Best products from r/Mcat

I dunno if I'm allowed to link, but I'll try it anyways as I'm on mobile and too lazy.
Best thing I ever did for CARS was read this old school EK book. Bottom line: read calmly, slowly, and deliberately, and try to get excited for each passage.
And I also got the old EK 101 verbal passages book from previous exam. It's got a bunch of warmup passages and 14 of the verbal practice exams.
IMO the old verbal was way harder for timing than the new one. Questions also seem much more challenging. If you can use that to get timing down and know how to dissect the questions, even without understanding the passage, it goes a long way to improving your score and giving you confidence in tackling passages that seem unreasonably dense.
Both books are super cheap, here's the verbal and math strategies book I used, found with a quick google search on amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/Verbal-Reasoning-Mathematical-Techniques-Examkrackers/dp/1893858685

I swear you can improve. Timing should come first before you resort to any whack strategies. Anyways, as with all things, take my advice with a grain of salt. But those two resources I personally found invaluable.
Try not to be too disheartened. Just make sure to try to tackle the problem from a new angle since your first method didn't seem to suit you. Good luck

Thanks so much for the reply, it's been a great help. I've been bugging people around on this subreddit these past few days, asking for opinions from people that scored 508+ just to get a broad representation on what is recommended. Any specific recommendations on resources from Next Step? Aside from the FL's?

Regarding 4, I am more of a reader, I like to read, take notes, read my notes, and then take more notes on anything I missed. But aye! TPR P/S book is going down on my checklist.

Regarding 5, so you say, aside from the EK Complete Set (unless the 9th edition is still good? i'm not sure which edition has been updated to the new MCAT), do you mean this EK 101 Passages? cause you wrote 1001, but I was only able to find the 101 passages for CARS. But I see, what is the difference between the CARS section and the Verbal section? Since it basically just seems like reading passages and answering questions quickly? And do you mean the AAMC Cars Q-packs (just to make sure, cause i'm sure there are many question packs)

Regarding 6, for the most part I did fine in o-chem, I understand the concept of it pretty well I just think I need a good refresher regarding the different mechanisms and reaction types and I should be a-ok. I'll definitely try and dig for the Kaplan Biochem book though too! Regarding the TPR Complete MCAT, is that another complete set? Do you mind possibly linking it? There are so many options on Amazon, I'm afraid I might accidentally buy the wrong thing.

Book stacking is an okay alternative.

Keep in mind that investing to prevent neck issues early will be more cost-effective (my PCP's words, not mine) than taking care of your issues later on. We're going to be studying for a long time through med-school and onward, so it would probably be worthwhile to purchase a laptop stand and take care of yourself now.

I could recommend the following laptop stands, I have them both and they're pretty reasonably priced:

1. Portable Laptop stand (I like this guy because it's really portable, so it's convenient to take on-the-go to the library/cafes)
   
   
2. AmazonBasics Laptop Stand (this guy is great for home use, can be used for books as well)
   
   At any rate, whatever you end up doing I hope your neck pain resolves!

Yes sorry I meant EK 101 passages! And here's the TPR complete MCAT link: https://www.amazon.com/Princeton-Review-Complete-MCAT-Preparation/dp/0804125082. I'd buy the used versions because they're like $20-ish. Optional, but really useful imo for the reasons I mentioned before. I also meant the AAMC CARS Q-packs!

CARS is different from other verbal sections you've seen before (SAT, LSAT, and GRE are all very different from this). The reason is because 90% of your questions concern the main idea. Crafting a main idea from a passage is more difficult than you think, you cannot skim any portion of the passage and you really have to digest every word the author is saying. The passages are convoluted, have random twist and turns in arguments, so you have to really assess the function of every sentence. And you need to do so in under 5 minutes in order to get time to answer questions. It's hard to understand unless you do a CARS passage, and hey you might be really good at it! But for most people, it requires a LOT of practice and correction.

