Hi everyone,
I need your help!
I'm running out of ideas about what to write. So send me questions via the comment boxes or if you know me on fb! I'll aim to answer as soon as possible.
Annie
Wednesday 30 January 2013
Friday 25 January 2013
Choosing the Right Subjects
Hi Everyone,
HAPPY AUSTRALIA DAY!
I've realised school is starting again very soon and today I wanted to address the importance of choosing the right subjects. I know that a lot of people will aim to do the most challenging subjects they can find. But I'll just tell you my story and hopefully it will help you make good subject choices.
Initially I had chosen the hardest subjects. In year 11 I did specialist maths, maths studies, maths methods (A LOT OF MATHS), physics, chem, bio and english studies. It wasn't easy, but I really enjoyed the challenge. Anywho, I had no real idea of what career I wanted to do in Yr 12, so I chose my subjects at the end of year 11 based on which subjects would give me the most career options. So, I chose Maths Studies, Chem, Physics and English Studies. (NOTE: I'm from South Australia where we only need 4 subjects and we need to pass the research project - which is the easiest subject ever created) But during the summer holidays before Year 12, I was lucky enough to go to the National Youth Science Forum in Canberra (you apply in yr 11 and do your best to get selected! It's really worth going!!! http://www.nysf.edu.au/). Whilst there, I was placed in Florey, the biomed group and I was surrounded by students who were super ambitious and all wanted to be doctors. I guess their passion to combine their love for science and their love for helping others kind of rubbed off on me. As soon as I got back, I was determined to give "getting into medicine" a really good go. I talked to a few people about what was the best way to do this and it turns out the the biggest choice I had to make was to change my school subjects to something which would maximise my atar AND give me enough time to practice UMAT during year 12. SO I did change out of a couple of subjects and made room for Biology.
(If you're in year 11, you'll have even more time to practice UMAT, but you shouldn't feel too comfortable about that! Some people spend years studying for the UMAT, even after yr 12)
This turned out to be pretty hard, emotionally for me. I really enjoyed the subjects I originally chose because the teachers were amazing and the students in these classes were my closest friends. But I knew that it was the right decision to make, so I kept persevering in this decision. Of course, it would have been easier if I decided to choose these subjects BEFORE the timetable had been made. But in the end it turned out well anyway. So from what would have been a super hard study filled year, it became an cruisier year of school with enough time to practice UMAT at night.
Some top tips for students picking yr 12 or 11 SACE subjects (but it might apply for other states too)
1) Pick what you are good at - You'll need as high an ATAR as you can get
2) Don't try to challenge yourself too much, unless you are sure you are an A straight genius student, UMAT will be a big enough challenge for you to pass
3) Only trim down your other options (eg. dropping physics) if you are SUPER SURE you want to be a HAPPY spending the rest of your life as a doctor or a dentist
4) Research the prerequisite subjects of the course you want
for Example, at James Cook Uni in Townsville, although you won't need UMAT to apply for med there, you will need to have done Maths Studies.
ADDITIONALLY, if you want to keep your options open interstate, you will need to have completed ESL, English Coms or English Studies.
5) Stay strong. Once you've made a final decision, don't let people sway you out of it.
For me, the hardest part was this one. My friends and teachers wanted me back in the classes I dropped but I just had to stick with what I had chosen. After a while I got used to being in different classes, but I did miss my friends a lot! I got to see them at lunch, but that's not the same... Ultimately, it comes down to fun vs future... future is more important.
OK guys,
If you're in year twelve, its not too late to change your subjects. I changed mine on the first day of year 12!
Good Luck!
I'm not trying to scare you, but I want you to know what you are getting yourself into.
It won't be easy, but if Med/Dent is what you really really want, it will be worth it.
Annie
Here's a copy and paste section of the Adelaide Uni Website:
This is what the uni expects from you guys,
but the reality is, to get into med,
1) you'll need a good UMAT (aim for higher than mid 80 percentile in Adelaide)
2) you'll need an amazing interview
3) you'll need a high atar. Even though minimum score is 90, all candidates are ranked and only the top group of people will get offers. Be in that top group!
http://www.adelaide.edu.au/degree-finder/bmbbs_bmbbs.html
Prerequisites
HAPPY AUSTRALIA DAY!
