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
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