If your dream is to become a doctor and go to med school, doing well on the MCAT is extremely important. This rigorous test is 6 hours and 15 minutes long and is divided into four parts that test you on biology, chemistry, and critical thinking skills.
Getting a good score will require months of practice, and you will need a good study plan to help you ace the MCAT.
General Study Tips
Before you start making up a study schedule, there are a few golden study tips that you need to keep in mind.
Firstly, make sure that you choose the most peaceful spot in the house for your study sessions. This spot should also have a table for all of your books and stationery so that you can have everything you need in one place.
Also, keep a handy supply of snacks at your study spot, as well as a water bottle, so that you stay energized during those long study sessions.
The Ideal Study Schedule
Generally, a good study schedule will divide your day into study periods and rest time. In fact, including some leisure time into your schedule is vitally important. You are actually less productive if you try to study for hours at a time without taking any time to rest or do something fun.
You should also try and incorporate some exercise into your leisure time. Exercise is good for stimulating both the body and the mind. This will help you feel refreshed in between study sessions.
Here is what an ideal MCAT study schedule may look like:
- 6:30 a.m. – 8:00 a.m.: Start your day with a hearty breakfast. This is also the time you might want to get in a bit of exercise.
- 8:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.: Study a couple of MCAT topics.
- 11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.: Practice a few questions or attempt at least one section of the MCAT.
- 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.: Lunch and leisure time
- 4:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.: Review the questions you answered earlier to check for mistakes.
- 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.: Study some more.
- 7:00 p.m. – 10:30 p.m.: Have dinner and hang out with family and friends
- 10:30 p.m.: Time to get 8 hours of sleep!
Focus On Practice Tests
The key to acing the MCAT is practice, practice, and more practice. You should try to do as many practice tests as possible. You can also find many practice questions online that will help you prepare for the MCAT.
Concluding Thoughts
Prepping for the MCAT requires long hours of rigorous training and dedication because a good score is needed to qualify for med school.
