Am I the only one?

[opt86]

I just took my OAT today and did... not so well so I'm planning on retaking it. Am I the only one that has to go through it all over again? It seems like everyone here has done SO WELL.......

Anyways, after reading a bunch of these posts just now (I'm new).. I have figured out part of my downfall. I definitely did not know about all of these OAT test preps, like the destroyer and achiever, etc. All I used were the Kaplan DAT and OAT books. Could you guys let me know where I can get these prep materials and which ones you recommend. So far, I'm leaning towards getting the destroyer... good idea?

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[pienfoo]

I just took my OAT today and did... not so well so I'm planning on retaking it. Am I the only one that has to go through it all over again? It seems like everyone here has done SO WELL.......

Anyways, after reading a bunch of these posts just now (I'm new).. I have figured out part of my downfall. I definitely did not know about all of these OAT test preps, like the destroyer and achiever, etc. All I used were the Kaplan DAT and OAT books. Could you guys let me know where I can get these prep materials and which ones you recommend. So far, I'm leaning towards getting the destroyer... good idea?

Hi there. The answer is no, ur not the only one who has to do this all over again. I took the OATs for a second time and couldn't be happier. Even if you are the only one who's gotta do it, then let ur drive of wanting to become an optometrist take you there : )

anyway aside from the cheesyness, the second time is not gonna be that bad, trust me. go look at some of my other OAT posts recently i think i said alot about what to use, how to study, basically stuff that worked for me. Just the kaplan is definitely not enough to get you high scores, but it might get u a 310- 340. I think you should take it easy the second time around since you're basically reviewing everything. I studied mostly for physics using a handful of prep books and my score improved alot, even though I still don't think I know my phyics well. Along with that i studed all the other subjects in a relaxed but coninuous manner. Although getting the right test prep is important, what's more important is how you use those materials to ur advantage. For example, achiever is great because it gives u a realistic scenario of taking a test on computer (especially the RC portion of it), but the problem sets are much to difficult they the student's got less than a few weeks prepare for the test. I personally think Kaplan 's big book is an important resource and you should definitely look into it some more. I haven't used the destroyer before, but I heard alot of good things about it.
You'll have at least 3 months until the next test, and if you spend some time each week reviewing ur info you'll do well for sure. I spent about 1 month studying for the first time and about 3 weeks for the second one (not hard core either. Your score will not depend on what you buy, it's what you can get out of what you buy. Any test prep will help u alot if u know how to use it. study smart. g'luck!

ps. yea it does seem like eveyone who posts here get 390+, kinda scary ; but look at how many people read the posts, ALOT! So I think for the majority of time, people feel really happy about their scores and want to share their success stories their peers, while those who didn't do as well doesn't see a point in posting their scores and cry about it.

 

[niss11]

hey - getting your hands on as much material as possible is always helpful so that you can expereince answering different styled q's.
i already took the oats, (which i was really happy with) and just got into my first choice (SUNY). I studied by reviewing over the material in each subjetc and making review sheets for myself of all the main point/formulas. then i would do questions.
of all the different sources i used for q's, i found the Destroyer to be the best. (ive posted about the book in detail in the past if you want to check them out). it was really helpful with some great q's and explanations which i thought were the key. theres so much info in the solutions, so even if you knwo the correct answer its still worth reading the explanation. some q's were a bit harder and some of the calculations were a little longer than what you would see on tha oats- but they cover all the concepts you would need to know to do well. if you know the destroyer- than you know your stuff and youll be fine! when i studied i got a bunch of q's wrong but i made sure i understood the underlying concepts and really got a lot out of this book! so i think the destroyer is a great choice. i also used the acheiver to familiarize myself with the format of the test as well as to work on my time.

dont worry about having to take it over - lots of people do it all the time. look on the bright side, since youve already taken it you know what areas you need to focus on.
because you have some time - you should set up a schedule for yourself and study a certain amount every week so that you dont feel rushed and panic at the end because theres not enough time (like me)!

try not to worry too much - im sure youll do great
good luck

 

[richard86]

hey opt86, don't be discouraged. I am sure many people who post their scores are b/c they did well. I really don't think you need a 360+ to get into optometry school..as long as your scores are presentable (330-340s). Anyways, try to get your hands on different types of materials..as Niss suggested, look into the destroyer. I liked it a lot, but it was sort of overkill. I posted a good link for Physics in my other post.. but basically, go to sparknotes.com and look at the SATII physics section, if you have trouble with that section. Goodluck and cheer up--if you really want to get into optometry school then you will. I think anyone who is hardworking and diligent can get through the exam.

Oh yeah, you asked where to get the materials.. You can buy the destroyer at www.orgoman.com. topscore is scholarware? and achiever is 3tquest. Just google them and you should find them..What sections gave you the most trouble by the way? I only liked certain books/materials for certain sections..so if you have a particular subject you are having a hard time with maybe we can come up with some suggestions for you.

 

[opt86]

Thanks guys for the advice and kind words of encouragement! I really appreciate it


The sections that gave me the most trouble were RC, physics (my 1st semester physics teacher was horrible...) and biology (which was really disappointing).


Also, exactly what is in the Destroyer? Is it just questions/solutions/explanations? Does it not include a RC section?


Thanks again guys

 

[niss11]

the Destroyer is a book of questions and explanations that cover Bio, chem, orgo, physics, and QR.

- you might want to look at achiever or topscore for the RC

good luck!

 

[Oogilily]

I'll input my 2 pennies about Achiever. I didn't like it at all and thought it was a waste of time. I've heard good things about destroyer though. I would look into that for sure. Achiever did have a decent RC section, but other than that it was worthless. The questions were so rediculously hard that you couldn't humanly finish them in the time limit. It only discouraged me and helped me in NO way. So, I guess you could say I'm strongly against getting Achiever . Check out some of the other options.

 

[Chrissy7]

Hey I agree with Oogilly, I was using the achiever and all it did was get me all worked up. I ended up postponing my OAT, which i don't think I needed to do. I would strongly recommend against it too.