{"id":18063,"date":"2019-08-26T13:13:23","date_gmt":"2019-08-26T18:13:23","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.kaptest.com\/blog\/prep\/?p=18063"},"modified":"2020-09-11T20:41:13","modified_gmt":"2020-09-11T20:41:13","slug":"build-an-mcat-study-schedule-to-meet-your-needs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/mcat\/build-an-mcat-study-schedule-to-meet-your-needs\/","title":{"rendered":"Build an MCAT Study Schedule to Meet Your Needs"},"content":{"rendered":"

One of the most common misconceptions about preparing for the\u00a0MCAT<\/a>\u00a0is that there\u2019s one perfect\u00a0MCAT study schedule<\/a>\u00a0which all medical school applicants should follow. Beyond the\u00a0AAMC\u2019s<\/a>\u00a0guidelines of spending approximately 300 hours studying, there is no one right way to\u00a0study\u00a0and no one right schedule that will work for everyone. There are, however, a variety of tried and true study schedules that you can adapt to meet your own unique study needs.
\nLet\u2019s talk about a few of them based on study timelines so you can find the one that works best for you.
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DOWNLOAD OUR FREE MCAT STUDY GUIDES<\/h3><\/div>

STUDY GUIDE: How to prep for the MCAT in 1 Month<\/b><\/a><\/h3>

Only have a month to prep? You\u00a0can still earn the score you need by following this week-by-week plan.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><\/div>

STUDY GUIDE: How to prep for the MCAT in 2 months<\/b><\/a><\/h3>

Planning on taking the MCAT in two months? You\u2019ll need to put aside a significant amount of study time each week.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><\/div>

STUDY GUIDE: How to prep for the MCAT in 3 months<\/b><\/a><\/h3>

Three months might seem like plenty of time, but you\u2019ll still need to set aside many hours of study time each week.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><\/div>

STUDY GUIDE: How to prep for the MCAT in 6 months<\/b><\/a><\/h3>

Let\u2019s take a look at how the next six months should shape up for you.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><\/div><\/div><\/div>
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The Long-Term Planner<\/h3>
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\nWho: If you\u2019re a sophomore looking to get a jump on\u00a0MCAT studying<\/a>, or if you\u2019ve graduated and are trying to\u00a0study while you work a full-time job, the long-term plan may be the right option for you. Basically, it\u2019s an ideal schedule for anyone who is planning to study over the course of a year or more.
\nBuilding your study schedule: In the long-term plan, maybe you set aside one or two days per week for MCAT studying. You do that for a few months or maybe even a year to build a solid content base. Then, as you get closer to your anticipated test date, ramp up your studying by taking practice tests and studying for a few hours a day at least four days per week.
\nThings to consider: It can be difficult to maintain your momentum when you spread your studying out over a year or more. Make sure to hold yourself accountable to your study schedule and set dates to check in on your progress. A self-paced study package with long-term access to study resources is an ideal match for the long-term planner.
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The Average MCAT Studier<\/h3>
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\nWho: Juniors who are thinking of taking the MCAT at the end of a semester and have a lighter class schedule should consider a more middle-of-the-road approach. This is also the correct study schedule for someone who is allotting six months or fewer to their studying timeline. An\u00a0MCAT class<\/a>\u00a0that runs two or three days per week can be highly compatible with a middle-of-the-road\u00a0MCAT schedule<\/a>.
\nBuilding your study schedule: With this schedule, you\u2019ve got some obligations to work around first. Build your MCAT schedule to fit between your classes or work schedule. Typically, you\u2019d end up having three to five days per week in which you work on MCAT material for several hours. If you can sustain this for a few months, you\u2019ll be set to study more intensively as your exam date gets closer.
\nThings to consider: It\u2019s easier to say that you\u2019ll study for the MCAT while you simultaneously study for your classes than to actually do it. We\u2019ve watched many students start with grand plans and get overwhelmed by midterms and finals. Make sure that you\u2019ve got a lighter class load if you\u2019re planning to layer MCAT studying on top of your regular classes.
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The Fast and Furious Studier<\/h3>
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\nWho: This is the right strategy if you\u2019re looking to take the\u00a0MCAT over the summer. This is also the right study schedule if your plan is limited to a period of three months or less. The\u00a0MCAT Summer Intensive Program<\/a>\u00a0is built around a short study period and is an excellent model for high-impact studying.
\nBuilding your study schedule: You go all-in with\u00a0MCAT studying. This is a six-day per week, multiple-hours per day MCAT-fest. You start building in your practice tests early and often. You eat, sleep, and breathe the MCAT\u2026 within reason of course!
\nThings to consider: When you go the fast and furious approach, it\u2019s easy to get\u00a0burnt out. You want to make sure that even though you\u2019re studying on an\u00a0intense schedule<\/a>, you still make time for friends, family, and relaxation.
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The Life Happens Prepper<\/h3>
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\nWho: This is someone who has attempted prepping for the\u00a0MCAT<\/a>\u00a0in the past, but ran into some issues. Study plans frequently get thrown off by family troubles, health difficulties, work struggles or other unforeseen time constraints, and it\u2019s important to have a fresh approach to get your\u00a0MCAT studying<\/a>\u00a0back on track
\nBuilding your study schedule: First of all, you need to make sure that you have addressed the issue that derailed your MCAT studying the first time around. You then want to scrap your original study plan and start fresh. A new approach will help reinvigorate your studying and help you prep for success.
\nThings to consider: Sometimes it can be really disheartening to start MCAT studying again, especially if you felt you were making good progress last time and now you\u2019re starting all over again. Work on keeping your spirits up and try not to focus on your progress relative to the last time you studied. You want to embark on this journey fresh and ready to conquer the MCAT!
\nYour timeline is only one variable in considering how to build your study schedule. You can also choose how you study based on the extent to which you\u2019ll need to improve performance over your\u00a0diagnostic test score<\/a>. You can then plan your timeline around the need for improvement and adjust it as you progress through the material. As mentioned, there\u2019s no one right way! How are you going to build your study schedule?
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One of the most common misconceptions about preparing for the\u00a0MCAT\u00a0is that there\u2019s one perfect\u00a0MCAT study schedule\u00a0which all medical school applicants should follow. Beyond the\u00a0AAMC\u2019s\u00a0guidelines of spending approximately 300 hours studying, there is no one right way to\u00a0study\u00a0and no one right schedule that will work for everyone. There are, however, a variety of tried and true […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":27541,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[2],"tags":[3],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18063"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18063"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18063\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":34717,"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18063\/revisions\/34717"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/27541"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18063"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18063"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18063"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}