Jonathan lin
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- Jul 28, 2022
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Hey all! I just took my DAT a few days ago. It's been constructive reading through others’ breakdowns, so I decided to write one as well, and I hope it helps!
Background: I'm an upcoming Junior majoring in biochemistry, GPA~3.9 and 4.0 for science.
Material used:
I was debating between Booster and Bootcamp even after hours of research. I ended up like, "heck, I might just do both. Retaking the DAT is not only another extra 500 dollars, but a lot of pain." I'm glad to have used both, and I highly recommend using both Booster and Bootcamp if the budget allows. It's worth the investment!
-----If you have to pick one, I would say it depends. If you're like me with some background in GChem and Ochem, I think Booster could fit you better, and they have great Bio and PAT sections. I pretty much only used the Feralis notes. However, in terms of GChem and OChem, I would say booster is on point, but if you're looking for more details behind concepts/applications, you might have to do some outside search to make it work(I heard some good things about Chad's prep). Bootcamp did an excellent job with the Chemistries. Although I didn't watch all the videos, I can tell Dr.Mike's explanation from being more comprehensive.
Study schedule:
I started my study with the Booster 10-Week Schedule. I followed it through their so-called 'learning phase'(about five weeks). For the next five weeks, I modified the schedule to fit some Bootcamp practice tests (for example, I would do three individual section tests every other day from Bootcamp). I typically study 6-8 hours a day, but I genuinely think the amount of time doesn't matter. It's more about efficiency and how much information you can process each day(I had covid ~3 weeks before the exam, I guess my immune system didn't function that well during the high stress, for a couple of the days, I struggled to process/retain new information). Start with Booster's Schedule or Ari's Schedule if you have no clue where to begin, and feel free to modify them to suit yourself!
Bio(26): Bio on the Dat was pretty slight forward. Either Booster or Bootcamp would prepare you well in terms of similarities, with Booster's practice test slightly more similar. I spend ~70% of my time preparing for this section(there's just so much you can learn!). I tried using Anki, and it didn't click with me, so I just read through the Feralis notes ~4 times. I went through the Bootcamp condensed notes a few days before the exam. The Bootcamp condensed notes had some stuff(Biological Lab Techniques, for example) that fills the gap of the Feralis notes.
GChem(30): I took the more challenging version of GChem at my University for my Major. So I wasn't concerned about this section until a couple of days before the exam, when this is one of the lower scoring sections on Booster PT9. I tried memorizing as many equations as possible (integrated rate law, Arrhenius Equation, etc.). The DAT turns out to be primarily conceptual questions. As I can recall, it was pretty similar to Bootcamp's PT1. Either program's practice test would prepare you well regarding the concepts. (One other thing, know your solubility and be ready to apply them!)
OChem(30): Similar to GChem, this is one of my stronger sections. I watched Professor Dave's videos on Booster and jumped right into the practice questions. I would focus on the basics(knowing what makes nucleophilicity, acid strength, aromaticity, etc.). For memorizing reactions, I suggest drawing the mechanisms if you have time. Most of those reactions are very similar once you find the patterns(SN1/SN2 for example).
PAT(23): The DAT was similar in difficulty to Booster and Bootcamp. I would say Booster's keyhole and TFE questions would prepare you well. Hole punching and Cube counting were more manageable on the DAT, so definitely practice with the simulators to speed it up and save time for other sections. I didn't get the chance to watch Bootcamp's tutorial, but Booster's TFE and pattern folding videos were helpful for me.
QR(27): This is another section all about timing, the type of math you need to know to ace this section is 99% covered on either Booster or Bootcamp's PTs. The actual exam was easier, making the Booster Qbank look ridiculously hard. I suggest jumping right into the questions, returning to the questions that took you 3+ minutes(even if you got them right), and redo them.
RC(21): This section is the one I'm most happy about(I got two 16s on the Booster exam)! English is not my first language, and I always struggled with the rate. When I try to go fast, my eyes jump around. Even though I understand most of the words, I don't comprehend them, especially under pressure. I went through all the passages on Booster and Bootcamp. The actual exam mainly was search and destroy, but I would suggest reading as many of the passages on either program to get comfortable with the type of passage you might see!
Lastly, I want to say that those studying days could be tough to get through. But don't think of the DAT as the only thing you try to achieve! That would only create constant stress when you study! Try to focus on just the day, all the work you have put in on that day, and be proud of it!