I've realised school is starting again very soon and today I wanted to address the importance of choosing the right subjects. I know that a lot of people will aim to do the most challenging subjects they can find. But I'll just tell you my story and hopefully it will help you make good subject choices.
Initially I had chosen the hardest subjects. In year 11 I did specialist maths, maths studies, maths methods (A LOT OF MATHS), physics, chem, bio and english studies. It wasn't easy, but I really enjoyed the challenge. Anywho, I had no real idea of what career I wanted to do in Yr 12, so I chose my subjects at the end of year 11 based on which subjects would give me the most career options. So, I chose Maths Studies, Chem, Physics and English Studies. (NOTE: I'm from South Australia where we only need 4 subjects and we need to pass the research project - which is the easiest subject ever created) But during the summer holidays before Year 12, I was lucky enough to go to the National Youth Science Forum in Canberra (you apply in yr 11 and do your best to get selected! It's really worth going!!! http://www.nysf.edu.au/). Whilst there, I was placed in Florey, the biomed group and I was surrounded by students who were super ambitious and all wanted to be doctors. I guess their passion to combine their love for science and their love for helping others kind of rubbed off on me. As soon as I got back, I was determined to give "getting into medicine" a really good go. I talked to a few people about what was the best way to do this and it turns out the the biggest choice I had to make was to change my school subjects to something which would maximise my atar AND give me enough time to practice UMAT during year 12. SO I did change out of a couple of subjects and made room for Biology.
(If you're in year 11, you'll have even more time to practice UMAT, but you shouldn't feel too comfortable about that! Some people spend years studying for the UMAT, even after yr 12)
This turned out to be pretty hard, emotionally for me. I really enjoyed the subjects I originally chose because the teachers were amazing and the students in these classes were my closest friends. But I knew that it was the right decision to make, so I kept persevering in this decision. Of course, it would have been easier if I decided to choose these subjects BEFORE the timetable had been made. But in the end it turned out well anyway. So from what would have been a super hard study filled year, it became an cruisier year of school with enough time to practice UMAT at night.
Some top tips for students picking yr 12 or 11 SACE subjects (but it might apply for other states too)
1) Pick what you are good at - You'll need as high an ATAR as you can get
2) Don't try to challenge yourself too much, unless you are sure you are an A straight genius student, UMAT will be a big enough challenge for you to pass
3) Only trim down your other options (eg. dropping physics) if you are SUPER SURE you want to be a HAPPY spending the rest of your life as a doctor or a dentist
4) Research the prerequisite subjects of the course you want
for Example, at James Cook Uni in Townsville, although you won't need UMAT to apply for med there, you will need to have done Maths Studies.
ADDITIONALLY, if you want to keep your options open interstate, you will need to have completed ESL, English Coms or English Studies.
5) Stay strong. Once you've made a final decision, don't let people sway you out of it.
For me, the hardest part was this one. My friends and teachers wanted me back in the classes I dropped but I just had to stick with what I had chosen. After a while I got used to being in different classes, but I did miss my friends a lot! I got to see them at lunch, but that's not the same... Ultimately, it comes down to fun vs future... future is more important.
OK guys,
If you're in year twelve, its not too late to change your subjects. I changed mine on the first day of year 12!
Good Luck!
I'm not trying to scare you, but I want you to know what you are getting yourself into.
It won't be easy, but if Med/Dent is what you really really want, it will be worth it.
Annie
Here's a copy and paste section of the Adelaide Uni Website:
This is what the uni expects from you guys,
but the reality is, to get into med,
1) you'll need a good UMAT (aim for higher than mid 80 percentile in Adelaide)
2) you'll need an amazing interview
3) you'll need a high atar. Even though minimum score is 90, all candidates are ranked and only the top group of people will get offers. Be in that top group!
http://www.adelaide.edu.au/degree-finder/bmbbs_bmbbs.html
Year 12 applicants
An Australian Tertiary Admissions Rank (ATAR) of 90 or above must be achieved. You must sit the Undergraduate Medicine & Health Sciences Admission Test (UMAT) and top UMAT performers must also attend a structured oral assessment. Applications will be ranked on the basis of all 3 components: the UMAT, oral assessment and ATAR.
