Need Advice: How do I war game the DAT in my situation?

[rebecca_chatul_tov]

I have a tight schedule for the next 3-5 months and need to figure out how I am going to best prepare for the DAT. I'm applying to dental school this summer.

Here are my constraints:

1) I am 20 weeks pregnant with a due date of September 22 (will be C-section so will not be able to drive anywhere for at least 3 weeks)
2) I work full time (Monday through Friday, nine to five) and two kids.
3) I am taking Organic Chem II (Oregon State eCampus) which ends 6/19
4) The consolidated lab is 8/7-8/17 which is 10 days straight in Corvallis, OR. It's given once a year. I must fly out there in order to have this complete for the 2017 application cycle (My OB has signed off on this)

My target date for taking the DAT is September 17th. This would give me around 3 months +/- a few days to fully concentrate on studying for the DAT before I have my daughter.

I think I could fit in a couple hours a week now so I am not drinking from the fire hose later. When summer hits I will probably have around 20-25 hours max per week to study. That's about all the blood I can wring from the stone that is my schedule.

If anyone has good advice on what topics are best suited for light review or how they would start easing into preparation now it would be very helpful.

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[Master Yoda]

In your situation, I believe it will be more beneficial if you wait and apply next cycle. Preparing and taking the DAT exam can be a stressful process and requires an individual to be physically and emotionally ready. However, if you think you can handle it you should get the right resources so you can kill the beast on first try.
In terms of high yield topics....DAT has many different versions...some focus more on a topic and others don't.....It is best if you review broadly because you won't know which version of the DAT you are going to take.

 

[FeralisExtremum]

I'm going to second waiting to apply next cycle. The September DAT date is way too late to have your application complete, and it sounds like your schedule is packed pretty tight this summer regardless.

 

[tyjacobs]

I have a tight schedule for the next 3-5 months and need to figure out how I am going to best prepare for the DAT. I'm applying to dental school this summer.

Here are my constraints:

1) I am 20 weeks pregnant with a due date of September 22 (will be C-section so will not be able to drive anywhere for at least 3 weeks)
2) I work full time (Monday through Friday, nine to five) and two kids.
3) I am taking Organic Chem II (Oregon State eCampus) which ends 6/19
4) The consolidated lab is 8/7-8/17 which is 10 days straight in Corvallis, OR. It's given once a year. I must fly out there in order to have this complete for the 2017 application cycle (My OB has signed off on this)

My target date for taking the DAT is September 17th. This would give me around 3 months +/- a few days to fully concentrate on studying for the DAT before I have my daughter.

I think I could fit in a couple hours a week now so I am not drinking from the fire hose later. When summer hits I will probably have around 20-25 hours max per week to study. That's about all the blood I can wring from the stone that is my schedule.

If anyone has good advice on what topics are best suited for light review or how they would start easing into preparation now it would be very helpful.

if you want light review:
- use cliffnotes AP bio to learn bio topics
- watch chad's videos to learn gen chem/orgo I topics
- watch chad's videos to learn QR topics (do his quizzes to practice your skills)
- buy DAT bootcamp and start doing PAT practice generator problems to build up your skills for PAT

As you start to get into the summer, you can see how you are with your preliminary content review and you can either ramp it up from there (DAT destroyer, feralis's bio notes or my bio notes, etc.) or you can postpone your september DAT date and go from there

 

[rebecca_chatul_tov]

A few questions I have before providing my two cents to help you:

1) What resources are you using or planning to use for your DAT review?

2) Do you have a backup plan in case your daughter potentially arrives early?

3) Assuming no retake is necessary, a September DAT score is relatively late for the 2017 cycle compared to students who will have their whole app completed by the time they apply in June. Knowing that you have a family and from a cost-saving (and stress-saving) perspective, is there a reason why you're not waiting to apply for the 2018 cycle? That will significantly change how you should prep for the DAT.

1) The KAPLAN blue book
2) Nope
3) I'm in the military and my stabilization orders end next May. I have two special needs kids that I don't want to put through unnecessary transitions. I'm trying to only move them once without having to deploy.

 

[Faefly]

You don't!
You don't!
You don't!
You wait till you deliver the baby and then you prepare and take the dat for how long it would take you and then apply the next cycle not this cycle
Unless you are willing to sacrifice your job for 2 months to prepare for the dat, which I assume you can't, Your best chance is to do it while you are on maternity leave!
You need to read the breakdown topics made by other students to get an idea on what resources to use.

Best of luck, it's true you can do it, but sometimes it is better to wait and do it right, then haste and regret it later.