The holiday season is a time to be surrounded by friends and family, for celebration and fun. For premeds, this time often presents unique challenges. Balancing MCAT preparation with classwork, holiday festivities, and family commitments requires careful planning and a lot of discipline. Whether you’re testing in January or later in the year, here are practical MCAT tips to keep your prep on track without sacrificing the holiday spirit.
Tips for MCAT Prep During the Holidays
1. Set Realistic Goals for the Holidays
Your first step is to outline what you hope to achieve during this period. Be specific and honest about your time and energy. It doesn’t help anyone to create unrealistic goals, and you have to prioritize spending time with family and celebrating, too. Set daily or weekly goals that are achievable but productive.
For January Testers
Focus on refining your weak areas and taking full-length practice exams. By this point, you should be wrapping up content review and transitioning into test-day simulation and strategy, so your study sessions will largely be focused on question practice. Setting a daily question goal is a great way to stay on track and have a fixed goal for winter break studying.
January testers might aim to complete two full-length practice exams and review them thoroughly, and work through 40 questions per day with review.
For Later Testers
Prioritize solidifying foundational knowledge and continuing to tackle content review and question practice. The holidays are an excellent time to tackle challenging content areas without the stress of an impending test date, especially because you have time to move through a good amount of videos and textbook chapters, freeing up more time for practice questions later on.
Later testers might aim to master 2-3 challenging topics, such as biochemistry, metabolism, or electrochemistry, and supplement with MCAT-style questions.
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2. Create a Holiday Study Schedule
A well-structured schedule can keep you consistent while leaving room for holiday fun!
Block Your Study Time
Dedicate specific hours for studying, ideally during your peak focus times. Many students find mornings to be ideal, allowing for guilt-free family time in the afternoons and evenings.
Plan Around Events
Mark important family gatherings or traditions on your calendar and plan lighter study sessions around those times. For example, you might review MCAT flashcards or complete a shorter question set on those days so you can maximize time with your loved ones.
Use Study Sprints
Break your study sessions into smaller chunks (e.g., 25-50 minutes), followed by short breaks. This MCAT tip, inspired by the Pomodoro Technique, can keep you productive without burnout, especially when you are home with a bunch of distractions!
3. Leverage Flexible Study Tools
The holidays often involve travel or disruptions to your normal routine, but you can use this as an opportunity to diversify your study methods. These methods are great when you get to medical school, too!
- Flashcards on the Go: Tools like Blueprint’s MCAT flashcards are great for reinforcing key concepts when you’re away from your usual study space and reinforce key concepts.
- Audio Resources: MCAT podcasts or review recordings are perfect for commutes or walks. Listening to explanations of difficult topics can help reinforce material without having to sit at a desk.
- Compact Books: If you’re traveling, bring a review book or practice question set. This will allow you to squeeze in some content review.
4. Involve Your Family
Instead of keeping your prep completely separate, find ways to involve your loved ones. This approach can help them understand your commitment, and why you might need to stick to a study schedule even during the holidays. It can also help you stay accountable if you explain your goals!
- Explain Your Goals: Share your MCAT timeline and goals with your family so they can better understand your need to study.
- Teach to Learn: Try explaining complex concepts to a curious sibling, cousin, or parent. Teaching others is a great way to solidify your understanding, and family/friends are usually interested in hearing the things you’re learning!
- Set Boundaries: While involving family is helpful, be clear about times when you need uninterrupted focus. It can help, as mentioned above, to set clear study times and have intentional breaks built in.
5. Prioritize Your Mental and Physical Health
The holiday season is a time to recharge, so don’t let your MCAT prep drain you completely. A well-rested mind is more effective at retaining and applying information!
- Get Enough Sleep: Aim for 7-9 hours of sleep per night. Sacrificing sleep for extra study hours will backfire in the long run.
- Stay Active: Physical activity can reduce stress and improve cognitive performance. Go for a walk, stretch, or enjoy a winter activity like ice skating!
- Eat Mindfully: Holiday treats are a joy, but balancing them with brain-boosting foods like fruits, vegetables, and nuts can help you feel your best.
6. Take Full-Length Practice Tests Strategically
For January testers, the most important MCAT tip is to continue taking full-length practice exams during the holidays. Schedule at least two to three exams, treating them like real test days:
- Choose a quiet environment.
- Start at the same time as your actual MCAT test date.
- Simulate test-day conditions by sticking to the timing and breaks.
- Afterward, spend ample time reviewing your mistakes and refining your strategy.
Later testers don’t need to focus on full-lengths during the holidays if they don’t want to, but completing one can help you to guide your preparation.
7. Use the Holiday Spirit as Motivation
The holidays can serve as a source of inspiration and renewal!
Reconnect with your “Why.” Reflect on why you’re pursuing medicine. Spending time with loved ones can remind you of the impact you want to make as a future physician.
Don’t forget to reward yourself and celebrate small victories. For example, after a productive study day, enjoy a holiday movie or a favorite dessert!
8. Plan for the New Year
The transition into January can be overwhelming, especially if you’re testing early in the month. Prepare by organizing your materials, setting clear goals for the final weeks, and minimizing distractions.
If you’re testing later, use the new year to solidify good study habits and evaluate your progress. The momentum you build now will set the tone for the months ahead.
Final Thoughts
The holidays are a wonderful time, but they don’t have to derail your MCAT preparation. With thoughtful planning, flexibility, and incorporating these MCAT tips, you can balance family, festivities, and your test-day goals. Remember, the MCAT is just one step in your journey, and staying mindful of your overall well-being will help you succeed in the long run.
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