*Everything HPAT and Medicine 2014*

outnumbered

little sis... wrote: »

I am going to practice some hpat when I'm off on holidays but do you recommend taking some books and what not to study for the actualy leaving cert or should I just focus on the hpat?

I know you're not asking me, but Just HPAT now. I'd also say keep up the language skills with Duolingo and perfect the maths you are struggling with But mainly HPAT. As Omega said, you wont get time like this again. Ever.

little sis...

Thanks so much

And best of luck to you guys on Monday, I genuinely hope you guys get what you want and what you worked hard for!

outnumbered

little sis... wrote: »

Thanks so much

And best of luck to you guys on Monday, I genuinely hope you guys get what you want and what you worked hard for!

I think no matter how I do in the HPAT, my Leaving cert has f'd me up!
Some more advice regarding the Leaving cert before I forget:
Do not take for granted the subjects you are good at.
There wasn't ever a time in my fifth year exams that I got below an A1 in most subjects. The beginning of 6th year, the trend continued. My mocks in october, I did excellently! Then came the march mocks and bam! 495!
I began to late to realise that I wasn't learning the stuff off in time. You know the learning off you do before a test, then you go in and write it.? That's not enough. I thought If I done this several times that It would stick-Surprise surprise.
Start learning like you have the actual leaving cert in September. Keep doing exam questions.
I know I sound like a sore loser now, but the exams this year were quite different in Biology and chemistry. Gone are the days of having set questions. The SEC want you to know EVERYTHING.
Now although I feel I have hit the 500's, it's jsut not enough. I more than Likely will be repeating!
Good luck guys.

PS.. although you should do a little HPAT prep now, take it easy. Relax. Have fun. Life is for living!
Keeping the balance in a career like Medicine is vital. Do not let the stress take over you. Keep control!

little sis...

outnumbered wrote: »

I think no matter how I do in the HPAT, my Leaving cert has f'd me up!
Some more advice regarding the Leaving cert before I forget:
Do not take for granted the subjects you are good at.
There wasn't ever a time in my fifth year exams that I got below an A1 in most subjects. The beginning of 6th year, the trend continued. My mocks in october, I did excellently! Then came the march mocks and bam! 495!
I began to late to realise that I wasn't learning the stuff off in time. You know the learning off you do before a test, then you go in and write it.? That's not enough. I thought If I done this several times that It would stick-Surprise surprise.
Start learning like you have the actual leaving cert in September. Keep doing exam questions.
I know I sound like a sore loser now, but the exams this year were quite different in Biology and chemistry. Gone are the days of having set questions. The SEC want you to know EVERYTHING.
Now although I feel I have hit the 500's, it's jsut not enough. I more than Likely will be repeating!
Good luck guys.

PS.. although you should do a little HPAT prep now, take it easy. Relax. Have fun. Life is for living!
Keeping the balance in a career like Medicine is vital. Do not let the stress take over you. Keep control!

Thanks for the advice
Don't beat yourself up about it though, its over now and you did your best and you'll find a way to get medicine, whether it's repeating, taking a year out, going in another route through another course but don't let a terrible education system beat you

woopah92

5th years, start studying now!
Practice exam questions. Time yourself. Sit mock exams in exam like conditions. Read as much as you can to improve your vocabulary. Keep a a notepad with all the new words and definitions you come across and keep going back over them. The actual HPAT is normally around mock time so don't be too hard on yourself if the mock results aren't what you expected. The HPAT is more important. What's going to get you into college? Mock results or HPAT? Just put in as much effort as you can lads, it'll all be worth it one day. :P

EoghanIRL

woopah92 wrote: »

5th years, start studying now!
Practice exam questions. Time yourself. Sit mock exams in exam like conditions. Read as much as you can to improve your vocabulary. Keep a a notepad with all the new words and definitions you come across and keep going back over them. The actual HPAT is normally around mock time so don't be too hard on yourself if the mock results aren't what you expected. The HPAT is more important. What's going to get you into college? Mock results or HPAT? Just put in as much effort as you can lads, it'll all be worth it one day. :P

Great advice . I am going on holidays this week but when I come back I will have 7 weeks for revision and practicing hpat . Any advice on books for the hpat ? I did the online sample and found it good . I practice mensa puzzles aswell . Is the right kind of stuff to be learning ?

