Preparing for medical entry tests can be hard, avoid these common mistakes students make

It’s a well-known saying, “It’s good to learn from your mistakes. But it’s better to learn from other people’s mistakes.”

After an in-depth research, it has been revealed that most of the students who manage to secure seat in their desired medical colleges are ‘Repeaters’. Although such students have already secured good marks during their F.SC preparation.

But these students have committed silly mistakes in previous year’s MDCAT and have compromised on those negligible marks which could enable them to get listed in the final aggregate.

So, after passing through the whole phase; they work on their mistakes in the next year and manage to get admission.

But it would be a great approach for the fresh students to avoid all possible mistakes which could prove to be an obstacle in their dream.

That being the case, it’s now up to you how well you anticipate those problems which you are going to face in your exams and to get yourself prepared for them.

Let’s delve into the common mistakes made by students during MDCAT preparation:

1#        Not Having Own Study Plan & Relying on Teachers Entirely

When students join academies for MDCAT preparation, they don’t consider it their responsibility to get themselves prepared. Students totally rely on these academies. Remember, the only duty of teachers is to clear all your concepts, mental blocks and ambiguities.

But at the end of the day, everything has to be managed by the students themselves. As self-realization is the best teacher, self-learning is the best teaching and self-practicing is the best motivation a student can have.

Although TopGrade.pk has devised a 100 days study plan for MDCAT preparation but not having one’s own study plan can prove to be disastrous as every student has different calibre that’s why he/she should make study plan in accordance to his/her own needs.

2# Studying in Chronological Order rather than Priority Order

Students start their MDCAT preparation following the sequence of the book or notes they have and this is a very wrong approach.

The best way to cover all your syllabus for MDCAT is by setting the priorities according to exam point of view.

You can categorize topics in three ways:

• High Yield Topics
• Medium Yield Topics
• Low Yield Topics

High Yield Topics are those units or chapters of your book which can be prepared in one-go and they cover maximum portion of your entry test.

Medium Yield Topics include those topics which require medium effort to prepare and cover average portion of MDCAT.

Low Yield Topics demand a lot of time and energy to prepare them but cover very little portion of your medical entrance exam.

So, every student should focus on those topics which are more important for exams. You can clearly analyse the structure of test from the past papers.

Here, TopGrade.pk come to aid students as you can get past 10 years exams MCQs on each topic with just a single click. Whoa!

3#        Using Passive Study Strategies

Most of the students adopt passive techniques to prepare for their MDCAT. But the first thing is how to discover that you are studying with passive mindset? The answer is simple, if you are studying any textbook and couldn’t develop interest in it, then it’s your passive study strategy.

Moreover, if there is no question popping up in your mind, again you can realize that it’s passive way of learning.

So, whenever you are studying, you should have active brain and the whole body so you can get completely involved in the content of your syllabus.

4#        Not Analysing and Improving Your Test-Taking Strategies

When students don’t focus on the most significant part of their entry test preparation, they fail to secure good marks. And, the crucial part includes practicing through taking numerous tests.

Each time when you attempt test and get results, analyse your weak points and mistakes. Find out the reason behind every mistake, whether you had not studied that well or you lack concepts.

Also, it is important for the students to note the time taken by a single question, so that they can manage time in their exam effectively.

5#        Using Inefficient or Inappropriate Study Methods

Most of the students get distracted while preparing for MDCAT. They just read out the topics without focusing on the important part of their reading. They don’t comprehend and relate the learning material with examination viewpoint. That being the case, they should adopt efficient and appropriate study methods to pass MDCAT with flying colours.

6#        Not Devising Ways of Fast Revision Along with Your Classes

Revision sits in the catbird seat when it comes to prepare for your MDCAT exam. A day will come when you have to revise all 8 subjects in just 24 hours. So, properly devising the ways of fast revision along with your classes will surely pave your path toward medical college.

This serious problem has been resolved by TopGrade.pk by providing students with fast revision notes to quickly go through the whole syllabus. And this Fast Revision Module of TopGrade.pk is being loved by almost every student.

