Katie Marshaus | 21 AA
My biggest piece of advice is to study however works best for you with materials that are a good fit for your learning style. There will be an overwhelming amount of resources to pull information from. It helps to figure out how you learn best and find the program that fits that mold. For me, I am a very visual learner so I knew I was looking for a program that offered video tutorials. I also needed a strong PAT preparation program with videos and many practice problems.
I would also recommend finding tutoring in subjects that you do not feel strong in. I struggle with math so I sought out a bit of extra help for the Quantitative Reasoning section. There are many forums out there to ask questions and receive explanations, but be sure to fact check and assure the provided information is accurate.
Create a schedule and stick to it. Also, make sure your schedule has built in break time. I cannot stress this enough. Make sure that you are taking time for yourself – I promise it is okay to step away from the books for a bit. I usually studied for a few hours then took a lunch break and went for a walk before returning to study more. Your brain is a muscle and needs to rest just like any muscle you use to exercise.
How did you use Crack the DAT to prepare for the DAT?
I found that Crack the DAT’s Crash Course Videos and PAT simulator were the tools I needed to get the competitive scores I desired. I was able to use their study guides and practice problems to study and found little need for any supplemental programs. I would study the materials Monday through Thursday. This typically included watching videos and highlighting and taking notes on the provided study guides. Each Friday I took a practice exam. On Saturday, I would review the questions that I had missed – making sure to read the explanations and learn something from the supplemental material found in the answer breakdowns. I also found that it was helpful to do about 15 minutes of PAT practice each day to help train my brain adjust to the format of the questions.
Crack the DAT had very engaging material and I found it extremely beneficial that they not only told you which answer was incorrect, but why it was incorrect. The answer key also provided a bit of supplemental information on the other answer choices and why they were not the correct answer. This format helped me to cover more ground in in my studies. I was very impressed with the chat feature on Crack the DAT’s website. I could reach out with any questions or concerns and someone always got back to me in a timely manner, sometimes within minutes. It was assuring as a student to know that I could clarify an answer on a question and know that I was receiving the correct information.
What would you do differently to prepare for the DAT?
I would have spent a lot less money on materials. I was one of those students that thought I needed to purchase all of the programs because there couldn’t possibly be one resource that had everything I needed. Instead of studying productively, I became overwhelmed with the amount of information I thought I had to go through, and had a lot less money to put towards dental school applications and spend on interviews. The more I studied, I realized that Crack the DAT had everything I needed. Aside from some additional math tutoring, I could have purchased only their program and still passed my DAT with flying colors.
I would also switch up where I studied. I spent about a semester long studying for the exam and studied in the same location every day. I would recommend, if time permits, to go to your local library or coffee shop for a change of scenery. Studying for the DAT is a time consuming and tiring process. It is helpful to find ways to keep studying interesting and engaging so that you do not lose focus or interest. I would recommend that in addition to studying in various locations, you should try to find other students who are studying for the DAT. I would have loved to have a study group to bounce ideas off of or review questions. Study groups are a great way to make DAT preparation more engaging and fun. If I were to take the DAT again, I would definitely make an effort to connect with other students.