MCAT and Organic Chemistry Study Guides, Videos, Cheat Sheets, tutoring and more

  • Tutoring
  • Organic Chem
    • Organic Chemistry Tutoring
    • Organic Chemistry Videos
    • Study Hall – Membership Site
  • MCAT
  • About
  • Contact
  • Tutoring
  • Organic Chem
    • Organic Chemistry Tutoring
    • Organic Chemistry Videos
    • Study Hall – Membership Site
  • MCAT
  • About
  • Contact

5 Steps to Mastering MCAT Sciences #3 Will Surprise You

September 24, 2015 By Leah4sci 18 Comments

5 steps to mastering MCAT sciencesWith eight different subjects on the MCAT and countless topics within each subject, how do you ensure that what you study, you actually learn, understand, and remember 3 days, 3 weeks, or 3 months later?

You cannot simply tackle the material with a ‘let me get through this’ mindset.

This strategy will lead to frustration, procrastination and a longer study schedule as over time you will get caught in an endless cycle of study, review, move on to next topic, forget, go back, review again, repeat.

The key to getting through the MCAT material is MASTERY of each subject. Of course, this task will be much easier if you’ve taken all of your science prerequisites BEFORE your MCAT.

But every student’s situation is unique, and if we’re realistic about things, many students might have to completely self-study a subject or two without having taken the prerequisite class.

Do you find yourself in this boat?
Are you terrified of self-studying a subject that you haven’t taken yet,
or maybe one that you took ages ago?
If so, take a minute to watch this video before continuing.

In this article I’ll walk you through my 5-step process to mastering a topic within the MCAT sciences for long term success.

I often hear this question from my tutoring clients:
“… I really like your MCAT strategy but HOW do I actually master a topic before moving on? How do I study so that I know I know it?”

That's the million dollar question!

Sure you can ‘get through the material' by reading books and watching videos, but where do you draw the line to know that you've mastered it?
How do you ensure that the time invested was worthwhile?
How do you know that you're ready to move on?

Here is my simple 5-step approach for mastering a subject. Time-intensive, yes, but simple!

Step 1 – Find a good resource to LEARN the material.

I happen to be a very visual learner, which means that when I learn I prefer a video, or someone TEACHING IT to me rather than reading boring text on page. I need to see, hear, watch it get broken down. For this, I recommend videos, such as my YouTube videos, my MCAT Study Hall bootcamp videos, Khan Academy, or any other academic Youtube video you find helpful.

Step 2 – Don’t Watch Passively

Have you ever sat in lecture or watched a video and had the words simply flow right over you without you absorbing it? Passively watching videos is a waste of time and will give you a false sense of security:

“Yes, I watched 3 hours”

but did you learn in those 3 hours?

As you watch a video, pay attention!

  • Pay attention to the video as if the teacher is speaking directly TO YOU!
  • Try to predict terminology, phrases, equations as the video plays out
  • Pause and rewind if a concept wasn’t 100% clear
  • When questions arise, pause the video, attempt to answer them on your own, and then watch for the solution and explanation.

If the video covers a tricky topic, adopt a 2-view method.

  • Watch the video all the way through and attempt to understand
  • Watch again and this time apply the tips above

Step 3 – Skim to Ensure You’ve Covered Everything Within Your Target Topic

Even the best videos will have mistakes, or miss a key term or concept. That’s where your MCAT books come in. I recommend Kaplan books for the new MCAT (Details on my “MCAT Resource Page”). Yes, books are boring and yes, they are tedious, but they are important as your secondary learning tool.

After watching a video and feeling like you have mastered the topic, open your MCAT book to the related chapter and SKIM to ensure you have not missed anything.

Go through the book paragraph by paragraph noting if you’ve covered the topics, concepts and equations.

If you have, great, spend two more seconds on it.
If you have not, perhaps the video did not cover it, or you zoned out during that portion.

