How are your kids dealing with this?

Change is one of the few inevitabilities of life. And everyone approaches it differently. People often ask me how my kids are doing as we plan for the almost-certain move. ("Almost-certain?" you may ask. Well, remember my state school? Yep. He still hasn't called for a second date.)

My kids are pretty much like everyone else on the planet; change is hard for them. Each of them, however, is approaching our move to a city some 1600 miles away differently.

 Princess (my teen--no, this isn't her real name) has been very worried about moving out of state. She hates change. In fact, she tolerate a lot of other stuff she hates as long as it's familiar.

My son Spitfire, on the other hand, says he "can't wait to leave this place." I told him that he might have expectations that are a tad-bit unrealistic. Spitfire is a rather independent guy who likes to hop on his bike and ride to the city library that is in the middle of an eclectic shopping area. Ain't nothing like this where we are heading. I'm not 100% certain, but I think cyclists might be counted as double-point, moving targets for drivers there. None the less, it is a college town, so I'm sure he can find things to do.

Mini-Me is my oldest. Her name has to do with her appearance and not her temperament. I had suggested to Mini that she might want to apply to a school a little closer to the one I will be attending, but she was certain that she wanted to go to the college she got into. Seeing me prep for my biochemistry midterm (think of mapping metabolic pathways on huge sheets of paper) maked her feel terrified of the amount of studying she'll have to do. "This is actually kind of fun," I tell her. In an effort to be reassuring, I add, "Even if I only get a 50%, the curve keeps me from failing." To this, she simply rolls her eyes. She has been very worried that she won't be able to hack it when she begins college this fall. Though I have tried to foster independence in her from a young age, I find myself wondering if I have done enough. I know she'll be OK, but I'm her mom; I worry.

I recently took a brief trip with some of my kids (yes, I have more than the three mentioned above) to tour the city we will (most-likely) be moving to and to look at a few homes. Princess went along and already feels better about the move. Either she has gotten better at lying, or she has put some real energy into facing her fears lately. I hope it is the latter. Spitfire was so confident that he'd like the new place, that he opted not to go with us on our trip.

The entire family will be traveling to the "new" town in a couple of weeks when my kids are on Spring Break.  Am I worried about their perceptions of it? You bet! If I get into my state school, then my husband and I will have a tough decision to make. If I don't get into my state school, then we will be moving regardless of what my teenagers put me through. Gulp. No pressure.

Is Khan Academy adequate for MCAT prep?

I love Khan Academy!

The most "pro-MCAT prep" argument for Khan Academy is that Sal often uses  example problems that don't require a calculator. The problems you work on the MCAT won't require a calculator (at least until 2015--take it before then if you can), and so Sal's problems are more like what you will encounter on the actual test then class exams or textbook practice sets.

The biggest con for Khan is that it is not MCAT-specific. That means you will be spending a lot of time getting information that you do not need. Don't get me wrong, the material covered on the MCAT is pretty darn vast. You willneed a broad exposure, but Khan Academy may not be the best place to get it if you are short on time. If you do have the time to watch the series on chemistry, organic chemistry, and biology videos, then go for it. The reality is, however, most of us don't have that time.

I recommend getting a program that is geared for MCAT prep like ExamKrackers. (I checked their books out for free from my public library.) Work through their books. You will undoubtedly come to a section that maybe isn't written in a way you understand (or that you didn't get the first time through in your prereq class). That is the perfect time to check out what Sal has to offer. By taking this approach, you will focus on much more high-yield material that you are more likely to encounter on the actual exam.

Bottom line: Getting high-yield concepts down pat needs to be your greatest priority. Khan Academy can help you learn the concepts, but it will not identify which concepts are of greatest relevance to the MCAT.