey Mandm, I signed up for The Princeton Review - it's a bit longer and has one more practice exam than offered by Kaplan. At least that's the case here at Mac... ~Jamira BTW, Mandm, have you ever tackled the MCAT before? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest mandm Posted April 4, 2003 Report Share Posted April 4, 2003 hey! Yup. I took it after 4 years of undergrad. I basically got rocked even though I studied alot for it. Didn't/ Couldn't click into a way of navigating the passages. What about you? Anway, you mentioned you had taken time off from basic science-- what have you been doing in the interm? M&M Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JAMIRA Posted April 8, 2003 Report Share Posted April 8, 2003 Hey Mandm, Now I feel rather silly giving you advice on studying for the MCAT when you have already written it before ...especially since I haven't! Anyways, I graduated last year with a degree in Bio-Psych, so it has actually been four years since I've taken any general chem or physics and three years since I've taken orgo. I have spent the past year working in a developmental psychology vision lab ... pretty interesting, and often times fun (I get to work with many infants/kids of different ages) but I am SO ready to go back to school. What about you? ~ Jam Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest mandm Posted April 10, 2003 Report Share Posted April 10, 2003 Don't feel silly! I was asking for advice/ help. A good conversation all around. I was off the beaten path doing grad school for awhile. Even though, I was researching in a science field, time away from some subjects (O Chem and Physics, specifically) could be problematic. Your research sounds really great. Are you in Ontario? I am in Alberta. BTW: do your back up plans involve grad school?! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JAMIRA Posted April 12, 2003 Report Share Posted April 12, 2003 Hi Mandm, Yup - I'm in Ontario. I went to and am now working at McMaster. About my back up plans :rolleyes Well, I'm not too sure. The only thing I think I am even nearly as passionate about as medicine is art, strangely enough. And, after working in a psych lab, and really getting to see what the grad students I work with do, I am pretty convinced that grad school is not for me. On the other hand, this is just one lab out of ... well, who knows how many. Perhaps if I found something that really fascinated me, it may be something to consider. What kind of graduate work are you doing? How do you like it? ~Jamira Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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