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Use Organizational Apps to Help Streamline MCAT Prep

By U.S. News & World Report

With the depth and breadth of its many topics and types of questions, the MCAT requires months of preparation prior to sitting for the exam. And though some prospective medical school students are naturally organized, with no need for external reminders about studying a certain subject or completing a set of practice questions, most individuals will require a system to ensure that they adequately prep for the MCAT.

Luckily, in our technology-saturated world, several organizational apps exist that can help streamline your MCAT review. As you begin to plan an MCAT study schedule, consider using one or more of these apps to remain accountable to your prep plan.

[Follow a three-month MCAT study plan.]

— Your device’s native calendar app: This app is free on virtually any device that you might own, including an iPhone, a laptop and so on. Most calendar apps allow you to input your daily schedule and set alerts for appointments or events.

How you use one for MCAT review is entirely up to you. Perhaps you schedule your day hour by hour with alerts that signal when it is time to shift from one topic or activity to the next.

Or perhaps you input the large milestones in your MCAT study plan — like taking a practice test or finishing a major review topic — so that you are only alerted about these central structural components of your prep plan.

[Avoid making these four common MCAT prep mistakes.]

— Things: Things is a task manager available only for Apple products that allows users to easily construct to-do lists. Each day, Things presents you with the tasks that you have included on that day’s list, while also offering the flexibility to add to your list as you go.

Unlike a calendar app, Things, which costs $50, enables you to more easily divide your schedule into small components, which is ideal for those pesky but necessary MCAT topics. You can even prioritize to-do items.

For example, if you remember most of the amino acids and only need a short review, you might place that topic in your “Someday” folder as a reminder that this is a less important but still necessary task. Things also allows you to assign labels to to-do items — “biochemistry” or “physics,” for example — and priorities, ranging from high to low.

— MindNode: If you are a visual person, MindNode may be a good way to organize your MCAT prep. MindNode, which costs $30, allows you to create a map of interrelated concepts or thoughts that stem from one central idea so that you can view the connections between content in a vibrant, color-coded format.

This kind of mapping is useful not only for studying biochemical pathways that may crop up on the MCAT, but also for visualizing how to build your study segments. Can you make a connection between some aspects of organic chemistry and biology tested on the MCAT?

Your mind map may help you realize that it is best to study these topics together. You can then plan to group them as a weeklong review segment. MindNode may be best used as a means of mapping out which topics to study concurrently — remember that the MCAT emphasizes interrelated knowledge — and which to review independently.

[Check out these strategies for studying for the new MCAT.]

— Cold Turkey and SelfControl: Cold Turkey, which has both free and paid versions, and the free Self C ontrol are apps available for your computer that block specific websites that may interfere with your studying. Both apps can be used during MCAT review sessions to avoid distracting emails and notifications.

Because you can manually input any websites that you would like to block, you are free to access those that are related to your studying — such as video explanations of certain complex biological and chemical processes. These apps are especially useful during tedious topic review, when it is all too easy to procrastinate or to choose more enjoyable subjects over topics that you struggle with.

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Use Organizational Apps to Help Streamline MCAT Prep originally appeared on usnews.com

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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