Help with Studying Skills

[sfarid123]

Hello,

I'm new to this forum, I have been out of school for a few years and trying to get back studing for the DAT. I find myself having problems with the science part (biology,chem,o-chem). The way I study is I read and comprehend the material and then memorize it. But when it comes to the multiple choice practice tests, I get stumped especially with the *conceptual questions and details. How do you study and retain all the information? What else should I be doing after I memorize the info? Any suggestion would be greatly appreciated .

thanks

P.S. currently im using Barrons and Lipincotts &Williams DAT review

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[DesiDentist]

I have one word for you:

NOTECARDS!!!

Make notecards, write a concept/term on one side and definition/elaboration on the other side and keep it in a pile. Once you finish a section you will have a lot of notecards, and whenever you have free time just go over them until you have them memorized. Before the exam go over them and you will see how much better your memory has become.

DesiDentist

 

[NewNameForGoogleBot]

If you don't already have Kaplan DAT book - buy it today and make it the core of your studies. Those other books are OK and a good supplement, but Kaplan is where to be.

 

[mcataz]

It all depends on how much you know. Chemistry majors from Harvard will probably have a thorough background in the basic sciences and will only need to review and do some practice problems. That's why you will read posts from some who studied only for a month and did really well. Others need about 3 months because their science background is weak.

So the first question you need to ask yourself is how much do you already know? And no one can answer that except yourself.

I didn't remember any of my organic chem, gen chem and ecological, intevertebrate biology. Therefore, I feel I have a longer road ahead of me than others.

I don't think one practice method is sufficient. Practice problems are great but if you don't understand what you are doing, they can be a lost cause. Likewise, studying on it's own is useless because practice problems are important. And just pure memorization won't help you either (notecards).

If you are like me, I suggest doing all three. I divide my days into 1/3's. I/3 involves reading for understanding. The other 1/3 involves doing practice problems. And the final 1/3 involves memorizing note cards and what I covered for the day.

 

[sfarid123]

Thanks guys for all of your feedbacks,

The method of studying that I'm using now is Concept Mapping the information and then recalling it over and over. This method helps me to learn the concept and raises questions with tying other concepts together. **However the question remains as in how do you deal with questions whether if they are detail or conceptual that was "Not mentioned" in the reading materials?? Do you guess them ?? Since biology is such a broad subject is it normal not to know all the details and use process of elimination?? Besides note cards what else should I be doing to improve??

thanks again