RURAL BACKGROUND ENTRY (USE SATAC CODE 314552): Applicants who have at least 5 years in an area with an Australian Standard Geographic Classification - Remoteness Areas (ASGC-RA) of AGS - RA 2-5 since beginning primary school are eligible to apply under the Rural Background Entry Pathway. Please refer to the Department of Health and Aging's website to search the classification of your location. To be considered in the Rural Background Entry subquota, applicants must apply via SATAC in the normal way. Applicants must also, within 10 working days after submitting the SATAC application, submit a Statutory Declaration to SATAC which confirms that they have spent at least five years in a rural area (Remoteness Areas (ASGC-RA) of AGS - RA 2-5) since beginning primary school. A Statutory Declaration form can be downloaded at www.health.adelaide.edu.au/tracking.
Prerequisites 
SACE Stage 2: Biology or Chemistry or Mathematical Studies. IB: Biology (SL grade 4/HL grade 3) or Chemistry (SL grade 4/HL grade 3) or Mathematics (SL grade 4/HL grade 3).
Thursday 24 January 2013
Motivation
Hi everyone, today's post is going to be short. But I am planning on doing a post about how to do each section soon. Thanks for reading this! As part of my exam prep I found heaps of motivation quotes and stuck my favourite ones on the wall of my study area. Here's one I wanted to share with you, I repeated it so much, I know it off by heart now! "If you fail to prepare, you are preparing to fail." - I guess it was one of those perfect quotes that sum up everything, especially if you are a professional procrastinator (time waster) like me. Ok, I gotta go work/socialise/eat now!!!
Annie
Annie
Wednesday 23 January 2013
The Different Ways of Studying UMAT
Hi Everyone,
I know that everyone will have their own unique combination of what works best for them. But in this post I will discuss all the different things that I tried when I was practising for the UMAT. There is definitely a lot more ways out there. But here are the ways that I found most helpful:
1) NIE and Medentry
I've realised that these two words appeared a LOT in my first post and I thought it was very important to tell you exactly what I think about each and all the information you should know about them if you are thinking about signing up. NIE sell packages of books starting from $525. http://www.nie.edu.au/ I first heard about them through an ad in the school weekly newpaper. Mum really wanted me to start preparing for UMAT in yr 11. So I enrolled in NIE and did some of the questions and attended their workshop. I found that starting my prep in Yr 11 was really helpful because it enabled me to learn about the UMAT before it became a stressful thing. In year twelve it is a lot closer, and it will seem a lot scarier because you'll have less time to prepare. But in year 11, it still seems far away. Regardless of whether you are in yr 11 or 12, NIE does help a lot. I ended up signing up for the packages again the next year. They have new books each year with new questions but the same introductions. Meh. The questions are what is the most important and the most useful. What I liked most about having the questions on paper, is that I was able to take them anywhere. Sometimes I did them in the library during my frees in Yr 12. Or I could do them before I went to sleep at night. Plus, having a book is much more realistic to the actual UMAT, which will be on paper.
However, MedEntry also has its perks. It might be on a computer and the only way to access it will be through the internet. But it does enable you to see the answer and explanation to questions straight away (after you complete the drill or Exam). You get 12 Exams with MedEntry and another one at their workshop. You'll also have lots and lots of drills. Think of them as practice mini tests. It costs a minimum of $570 to use medentry. But I like how they explain all their answers and mark your work instantaneously. Whereas NIE is marked by you and you'll need to flip to the back of the book to see the answers (which have miniumum explainations). http://www.medentry.edu.au/
Medentry also has a forum where you can chat to other people about the questions you do and the also have an email address which you can use to ask for help. Its actually really reliable because you can get a reply the next day. My favourite thing about MedEntry is that the questions you do have a timer at the bottom of the page to show you how much time you have left. Also, at the end of every Exam, you are given a percentile which shows you what percentil of people scored lower than you. This way, there is a competitive edge to practicing UMAT. It gives you a way to compare yourself to others. However, its important to remember that the percentile you get on MedEntry will not be an accurate representation of where you stand compared to every single person who sits the umat. But I guess its better than nothing!
