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March 29, 2024, 12:06:18 am

Author Topic: UCAT HELP ME PLEASE!  (Read 2445 times)

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ErnieTheBirdi

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UCAT HELP ME PLEASE!
« on: March 07, 2021, 11:46:26 pm »
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Hey Everyone ! I was just wondering, it seems that the last couple days I've seem to be progressively worse in Qbanks and questions? Is that normal seeing that I left it for like almost a month...? I'm so stressed over this + I have to deal with Y12 and ATAR, PLS HELP ME !!!!!!! Advice? Tips? Anything????

fun_jirachi

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Re: UCAT HELP ME PLEASE!
« Reply #1 on: March 08, 2021, 12:03:33 am »
+2
If you've had rigorous practice then stopped for a month, it makes sense that you'd start off slowly - it's tough to do anything if you're starting again after a significant break. Look at it as something to improve on and see it for what it is (a temporary slump). If it helps, try to do other things you enjoy around your UCAT practice so you don't feel as stressed - it's a slippery slope that could turn something temporary into something permanent. Keep grinding it out, you'll get there :)

I also get that it's not immediately helpful that a stranger on the internet is telling you not to stress out (sorta like telling a depressed person not to be depressed). Some more 'instant' tips may include to avoid doing question banks in the way you're currently doing now - if you're grinding them out, take them slower, correct your mistakes as you go as opposed to doing a load of questions then correcting (as this will often terrify you with your correct %, especially when you're in a bit of a bind).  Working in shorter bursts might also help you with getting back on track, and it's also easier to push yourself to regain the confidence you probably had previously. Don't rush the process either, because there's still so much time until the test, slowly build it up again :D

Hope this helps you, and if there are any more queries drop them below :)
Spoiler
HSC 2018: Mod Hist [88] | 2U Maths [98]
HSC 2019: Physics [92] | Chemistry [93] | English Adv [87] | 3U Maths [98] | 4U Maths [97]
ATAR: 99.05

UCAT: 3310 - VR [740] | DM [890] | QR [880] | AR [800]
Guide Links:
Subject Acceleration (2018)
UCAT Question Compilation/FAQ (2020)
Asking good questions

abiari

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Re: UCAT HELP ME PLEASE!
« Reply #2 on: March 08, 2021, 12:12:02 am »
+3
heyyy,

Yes, I also saw fluctuations when I was doing practice exams, haha. The first time I did a practice exam, I happened to get 410 in QR, and now my score is 710 in my most recent practice test (which is an improvement, but I would ideally like to score higher...). The main thing I changed was just making sure I stuck to the time limit, i.e. VR has 21 mins for 44 questions!!, so I made sure to practice my speed reading + allocating a max of 40-45 secs per question (yes it's pretty hard given that you have 4 questions that relate to one text)

In between the subsections - when you have the one-minute break, I suggest you recuperate yourself and quickly calculate how long you should spend on each question. This ensures that you don't spend, for example, 5 mins reading a text or even thinking about whether or not to click numbers using the dodgy calculator (for questions in DM and QR that required the calculator, I would try to use approximate numbers instead of opening it up - which does waste HEAPS of your time).

pro tip: if you get stuck on a question and are going WAYY over the allocated time, click a random answer, flag, and move on with no regrets - you are guaranteed a 25% chance of getting it right!!

Lastly, just a quick q did you happen to do the UCAT M.E.D. Mock exam? I personally found it really helpful in identifying my weak spots (for me, it was VR and SJT)
« Last Edit: March 08, 2021, 12:14:32 am by abiari »

ErnieTheBirdi

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Re: UCAT HELP ME PLEASE!
« Reply #3 on: March 08, 2021, 01:54:45 am »
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If you've had rigorous practice then stopped for a month, it makes sense that you'd start off slowly - it's tough to do anything if you're starting again after a significant break. Look at it as something to improve on and see it for what it is (a temporary slump). If it helps, try to do other things you enjoy around your UCAT practice so you don't feel as stressed - it's a slippery slope that could turn something temporary into something permanent. Keep grinding it out, you'll get there :)

I also get that it's not immediately helpful that a stranger on the internet is telling you not to stress out (sorta like telling a depressed person not to be depressed). Some more 'instant' tips may include to avoid doing question banks in the way you're currently doing now - if you're grinding them out, take them slower, correct your mistakes as you go as opposed to doing a load of questions then correcting (as this will often terrify you with your correct %, especially when you're in a bit of a bind).  Working in shorter bursts might also help you with getting back on track, and it's also easier to push yourself to regain the confidence you probably had previously. Don't rush the process either, because there's still so much time until the test, slowly build it up again :D

Hope this helps you, and if there are any more queries drop them below :)

Hey! Thanks for replying haha, I've just left the UCAT untouched for about a month, initially due to wisdom teeth extraction but now due to the high amounts of school work. I'm trying to get back on track, trying to do the Question banks everyday, typically around 2hrs a week. Hopefully that way I can build myself up and do well on the UCAT. However, my biggest concern is still my ATAR. Regardless of how good my UCAT may be, if I screw up my ATAR I am also done for, that's what I'm most stressed about. Any thoughts on it?

fun_jirachi

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Re: UCAT HELP ME PLEASE!
« Reply #4 on: March 08, 2021, 07:33:54 am »
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Hey! Thanks for replying haha, I've just left the UCAT untouched for about a month, initially due to wisdom teeth extraction but now due to the high amounts of school work. I'm trying to get back on track, trying to do the Question banks everyday, typically around 2hrs a week. Hopefully that way I can build myself up and do well on the UCAT. However, my biggest concern is still my ATAR. Regardless of how good my UCAT may be, if I screw up my ATAR I am also done for, that's what I'm most stressed about. Any thoughts on it?

Your ATAR is something that you'll also build up to, but the majority of what counts towards it will come after UCAT.  imo you don't have to do anything extra - keep up your current efforts and step it up when you need to. If you're 100% sold on getting into med, the weight of the UCAT is so much bigger than each individual exam counting to your ATAR (but ofc that doesn't mean neglect your school stuff).
Spoiler
HSC 2018: Mod Hist [88] | 2U Maths [98]
HSC 2019: Physics [92] | Chemistry [93] | English Adv [87] | 3U Maths [98] | 4U Maths [97]
ATAR: 99.05

UCAT: 3310 - VR [740] | DM [890] | QR [880] | AR [800]
Guide Links:
Subject Acceleration (2018)
UCAT Question Compilation/FAQ (2020)
Asking good questions