As for O-chem, you won't be asked on an MCAT to recall a super specific mechanism. Common things that I saw were decarboxylation reactions, your basic SN1/SN2, nucleophilic addition and substitution, stuff like that. You will never be asked to thoroughly remember something like hydroboration of alkenes or even the specific names of mechanisms. EK chem will definitely be sufficient for you, in my opinion.

http://www.amazon.com/p-value-Stories-Actually-Understand-Statistics/dp/0321629302

Very good book that summarizes complex statistical ideas in an easy-to-understand manner. It doesn't show you the complex calculations... it tells you how to interpret statistical results in an intuitive manner. And perhaps more importantly, it highlights common statistical errors/fallacies/etc.

But, I don't think there is going to be much statistics on the MCAT. They aren't going to give you a bunch of data, ask you to pick the right log conversion to mold the data into a natural distribution, and then pick the right test to highlight statistical significance. But without understanding p-values intuitively, I think you are missing something when you attempt to read/digest many scholarly papers. Not to mention, it's good to be comfortable with the material.

I've tried plenty. These are by far the best for noise suppression & comfort. I can wear them comfortable for full length practice exams, as long as I take em out for a bit during the 30 min break.

HEAROS Xtreme 100 Pair Foam Ear Plugs With NRR 33 Noise Canceling Hearing Protection https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01JXYH042/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_m25czbSSGRMB9

Yes,

https://www.amazon.ca/Examkrackers-Passages-McAt-Verbal-Reasoning/dp/1893858553/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8

Pretty good book actually, a lot of really boring and dense humanities passages, with a good portion of questions being "reasoning beyond the text".

Without self control/willpower you'll just fall right back into the trap. Everything suggested above or below can potentially work, but they are all simple barriers that can be broken. Your mind will always think or something else to do with your time.

Suggestion - Imagine yourself in your 90s, not having put through the effort to become a doctor - the one thing you clearly dream of being. Imagine this every time you give yourself an excuse to do something other than study for the test. Think of this as many times as it takes until you're ready for step 2.

Step 2 - Move forward with more studying. If that doesn't work, rinse and repeat until you're studying again. Do this every time you feel a cue to procrastinate.

All credit goes to https://www.amazon.com/Tools-Courage-Creativity-Willpower-Inspire/dp/0812983041/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1487552784&sr=8-1&keywords=the+tools+stutz

Are these the books that people get? https://www.amazon.com/Complete-7-Book-Subject-Review-2018-2019/dp/1506223958/ref=zg_bs_11693_2/144-2822295-9506565?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=Z3WKNP4AE79EHJCXQ6CE








What seems to be the best way to approach taking on this monstrous task? Are some practice tests better than others? I do plan on covering everything in the books, but I wonder if there is a certain structure that people usually use (for example - doing subjects that they are most familiar or least familiar with first, or doing multiple subjects at once instead of doing all of chemistry, then all of physics, etc)

I used the pomodori method and enjoyed it better than straight study marathons.

For a timer, I used this cube timer. Or I'd recommend any kind of handheld kitchen timer.

Using your phone as a timer can be a distraction when you get tempted to open notifications and suddenly you're on a tangent. Plus the cube timer is easy to flip over and continue on or reset. It's a little loud for a library but personal use is fine.

I don't know of any, but if you need help with eye strain, I recommend getting a pair of computer glasses. I personally use these https://www.amazon.com/Gunnar-Optiks-PPK-00101-Advanced-Compatibility/dp/B004FN1AES/ref=sr_1_21?ie=UTF8&qid=1466296372&sr=8-21&keywords=gunnar+glasses

lol that would be pretty sweet. Are these the ones you have? They're pretty pricey but if they last long-term, I don't mind spending on them for future use cause I might need them for med school anyway. https://www.amazon.com/Bose-QuietComfort-Wireless-Headphones-Cancelling/dp/B01E3SNO1G/ref=sr_1_1?s=aht&ie=UTF8&qid=1500568707&sr=1-1&keywords=bose+quietcomfort+35

The "other new books" section for the 10th on Amazon are at about 170-180 FYI. Bought mine there last week, studying with it now.

Edit: actually $180-190. Still, save about $20. See here:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/1893858839/ref=dp_olp_new?ie=UTF8&condition=new

Same here. I had to make a tough decision to pick between the two. I decided Examcrackers would fit my study plan better.