0mega

EoghanIRL wrote: »

Great advice . I am going on holidays this week but when I come back I will have 7 weeks for revision and practicing hpat . Any advice on books for the hpat ? I did the online sample and found it good . I practice mensa puzzles aswell . Is the right kind of stuff to be learning ?

Skills to focus on:

- Speed reading
- Critical thinking
- Graph reading
- Emotional vocabulary

I did Sudoku, puzzles etc but I don't feel it helped too much. The section 3 puzzles are different and just require a bit of practice to learn the common patterns and sequences to crack them.

I'll post help here over the Summer on how to do them.

woopah92

EoghanIRL wrote: »

Great advice . I am going on holidays this week but when I come back I will have 7 weeks for revision and practicing hpat . Any advice on books for the hpat ? I did the online sample and found it good . I practice mensa puzzles aswell . Is the right kind of stuff to be learning ?

Hmm, I don't know of any books for the HPAT. A certain preparation course gives out lots of practice material, so make sure you go to one of them if you can. Mensa puzzles can't do you any harm. But HPAT focused material would be better.
And yes, speed reading and critical thinking are VITAL for doing well. Also, you need to be able to move on mentally. As in, if you cannot figure out an answer, just move on and don't let it affect your other answers. I tried to read as many medical journals and health sections in newspapers as I could too.

outnumbered

HPAT 2014 study has begun!
Ohhh I shudder at the memories of this ****! :P Please let the Gods Be looking down on me this year!!

woopah92

outnumbered wrote: »

HPAT 2014 study has begun!
Ohhh I shudder at the memories of this ****! :P Please let the Gods Be looking down on me this year!!

You haven't got the results of this year's. And the LC too. Be optimistic!

outnumbered

woopah92 wrote: »

You haven't got the results of this year's. And the LC too. Be optimistic!

That's my downfall, I can never be optimistic about Medicine. Anytime I get remotely hopeful, something happens so I try and fall before I actually do, so that it wont hurt as much.

woopah92

outnumbered wrote: »

That's my downfall, I can never be optimistic about Medicine. Anytime I get remotely hopeful, something happens so I try and fall before I actually do, so that it wont hurt as much.

Haha, me too. I've told my parents that I "don't want to do medicine anymore" and pharmacy is my #1. :pac: Anyone who asks me what I want to do, I never mention medicine. :P What do you think would be the minimum score that would we would need to get us into medicine ANYWHERE?

outnumbered

woopah92 wrote: »

Haha, me too. I've told my parents that I "don't want to do medicine anymore" and pharmacy is my #1. :pac: Anyone who asks me what I want to do, I never mention medicine. :P What do you think would be the minimum score that would we would need to get us into medicine ANYWHERE?

Hahaha! I am too late. If i going into the f-ing newsagents: "Hi. My mam said you're going for Medicine? Fair play...." ughhhh
Combined? I'd say 742 galway.
So even with max leaving cert, you need 177 minimum in the HPAT.
Firstly, I haven't even got 550 and secondly, I am expecting a score like 150 LOL

woopah92

outnumbered wrote: »

Hahaha! I am too late. If i going into the f-ing newsagents: "Hi. My mam said you're going for Medicine? Fair play...." ughhhh
Combined? I'd say 742 galway.
So even with max leaving cert, you need 177 minimum in the HPAT.
Firstly, I haven't even got 550 and secondly, I am expecting a score like 150 LOL

I made the mistake of telling the woman who cuts my hair that I want to do medicine like 4 months ago, and now everytime I go back in, she asks me if I've gotten the HPAT results yet. Depending on Monday, I may have to change hairdressers :pac:
lol a max leaving cert. I'm HOPING get around 590ish...so that leaves about a 190 HPAT score to get into UCD. All hope has now gone. FU HPAT.

outnumbered

woopah92 wrote: »

I made the mistake of telling the woman who cuts my hair that I want to do medicine like 4 months ago, and now everytime I go back in, she asks me if I've gotten the HPAT results yet. Depending on Monday, I may have to change hairdressers :pac:
lol a max leaving cert. I'm HOPING get around 590ish...so that leaves about a 190 HPAT score to get into UCD. All hope has now gone. FU HPAT.