7#        Getting Bogged Down by Reviewing Difficult Topics Excessively

It is the nature of students to spend most of their time on the topics they feel difficult and hard to understand. Although such difficult topics may not be important for the entry test. Always bear in mind, the difficulty of a topic is one thing and its importance in exam is another. So, your entire focus should be on those topics that are important according to MDCAT.

But never spend so much time on difficult topics that you cannot cover easy topics as well. Students need to avoid this mistake to best utilize their time.

8#        Reviewing Information, You Already Know

During MDCAT preparation, most of the students when pick up the book to study, start from the very beginning again and again or review those topics they already have learnt by heart. This is just a waste of time.

Focus on your weak areas and whenever you start studying, first cover the topics you haven’t done before. Here, you can divide your whole syllabus into three categories:

• Topics you have studied and learned
• Topics you have studied but didn’t learn
• Topics you have not studied yet

Now, you have to cover those topics first which you have not studied yet and then topics to learn and at the end, Revision of whole syllabus.

9#       Memorizing, rather than Understanding

Remember, memorized learning without understanding the concepts decays with time. Therefore, mindless memorization of information won’t help you pass your MDCAT as they would get mixed up when you have not completely understood.

That’s why, students need to develop and clear all their concepts about a particular topic and relate them for complete understanding of information.

There are always three steps to study:

• Understanding of information
• Creation of Memory
• Consolidation of Memory

In the beginning, you are just required to comprehend the information and after that jot down the things to learn like formulas in physics and chemistry. At the end, consolidate the memory by revising and practicing exam questions.

10#   Failing to Master Certain High-Yield Subjects or topics owing to Overconfidence

Sometimes students develop a delusion that they have strong grip in certain subject or topic and don’t go through it due to overconfidence. This misconception can really harm your final aggregate.

Don’t take a subject as granted and focus on each and every topic and subject that is important for MDCAT. You won’t be able to make your way in any medical college if you leave even a single subject untouched.

Out of 70,000 students, only 3500 would be selected finally, so there is no choice for even a small mistake.

You can only be confident over those subjects and topics for which not a single question is marked wrong in question bank available at TopGrade.pk.

11#      Studying Material that is Rarely Tested on the MDCAT

In this tech-world, student start taking help from internet and start studying randomly which is never recommended at all. All the learning material for MDCAT is available in your textbooks and on TopGrade.pk to keep you focussed.

12#      Trying to do it all alone

In Pakistan’s education system, some students think MDCAT to be a piece of cake and they can cover it all alone. But remember, no goal can be achieved without proper guidance. Teachers help you clear and build new concepts; therefore, you need to listen to their precious words. Preparing MDCAT all alone can be really dangerous for your future.

For every topic you need a mentor and good mentors can make your journey easy and stress-free. That being the case, get maximum benefits from the teachers who have years of experience in their fields.

13#      Not Testing Yourselves on the Material

MDCAT aspirants study the books, revise the lectures but hesitate to take tests. It’s not something to feel shy or getting disappointed on your mistakes. Rather it’s a good thing to know your mistakes and fix them after clearing ambiguities.

Testing yourself side by side is critically important. So, practice as many questions as you can. Normally, conventional academies give exposure to around five thousand MCQs for MDCAT but TopGrade.pk provides MDCAT aspirants with more than 18,000 MCQs to practice every single possible question.

14#      Starting to Study too late

Students waste their time in planning to start their MDCAT preparation after F.SC exams. Don’t forget MDCAT syllabus includes your two years F.SC curriculum. And, you have to cover it thoroughly attempting thousands of MCQs.

If you follow our 100-day study plan, you have to give 8 to 10 hours daily to get your desired marks.

15#     Not Having Proper Routine/ Time Table

If you cannot plan and develop a structured schedule you cannot get through this difficult exam. That’s why, students need to prepare their own study schedule and then stick to it for good results.

16#    Negative Thinking

Most of the students fell prey to negative thinking and fail in the entry test. They think it’s too difficult for them to cover the whole two-year syllabus in few months. Just shed this pessimistic approach and put all your efforts into it. Because hard work never goes unrewarded.

Think positive and believe in yourself!!!