Preparing for the MCAT can initially be exciting. After all, you have likely completed your premedical courses with competitive grades, and all that stands in the way of finishing your academic requirements for medical school admissions is one test.
But while the initial stage of studying might have gone as planned, as the weeks pass, you may notice that your schedule is not working well anymore.
Though you may think you know how to budget time after success on less time-intensive exams like the SAT, you may find that you have created a study plan that does not fully take into account the longer practice tests and wider breadth of material on the MCAT. You will find that studying for the MCAT requires more independence and self-awareness than any college admissions test did.
So what happens when studying day after day for the MCAT starts to wear you down, especially during the summer when it seems like everyone else is out enjoying the weather? What happens when you feel your attention drifting and you fall off your intended study schedule?
If you have moved away from your prep routine, check out these three tips to get back on track toward your best MCAT score.
[Read: Set a Summer Study Schedule for the MCAT.]
Assess and correct the cause of your derailment. Many medical school hopefuls create nearly impossible schedules for summer MCAT study, erroneously believing that their less structured summer months will allow for endless hours of review. This approach can easily lead to burnout, stalled progress and rescheduled exams.
If you are having trouble adhering to your study schedule, ask yourself whether that schedule was created with your personal learning style and capabilities in mind.
Did you simply adopt someone else’s plan without considering whether it fit into your unique time limitations? For example, perhaps you have decided to complete two practice MCATs each week on the advice of a current medical student. These 15 hours of concentrated critical thinking may have proved too draining, and by week three, you may have slipped to no practice tests on a weekly basis.
To get back on track, examine how many hours per day you are able to study — not how many you would like to study — and whether the breaks you are taking are numerous and regenerative enough to fuel later review hours in the day. In your case, one weekly practice MCAT may better enable you to consistently study over the whole summer.
Think too about other responsibilities in your life, like work, volunteer opportunities, summer college classes and even summer social events you do not want to miss. Then think about how your original plan may have to adapt to accommodate these responsibilities.
In short, redesign your study schedule to fit your own learning needs and time constraints.
[Read: 3 Ways to Help Test-Takers Sit for the Longer MCAT.]
Experiment with variety to remain engaged. A change of scenery can do a world of good when it comes to alleviating the tedium of constant study. Have you been sitting in the same library chair for months? Does studying in your bedroom make it hard to resist naps during the day?
Consider changing your physical study situation. If you typically study on the couch, switch to a chair to keep yourself more alert. If you lose focus midday, think about changing your study space after lunchtime, perhaps opting for a busier environment like a coffee shop to keep your mind stimulated.
While solo studying is a necessary component of preparing for the MCAT, if you find yourself consistently spending too much time with one or two confusing concepts, consider recruiting a study buddy both to help you sort out your confusion and to encourage you to keep moving through the material at a reasonable pace. Do not be afraid to switch up your comfortable routine if it is no longer serving your needs.
You may find, for instance, that it is difficult to understand where your reasoning is flawed on Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills questions — and as a result, you have stopped completing them. Explaining your thought process to another person may help you recognize that your issue lies in accurately extrapolating information. Frustration and confusion removed, you can now refocus.
[Read: Why the MCAT Matters Beyond Medical School Admissions.]
Schedule time off — and stick to it. Trying to push through a full day of dedicated MCAT study seven days per week is one of the fastest ways to ensure burnout.
Though any time away from your books may seem like lost time, remember that your brain needs sleep and rest from active learning to process all the information you are acquiring. This is especially true when you consider that no one college or premedical track will address all information on the MCAT, necessitating more self-study than, say, the ACT or SAT.
Schedule time away from your studies, and resist the urge to catch up or do an additional hour when that time rolls around. You may find that taking your breaks as seriously as your review time helps you stay on task through the week, as having the promise of a reprieve may encourage you to complete the study goals you set for that time period.
Remember that one or two days off per week likely will not harm your MCAT score — and, in fact, may have the potential to raise it.
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How to Get Stalled Summer MCAT Prep Back on Track originally appeared on usnews.com
