Lack of motivation to study for MCAT

[markelle]

Hello everyone,
I am currently approaching my senior year in college with plans to take the MCAT in february /march of 2017. I am pretty organized and good at making schedules, but my problem is my I just cant start studying. This summer I did take a summer class and it ended on june 30th. The class was pretty hectic so I gave myself two weeks off of not having to study, read, or do anything related to school. My two weeks ended 4 days ago.... . Plus I'm using this summer to work and create a "secondary" savings account for all the expenses that come with applying to 25+ schools (secondary's, hotels, flight costs, etc.).

Did/ Is anyone having this problem?
I only signed up for 15 credits this fall ( where 3 credits is an internship and 3 credits is TA, 3 credits of an elective, and 2 upper level science classes 3 credits each). I think this is a light load and will allow me time to study for the mcat and my classes. I want to take the MCAT by early February so I can retake it ( If need be) in late May so I can apply for the 2017 cycle, for the class of 2018.

Will a prep class help? I think they are MOSTLY a waste of money, just because at least for TPR classes, they spend most of their time on content review. But while going over content review they give you tips which is what I would find most helpful. I've taken all of the prerequisites for med school, and I have taken every class on the MCAT EXCEPT psychology, which Ill take this fall- my elective. So content review is not what I am looking for in a class. But what other value do you see in them?

anyway I feel this is too long lol. does anyone have any suggestions to encourage my motivation??! I've worked to hard on all my accomplishments to not complete my goal!

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[studentdocftw]

Take your time. Delay applying one year if need be. Trust me, you don't want to rush taking the MCAT and only want to take it once. One year in the grand scheme of things will be irrelevant if that one year is used to prepare for the mcat and improve your application overall. The whole prep course thing...I would pass on it assuming you can create a study schedule and stick to it. Particularly if you are looking to save some $$$.

 

[jackm1]

You'll do it for a reason, you have many.
Don't let your body lead you, let your soul
If your body had the choice it would do nothing. You can do it

 

[Lannister]

Getting started is the hardest part. Plus, you have plenty of time to study. If I were you, I'd enjoy the rest of my summer and hit the books come September.


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[raiderette]

I treated it like a job or an extra class. I forced myself to study on a regular schedule. You can do this.

 

[starspells]

does anyone have any suggestions to encourage my motivation??!

Realize that this test could make or break your med school application. Try studying with a friend maybe and hold each other accountable?

 

[Orthosurg1]

Just to give you a heads up, I don't think there are February/March dates (unless I'm mistaken, which could very well be the case!). I think your options are January, April, May, June, July, August, September.

My advice: Make yourself a study schedule, print it off, and put it somewhere where you will see it everyday. This can help keep yourself accountable! Use a highlighter or something of color and color off the days/units that you complete.

 

[doctorleospaceman]

You'll have to find motivation somewhere quickly because you'll only need more and more of it. Starting is hard, but persevering is even harder. Find whatever truly drives you towards the profession and use that as the persuasion to put in the work.

 

[starspells]

You'll have to find motivation somewhere quickly because you'll only need more and more of it. Starting is hard, but persevering is even harder.

+1 motivation sucks. It comes and goes. Discipline will help you get through this.

 

[Affiche]

Brew some coffee and handle your ****. No one wants to study for the MCAT. Prep classes were a huge waste of time because they move too quickly for you to independently study the material. Make a plan and stick to it.

 

[mouster]

If you can find some kind of friend or study group it will help a TON. I was having similar problems (was supposed to start studying in October....totally didn't start studying until January and pushed my test date waaaaay back), and I started studying with a girl at work. If we were supposed to review biochem that day, I actually studied the biochem prior to going to meet with her so I didn't look like an idiot. Held me accountable, plus they say that if you truly know something you can teach it to other people. Good luck, and you got this!

 

[jtd2081]

 

[PB&Jam]

I took a prep course through my university (luckily, it was much less expensive than private prep courses, but still quite expensive...) and found it to be mostly a waste of time. There were extremely helpful parts–the general chemistry content review was, for me, a huuuuge help–but I skipped the last three weeks of it due to other ECs and did not regret it in the slightest. Aside from that class, I got an extremely late start studying, and panicked that I wouldn't have enough time. That was more than sufficient to light a fire under my ass, and I "MCAT boot camped" the month before my exam, using Kaplan review books and online practice exams. I also supplemented with Khan Academy videos and some other miscellaneous material for P/S. While I got a very good score, I do not recommend doing what I did.

What I do recommend:
~I did not create a physical schedule, but I think looking back that it's probably a good idea. Make it manageable (i.e. don't schedule 5 hours of studying in one day, just because you have 5 hours to spare). If I had made a physical schedule, I would have approached it like I approached my marathon training schedule: Made it into a neat-looking grid, posted it above my desk, planned out the night before when I would tackle the next day's material, gotten in the mindset to study an hour beforehand, make no excuses, get the satisfaction of crossing that day off the schedule afterwards. Like marathon training, schedule in rest days. That will a) give your brain time to recuperate each week, and b) give you wiggle room if you miss a day of studying because you are sick or had to travel or whatever.
~Something I did do was use the power of psychology to incentivize myself to study. I did this in a few ways. First, I play video games, so I made the deal with myself that I could play 1 game of Dota for every hour studied. No studying=no game. You can do the same with anything fun you like to do. If you love reading novels, you can allow yourself to read a certain number of chapters per hour studied. Or, if you like going out/going to parties on weekends, give yourself a weekly quota of studying hours that you need to make in order to go out that weekend.
~Another thing I did was break up long periods of sitting down and studying with exercise. I heard somewhere that working out helps you remember things, and this may or may not be true. The real benefit I found from exercising while studying was that it gave me an outlet, refocused me, and kept me sane. I'd read a section of a Kaplan review book, then do a set of weights. Or I'd do cardio while watching Khan Academy videos. Or I'd listen to podcasts reviewing material while biking. This made studying much, much more bearable. The only thing I didn't do that for was practice exams, because I wanted to simulate an actual testing environment. But I definitely worked out after to relieve the stress.
~Finally, don't panic. Everything will be fiiiine. And make sure to memorize single-letter amino acid abbreviations. Most useful single thing on the MCAT.
Best of luck, PM me for more help/questions!

 

[Gryffindor20]

I will give you the same motivation I gave myself: If you don't study, then you will bomb the test. And if you bomb the test, you won't get into medical school. That's all.

Go get 'em!!!!! You can do this. Just sit down, with coffee in hand, and learn that material.

 

[Dagrimsta1]

Yeah, I had the same problem as you, Still do actually. Forcing yourself to do something everyday is difficult. It's easier when you have results. What got my ass into gear is me thinking of my future and what would happen if I mess up. Bomb MCAT --> Go to Caribb med school --> limit my option of residency --> potentially get stuck in a career that I didn't choose ---> Be miserable. You HAVE to dictate your own life, not some exam... It's you vs. the exam. Train to kill.