Can You Have A Social Life During MCAT Prep?

Show Notes

It's holiday season! If you're in the midst of studying for the MCAT, you might be feeling all kinds of ways...

You might be feeling trapped, having to study while you see others around you taking breaks from their busy lives and having fun.

You might be feeling guilty, not studying as much as you think you should be, while spending a lot of time with family and friends.

We've been there. Those of us who tested in Jan or March were dealing with the same struggles during the December holidays.

In fact, this is an issue regardless of when you're taking the MCAT (it's no different if you're testing in the summer!).

We got through it but today as we're tutoring students, we're seeing history repeat itself!

Here's the deal:

More often than not, we're too hard on ourselves.

We're seeing students completely isolate from social interactions, facing burnout, and losing our on both ends; their MCAT scores don't increase because of the stress, and they don't get to enjoy the holiday season either!

We're not saying you have to pick one or the other (good MCAT score or chill with fam/friends)...

We're saying it's possible to have both! How?

That's what Monika and Ariana are discussing in this special podcast episode!

Both dealt with these inner conflicts, yet they both scored 90+ percentile on the MCAT!

You Know Yourself Best: Get Help Accordingly!

Also keep in mind that you know yourself best. You probably lean in one of the two directions...

Either you tend to get distracted easily (especially when there are a lot of fun distractions going on!)...

Or you tend to go too hard with your prep and burn yourself out...

In either case, having someone keeping you in check is a smart idea!

If you don't relax enough, having someone to remind you to take breaks can be helpful. If you get distracted easily, having someone keeping you accountable to stick to an effective MCAT study schedule might be what you need.

Now if that person is also a top scorer who's been through the whole process before, your chances of success go through the roof! Plus you can feel confident that you're being looked out for by someone credible.

To meet that top scorer in the next 48 hours, you can sign up here. We'll pair you up with an MCAT mentor who can be by your side this holiday season!

Lastly, we hope you enjoy a very special holiday with your family and loved ones.

Whether you've been with us for a few days or a few months, we want you to know that we truly appreciate you and your passion for becoming the doctor you were meant to be.

Schedule Your Breaks No Matter What

Some people would want to finish what they are doing before taking a break, and that's fine but sometimes you end up not taking a break at all. So, it would be better to schedule your break to make sure you'll take it. This also improves your ability to compartmentalize.

Taking breaks and time for yourself is not only applicable to MCAT. It's also applicable to med school and real-life so don't feel guilty about it.

Schedule Social Time

It's absolutely healing to have someone to talk to who can relate to your frustrations and struggles about the MCAT but it's also beneficial to have people who are not necessarily familiar with the MCAT because they can give you a fresh perspective and help you get out of your MCAT bubble.

So, make sure you include social time to your MCAT prep schedule!

Memorable Points

Social life is not necessarily studying for the MCAT but it can help improve your score.
Don't feel bad about taking a break. It's good for your mental health.
If you are planning to go out after studying, take a 30-minute nap to give your brain time to process what you have studied and reset.
Taking breaks improves your ability to compartmentalize.
Find someone to bounce ideas off of and work through things you may be struggling with.
Spend time with someone who is not familiar with the MCAT to get a fresh perspective.
Getting meals is the perfect time to socialize. You're definitely going to eat so why not eat with someone?
Tell your friends and/or family about your MCAT test date so that they can give you moral support and congratulate you when you're done.

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About the Author

We're a team of future doctors passionate about giving back and mentoring other future doctors! All mentors on the team are top MCAT scorers and we all are committed to seeing you succeed in achieving your physician dreams To help you achieve your goal MCAT score, we take turns hosting these Live MCAT Courses and are also available for 1:1 private tutoring!