Non-obvious tips from a 523 scorer
None of these will replace the basics (high quality review, good content foundation, consistency, good sleep etc) but I definitely attribute a good part of my score to the combination of these things:
- Walking pad/treadmill for anki. Invested in a walking pad for $90 on amazon that has already been well worth my money and will be my baby through med school. I also figured out how to balance my computer on the treadmill at the gym and jog while doing anki. Yes it feels pathetic to do anki at the gym. BUT really helps lock in (can't easily switch tasks) and also saves time working out and getting steps in. In general, fitting anki creatively into my day (in the passenger seat of car rides, waiting in line for things, etc) feels like you're an anki slave but works
(I could go on about Anki usage and how it is such a game changer if used correctly but that's a whole other discussion)
Using caffeine strategically. About 5 weeks out from my exam I went 0 caffeine except for on FL practice days to keep my tolerance low (granted, I already don't drink coffee every day so it was easier for me). Test day I got zooted and continued taking caffeine on breaks. performance enhancing drug fr
If feasible, taking the exam at the end of summer so that after long study days you still have some daylight to get outside and not want to die due to it already being dark at like 4pm
Podcasts - never found a perfect, comprehensive podcast that I loved, but there are a few free ones on spotify (MCAT Basics, Jack Westin, Gro Series) that I always had on during drives and runs. Would listen to each episode 2-3x back and tbh this replaced my entire bio content review. Even if you're not super focused while listening, might as well have it on in the background
This sounds so pathetic lmao but if you need to pee while you're studying practice waiting to go...it was sooo hard for me to keep focusing while I had to pee lol
Having small side endeavors and goals (like a 5k on the calendar, things like that) helped me have a life outside of mcat, and felt good to have small wins and accomplishments independent of studying
stay off reddit
tested 9/04 and was 3+ years out from most of my prereqs. breakdown was 130/129/132/132