The top comment on Amazon and this thread pushed me towards EK.

Reasons I liked EK: the conciseness (I'm working a full time job while studying for the MCAT), the 10 week Home Study schedule, the way they teach "MCAT think" as neur_onymous mentioned, and apparently their practice passages for each chapter are very similar to the types of passages you get on AAMC's only official practice test. There's about 20 in text questions along with 3 passages for each chapter to make the concepts stick.

Because EK isn't as comprehensive as other books, I plan on using all the Khan Academy videos as I work through the EK books plus TBR's Biology II book for extra Biochem. study/practice.

$200 for a used set when I can buy a brand-new 2nd edition set on $130 on Amazon? Great deal.

http://www.amazon.com/Princeton-Review-MCAT-Subject-Complete/dp/045148715X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1457629848&sr=1-1&keywords=princeton+review+mcat

These are inexpensive and pretty good. Just download the Kindle app to your laptop:
http://www.amazon.com/TS1-Reasoning-Practice-Testing-Solutions-ebook/dp/B00CIGXJYI/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1406419809&sr=1-3&keywords=verbal+reasoning+mcat

I know you specifically mentioned over the ear headphones, but I have a pair of [Shure SE215s] (Shure SE215-K Sound Isolating Earphones with Single Dynamic MicroDriver https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004PNZFZ8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_x3oCzbCHDDFWZ) and the noise isolation on them is amazing.

OP, which book are you talking about specifically? I am doing the EK101 CARS passages and I am getting wrecked on some passages. Their logic is pretty stretched at times.

I am using this book: https://www.amazon.com/Examkrackers-MCAT-101-Passages-Reasoning/dp/1893858901/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1501087140&sr=8-3&keywords=exam+krackers

Which one is the new EK CARS book? I have the "101 passages in MCAT Verbal Reasoning 2nd Edition" - and I wouldn't say it is extremely hard. I also have MCAT Reasoning Skills from EK, but that book doesn't have too many passages to really work on- although it seems like its built more for the 2015 MCAT.

Would the extremely hard one you're referring to be this one?
https://www.amazon.com/Examkrackers-MCAT-101-Passages-Reasoning/dp/1893858901/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1483640968&sr=1-1&keywords=Examkrackers+101+Passages+CARS

https://www.amazon.com/Examkrackers-MCAT-101-Passages-Reasoning/dp/1893858901/ref=sr_1_6?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1478487093&sr=1-6

I know it says 'pre-order', but when you purchase it from Amazon call EK and tell them that you ordered the book and they'll ship it out once they confirm the payment. I did that with one of their 10th edition books a while back just so I could avoid the expensive shipping rate!

Type "978-0451487155" into https://secure.princetonreview.com/Util/RegisterBook/?modal=1

That number is the ISBN-13. I got it from https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/045148715X/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1511113709&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=princeton+mcat

Also, The Princeton Review has several books available. The one i'm using is:

http://www.amazon.com/Princeton-Review-Complete-MCAT-Preparation/dp/0804125082/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1418459067&sr=8-2&keywords=princeton+mcat+2015

This is their current edition book for CARS (among other things): http://www.amazon.com/9th-Examkrackers-MCAT-Reasoning-Skills/dp/1893858715/ref=sr_1_8?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1462834094&sr=1-8&keywords=exam+krackers

The other book I bought used is the 101 passages (sorry for the mix-up!): http://www.amazon.com/Examkrackers-Passages-MCAT-Verbal-Reasoning/dp/1893858553/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1462834094&sr=1-2&keywords=exam+krackers

Buy this: https://www.amazon.com/Complete-7-Book-Subject-Review-2018-2019/dp/1506223958/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1499609245&sr=8-1&keywords=kaplan

Read the whole thing and come back when you're done. Technically, you aren't allowed to post here until you have finished reading that but since you're 12, we'll let it slide.

I tried EK CARS and I thought it was completely useless. Just read the amazon reviews:

https://www.amazon.com/Examkrackers-MCAT-101-Passages-Reasoning/dp/1893858901