2) Group work vs Working Alone
The tutor I went to encouraged us to work in groups. His theory was that since everyone thinks differently, if we work together, we learn the different ways other people think and this will give us more ways to get to the right answer. This is very helpful when you are stuck on a section 3 question! The only bad thing about group work is that you can easily get distracted. BUT, if you all do your best to stay focussed and take a break every so often, group work can be extremely helpful. Using NIE books its really easy to work together at the same time. But this is a little harder for MedEntry users because you might scroll down the page faster/slower than everyone else. Groups of 3s are best for working together, any more and it becomes super easy to get distracted. I had one best friend that I always worked with. We did organise a group of three, but sometimes (especially in Yr 12) it does get hard for everyone to show up every week! As long as you all try to be there, things should work out. Good places to work together are at public libraries because its always so quiet and peaceful. However, I found that it can get stuffy and uncomfortable and sleepy sometimes when you sit too long in there. So make sure you have food breaks where you can go to a different room or outside and eat(and chat!)
Working alone is also great and it is much easier to do this because you wont need to organise anything. But just make sure that if you do get stuck on a question, you should try and figure it out. But if you still can't do it, save it for when you see a friend and ASK! Asking is really important! Don't be afraid of making mistakes. As long as you can learn how to tackle them next time. Who knows, the same or similar question may pop up in your UMAT paper!
I forgot to explain how exactly I practise UMAT alone or in a group. Usually we did questions in chunks of 10 and marked them. Then we went through them and discussed how we got to the answer. Sometimes the answers in the book can be wrong, so its important to speak up about your thought process and see if the people in your group also agree with your answer. When I'm alone, I usually just think it through myself why I'm wrong or right. But another person's opinion is always helpful.
3) Get a tutor
My whole life until Year 12, I've never had a tutor before because I have always been afraid that its a waste of money. I've always been able to study hard on my own so I never thought I would ever need anyone else's help. However, I am happy that my family gave me the opportunity to study under the guidance of a very good tutor. Good tutors may cost a lot, but as long as they know what they're talking about, I guess they're worth it. Tutors will also have their own set of UMAT practise questions too! As mentioned already my tutor liked having group sessions. I know there are one on one tutors out there too, but I agree with my tutor's view that having more brains in one room does teach you more ways to think.
Ok, so those were my ways of practising the UMAT. I don't know if they will work as well for you guys, but I'm sure some of them should. I think as long as you research as much as you can about the UMAT and understand what you are getting into. You will be as prepared as you can possibly be. One more final note, I know it will be boring to practise. I know it will not always make you happy. (I used to come home from the tutor in the grumpiest moods because it too so much energy to keep practicing and putting up with being wrong all the time) BUT if you persevere and stay positive, I'm sure you won't be wasteing your time. Anyway, if you do Biology, the practice in doing multiple choice questions so much actually is pretty handy!
Good luck everyone, I'll try and post more tomorrow.
Annie
I know that everyone will have their own unique combination of what works best for them. But in this post I will discuss all the different things that I tried when I was practising for the UMAT. There is definitely a lot more ways out there. But here are the ways that I found most helpful:
1) NIE and Medentry
I've realised that these two words appeared a LOT in my first post and I thought it was very important to tell you exactly what I think about each and all the information you should know about them if you are thinking about signing up. NIE sell packages of books starting from $525. http://www.nie.edu.au/ I first heard about them through an ad in the school weekly newpaper. Mum really wanted me to start preparing for UMAT in yr 11. So I enrolled in NIE and did some of the questions and attended their workshop. I found that starting my prep in Yr 11 was really helpful because it enabled me to learn about the UMAT before it became a stressful thing. In year twelve it is a lot closer, and it will seem a lot scarier because you'll have less time to prepare. But in year 11, it still seems far away. Regardless of whether you are in yr 11 or 12, NIE does help a lot. I ended up signing up for the packages again the next year. They have new books each year with new questions but the same introductions. Meh. The questions are what is the most important and the most useful. What I liked most about having the questions on paper, is that I was able to take them anywhere. Sometimes I did them in the library during my frees in Yr 12. Or I could do them before I went to sleep at night. Plus, having a book is much more realistic to the actual UMAT, which will be on paper.
