You are going to apply for medical school. You have taken the bold and crucial step of studying to sit for the MCAT.
Months before beginning to study, smart students will have spoken with their peers who have taken the exam for their views and recommendations for study materials, and implemented their tips. Reaffirming a test-taker’s confidence in the last week is an important part of the MCAT preparation process.
Now is not the time to change study techniques by introducing a new format, podcast or video. Avoid wholesale changes in study techniques the week before.
Take the material you have used to study — note cards, flash cards, lists of answers to frequently missed questions or study guides — and solidify your knowledge. The months of study and preparation can be optimized by careful preparation in the waning days before the exam.
Now, make sure your hard work pays off and you don’t undo your careful preparation in the final days before the exam.
— Seven days before the exam: Be well rested. Sleep deprivation reduces focus and attention, which can adversely affect your MCAT score. Plan ahead to get enough rest.
The night before is too late to go to bed early to try and get a good night’s sleep as you will be anxious about a number of test day worries, such as the exam itself, the possibility of sleeping through your alarm, the drive to the testing center and more.
Read the rules set out by the Association of American Medical Colleges, the organization behind the test, to identify which items are allowed and prohibited at the testing center.
[Learn last-minute tips to study smart for the MCAT.]
— Three days before the exam: Map and travel to the testing center by the mode of transportation you will be using on exam day.
Depart early, as if it is the day of the test. Identify where you can park, or which subway or bus stop is close to the testing center. Enter the building and find the room where the test will take place.
— One day before the exam: Focus on being centered and calm. Avoid contact — phone calls, texts or in-person interactions — with those who make you nervous or who carry a cloud of negativity. Today it is especially important to have only positive people around you.
Have an early end to your study day. If you don’t know the information now, it’s probably too late. You will only confuse the knowledge you do have and make yourself more anxious. Set a study cutoff time to allow time to decompress prior to test day.
Gather all the items you will need on test day — your ID, keys and other required items — and place them in the normal spot you have for items you need to grab before leaving the house. Facilitate an easy and uneventful departure on exam morning.
[Succeed on the longer MCAT with these three tips.]
Choose your clothes. Keep your attire comfortable and flexible for cold or hot rooms. Take a light sweater or jacket in case the room temperature is not to your liking.
Don’t eat foods that may upset your stomach, or try something new.
Go to bed at a normal bedtime. Set a backup alarm with a parent, or a trusted roommate or friend.
[Find out what to do once the MCAT is over.]
— Exam day: Carry brain food, such as nuts, hard cheese, protein bars or other nonperishable foods high in protein and low in carbohydrates. Candy bars and the like may cause your energy levels to peak quickly and then crash and burn equally as fast. You cannot bring food into the testing room, but can store it in an assigned locker.
Upon waking, envision a successful day. If you are a morning coffee or tea drinker, enjoy your usual amount. Depart early, and leave the study guide at home. It’s not allowed in the testing room, but mostly, trust that you are prepared.
Upon arrival, take three deep breaths and march confidently to your destiny.
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Build Last-Minute Confidence for MCAT Success originally appeared on usnews.com