Hi everyone,
I've just started studying for the MCAT about 2 weeks ago using the Exam Krackers home study syllabus http://www.examkrackers.com/mcat-home-study-week-1.php. This involves about 3 hours of intensive review per day on either chem, o chem, bio, physics or verbal plus a weekly "mini-MCAT".

I last took the pre-requisite courses from which the study plan is built upon 10 years ago so I am finding the pace difficult to manage, meaning I am scoring poorly on the nightly exams I administer to myself (around 11 PM after tending to children all day and studying intermittently). The poor scores are starting to get to me and ware on my self-esteem.

I'm planning on taking the MCAT in January and then again in April if it doesn't go well. This gives me plenty of time to execute my original plan which was: complete the 10 week home study course, then go over the parts I need the most help with. However, I'm now wondering if it would make more sense to redefine my strategy.

Does anyone have any "super study tips" for me and others who might be in my situation? Also, for my ego, did anyone else do "poorly" on their practice tests or feel overwhelmed by MCAT studying?

Thank you in advance!

I felt pretty overwhelmed by it all as well. I did horribly on some of the EK practice tests, but much better on the AAMC practice tests. My AAMC practice scores were pretty close to my final score. I went up 2 points over my typical practice score, but I tend to concentrate better when I know it counts.

I did exam krackers also. I really liked it, but there were definitely some areas I had to look up to get a little more background on. I basically went through all the exam krackers material (fairly quickly), then spent more time reviewing the topics I was missing on the exams.

I also kept a notebook, and when I came across a concept that I had forgotten, I would write it up. Then when I needed to review again, I could just read my notebook instead of trying to go back through the books. That allowed me to go quickly and not spend time on things that I already knew.

I was consistently doing worse in one section than the others, so after doing quick reviews of everything else, I spent a LOT of time in the physics section. Then I went back to do my second review of the notebook. Practicing the problems and taking lots of practice tests was the biggest thing that helped me. I know it's not novel idea, but the MCAT is tricky. It's somewhat unpredictable, but the way they ask questions (some are tricky), is something that I definitely got more comfortable with over time.

Good luck!

I have all the EK books and have been studying using them as well. I really like them better than anything else I have looked at. I hadn't seen the home syllabus - I need to check that out!

I think that you have to give yourself some grace when considering your scores taken at that time of night. That said, I would find a way to get some chances to do some testing when you aren't kind of brain-fried.

I'm not sure of how you feel after you go over things, but I know that I will go "Oh, I really need to review that concept." Like Melbelle, I have a notebook where I am writing the things that I really need to go over again and/or memorize. In some cases, I need to go back to my textbook and read a little more or see more pictures and that helps me remember better, too.

My last theory regarding the EK stuff, and why I am using it, is that all the questions allow me to make some stupid mistakes that hopefully I won't make on the real test. I tend to learn that way - I went through most every question in my chem textbooks. I have the 1001 Questions books, too. I love having all the questions.

Hope that helps a little and it is good to know others are in the same spot!