How to do well on the MCAT

The dreaded MCAT.

Seriously though, it's not that bad. When I was researching study tips and such for the MCAT, I always came across sites telling me to either "study real hard" or to spend a ridiculous amount of money taking an MCAT course, like Kaplan. There were no other ways to do well on the MCAT... Either take a few months off to study 24/7 or take a course.

Total Bullshit.

I didn't take any time off at ALL to study, and the whole process, from registration, to studying to test writing took about a month and a half.

My first step was to buy a study guide. I wanted to know what the high yield material on the test would be so I could improve my chances of doing well. I got a Kaplan book (cost me something like 130$ CND) and it included access to online tests, review material on all subjects covered by the test and random tips and tricks to organize yourself, for timing questions etc.

I started with my WORST subject (Physics... ugh) so as not to discourage myself near the end of my studying. I took about 1 week per science subject, doing all the reading from the book and review questions after each chapter. I'd occasionally take breaks and practice the written part of the MCAT and do verbal questions. Once my review was done (and it IS review because these courses are generally pre-reqs for medical school admission, so you should have already done this stuff) I started on practice tests (this was about a week and a half before the real test). I started by just doing a section at a time to work on the pace. Trust me, this is key! Many people don't practice under time constraints and all of a sudden find themselves half way through a section and out of time on the REAL test. Not a good feeling I'm sure. TIME YOURSELF FROM THE BEGINNING!!!

So, once I had managed to complete a 70 minute section or two for each subject (don't worry too much if these don't go well right away, my first ones sucked), reviewed mistakes, researched them and understood where I went wrong, I moved on to full length, timed tests (I wrote official AAMC ones). I did two of these, a few days before the real exam. Both times were long and painful processes, but I'm glad I did it as it prepared me mentally for the real MCAT and taught me what to expect.

The night before I reviewed NOTHING. I actually ordered chicken wings, had a beer and watched a couple of funny movies (I fully credit Will Ferrell and Step Brothers for my strong MCAT score). The day of the exam, I got to the test center nice and early, again did no review as it would just stress me out, and listened to my iPod. I smiled to myself as the other test-takers with panicked looks on their faces read and re-read their notes as fast as they could. I was the first allowed into the room, where the Prometric people took my thumbprint and a digital picture of me, gave me a few pencils sent me on my way to begin writing.

My advice would be to relax, study smart (forget about the nitty gritty details, you won't be asked anyways) and don't worry too much if you are a bit hazy on some minor aspect of the science stuff. I had a lot of trouble with certain aspects of electrostatics, and there wasn't even a single question about that on my test. The MCAT test makers WANT you to freak out. The more you panic, the more easy questions you'll miss and the lower your score. The test is designed to rate your ability to not only think critically and solve problems, but also to keep a cool head and manage your time in a stressful situation which this test most definitely is.

Good luck!