Slow down and read/study that paragraph or topic to ensure you understand the material. Take the practice quizzes and sections offered in the end of each chapter to test your understanding of the material. It's important to test yourself continually through practice quizzes so that you can make sure you not just understand – but are able to apply your learning to answering questions.

Step 4 – Reiterate, Enforce the Material By Saying It Out Loud

There is a difference between ‘getting it' and ‘knowing it'.

One of the most powerful methods my students have found to really ‘learn' the material is by teaching it out loud.

captainI discovered this tactic by accident. During undergrad, I had a pet parrot and felt bad neglecting him during my hours of study. So, I would place him on the back of a chair and talk science to him as I studied. Being the silly creature he was, he would cock his head to the side like he was listening and add in an appropriate ‘what?’ and ‘oh’ every now and then.

Having the audience gave me a reason to study out loud. Studying out loud forced me to slow down and formulate my thoughts into words. I heard the confidence in my voice when I knew the material, and heard the doubt when I did not fully..

So, find a willing baby, dog, teddy bear, mirror… anyone or anything that will qualify as an ‘eager audience’ and SAY IT OUT LOUD! One of my students has a newborn baby; he says this method does wonders for father-daughter bonding and calms the baby down to hear her daddy’s voice.

This approach forces you to slow down and master the material while helping you identify your weak areas.

Better Yet…

Why not combine step 4 with the Audio Summary Strategy?

Step 5 – Did You Really Get it? Don’t Guess, Test Yourself!

How many times did you close a book and think ‘I got this’ only to stare at your quiz or exam thinking ‘what the…?’ The best way to verify if you’ve mastered a topic is to test yourself by doing practice questions.

Think you’ve mastered orgo functional groups? Well, can you answer questions about it?
Think you’ve mastered the kinematic equations? Try some questions and see if you get them right.

Every MCAT book will have short questions scattered within, and at the end of the chapter.
These are short and easy questions designed to answer one question. “DO I KNOW THIS?”

As you try the questions, proceed as follows:

Did I get them all right? Great! move on to the next step.
Did I miss a question? Or did I get it right but don't feel 100% confident? Go back and review!

NOW, while it's still fresh in your mind, figure out where you went wrong and master that concept.

Bonus Step Practice what you've learned MCAT STYLE!

Knowledge of material is just the first step in your MCAT subject mastery. The MCAT will ask you difficult questions hidden in complex passages among research data, graphs and more. Prepare for this question format by doing MCAT style passage based practice on the topics you have studied.

Be Warned though, to master the passages you must first have the foundations and THEN learn how to read/extract data from the passage. If you jump to passages prior to mastering the material you'll find yourself frustrated and wasting precious study time. When you get to phase 2 of your MCAT prep – the passage phase, I recommend working through the AAMC topic bundles

Take Your Studies to the Next Level with Full-Length Practice MCATs

As you get closer to your exam you should be doing full length practice tests. In addition to working on your endurance strategy,  these full lengths will teach your brain to think through multiple topics presented in the same passage, at the same time. This is key to preparing for the grueling 7.5 hour exam.

Since the AAMC has limited full length resources for the new exam you will have to turn to the major test-prep companies and utilize their resources.

In polling my students for the 2015 MCAT, I have started ranking the exams from these companies and will continue updating my feedback-based-suggestions on my “MCAT Resource Page” along with AAMC bundles and passage books from different test-prep companies.

How Does This Study Strategy Fit the Two Topics per Day Goal?

Your goal is NOT to get through EVERY topic daily. Instead, aim for around 2 topics per day to make progress in each subject weekly, or even twice a week.

If you work through each topic using steps 1-5 above, you will notice that it takes more than a few hours per topic. But if you only devote 2 hours to a given science on any particular day, how can you master the material in time?

Here’s a sample day showing a 2-hour biochemistry study block on Monday morning, and another on Thursday.
If it takes more than 2 hours that’s ok, focus 2 hours this Monday, 2 more hours Thursday  2 hours the Monday after that, and make progress every week.

