Need Some Advice...Any Advice on PS!

[Chicken_Little]

Okay, this is my situation:

 

I haven't taken science courses since my undergrad (which was 8 years ago); recently I am in nursing and wanting to pursue med school- so i decided to take the princeton review course this summer and are writing the Mcat on Aug 21st-

My Problem: Physical sciences! I can't seem to get beyond a 5-6 on the section and I am flaustered as how to study for it! When I look at my notes and review questions, I seem to do better on practice passages...yet when i do it with out notes, I am having trouble remembering some of the concepts and methods.

So with two weeks left, should i continue to keep studying and memorizing? Any tips on what I should focus on? Any advice would help as I feel like it's just too much information I am trying to cram into my head!

Thanks in advance-

[AG22]

Have you considered post-poning your test date?

 

You are under a time crunch trying to learn ev th before your test date. But it's important to know your equations, and def understand the basics. I think you might be better off writing at a later date and buckling down and understanding the material. Get a first yr text from the lib and do all the problems for each chapter. It will help you solidify your understanding.

 

If you choose to go forth with the test, then atleast study some flashcards and keep in mind the relevant eqns.

 

GL.

[Chicken_Little]

Thanks for the reply:)

 

I tried changing the date but nothing is available in sept (here in Nova Scotia) so i guess I will have to do the best I can with the time i have. It's just that i haven't taken any of these courses since first year, so i am trying to keep reviewing bio/orgo and doing verbal everyday as well + physics and chem!! I have now realized that it is becoming impossible!! I think a person in my situation needs more than 21/2 months of prep :S or just a Miracle!! lol

[Hatchepsout]

Practice practice practice. Find out what your weaker areas are, re-read the theory about it and if it still doesn't make sense, read in a different book (Kaplan, examkrackers, internet). That's what I'm doing right now and hopefully I won't be a disaster!

[MCATStrategy]

It really does come down to knowing everything cold, which comes with time and practice. If you are tight for time, I would focus on your weaknesses.

 

The most important thing in your situation when writing is pacing. PS is one of the sections which is time intensive and you will need practice in order to have enough time to go through the section.

 

One of the above tips was helpful as well. If you don't understand the physics concept from one book, try another. Some books explain things in a way where it will just click.

 

Good luck.

[war485]

One suggestion to gain points is to make the units work out. Sometimes there can be a lot of numbers involved, so I also suggest estimating answers a lot of the times, like lots of rounding off. For PS, I usually review concepts and find it's much more efficient and faster (There's a lot more going on) than practicing individual questions. i.e. studying equilibria vs applying it to the Haber Process.

 

Good luck!

[ogrenci]

War485's advice on making units work is golden.

 

In addition, if I were you, I'd try 2 things:

 

1. Get a tutor. It sounds like your struggling with the basic concepts (i.e. you don't really understand where the equations you're using come from, thus they're hard to remember/apply correctly without notes). I think if you could find a physics-minded friend and get them to spend a few hours with you giving you a mental picture of where the equations come from, it would help.

 

2. When I studied, I wrote out my own equation sheet, then did problems using it for a while. Then I rewrote it a couple of times more or less from memory. It'll ween you off using your notes and get you more familiar with the equations you're using.

 

And of course do, like, a gazillion examples. Good luck!