However, MedEntry also has its perks. It might be on a computer and the only way to access it will be through the internet. But it does enable you to see the answer and explanation to questions straight away (after you complete the drill or Exam). You get 12 Exams with MedEntry and another one at their workshop. You'll also have lots and lots of drills. Think of them as practice mini tests. It costs a minimum of $570 to use medentry. But I like how they explain all their answers and mark your work instantaneously. Whereas NIE is marked by you and you'll need to flip to the back of the book to see the answers (which have miniumum explainations). http://www.medentry.edu.au/
Medentry also has a forum where you can chat to other people about the questions you do and the also have an email address which you can use to ask for help. Its actually really reliable because you can get a reply the next day. My favourite thing about MedEntry is that the questions you do have a timer at the bottom of the page to show you how much time you have left. Also, at the end of every Exam, you are given a percentile which shows you what percentil of people scored lower than you. This way, there is a competitive edge to practicing UMAT. It gives you a way to compare yourself to others. However, its important to remember that the percentile you get on MedEntry will not be an accurate representation of where you stand compared to every single person who sits the umat. But I guess its better than nothing!
2) Group work vs Working Alone
The tutor I went to encouraged us to work in groups. His theory was that since everyone thinks differently, if we work together, we learn the different ways other people think and this will give us more ways to get to the right answer. This is very helpful when you are stuck on a section 3 question! The only bad thing about group work is that you can easily get distracted. BUT, if you all do your best to stay focussed and take a break every so often, group work can be extremely helpful. Using NIE books its really easy to work together at the same time. But this is a little harder for MedEntry users because you might scroll down the page faster/slower than everyone else. Groups of 3s are best for working together, any more and it becomes super easy to get distracted. I had one best friend that I always worked with. We did organise a group of three, but sometimes (especially in Yr 12) it does get hard for everyone to show up every week! As long as you all try to be there, things should work out. Good places to work together are at public libraries because its always so quiet and peaceful. However, I found that it can get stuffy and uncomfortable and sleepy sometimes when you sit too long in there. So make sure you have food breaks where you can go to a different room or outside and eat(and chat!)
Working alone is also great and it is much easier to do this because you wont need to organise anything. But just make sure that if you do get stuck on a question, you should try and figure it out. But if you still can't do it, save it for when you see a friend and ASK! Asking is really important! Don't be afraid of making mistakes. As long as you can learn how to tackle them next time. Who knows, the same or similar question may pop up in your UMAT paper!
I forgot to explain how exactly I practise UMAT alone or in a group. Usually we did questions in chunks of 10 and marked them. Then we went through them and discussed how we got to the answer. Sometimes the answers in the book can be wrong, so its important to speak up about your thought process and see if the people in your group also agree with your answer. When I'm alone, I usually just think it through myself why I'm wrong or right. But another person's opinion is always helpful.
3) Get a tutor
My whole life until Year 12, I've never had a tutor before because I have always been afraid that its a waste of money. I've always been able to study hard on my own so I never thought I would ever need anyone else's help. However, I am happy that my family gave me the opportunity to study under the guidance of a very good tutor. Good tutors may cost a lot, but as long as they know what they're talking about, I guess they're worth it. Tutors will also have their own set of UMAT practise questions too! As mentioned already my tutor liked having group sessions. I know there are one on one tutors out there too, but I agree with my tutor's view that having more brains in one room does teach you more ways to think.
