Sorry I haven’t written in a long time, but I’ve been kind of stressed lately. I started my training at Bennigans on Tuesday, and it was pretty fun. Being a waiter was cool, but since I was training, I wasn’t allowed to get any tips. At the same time I’ve been studying for the MCAT through the Kaplan course. The amount of information that you have to review is absolutely maddening at times. There were times where I studied from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. and I still didn’t complete half the things they recommended I do that day. At first, lets say for the Chemistry 1 class, I would read chapters 1-3 in the Physical Sciences review book. Each chapter is about 20 pages, and at the end of each chapter is a BUTTLOAD of questions pertaining to the chapter you just finished reading. It usually takes about 3 hours to complete this, and once you are done, your brain is kind of fried and you just want to take a break. So you bum off for about an hour, then try to get back to studying, but its lunch time now, so you chill some more. After you eat lunch, then its time to do the workshop for Chemistry 1, which is usually over the same topic as the chapter reviews. In our case, our workshop is on Quantum Numbers & Electronic Configuration. This online workshop is about 30 slides and it take about 1+ hours to finish it. Once you are done the workshop, then you take the online quiz over Quantum Numbers & Electronic Configuration. This quiz usually takes about 10 min. Once you are done with the quiz, if you missed the class session on Chemistry 1, you can view a full scale slide show of the information you missed. This will take you at least 1 ½ hours. After you do the class, then you can take the topical tests, and in our case there are 2 of them. The topical tests are composed of MCAT like passages, so they take a while, like a good 2 hours because you not only have to do the tests, but you also have to check your answers that you got wrong. Then you can do the 5-10 AAMC tests that are also recommended for that class, and also some subject tests which usually take about 3 hours each to finish. So as you can see, its always something to do. And me, like many other Kaplan students, am very behind. I think I’ve figured out how I’m going to study for these things. I’m going to read the review notes, but I’m not going to do the questions at the back of each chapter. They are too calculation heavy and they take too long, two factors which aren’t really MCAT-like at all. Other than that, I’m going to do everything else, but I’m really going to focus on doing a lot of practice questions. That means doing every topical, subject, and AAMC test they have available, and they really do have a lot of them. I’m realizing that the whole point of this thing is to recognize the type of questions they ask you, and know what concept they are testing. They can only ask you a kinematics or a chi-squared question in so many ways. Your job is to learn how to identify all these different ways so you’ll be ready for the real thing. Once you figure that out, everything else is cake. Repetition is the key here, and so I plan to truly do as many problems as possible, and I truly think you learn more by reading the explanations for the questions you got wrong than doing other things. Also, studying for this Physics section is really annoying me. I took a whole year of Physics and got A’s both semesters, and I still feel like I didn’t learn much. I was studying for much for the Physics section that I was neglecting my other sections. I’m realizing that I just may honestly never do well on the Physics part of the PS section. So my strategy now is to focus very hard on the other sections to offset whatever score I might get PS section. With the amount of stuff they are throwing our way, you have to kind of triage your studying time.
Today I’m going to quit my job at Bennigans. I know I just got it, but I just can’t continue to study for it and expect a 30 or above on my MCAT. I literally need to study at least 12 hours per day to even get through most of the information, and working a 5 hour shift during that time really puts me back. I figure that this is the most important test I’ll be taking in a good long while, so I really need make sure I’m giving it my all. Plus I paid $1,000 for this Kaplan course, so I’m trying to take everything I can out of it.
Oh yeah, I’ve just about decided that I’m not going to the classes anymore. The organic and verbal teachers are good, but I’m not weak in either of those subjects. I could be shooting myself in the foot, but I think I’ll accomplish more through individual study than through a teacher.
Oh yeah, MY GIRLFRIEND IS BACK FROM INDIA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! As you can tell, I’m pretty happy about that. They truly had a great time, and they baptized about 185 people, so it was a really good mission. I truly hope to be going on one next summer, or even over Christmas break.
Anyway, that’s all that’s happening with me now. With no job, and plenty of MCAT stuff to study, I’ll be busy. I’ll try to post more frequently.
Hey there,
Just came across your blog while trying to figure out if I should quit my job. I’m a medical assistant so it’s an awesome experience right now, and I’ve only been for 3 months, 3 times a week. I’m exhausted when I come home though, and want to maximize my study time! Was your job part time?
My job was parttime, however it was still too much for me to do both. If you can, I advise you give the MCAT studying your all, because it doesn’t get easier if you have to take it multiple times.