Sample Biochemistry Monday:

9:00 – 10:00am Biochemistry glycolysis bootcamp video
10 minute break
10:10 – 11:10am

  • skim glycolysis in book (~10 minutes)
  • Follow audio strategy and record steps into phone (linked) for review while commuting later in the day (~20 minutes)
  • Work through short in-chapter questions + review

Take another break and proceed with your next scheduled topic or task

Sample biochemistry Thursday:

9:00 – 10:00am quick skim/review of glycolysis concepts to refresh what was studied last week
10 minute break
10:10 – 11:10am Glycolysis related practice passages + review

Take another break and proceed with your next scheduled topic or task

What do you think?

Can you see yourself following this plan to master MCAT topic after MCAT topic? Let me know in the comments below.

Filed Under: MCAT Tagged With: mcat, mcat resources, mcat study

Comments

  1. brittany says

    August 20, 2017 at 12:42 am

    THIS I CAN DO

    Reply
  2. moin says

    February 13, 2017 at 3:36 pm

    awesome article!

    Reply
  3. Melinda says

    January 2, 2017 at 10:11 pm

    This really helps….Thanks Leah!

    Reply
  4. Shakirah says

    October 23, 2016 at 3:42 pm

    I really like this strategy, I am going to apply it to my study plan. Thanks, Leah

    Reply
    • Leah4sci says

      October 29, 2016 at 2:01 pm

      You’re welcome, Shakirah!

      Reply
  5. Ana says

    September 12, 2016 at 3:39 pm

    I was wondering if we should still do 2 topics per day if we are really weak on one of the topics? Should we break up the topics into chapters?

    Reply
  6. ebisco says

    April 12, 2016 at 5:07 pm

    Before my friend graduated, she and I spent many hours teaching Orgo to one another. It helped more than I ever would have imagined. I really missed working with her as the practice never seemed to really click with anyone else as I was going along. I almost had it during Physiology and Physics with other classmates, but it was never as smooth and as awesome as it was during Orgo.

    So, last semester, for my last exam before the final in Biochemistry, I ended up having a VERY full day of equine clients two days before the exam. I spent hours teaching metabolic pathways to horses as I was working and even used amino acid structures as part of some massage strokes or manual therapy holds. The horses were hilarious listening to me and the stable cleaners and owners were having a great time giggling at what I was doing! I got the best score on that exam for the whole semester.

    Reply
    • Leah4sci says

      April 20, 2016 at 8:45 pm

      You crack me up Erin. Animals make great study partners because they’re good listeners and don’t interrupt

      Reply
  7. Symone says

    April 4, 2016 at 1:16 pm

    how many topics should you cover in one day or week? for instance, do you recommend studying and focusing on one topic a week? then alternate/switch to another topic the following week? ie: week 1: focus on biochem, week 2 focus on physics, etc.

    Reply
    • Leah4sci says

      April 4, 2016 at 5:52 pm

      Symone: try to make weekly progress in EVERY subject if you have the time

      Reply
  8. Brandy says

    March 1, 2016 at 11:29 am

    I think these steps will help me to retain what I’ve learned and apply it. Thanks Leah!

    Reply
    • Leah4sci says

      April 4, 2016 at 5:43 pm

      You’re very welcome Brandy

      Reply
  9. Kacy says

    September 25, 2015 at 1:00 am

    These are really good steps to follow! I especially love number 4 because I can totally relate. It is really weird saying things out loud when you are the only one in the room, so you know, you’re basically talking to yourself, but it does, in fact, help you to remember it. I read an article on talking to yourself and it’s a proven fact that it does make you smarter/increase your knowledge for certain topics. Thanks for making an article about this! It’s going in my bookmarks tab so I can refer back to this 😀

    Reply
    • Leah4sci says

      September 28, 2015 at 6:32 pm

      Awesome Kacy, so glad it helps. I agree about it being weird talking to yourself, but it gets more and more ‘normal’ with practice. In fact, I tend to talk when I type so that it’s ‘conversational’ and ensures that I include everything I’m trying to say.
      Use a teddy bear if you feel weird talking to yourself

      Reply
  10. Jessica says

    September 24, 2015 at 3:07 pm

    Yes, I feel this would totally help me. I need some type of set schedule as i previously had in my college classes.