LOL! i know all about that ****e haha!!
Oh wow, 590? I once expected that, not after chemistry! or a lot of subjects mind you!
I know, stupid HPAT!

EoghanIRL

0mega wrote: »

Skills to focus on:

- Speed reading
- Critical thinking
- Graph reading
- Emotional vocabulary

I did Sudoku, puzzles etc but I don't feel it helped too much. The section 3 puzzles are different and just require a bit of practice to learn the common patterns and sequences to crack them.

I'll post help here over the Summer on how to do them.

Sounds great , just got the fifth year report back and now I'm dead set on going for it . Academics have always been my thing . Thanks for the advice .

gabsy

Hi guys.This seems to be the only place where I can discuss the 2014 HPAT ! God, I cannot believe it's my turn to sit this....Anyways , just wondering has anyone started doing anything and if so how have ye been practicing ? Im also wondering is it worth paying several hundred for the prep courses ? very confused Hoping to do med in NUIG.

Shanrahan

Im going into sixth year in september and I'm looking to do the two day Med Entry coarse in cork at Halloween and get the group premium package. But I don't know anybody who wants to do medicine aswell and there's no way ill pay 300euro more just because I don't know anybody. So if anyone is in the same situation as I am and wants to help each other other out I'd be very happy if you contacted me!

KrissandTess

Can I just ask something, anyone know, what is the maxium score you can get from leaving cert? I've heard something like, if you get 600 you still get less....or something. ahha bit confused.

Just Like Heaven

KrissandTess wrote: »

Can I just ask something, anyone know, what is the maxium score you can get from leaving cert? I've heard something like, if you get 600 you still get less....or something. ahha bit confused.

You get 1 point for every 5 after 550. So 555=551, 560=552, 600=560.

So 565 is the maximum (scaled down from 625).

little sis...

So anyone doing any preparation for this thing yet? :P

Im looking through some questions from one of my brother's practice exams but that's it really.

I feel like giving up already though its just something I know I won't do well in but I really hope I'm wrong

gabsy

I've done one paper.Still getting the hang of the language and questions asked , hate section 3 !!!! When is everyone getting the prep courses ? And will it be ME ?

davidj_PM

In case you were not aware, some changes have been made to the HPAT for 2014. Changes have been made to the weighting of the sections within the exams and the currency of results has also been amended - detail here:

http://www.iua.ie/changes-to-hpat-ireland-for-entry-to-under-graduate-medical-courses-2/

little sis...

gabsy wrote: »

I've done one paper.Still getting the hang of the language and questions asked , hate section 3 !!!! When is everyone getting the prep courses ? And will it be ME ?

Yeh the language can be difficult in section 2 so every time I come across a new word I write it down in a copy and find the definition online so I can just look over them in the days before the hpat.

I hate section 3 too but at least its weighting is only 20% so I guess that could play to our advantage slightly.

Yes I'm going to get ME maybe at the start of september

petrichor

I haven't started preparing for this at all yet, what are you all doing for it?

KrissandTess

fewtins wrote: »

You get 1 point for every 5 after 550. So 555=551, 560=552, 600=560.

So 565 is the maximum (scaled down from 625).

so basically you'll need a very good score on hpat no matter what then :S

miissjuly

this is scary.. starting 6th year soon

gabsy

Aaaah I'm so scared

outnumbered

OK, Time for an introduction!
I will be repeating for Medicine this coming year. I'm Outnumbered and although you probably wont want to take advice of me, I do know how all works as I've been through it! Feel free to fire any questions!
I am really looking forward to getting back into the work and eventually getting Medicine.
I'm sure it will be a pleasure getting to know you all!!!

little sis...

outnumbered wrote: »

OK, Time for an introduction!
I will be repeating for Medicine this coming year. I'm Outnumbered and although you probably wont want to take advice of me, I do know how all works as I've been through it! Feel free to fire any questions!
I am really looking forward to getting back into the work and eventually getting Medicine.
I'm sure it will be a pleasure getting to know you all!!!

Fair play for being positive about it, and you should be too!
I won't have the option to repeat, I'll be 19 sitting the leaving cert :eek: so hopefully we both get it this year!