Ok, so those were my ways of practising the UMAT. I don't know if they will work as well for you guys, but I'm sure some of them should. I think as long as you research as much as you can about the UMAT and understand what you are getting into. You will be as prepared as you can possibly be. One more final note, I know it will be boring to practise. I know it will not always make you happy. (I used to come home from the tutor in the grumpiest moods because it too so much energy to keep practicing and putting up with being wrong all the time) BUT if you persevere and stay positive, I'm sure you won't be wasteing your time. Anyway, if you do Biology, the practice in doing multiple choice questions so much actually is pretty handy!
Good luck everyone, I'll try and post more tomorrow.
Annie
START PRACTISING
1) Practise
2) Practise more
There are people out there who have been doing UMAT preparation since yr 8! You are already behind!
Take this exam seriously and take your practise time seriously. Its fine to make mistakes while you practise, but its not good if you dont improve. I went to a tutor, I bought NIE books and I used Medentry. I know people who used more services than me and still didnt get through. UMAT is HARD! But if you take it seriously and practice, you will do better than if you didn't!
I can't guarantee you will do well on the first try. But I'm sure some practise is better than none.
3) Know what to expect by practising heaps and aiming to finish everything before you run out of time. UMAT is essentially a race. Most people don't finish it. I didn't finish it and my percentile was 94. You need to be fast but you also need to be accurate. So get as many questions you can and practice them. Go through the books more than twice. Finish the section three book? Turn it upside down and do it! Finish doing that too? Turn it to the right! Medentry is good for keeping track of your timing and your speed, However NIE is good for section three because you can turn a book easier than a laptop!
I know a lot of people feel that the UMAT is a test which can't be studied for. But there actually is a lot which you can do to increase your chances of passing. The UMAT is a multiple choice exam which has 3 sections.
Section 1: Logical Reasoning
This is basically about comprehension, but it also has a bit of problem solving. If you go to St Dom's or any other school in Australia that does the Informatic's Competition, I think Section 1 is a cross between the informatics and an English comprehension question. The best way to prepare for these questions is to get your reading speed up and also your problem solving skills. Get your hands on as many logic puzzles as possible. Logic puzzles can be very tricky, but it is better to be prepared for something harder than the umat than something easier. Here's a link to an example of a logic puzzle, just remember in the umat you wont have time to use a grid! But use the grid to begin practising with! http://www.puzzlersparadise.com/onlinelogic/ShippingPackages.htm
Section 2: Understanding People
In this section, there will be a chunk of writing about a situation. It can be a conversation between a child and their parent, a convo between friends, coworkers or even doctor and patient conversations. Or it can just be an extract of a short story. eg, Paul is a farmer who lives with his family. His family has been living in the same house for 3 generations, growing the same crops on the same farm. He must come home to tell them that there is a catastrophic bushfire risk and that they must all evacuate. Then the question will be something like: How does Paul feel? BUT the way to prepare for this section is to know the meaning of different emotive words. We are very used to using the same words but never think of how strong they are or what the difference in meaning are. For example, Paul may feel Angry, Frustrated, Disappointed and Shocked at the same time. But you will only be able to choose 1 emotion as the answer. Hence, you will need to be able to learn EXACTLY which word is best to use about Paul. Going to different courses, I know that there are different ways to tackle this question as different people will think of different answers. However, a rough rule is to choose the VERY FIRST emotion that Paul feels. In this case, it will be Shock! THUS, YOU SHOULD KEEP A BOOK WITH ALL THE EMOTION WORDS YOU COME ACROSS THAT YOU AREN'T 100% SURE OF WHAT THEY MEAN AND LOOK THEM UP! Then maybe group them and order them from strongest to weakest later on. eg. Angry is stronger than Frustrated
For both section 1 and 2, READING SPEED IS SUPER IMPORTANT. So when you do have time. Read as many books as possible. I loved reading as a little kid and I read a LOT during the younger years of high school, but even with my familiarity with reading i still ran out of time during section 1 and 2. If this also happens to you, GUESS and colour those empty bubbls as fast as you can!
Section 3: Non Verbal Reasoning
This one is all about PATTERNS!
