Well I took my first full-length practice MCAT today, and it was pretty interesting. I tried to treat it as much as I would treat the real MCAT day. I woke up around 6:30, had my devotion, watched CNN, bathed, dressed, made lunch, ate a nice big breakfast, etc. The Kaplan test started at 9 a.m., but the real MCAT wants you to be there at 8 .a.m., so I tried to be out the house by like 7:40. Anyway, I picked up my g/f, got to the school, and basically chilled. The Kaplan guy handed out the answer sheet and our testing booklet. He read some instructions, and then we started the physical sciences section. It was pretty challenging to say the least. I tried to do the Kaplan strategy of doing the discreet questions before I did the passages, but I ran into some problems. When I do the Kaplan topical tests, the passages are first, and the discreet questions are at the end. On the MCAT full length, the discreet questions are mixed all through out passages, which really just wastes time as you flip through all the pages. So yeah, I just ended up going through the test as it was set up. I realized that I really needed a watch, not a cell phone, but a nice, cheap watch with a timer. I also realized that the diagnostic test we took was a CRAP LOAD shorter than the actual MCAT. I didn’t expect to have to complete 10 physical science passages and about 3 sections of discreet questions. By the time the Kaplan guy announced the 50 min. mark, I had only completed passage 4. That got me kind of nervous, and I started to rush. By the time he called 5 minutes, I had only finished 7 ½ passages and 2 of the discreet question sections. Since you don’t get counted off for wrong question, I just filled in the rest.
After the physical sciences section, we had a 10 minute break. Kaplan advised that we don’t talk to people during the breaks, because it can discourage you. So I just grabbed a newspaper and read it to get my mind in the mode for the verbal reasoning section. The VR section was actually pretty cool. I’m pretty sure I did alright on it, and I actually finished almost all the passages except I guessed the last 4 questions on the last passage due to time. I really have to work on my speed, especially for the PS section. After the VR section was done, we had a 60 min. break. I packed a sandwich lunch, so I kinda chilled and talked with people. I know we aren’t supposed to, but you can’t help it. So I found out that I wasn’t the only person that didn’t finish the PS section, so that made me feel a little better.
After the break, we went into our writing section. That section went alright, but the questions were really bland. I think I did well on the them, except I kept feeling like I was answering the 3rd question but kind of restating the answers to the first two questions. I guess I’ll have to work on that a little, but its not my priority. After this section, we had a 10 min. break.
By this time, I was really feeling the fatigue of the test. I like NEVER get headaches, but by this time, my head was throbbing a little. I’m not one to pop a pain reliever, so I just walked outside the whole break to get my blood pumping for the last section.
The biological sciences section was actually pretty cool. It had much less organic chemistry than I expected, which is always nice. I actually completely finished this section, and had time to look over some questions. By the time the test was over, I literally ran out of the testing center. They really weren’t playing when they said you needed endurance. Our test lasted about 7 ½ hours, but the Kaplan guy said that on MCAT day, our whole day will probably last more like 9 hours. But we have 4 more of these tests, and about 15 more full lengths we can do on our own, so hopefully I’ll have it down by that time.
I really wanna thank everyone for the very calm and fair conversation we had about evolution in my last post. No low blows were thrown, which is rare on SDN, lol. I also want to personally thank Uju and Jason. These two SDN readers sent me really encouraging e-mails, which I will certainly save and read constantly. Encouragement like that really helps me to keep on writing. I just wanted to thank you two personally.
Guess what???!!!! If anyone read my diaries from the beginning, you’ll remember me lamenting the fact that I couldn’t find my journals that I wrote while I was on the mission in Africa. Well, I found them!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! In my next post, I’m going to post all of my journal entries that I made while I was in Africa. Anyway, until then; Peace.
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