So as a little background information, I took the MCAT twice. The first time around, I took a review course that met three times per week for a total of 8 hours (2 two-hour sessions and 1 four-hour session per week). The second time, I self-studied and I bettered my score by 17 percentile points, which in my case was a 5 point increase.
So do I recommend a MCAT Review Course? It depends.
I caution people who sign up for review courses because I know that when I did, it almost made me feel like “well at least I know I will for sure be ‘studying’ for 8 hours a week for the MCAT.’” However, I felt in my case that being in a “lecture” type setting wasn’t helpful for me. While I don’t want to say I wasted 8 hours each week, I don’t think I necessarily got 8 quality hours. And that is to say nothing about the course and more about who I am as a student.
So here are my do’s and don’ts when it comes to whether or not you should take an MCAT Review Course
DON’T if it’s because everyone else is doing it.
Part of me signed up because I felt pressured by my peers. At my university, many of the students all did the same course together at the same time and it made me feel nervous to not do it also. This was such a huge mistake! Because the reality was that I didn’t learn the same way they did. I get the “fear of missing out” feeling. But do yourself a favor. If you don’t learn well in a lecture setting, don’t put yourself in that position just because everyone else is.
DO if you need accountability.
The nice thing about review courses is they often give you a schedule before it starts. With that, you will know exactly the pace you will need to study at in order to keep up with the material. You also get social accountability since you’ll have your classmates and instructors in the course.
DON’T if you have trouble with lecture-style learning.
So all review courses are different. But many of them will be lecture style. I personally had a hard time absorbing information in lecture settings which I felt made review courses less effective for me. However, if you’re more of a problem-based learner, you may find it more beneficial to use question banks to guide your studying like I did.
DO if you have been out of school for a while.
There is so much that is on the MCAT, seriously SO MUCH content. Review courses do a good job at emphasizing high yield content, illustrating how content between multiple subjects can be presented, and they also help coaching you on how to take the exam itself. If you have the time and resources, having a course as a guide in these areas can be extremely valuable especially if you’ve been out of school for a long time.
It’s important to figure out how you learn best before creating a plan to tackle the MCAT. Once you know the type of studier you are, do your research. Read reviews that compare courses, books, and other study materials. Look online to find out what people say about courses in your area or read reviews for virtual classes. At the end of it all my advice is to do what’s best for you and the type of student that you are. What’s right for someone else may not be right for you, and that is perfectly okay.
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