But don't stress, you don't need to be artistic, you need to be logical
OUT OF ALL THE SECTIONS THIS ONE IS THE EASIEST TO PRACTICE!
If you do well in Section 3, you are very likely to have done better than A LOT of people. Here's where there is a huge gap between people who practice and those who dont. If you practice, you get used to knowing what to look for and you can actually SEE the answer. Your brain clicks! but if you dont, you will have a huge headache and probably panic. Out of all the sections, you will improve the most if you practice this section. Hence, START PRACTICING SECTION 3 AS SOON AS POSSIBLE! This website has some free questions: http://www.indiabix.com/non-verbal-reasoning/questions-and-answers/
But (in my opinion) nothing beats Medentry and NIE. They give you so many questions = hours worth of practicing. Aim to do 20 questions a night for a week. then increase it to 50, 75 and 100. Also aim for 50% accuracy, then one you can beat that easily 70%. Then after you can get them 70%, start trying to do them faster. Ultimate aim is 60secs or faster per question!
Here's a funny thought, this is what people at the workshops said about how you know you are good enough at section 3, YOU ARE GOOD ENOUGH WHEN ALL YOU CAN SEE AROUND YOU (IN NORMAL LIFE) ARE PATTERNS! This happened to me probably a month before UMAT. START PRACTICING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Ok.....
Any Questions?
Final comment.
Section 3 is easiest to practice. Once you get the hang of it (also once you go through the book twice) you'll memorise the answers/patterns/techniques and you will fly through it! (You'll also get better at guessing :D ) Anywho, Guessing will be another blog post!
Section 1 is the next one you can practice for. Lots of logic involved. Do heaps of maths problem solving questions. Anyone doing physics should be able to train up their problem solving skills with their physics homework. At the tutor's house, we were all given Mathletics books... Maths Olympics? Something like that. Questions like: If my mum is twice my age now and 10 years ago she was only a quarter, how old is she now? Those questions! (I'm not trying to advertise for them, I'm trying to help you! Share the cost of Medentry and NIE equally in a group and you will have plenty of questions to go round!)
Section 2 is the hardest to improve on. If you have bad social skills, make an effort to improve them. At least learn the emotion words!
That's all for tonight.
I'll post more specifically about each Section in the future too!
And answer any questions you guys give me :)
Hope this helps,
Annie
2) Practise more
There are people out there who have been doing UMAT preparation since yr 8! You are already behind!
Take this exam seriously and take your practise time seriously. Its fine to make mistakes while you practise, but its not good if you dont improve. I went to a tutor, I bought NIE books and I used Medentry. I know people who used more services than me and still didnt get through. UMAT is HARD! But if you take it seriously and practice, you will do better than if you didn't!
I can't guarantee you will do well on the first try. But I'm sure some practise is better than none.
3) Know what to expect by practising heaps and aiming to finish everything before you run out of time. UMAT is essentially a race. Most people don't finish it. I didn't finish it and my percentile was 94. You need to be fast but you also need to be accurate. So get as many questions you can and practice them. Go through the books more than twice. Finish the section three book? Turn it upside down and do it! Finish doing that too? Turn it to the right! Medentry is good for keeping track of your timing and your speed, However NIE is good for section three because you can turn a book easier than a laptop!
I know a lot of people feel that the UMAT is a test which can't be studied for. But there actually is a lot which you can do to increase your chances of passing. The UMAT is a multiple choice exam which has 3 sections.
