I took the comments from my readers in my last post seriously, and I think I’m going to change my strategy. You see, first when, when it comes to actually attending the Kaplan classes, I’m finding that they are pretty useless. Not because all the teachers are bad, because some are good. But because the classes are 3 hours long, and for the 1st 2 hours, the teachers are reviewing information. They aren’t teaching you strategy, they are trying to review all the background information. We already took all of the classes required for the MCAT, there is no need for all that. Also, the way Kaplan does it; they give you all this information to preview before the class, then you have the class, then you have a crap load of information to review after the class. My schedule involves a lot of crap to do, but I’m thinking that I’m just going to glance over the review notes. Maybe take the online class, then head straight into topical and subject tests. Because that’s all I need really. 1) A little background information, and the review notes cover that; 2) some strategy for those types of passages and questions, and the online course should cover that; 3) and a crap load of practice passages and discreets, which the subject and topical tests should cover. Anyway, that’s what I think I’m going to do, because I’m slowly realizing that you can’t realistically do everything Kaplan wants you to do, and keep your sanity. If I had to do it all over again, I would have just paid to have access to the Kaplan materials, instead of having the classes included. I also wouldn’t have started working, because it truly slowed me down. This is a very important test, and if there is anytime that you need to be crazy focused, its now. As you all know, I quit my job, but it wasn’t all on my own thinking. I was at my biology chair’s house last Friday, and he saw me in my Bennigans uniform, since I just came from work. He poked some fun at first, by reading to me Acts 6: 1, 2. Its was kinda funny, but then he sat me down and told me something that a Jewish man told him a long time ago in NY. He asked me why I was working, and I told me, because I needed to save up for some things, pay some bills, etc. He said ok, and took out a piece of paper. He asked me how much I could probably make this summer if I worked at Walmart, and the total was about $10,000. Then he asked me what I got on my ACT, and I told him a 24. He told me that usually, the ACT score closely mirrors your MCAT score, so he said that I was poised to make from a 27-32. Then he asked me, how much med school would cost me over 4 years. And I said, probably $170K. He said ok, and then add interest which brought it up to about $400K. Then he kind of sketched out a flow chart. He said, “So you work for the summer, make about $10,000, which in turns causes you to get around a 25-26 on your MCAT. Then you get into medical school, having received no scholarship, and end up paying about $400,000 in the end for your education.” Then he told me what the Jewish told him. “Or, you can make a sacrifice this summer, and not work, so you can focus on your MCAT. Then you can score a 30+, on your MCAT, get a nice scholarship to medical school, come out with little or no debt, and be free from the clutches of the creditors to do the Lord’s work.” I’m sure I left out some parts, but it all made sense really. I could make $10,000 now, or save almost $400,000 later. It seems like a good trade off to me. So yeah, just some advice to you all, if you don’t have to, try not to work while studying or the MCAT. I more than anyone else, hates depending on my parents, but I had to swallow my pride and ask them to support me this summer while I’m studying, so when I get out of medical school, I can truly be free. Ok, I’m done with all that. I’ll talk to you all later. P.S.- What’s with these people clicking the 1 star rank 30 times to bring the rank of my post down. Do you really think that me or any of the other diarists care about how you ranked the post, LOL. Its our diary, and we can do whatever we want. Its just humorous to me to think someone actually took the time out to click the 1 star 30 times.
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