{"id":18554,"date":"2019-06-26T19:59:25","date_gmt":"2019-06-27T00:59:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.kaptest.com\/blog\/prep\/?p=18554"},"modified":"2020-09-11T20:41:36","modified_gmt":"2020-09-11T20:41:36","slug":"creating-an-oat-study-schedule","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wpapp.kaptest.com\/study\/oat\/creating-an-oat-study-schedule\/","title":{"rendered":"Creating an OAT Study Schedule"},"content":{"rendered":"

The\u00a0Optometry Admissions Test<\/a>, also known as the OAT, is required for application to any optometry school in North America. This exam is undoubtedly one of the most important exams of your life, and studying for it can be both overwhelming and exciting at the same time. If you organize and plan your study schedule properly, however, you can still have enough time to sleep and maintain a balanced social life.
\n[ GOOD TO KNOW:\u00a0<\/strong>What’s a good OAT score?<\/a>\u00a0]<\/strong>
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When to Begin Your OAT Study Schedule<\/h3>
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\nI thought the best time for me to start studying was after I had taken the majority of my optometry school pre-requisites because this way I had a basic knowledge of the content and was able to use my studying time efficiently to build up on the basics. I noticed that a lot of material that I learned in class was starting to come up during my studying, but no doubt there was still some new material that I had to learn.
\nI made a good choice by studying for the exam while I wasn\u2019t taking any other college courses because I was able to focus on this one test without having to worry about affecting my GPA. I was also able to keep sane this way. However, I highly recommend that while you are studying, pick up either a part time job or a hobby that you can do to get your mind off the studying for a couple hours and allow you to relax. This is key because if you spend 100% of your time only studying, you could begin to feel more stressed than you really should be, since your brain will suffer from not getting other kinds of stimulation.
\nRegardless of when you begin to start studying for the OAT, make sure you register for the test date beforehand. This will allow you to keep on track, as you will be able to feel the date moving closer and closer, and you will be able to plan your study schedule accordingly.
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Choosing Your OAT Prep Resources<\/h3>
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\nBecause there are so many different resources available, you may not know where to start. My advice is to first figure out what type of student you are.\u00a0Kaplan has the\u00a0OAT test prep<\/a>\u00a0for you.
\nYou could alternatively take\u00a0live online classes<\/a>. These are pretty awesome because you can watch anywhere in the world, constantly ask questions in the chat box, and quickly get answers to your questions from live instructors. If you do happen to miss a class, they are always recorded, so you could go back and watch them when you have time. Or is your preference to learn one-on-one with a\u00a0private tutor<\/a>? That\u2019s another viable option for planning your study schedule.
\nOnce you have decided on the type of studying route you want to take, you are ready to begin planning. If you register for a class, you will likely need to take a\u00a0diagnostic OAT practice test<\/a>, which will tell you your areas of weakness and what you should spend the most time working on. Then you will receive a personalized study schedule that you may choose to follow. OAT classes will have set dates and times and you can use to keep you on track.
\nIf you decide to take the self-study route, like I did, then it would still be wise to take a practice test before you begin studying to see where you stand. Then, begin to write out your study schedule and keep it somewhere close by so you can always look at. You could either start with your weakest subject to get it out of the way, or you may want to start with the subject in which you did the best to give yourself a confidence boost and then work your way up. Make sure to allot the appropriate amount of time for each subject depending on how you did on the diagnostic test. If you did worst on the\u00a0physics section<\/a>, you may want to spend some more time on that and less time on a section where you excelled.
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