lost

[u/Background-Meal7270]

i feel like i barely study for the mcat even though i really want to. But i distract myself soooo much idk if it’s because im so scared or the exam so im trying to escape, or if the material is overwhelming but i try to tell myself to study and i can’t do it for more than 2 hours. it really hurts because i want to become a doctor and nothing else. Please someone help me

[u/Boring-Ad-90]

pair ur studying along with something that is fun and engaging, for me that was insta reels. its like the equivalent of a coupled reaction in biochem but for studying

[u/Background-Meal7270 → u/Boring-Ad-90]

that def sounds like a good idea. How do i make my content all mcat

[u/Boring-Ad-90 → u/Background-Meal7270]

idk, my reels were NOT mcat related lol

[u/Background-Meal7270 → u/Boring-Ad-90]

oh you mean just scroll while studying? when i do that i just stay on my phone for so long and forget about studying

[u/Boring-Ad-90 → u/Background-Meal7270]

then gg bro

[u/Boring-Ad-90 → u/Background-Meal7270]

and lowk for this strat if u make ur reels mcat stuff too then it aint gonna work bruh

[u/GoodJibblyWibbly]

Sounds like you need to MAKE a schedule before you do anything else. How much time have you got before you want to take MCAT

[u/Background-Meal7270 → u/GoodJibblyWibbly]

i’m taking it anytime in jan prolly start-mid. I tried making a schedule before but i didn’t really stick to it

[u/HamouzArctic]

You already know your problem. Act on it.

[u/Financial-Chemist254]

imo, prep for this exam is more of a psychological battle than anything. I think the most important thing is to understand that you are totally capable of demolishing it.

Throughout my first two years of undergrad, I really struggled to build momentum studying. Once I got started it came easier, but it was hard for me to put my phone down and open up my textbooks. I started to tell myself "I'm just going to start five minutes of studying," then would find it way easier to keep going from there. Similar to that old story, where a guy asks "what's the first thing you do when you're lost along in a forest? You start walking."

If the distractions stem from your phone, start shutting your phone down all the way and keeping it in your backpack or in a locker or something. I like to keep mine in my locker at the hospital I work at, and go study at the library next-door. I also started keeping a sticky note with me, where I write down any distractions that come up while I'm studying so I can take care of them after without breaking up my train of thought.

These are just examples of things I'm doing for myself while prepping. But yeah, it really is a game of self control. Best of luck with your studying, twin. I know you're going to do great.

[u/Background-Meal7270 → u/Financial-Chemist254]

i like the phone idea, i’ll def try that. Thank you!

[u/TalesofVesperia]

For me I forced myself to go to a library EVERYDAY, except for rest days. I studied with a friend too! We had a set schedule during the summer and kept each other accountable. I really believe that if I studied at home I would’ve done much less studying

[u/Hefty_Understanding5]

u said it's hard for u to do more than 2 hours -- have u tried methods like pomodoro or something where you kind of work ur way up to more time? endurance was also a big thing for me too and i took a lot of little breaks which gradually decreased over time as i got more used to sitting down and locking in. i'm also rly similar to u i would doomscroll A LOTTTTT so i would do the spaced studying thing i mentioned above, i would also incentivize myself (ex. if i study x amount today i can go do/get y) and have fun with the way i study (make the place u study cute and fun! whether at home or outside, find a way to look forward to it).

also for me i realized i cannot study by reading kaplan books (i know it works for a lot of people but not me at all) and that that specifically was the root of a lot of my anxiety so i switched over to anki and that really helped me for bb and ps. i also got this heat map extension for anki so i could track the streak of how many days i did my stuff and it helped me be consistent bc i didnt want to break my score. good luck!!

[u/Background-Meal7270 → u/Hefty_Understanding5]

thank you so much this is gonna help me so much i really appreciate it. one question how did you accountable

[u/Hefty_Understanding5 → u/Background-Meal7270]

ofc! for me the hardest part was genuinely just sitting down and starting because i had no idea where to start and i had a very very large content gap. i think that's why i doomscrolled and stuff a lot, because like you i did care a lot but it was that i was just terrified.

what i did to kind of fix that was i started by fixing up the place i studied in so i was comfortable and more at ease (for me that was my room, so i made sure it was neat and whenever i studied i tried to put myself together a little so i wasn't just studying in my pjs, not needed obviously but it made me feel more confident and like i was ready to take on the material). when i actually started studying for the first time, i was most comfortable with subjects like neuro in bb and ps and cars bc i was a neuro major so i started off by studying things that were easier for me so i wouldn't fall into the trap of thinking everything was hopeless. for me anki was the best because i also downloaded the app on my phone so it was really convenient and i could tell myself "i'm just doing a little bit." that's also how i kept myself accountable because as i got more used to it and comfortable/not as freaked out i was more okay with sitting and doing it for longer because my brain started treating getting the questions right as little dopamine hits instead of things to hate. also i did NOT go from not doing anki at all to doing it every day, i slowly worked my way up to that point but if u can do that then def try it! even a little bit a day counts. i kept myself accountable also by thinking of the future-- i just had a sit down with myself and realized the same amount of time was gonna pass anyways (regardless of whether i doomscrolled or studied) and i would rather get this exam over with sooner than be worried on test day and have to retake it/go through the process again. i hope this helps and feel free to ask whatever!

[u/Background-Meal7270 → u/Hefty_Understanding5]

omg you’re the best! it sounds like you were in the same boat i am in rn. I’ll try your methods

[u/fruitmonster_]

tbh i had this same problem, i also work full time so definitely a struggle. i made a plan with a tutor and see them twice a week and thats been so enormously helpful for me personally. ofc it can be expensive but if you can afford it i highly recommend for the accountability. good ones will also teach you how to go through problems more efficiently and study better than just endlessly staring at a kaplan book.

[u/Background-Meal7270 → u/fruitmonster_]

def a good idea, do u know where i can find one and how much it would cost