3 Things You Should Do Before You Start Studying for the MCAT
This is a continuation of my previous blog, “3 Things You Should Do Before Starting to Prep for the MCAT”. If you haven’t read Part 1 of the blog already, you can find it here.
I broke the blog post of the top 6 things down into a part 1 and part 2 that gives you 3 tips each. All of which, of course, I think are super helpful, but I didn't want to overwhelm you all at once!
4. Make a Study Schedule
It will be very helpful to have an idea of what you plan on studying on a daily basis as well as what you plan on doing differently in each month of your MCAT prep.
The following subjects are tested on the MCAT:
- Biology
- Biochemistry
- Physics
- General Chemistry
- Organic Chemistry
- Critical Analysis and Reasoning
- Psychology
- Sociology
Try to aim to spend around 3 hours per week on each subject.
Even if you’ve taken these courses before, keep in mind that the MCAT is an application-based test and that it tests you in a very unique way. This is why I’d recommend starting your MCAT prep by studying each of the topics that the MCAT tests. For some students the content review process may take as little as one month, and for others it may take longer than two months. Usually, students take two months to study all of the content they need to know for the MCAT.
The next phase of your MCAT prep will include lots (and lots) of practice! Try to expose yourself to MCAT practice questions early on so you know what you are preparing for! Then, once you’ve studied the topics and feel comfortable with most of them, start to incorporate full-length MCAT practice tests. We recommend completing at least 1 MCAT practice test a week leading up to your MCAT test day. Usually students find that 6 practice tests are enough to get them ready for test day, but other students prefer to do even more.
5. Join an MCAT Study Group or Online Community
Prepping for the MCAT is no easy feat! There are going to be times when you may feel exhausted, overwhelmed, stressed, or confused. Joining a study group online or even creating your own study group with your friends that also plan on studying for the MCAT around the same time as you can be very helpful. You can also use the “Wize MCAT Community” to post questions or you can even try to answer other students’ questions to test your understanding. It’s going to be helpful to have a place where you can connect with other students when you need to!
6. Get the Resources You’ll Need to Succeed on the MCAT
When you start studying for the MCAT, you’ll want to make the most out of your time! That’s why it’s best if you decide on which resources you’d like to use for your MCAT prep before you start studying.
Think about how you would like to study:
- Do you enjoy learning from physical textbooks?
- Do you prefer learning from concise & engaging videos?
- Do you feel you’d be able to study on your own for the entire duration of your MCAT prep or would you prefer to take an MCAT prep course with other students for more accountability and support?
Wize has developed an online MCAT prep course with expert MCAT instructors that collectively have over 50+ years of experience with the MCAT. I’d recommend trying out the free trial of this course here so you can see if it’s a good fit for you.
Wize’s MCAT prep course was designed to be different from the rest. Each and every piece of content was made specifically with the MCAT in mind and we make sure to give our students as many MCAT Tips and Tricks as possible, while pointing out all of the high-yield concepts to help you get the highest score in the shortest amount of time. We only focus on what you need to know for the MCAT. You can also personalize your experience by focusing more on your own weaknesses and the topics that you need to work on the most. In the end, this personalized approach to your MCAT studying will definitely help you get the high score that you’re looking for. Unlimited one-on-one calls with an MCAT Coach are also included in the course to help give you more support when you need it. We’ll help you overcome any obstacles and we’ll help you right when you need us so you can see an improvement in your scores quickly.
To learn more about the MCAT, please check out these resources:
- What is Med School Like? (start envisioning your future now)
- Medical School Applicants: Low Stats Got you Down? (an excellent guest post for us)
- How to Study for the MCAT: 3 key tips (written by our very own Dr. Lindy Ledohowski)
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