The BEAST. The MCAT.

Tonight while at work (I'm a CHUC now!) I had one of my buddies come over to my floor to just shoot the breeze. It had been about a month since I'd worked a weekend night shift so I hadn't seen him for a while.  He told me that he's been STILL studying like crazy for the MCAT.

The memories of preparing and simply thinking about the MCAT are still very vivid in my mind. What a beast of a test that thing is.  What's more, it never leaves your mind. Whether at your apartment eating dinner, working out at the gym, or hanging out with your significant other, the MCAT seems to always be getting closer and consuming more and more of your thoughts. That's how it was for me.  Although I like to trick myself into thinking I didn't think about it all that much, I did.

So what did I tell my friend to pump him up/prep him up, for that Beast?

• First, I invited him to my blog. I have spent a lot of time thinking about what is effective and what is not.
• Second, make yourself a study plan and stick to it like glue.  Just tonight I posted a comment on Study Hacks.  I found an article about studying and balancing your studies. If I were to peruse the blog further I am sure I would have found a wealth of information about study tips and how our brains retain information.  Here is the article I read:  Of Pre-Med Schedules and the Possibility of Finishing Your Work Before Dinner
•  Lastly, Be realistic. At first this might sound like I'm decorating the table for your studying, but I'm not.  This is a plea for you to evaluate yourself honestly and deeply. 
• HOW READY ARE YOU FOR THIS TEST? 
• HAVE YOU TAKEN A TIMED PRACTICE TEST?
• DO YOU REALLY KNOW WHAT TO STUDY? / HOW TO STUDY FOR IT? 
• DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH TIME YOU WILL NEED TO PUT IN TO RAISE YOUR SCORE TO BE WHERE YOU WANT TO BE?

This test is manageable. It is definitely doable. Simply evaluate where you are and make goals and plans how to get to where you need to be going. Also be sure to include in your plans, bench marks, so you can be sure you're moving at the right pace and studying the right material the right way.

Topics covered on the MCAT

Topics in outline form