MCAT - The Final Countdown

Ayesha Mushtaq

1st Year

With only under a month to go in the MCAT , what is typically labeled as “the most crucial exam of your life” (wait till you start life as a med student though!) here are some guidelines to help you calm down your nerves as you anticipate the day that will decide your future:

•  Don’t get upset, don’t panic, and don’t freak out. It would only make matters worse. I know its easier said than done, given you are facing a monster of an exam, but it isn’t that big a monster really. Keep a hold on your nerves as you set about to study.  
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•    Don’t get upset if your F.Sc. exams did not get too well. MCAT can be a real game-changer. Many board toppers do not survive MCAT, and on the other hand many seemingly average students do also ace it.

• If you have studied diligently in the last two months, you mostly know everything already, but that does not mean you should be lax in your preparation now. Now is the time to build up on the work of the last two months. Stay strong, and give this last month your best.

•   If you feel you have not done much in the last two months, remember you still have time. You still have a chance. The last month is the most critical one. You can still manage to go through the syllabus effectively and manage a decent score, if you are really dedicated.   Personally I studied seriously only in the last month, and Alhamdulillah scored 1047/1100, this being the highest in my city, Gujranwala.

•   Many people would advise you to go over the entire books because you never where an MCQ may pop out from, but I tell you: STICK TO THE SYLLABUS. I repeat, stick to the syllabus. There’s no need to tax yourself by trying to stuff the entire books in your mind, and it won’t go a long way in helping you either. Though you may want to give a look to the other topics related to the ones in the syllabus, but at least 95% of the questions will be from the syllabus. The UHS has set a syllabus for a reason , no?

•    Again as you stick to the syllabus, stick to your own F.Sc. textbooks too. No need to get any other book. Just grab your F.Sc. textbooks, and go through them. Read them over as much as you can, particularly the biology book, because most of the bio MCQs are exact book lines.

•   After reading out the books a couple of times, you must start practicing MCQs simultaneously. Specially in this last month, do practice A LOT of MCQs. Grab the daily test papers from your academy, or from another academy, get the MCQ books and start solving. It will hone your problem solving skills a lot.

•  Going through the past papers of MCAT is always a good idea, because many a times MCQs are repeated. This will give you an idea of the difficulty level of the actual test, while also helping you evaluate your preparation.

•   Giving up on social life (and social media!) may seem tough but believe me the reward is too sweet. When you eventually achieve your dream marks or secure a seat in your dream college, you will feel that cutting back on all those hangouts, parties and weddings was totally worth it.

•     This does not, however, mean that you completely isolate yourself from the world. Do spend some time with your family, it will serve as a good break from the monotonous study and serve to relax and cheer you.

·         Also, seek the prayers of your parents and elders. Lots of it.

For related articles, visit KemUnited's Pre-Med section .