I'm sooooo depressed...

[Delgado]

Ah well, always next year......Thats the beauty of GAMSAT, sit as many times as you can..Although i think Georges and Notts only accept 2 applications, so may be worth pasing GAMSAT before applying.....
Keep smiling and start reading [/quote]

I think that you can apply as many times as you like, but as Imhotep said, you'll only get interviewed twice.


I only managed a 53 for S1, 51 for S2 and a 50 for S3; and I'm a science grad for cryin out loud!! I think the problem is that I haven't got enough practice which is what let me down, but I'm planning on sitting the GAMSAT again next year because the marks seem to be consistent with that and I know that I have the science knowledge to do it.


Unfortunately, I should have used the Griffiths startegy for writing the essays but decided instead to do it another way. Next time I'll make sure that I don't make the same mistake!! I was a little suprised about section one as I thought it was the hardest and only needed a 50 or 55 on it to pass as long as I got 55 on the third section. Practice, Practice and Practice!!!

[Tommytucker]

I firmly believe that passing the essay section is all about the right sort of preparation. I'm a sciences boy through and through and haven't written an essay since my GCSEs. Because of this I did about 20 practice essays leading up to the exam. Before practicing to write essays blindly, I did some research on how to structure an essay and read through a load of examples. Try this; split your essay into 4 sections. You should have an introduction where you explain what is meant by the quote and maybe give some indication of which way you are going to argue, leaving yourself plenty of wiggle room. Then do arguments for, then do arguments against, then draw your conclusion. Whenever you practice writing the essay stick rigidly to the time constraints to give yourself practice under pressure. Also look up famous generic quotes that you think may be useful when writing an essay cos you get marks for putting those sorts of things in. Research main areas like love, art, ethics, work, joy etc that come up time and time again and memorise a couple of quotes on each topic.

When I started I thought it was hopeless but I was amazed how quickly I improved. I ended up with a 68 in that section which for me is genuinely incredible. There are essay mark schemes around, I'm sure I laid eyes on 1. Prepare smart, and make sure you are hitting the marking points. If you can bare the embarrasment get someone to give you feedback on your essays. If you put the work in you'l get there. Have faith. If it means that much to you start preparing now. 10 months and counting. All the best.

[strippins]

I am a physics grad and haven't written an essay since GCSE also ( maybe the odd short one for AS economics). I used the griffiths guide and followed its advice closely. I found, having read the guide, I understood the passages better than I was doing before in section 1 (and got 61). In section two I followed the 5 step plan to the letter (and got 65), and in section three I made sure to skip around answering everything that was easiest to me first ( and got 73).

In the essay my content was certainly not very good ( I remember thinking at the time not even I really believed the examples I was giving) and my handwriting is absolutely atrocious. Nonetheless by following the griffiths essay sturcture to the letter I believe I achieved the 65.

In section three, I found many of the chemistry questions very tough. However, once I had gone through the paper and answered all the questions that were easy(er) to me, when I came back to the hard ones I wasn't as stressed and I found I could answer them better. I would definitely recommend this strategy. Also, in the griffiths guide pretty much every topic which he said would come up came up. Highly recommended!

[mimx]

I am very very disappointed ( but not suprised) because I must have an issue with standard. I did the grad med study home course questions more specifically practice and acer practice questions and I was getting high seventies ( 75-81 %) both on section I and II. I practice some essay even I dsilike writing I did not think I did that terrible.
I read the griffin review and follow the advice. I Didddd so Crappy not even 50. frustatinggg even though I have 2 to 1 bio degree and even got published.

[fay t]

For section 1: read as much as you can over the next year from a variety of media- newspapers, novels, poetry, plays etc. Try and make sure you understand what they're about and if possible discuss the plays/poems with friends or family to see if you have the same ideas about their mood and what they're about. Also try and improve vocabulary as much as possible- whenever you come across a word you don't understand look it up in a dictionary there and then and make a note of it. I didn't do a particular course but I did practice the Ozimed papers and GAMSAT practice book just to get a feel for how the questions are asked, and try these under strict timed conditions as I think people often do badly by not finishing in time. Try and get your reading up to speed once you've been reading from a variety of sources- get passages, skim read them and then try and note down what you remember, keep practising this until you can do it with ease then the timed conditions of the test won't be so bad.

[Dr Noodle]

Hodiurnal, I love your avatar.

[hodiurnal]

Am just waiting for someone to go to northhampton and steal me the sign...

[Dr Noodle]

When showing gf/bf around your house....'and on my bedroom door is a souvenir of my clinical experience in Northampton. Very good advice I must say...'

[hodiurnal]

My gf's a final year so Im hoping one of her shadows will be in the northampton family planning clinic so I'll get a very large sign shaped xmas present...

[help1984]

Thanks for your help guys. I'll def take on all your advice. I think practice is the key here. And now since I have over 10 months and not just 2 to revise for it I might be able to make it Also, imhotep, I was thinking about taking the open university course before. How helpful was it? Did it deal with similar questions like section I (i.e. poems, fiction, nonfiction,...)? Did you have a lot of essay practice? Sorry about all these questions