Background: I'm an upcoming Junior majoring in biochemistry, GPA~3.9 and 4.0 for science.
Material used:
I was debating between Booster and Bootcamp even after hours of research. I ended up like, "heck, I might just do both. Retaking the DAT is not only another extra 500 dollars, but a lot of pain." I'm glad to have used both, and I highly recommend using both Booster and Bootcamp if the budget allows. It's worth the investment!
-----If you have to pick one, I would say it depends. If you're like me with some background in GChem and Ochem, I think Booster could fit you better, and they have great Bio and PAT sections. I pretty much only used the Feralis notes. However, in terms of GChem and OChem, I would say booster is on point, but if you're looking for more details behind concepts/applications, you might have to do some outside search to make it work(I heard some good things about Chad's prep). Bootcamp did an excellent job with the Chemistries. Although I didn't watch all the videos, I can tell Dr.Mike's explanation from being more comprehensive.
Study schedule:
I started my study with the Booster 10-Week Schedule. I followed it through their so-called 'learning phase'(about five weeks). For the next five weeks, I modified the schedule to fit some Bootcamp practice tests (for example, I would do three individual section tests every other day from Bootcamp). I typically study 6-8 hours a day, but I genuinely think the amount of time doesn't matter. It's more about efficiency and how much information you can process each day(I had covid ~3 weeks before the exam, I guess my immune system didn't function that well during the high stress, for a couple of the days, I struggled to process/retain new information). Start with Booster's Schedule or Ari's Schedule if you have no clue where to begin, and feel free to modify them to suit yourself!
Bio(26): Bio on the Dat was pretty slight forward. Either Booster or Bootcamp would prepare you well in terms of similarities, with Booster's practice test slightly more similar. I spend ~70% of my time preparing for this section(there's just so much you can learn!). I tried using Anki, and it didn't click with me, so I just read through the Feralis notes ~4 times. I went through the Bootcamp condensed notes a few days before the exam. The Bootcamp condensed notes had some stuff(Biological Lab Techniques, for example) that fills the gap of the Feralis notes.
GChem(30): I took the more challenging version of GChem at my University for my Major. So I wasn't concerned about this section until a couple of days before the exam, when this is one of the lower scoring sections on Booster PT9. I tried memorizing as many equations as possible (integrated rate law, Arrhenius Equation, etc.). The DAT turns out to be primarily conceptual questions. As I can recall, it was pretty similar to Bootcamp's PT1. Either program's practice test would prepare you well regarding the concepts. (One other thing, know your solubility and be ready to apply them!)
OChem(30): Similar to GChem, this is one of my stronger sections. I watched Professor Dave's videos on Booster and jumped right into the practice questions. I would focus on the basics(knowing what makes nucleophilicity, acid strength, aromaticity, etc.). For memorizing reactions, I suggest drawing the mechanisms if you have time. Most of those reactions are very similar once you find the patterns(SN1/SN2 for example).
PAT(23): The DAT was similar in difficulty to Booster and Bootcamp. I would say Booster's keyhole and TFE questions would prepare you well. Hole punching and Cube counting were more manageable on the DAT, so definitely practice with the simulators to speed it up and save time for other sections. I didn't get the chance to watch Bootcamp's tutorial, but Booster's TFE and pattern folding videos were helpful for me.
QR(27): This is another section all about timing, the type of math you need to know to ace this section is 99% covered on either Booster or Bootcamp's PTs. The actual exam was easier, making the Booster Qbank look ridiculously hard. I suggest jumping right into the questions, returning to the questions that took you 3+ minutes(even if you got them right), and redo them.
RC(21): This section is the one I'm most happy about(I got two 16s on the Booster exam)! English is not my first language, and I always struggled with the rate. When I try to go fast, my eyes jump around. Even though I understand most of the words, I don't comprehend them, especially under pressure. I went through all the passages on Booster and Bootcamp. The actual exam mainly was search and destroy, but I would suggest reading as many of the passages on either program to get comfortable with the type of passage you might see!
Lastly, I want to say that those studying days could be tough to get through. But don't think of the DAT as the only thing you try to achieve! That would only create constant stress when you study! Try to focus on just the day, all the work you have put in on that day, and be proud of it!