    Reply
    • Leah4sci says

      September 24, 2015 at 5:49 pm

      The key is discipline. Focus on one topic at a time, break, move on to another topic

      Reply
  11. - says

    September 24, 2015 at 1:54 pm

    It’s All about attitudes for this test and how you feel on the day of the test. I kicked my self for missing 2-3 questions where I’m sure I picked the wrong after eliminating two answers

    Reply
    • Leah4sci says

      September 24, 2015 at 5:50 pm

      Mistakes happen. That’s why you need to aim for a few points HIGHER than your target. This way, if you miss a point or two for nerves you’ll still do ok

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

3 Month MCAT Plan

What does a 3-month MCAT Study Plan entail? Click to Read/Download

3 month mcat study plan leah4sci

Can I help you find a topic?

Download my Free Organic Chemistry Cheat Sheets by clicking on the image below



MCAT Tutorials, Videos & More

MCAT Home Page
Scroll down for orgo resources
MCAT Math Without a Calculator
MCAT Physics
MCAT Chemistry
MCAT Biology
MCAT Biochemistry
MCAT CARS / Critical Reading
MCAT Resources, Tips & More

Organic Chemistry Tutorials & Videos

Orgo Syllabus Companion
- Gen Chem Foundation for Orgo
- Orgo Basics Foundation
- Resonance Structures
- Naming Organic Compounds
- Acids and Bases
- Newman Projections
- Chair Conformations
- Chirality and Stereochemistry
- Fischer Projections
- Intro to Mechanisms
- Alkene Reactions
- Alkyne Reactions
- Free Radical Reactions
- Substitution Elimination Reactions
- Diels Alder
- Aromaticity & Electrophilic Aromatic Substitution (EAS)
- Alcohols
- Oxidation and Reduction
- Acetal / Ketal
- Enolate Reactions
- Proton NMR Spectroscopy

Organic Chemistry Study Guide Cheat Sheets

2023 MCAT Test Dates

Click image below for test + score release dates and more

Radicals: Reactions, Stability Hybridization+

Click for New Tutorial: All about Free Radicals

Free Radicals in Organic Chemistry - Hybridization, Stability, Resonance, Reactions and Mechanism Videos

MCAT Students Come Work With Me

Work with me to figure out exactly what YOU need to ace your MCAT

Option 1: Strategy, tutorials, my help every step of the way in the MCAT Study Hall
[click for details]

Option 2 One-on-one Private MCAT Tutoring

Orgo Students: Come Work With Me

Work with me to ace your Organic Chemistry Course
Option 1: Join me for bimonthly live review/Q & A Sessions, 50+ Hours of Topic-Specific review/practice sessions, direct access to me and so much more... [click for details]

Option 2 One-on-one Private Tutoring

Organic Chemistry Reference Material and Cheat Sheets

Alkene Reactions Overview Cheat Sheet – Organic Chemistry

The true key to successful mastery of alkene reactions lies in practice practice practice. However, … [Read More...]

Click for additional cheat sheets

MCAT Tutorials

mcat math without a calculator 1 play

Introduction To MCAT Math Without A Calculator

While the pre-2015 MCAT only tests you on science and verbal, you are still required to perform … [Read More...]

Click for additional MCAT tutorials

Organic Chemistry Tutorial Videos

KET Keto enol tautomerization reaction and mechanism leah4sci

Keto Enol Tautomerization Reaction and Mechanism

Keto Enol Tautomerization or KET, is an organic chemistry reaction in which ketone and enol … [Read More...]

Click for additional orgo tutorial videos

Copyright © 2023 · Leah4Sci - All Rights Reserved. · Sitemap · Log in