Section 1: Logical Reasoning
This is basically about comprehension, but it also has a bit of problem solving. If you go to St Dom's or any other school in Australia that does the Informatic's Competition, I think Section 1 is a cross between the informatics and an English comprehension question. The best way to prepare for these questions is to get your reading speed up and also your problem solving skills. Get your hands on as many logic puzzles as possible. Logic puzzles can be very tricky, but it is better to be prepared for something harder than the umat than something easier. Here's a link to an example of a logic puzzle, just remember in the umat you wont have time to use a grid! But use the grid to begin practising with! http://www.puzzlersparadise.com/onlinelogic/ShippingPackages.htm
Section 2: Understanding People
In this section, there will be a chunk of writing about a situation. It can be a conversation between a child and their parent, a convo between friends, coworkers or even doctor and patient conversations. Or it can just be an extract of a short story. eg, Paul is a farmer who lives with his family. His family has been living in the same house for 3 generations, growing the same crops on the same farm. He must come home to tell them that there is a catastrophic bushfire risk and that they must all evacuate. Then the question will be something like: How does Paul feel? BUT the way to prepare for this section is to know the meaning of different emotive words. We are very used to using the same words but never think of how strong they are or what the difference in meaning are. For example, Paul may feel Angry, Frustrated, Disappointed and Shocked at the same time. But you will only be able to choose 1 emotion as the answer. Hence, you will need to be able to learn EXACTLY which word is best to use about Paul. Going to different courses, I know that there are different ways to tackle this question as different people will think of different answers. However, a rough rule is to choose the VERY FIRST emotion that Paul feels. In this case, it will be Shock! THUS, YOU SHOULD KEEP A BOOK WITH ALL THE EMOTION WORDS YOU COME ACROSS THAT YOU AREN'T 100% SURE OF WHAT THEY MEAN AND LOOK THEM UP! Then maybe group them and order them from strongest to weakest later on. eg. Angry is stronger than Frustrated
For both section 1 and 2, READING SPEED IS SUPER IMPORTANT. So when you do have time. Read as many books as possible. I loved reading as a little kid and I read a LOT during the younger years of high school, but even with my familiarity with reading i still ran out of time during section 1 and 2. If this also happens to you, GUESS and colour those empty bubbls as fast as you can!
Section 3: Non Verbal Reasoning
This one is all about PATTERNS!
But don't stress, you don't need to be artistic, you need to be logical
OUT OF ALL THE SECTIONS THIS ONE IS THE EASIEST TO PRACTICE!
If you do well in Section 3, you are very likely to have done better than A LOT of people. Here's where there is a huge gap between people who practice and those who dont. If you practice, you get used to knowing what to look for and you can actually SEE the answer. Your brain clicks! but if you dont, you will have a huge headache and probably panic. Out of all the sections, you will improve the most if you practice this section. Hence, START PRACTICING SECTION 3 AS SOON AS POSSIBLE! This website has some free questions: http://www.indiabix.com/non-verbal-reasoning/questions-and-answers/
But (in my opinion) nothing beats Medentry and NIE. They give you so many questions = hours worth of practicing. Aim to do 20 questions a night for a week. then increase it to 50, 75 and 100. Also aim for 50% accuracy, then one you can beat that easily 70%. Then after you can get them 70%, start trying to do them faster. Ultimate aim is 60secs or faster per question!
Here's a funny thought, this is what people at the workshops said about how you know you are good enough at section 3, YOU ARE GOOD ENOUGH WHEN ALL YOU CAN SEE AROUND YOU (IN NORMAL LIFE) ARE PATTERNS! This happened to me probably a month before UMAT. START PRACTICING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Ok.....
Any Questions?
Final comment.
Section 3 is easiest to practice. Once you get the hang of it (also once you go through the book twice) you'll memorise the answers/patterns/techniques and you will fly through it! (You'll also get better at guessing :D ) Anywho, Guessing will be another blog post!
Section 1 is the next one you can practice for. Lots of logic involved. Do heaps of maths problem solving questions. Anyone doing physics should be able to train up their problem solving skills with their physics homework. At the tutor's house, we were all given Mathletics books... Maths Olympics? Something like that. Questions like: If my mum is twice my age now and 10 years ago she was only a quarter, how old is she now? Those questions! (I'm not trying to advertise for them, I'm trying to help you! Share the cost of Medentry and NIE equally in a group and you will have plenty of questions to go round!)
Section 2 is the hardest to improve on. If you have bad social skills, make an effort to improve them. At least learn the emotion words!
That's all for tonight.
I'll post more specifically about each Section in the future too!
And answer any questions you guys give me :)
Hope this helps,
Annie
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