So about the PASS program. You may get different
stories from anyone you ask because everyone had very different
experiences. For myself, I thought it was very beneficial. I needed
the schedule to help push me through everything or i would never
finish on my own. There were definitely ups and downs tho. We got up
every day t 545 and had class from 7 until 4-5. Dr. Francis was
hilarious, very entertaining, and he really knew what the test takers
were thinking(hes takin pretty much every practice question out
there.) His test taking strategies really helped me too, because i am
a very slow test taker and would not have gotten through it
otherwise. Champaign was an awesome town and i actually had a good
time studying with people and hanging out in coffee shops. After
class we usually got sometihing quick to eat and spent time studying
in groups which really helped me even tho i had never studied in
groups before. THen i would try to do at least 30 questions before
bed. ALl in all, a very long day, but fun.
Downsides…… sometimes the class was very very long and you felt
like you wasting time. Many students there have failed a few times
and arent the sharpest tools in the shed. Dr. Francis, tho funny,
wastes time on jokes and stories (good and bad). Also, many times Dr.
Francis is just flat out wrong. NO other way to put it. I dont know
where he gets some of his facts or reasoning, but it is borderline
comical, and thats how i took it so it didnt bother me. It really
bothered other people who were less flexible. They would get angry.
I just figured there was alot he was teaching me alot otherwise, and
if i thought he were wrong i would just look it up in 2 other sources
or something like that. (1st aid is wrong too sometimes). He also
tells you not to look at first aid, but i find that a mistake. After
i was done i went through 1st aid in like 2 days and there are some
pts he leaves out, and little pointers that are helpful in addition to
his course. It really is tough to find time to do both during the
program though, so i guess that is another minus. Finally, the
business side is run HORRIBLY. His brother does the business, and he
is a money grabbing ass. They gave us the wrong address and never told
us they moved when we got there. And i had to call 3 times, and then
beg in an email for my security deposit back on the housing. Took 4
months to finally get it. I think some people never got it back.
Recap…for me the progrm was helpful. Im not sure if i could have
gotten the same score studying on my own, but either way, my score was
as high as my highest targets. Dr. Francis is funny, and the course
is entertaining. I had fun there. His test taking skills were amazing
and helped me the most. It also was a good schedule for me and kept
me focused and motivaated. HOwever, some would say hes wrong alot,
wastes alot of time, and they didnt have time for anything else. SOme
people think they did worse than if they just studied on their own. I
know that doesnt sound like much help but i tried to give both the
good and bad.
