SOooooo Lost right now Please help!!

[Quick Slvr]

Hey, how are you guys doing? I am just lost right now.

my first question is how Do you guys get all the motivation to study soo much???? The DAT scores posted on this board are just amazing. I mean, i definatly have the potential to do really well but somtimes i just dont have the proper motivation to make me study for 3 months straight. right now, I am almost done with studing for Bio chem and Ochem, but i haven't done any practice problems for these sections. Ihavent started on the reading comprehension or math portion. I have taken the kaplan course but unfortunatly i had forgotten most of the stuff then i had to study all over again. My science GPA is about a 3.4, My science Gpa average for last year was 3.8. I really busted my tail last year. I spent about 200 hours in a dental office.
I only one more class to get my BS in bio. from cal state. I have 2 options one is take the DAT early october , partially ready , and take 14 units of course work at school. but if dont do well money will be wasted on application,and i ahev to wait another year to get accpeted for to a dental school. 2nd option is i can just take one class which is a bio chem class that is needed for me to take the second part for bio chem offered the next quater. I can just take that one class and just study for the DATs until i am fully really and take the test end of november. Which will be a better option? Any type of help would be great, thanks in advance for all the replies.
P.s any type of motivational advice will be great! thanks again

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[ShawnOne]

Here is my motivational address:
I think just the fact this test will determine whether you will get into dental school or not should be motivation enough. This test is an obstacle between you and your dreams! All you need to do is memorize the Kaplan book, do practice questions and you?ll do great. How bad do you want it? Show it!

About your courses:
If I were in your shoes, I would want to start dental school ASAP. If you only have 1 class until your BS degree, why are you taking 14 units? Take your one class, or since you go to Cal State, take 2 classes, your tuition will be the same for any part-time work. Maybe take an additional class to prepare you for dental school. You have a 3.4 GPA, get 20?s on the DAT and your set. Since you?re a science major, you shouldn?t need to spend too much time preparing for o-chem, chem., and bio. Unless you want to wait for some external reason? But you have plenty of time to go for this year.

 

[Quick Slvr]

Shawnone, will i be too late if i take my DATS mid to late november?? The reason i wanted to take 14 units is because if i dont get for next year those classes aill allow me to bring my GPA up higher so it will look better for after next years application, thanks for your help

 

[ShawnOne]

No, its not too late according to many of the post I have read on SDN. People have applied as late as December and got in. Try your hardest to hit the 20/20. Since your from Cali you should apply to all 5 schools here and some of the private schools throughout the country for backup.

If you dont mind me asking, why do you need to ask for motivation? If the motivation isn't already there then something is wrong. I was eating, sleeping, and breathing DAT when it was my time. I couldnt think about anything else!

 

[NewNameForGoogleBot]

Originally posted by ShawnOne
If you dont mind me asking, why do you need to ask for motivation? If the motivation isn't already there then something is wrong. I was eating, sleeping, and breathing DAT when it was my time. I couldnt think about anything else!

I disagree. Don't freak out if the motivation doesn't come to you as a gift from the gods. Nothing is wrong with you. Motivation is the hard part for most everyone. I mean, think of any person and any profession. With some exceptions, everyone has a shot to do whatever they want. One of the major bottlenecks is motivation. Dentists aren't any smarter than anyone else, but it does require some motivation and self-discipline to get into dental school and complete it. I hated studying for the DAT, but I knew it was important and I wanted to go to my first choice school, so I studied hard. It did suck studying all day, but it was worth it! Buck up and good luck!

 

[ShawnOne]

Jaap,

I dont understand your logic.

Motivation for preparing for the DAT is an extension of the motivation to become a dentist. If you dont have the first, i doubt you have much of the second. or vice-versa

Heres an analogy to the logic i am referring: (and i dont mean you Quick Slvr, so dont get offended).

If my parents wanted me to become a lawyer and I wasnt particularly interested, then i would probably lack the motivation to do well on the LSAT. But, if Johnny Cochran was my idol/mentor and i wanted to be just like him, I would probably do great on the LSAT without asking people for motivation. Its the fire in the belly. You cant fake it or ask anyone to give it to you.

 

[ShawnOne]

BTW, re-read at what i wrote about motivation. I think you'll see what i am talking about.

