What's going on guys!
You've now finished studying for your exam and it's the big day.
Whether you're about to take the MCAT Step 1 or Step 2CK, the principles and approaches
are gonna be the same.
So I'm gonna be going over some high-yield concepts to make sure that you maximize your
test score on test day.
The overarching principle across all these is that being well-rested and mentally sharp
will maximize your score.
So, here are the constants I'm gonna go over; first, what to do the day before the test.
Next, sleep leading up to the test.
Third, food before and during the test.
Fourth, getting to the test center and last, at the test center.
All right, so first; day before the test, you should stop studying by mid afternoon
or late afternoon at the latest.
The extra studying that you do will do more harm than good at this point.
Drive to the test center to familiarize yourself on the driving route, where to park and where
to enter the building.
You'll be happy you did the morning of the test.
Do something enjoyable and relaxing in the evening before the exam - don't call your
ex, don't go clubbing don't start a new workout routine that week, just stay the course.
Sleep: sleep is often overlooked as being something pretty simple.
I mean, just sleep enough before the test right?
Hold on, there's a little bit more to it than that; first, start waking up at the time you'll
be waking up on test day for at least three days before the test.
If you can do it longer, that's better.
This helps prime your circadian rhythm to align with test day.
If you're used to sleeping late and waking up late, your body is not gonna be able to
just properly come test day and you'll be sluggish with mental cloudiness.
This also means going to bed around the same time.
If you're sleep-deprived in the days leading up to the test, you will not be well-rested.
Second; understand that you may have difficulty falling asleep the day before the test and
that's totally normal.
You'll probably be a little nervous.
Meditation helps me relax and wind down.
My roommates use Nyquil and the other one uses Benadryl to help fall asleep.
I'm in no way recommending that you do the same, I'm just saying it worked for them.
Lastly, you do not want to oversleep.
I set extra alarms and alarm clocks which benefitted me for two reasons - first; there
was no way I would wake up late.
Second; the peace of mind knowing that I wasn't gonna wake up late actually helped me fall
asleep.
All right, food: breakfast; you must have breakfast the day of your test.
Skipping breakfast will decrease your performance.
Breakfast is like leg day; you want to skip it but you really shouldn't.
Eat a large enough meal that you'll stay satiated for several hours but not so large that you're
in a food coma.
Eat protein and starchy foods with a low glycemic index.
I would normally eat eggs, oatmeal, whole-wheat toast and either milk or juice.
Coffee; if you normally don't drink coffee, now is not the time to try it out.
If you normally do drink coffee, stick to your routine.
I rarely drink coffee and the adrenaline was enough for me to not even consider it on test
day.
Know yourself and plan accordingly.
Snacks; pack extra snacks.
You will be working your brain hard for several hours and that's gonna build up your appetite.
I would normally bring a sandwich, nuts, granola bars, a banana, some berries.
Again, stick with some healthy and light foods, no need to bring your leftover greasy Mexican
food from the weekend.
Water; stay hydrated but not so much so that you have to run to the bathroom frequently.
Don't overthink it.
So, what should you get there?
Plan to get there 30 to 60 minutes before you're assigned start time.
By getting there on the earlier side of things, you'll decrease your stress by not having
to worry about running late, you'll have enough time to use the bathroom and get familiar
with your surroundings and you'll be one of the first people called back to the testing
room.
Not everyone surges into the testing room at once, people go in one by one.
And as soon as you're inside, you can start.
This means that if you start early, you won't be one of the last ones finishing, when people
are packing up leaving and being noisy.
Going early also means less time sitting around letting your mind wander and getting stressed
out.
The last thing you want to do at this point is psych yourself out.
At the test center, minimize distractions.
I recommend using earplugs and possibly the earmuffs they provide at the testing center
to minimize distractions.
If they let you pick your seat, choose one away from the door as to minimize the distraction
from people walking in and out of the test room.
Breaks: the MCAT allows optional break time, use it.
Your attention span is limited.
Pace yourself by taking the breaks when allowed even if you feel like you don't need it.
I recommend that during the 10 minute break you get out, go to the bathroom, drink a little
bit, eat something quick and then go back in.
There can sometimes be a line to get back in and you don't want any extra stress if
you can avoid it.
For Step 1 and Step 2, you have the flexibility to plan your breaks between sections at your
discretion.
You're assigned an allotted break time, so plan your break time wisely.
Some people do the first two blocks back-to-back when they are fresh, just to conserve that
break time for later.
But again, because our attention spans are limited, I recommend you take a 5-minute break
even between block 1 and block 2.
Lastly, be confident.
You've already done the hard part and all your studying is complete.
Don't waste energy cramming or psych yourself out by doubting yourself.
Be confident, think positive and congratulations, you're almost done.
Alright guys, that's it for this video.
Let me know what you think in the comments below.
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