"I think just the fact this test will determine whether you will get into dental school or not should be motivation enough. This test is an obstacle between you and your dreams! All you need to do is memorize the Kaplan book, do practice questions and you?ll do great. How bad do you want it? Show it!"

Those who lack of motivation can still do well if they have tremendous discipline. But, IMO, in the long run, if you aren?t highly motivated, you'll be miserable down the line.

 

[Bickle]

Originally posted by ShawnOne
I was eating, sleeping, and breathing DAT when it was my time. I couldnt think about anything else!

Sounds similar to what I was experiencing when I wrote the dat. However, some people need to do better on the dat than others because everyones GPA is different. This is probably why Jaap had less motivation, because he/she knew that with his/her high GPA, the dat didnt seem like it was a make or break exam.

My point, if your GPA is average, then you SHOULD be eating, sleeping, and breathing the dat. If its above average, then I say relax (you've deserved it!).

 

[Quick Slvr]

If you dont mind me asking, why do you need to ask for motivation? If the motivation isn't already there then something is wrong. I was eating, sleeping, and breathing DAT when it was my time. I couldnt think about anything else


I couldn't really answer that for you, i know what it feels like to have motivation and when you dont have motivation its alot harder to study. It a constant struggle to keep your mind in your books when mind just wonders off and start to think about something else. thank you for all you help!

 

[croco]

Just relax and focus. It is not the end of the world if you do not do well on the DAT. Once you see it that way then I think you will be more focused toward a particular goal. I do not think shawnone's statement is very accurate. I was not breathing and eating DAT all day long. I would do my normal activities that I would typically accomplish during the day and spend 3-4 hrs usually from 7-11 PM studying for the DAT for about a month. I personally believe that excess studying gets you very wound up and untidy. That's just my opinion, i could be wrong

 

[NewNameForGoogleBot]

Originally posted by ShawnOne
Motivation for preparing for the DAT is an extension of the motivation to become a dentist. If you dont have the first, i doubt you have much of the second. or vice-versa

In a perfect world this would be 100% true. And it certainly has lots of merit. I just know that when I sit down to study, as much as I know this will affect my goal of becoming a dentist, it can be extremely hard to stay focused and study. I get distracted, play a little Madden and then I've wasted an hour or two. Sounds like my motivation is rather suspect.

Basically what I am trying to say is that I really want to become a dentist; but that is not always enough to motivate me in the short term. I have to set small goals, excercise self-discipline and push myself to read another chapter. So, I think it is perfectly normal and acceptable for quick silver to have problems with "motivation" in the short term (days or months) without questioning his/her motivation to become a dentist.

I think we are a little unclear on what the term "motivation" means and this is leading to some confusion.

So my original advise still stands: suck it up, make it happen, good luck, and a little Madden never hurt anyone! (If they had a Madden subsection of the DAT I'd be way over 20)

 

[ShawnOne]

jaap,

When i talk about motivation I am referring to the bigger picture.

It is perfectly ok to play Madden and screw around (although I would rather play NBA Street) as long as you take care of business.

 

[NewNameForGoogleBot]

Originally posted by ShawnOne
jaap,

When i talk about motivation I am referring to the bigger picture.

OK, I just don't think it is fair to link one's motivation in the short term to that bigger picture motivation. Anyways, I'm done with this topic- thanks!

 

[ShawnOne]

Last word,

the original post said, "my first question is how Do you guys get all the motivation to study soo much???? ...... I mean, i definatly have the potential to do really well but somtimes i just dont have the proper motivation to make me study for 3 months straight."

it did not say, "I am having problem studying today/this week".

 

[mcataz]

I agree with Jaap and I think the answer to the orginal poster of this thread is that motivation is overrated. What may motivate you today may not motivate you tomorrow. I realized this weekend that sometimes you just have to force yourself to do things and ignore your feelings and thoughts about the matter. It's hard but I realize that is the only way I'm going to get things done. In the short term, it can be really hard to focus and not get distracted. I think motivation can be a crutch. There are going to be times in which you aren't going to feel motivated.

 

[PERFECT3434]

completely agree with shawnone,

seriously, the only way to do good is to do nothing else but the DAT. thats all that should matter to you.
if telling yourself that you will bust ass for three months and go good and be in dental school doesn't motivate you, then i don't know what will.

its not even a matter of motivation. i call it responsibity and maturity. its how mature and determined you are that will ultimately make you or break you when it come to the the big TEST DAY!