515+ Scorers: How did you spend your last two weeks before the test?

[clathrin413]

The January MCAT's are less than two weeks away. I'm trying to find a nice balance of passages, an FL or two, fast and comprehensive content review, and trying to relax/calm nerves before the big day.

To people who scored well, how did you spend your last two weeks before the exam? Do you think it helped, or is there anything you wish you did differently? Seems like there's a variety of approaches to take at this point, from "practice as many passages as possible" to "start weaning down at the last week," etc.

Thanks in advance!

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[wareagle107]

My thinking is that there's no one right way for everyone to spend the last two weeks. Know your own study style and what has worked for you studying for any other test. What worked for me in undergrad classes was studying heavily in the days before the test, even if that meant pulling all nighters. I liked getting in the zone and could study in huge chunks through the night. But that was just me - for many others, that would have been a terrible strategy. I don't know how you study/learn best - so this is not a blueprint, just what I did.
Personally, I did about twice as much studying in the last two weeks. Knowing I was coming up on the deadline really gave me the motivation to study more, so if you have that motivation, I say go for it! No, don't lose sleep or run yourself ragged of course, but study as much as you feel comfortable. I was studying at 8 pm the night before the test, although I did go to bed by 10. Review flashcards, go over anything you think you may have missed. Seriously, the peace of mind of feeling prepared is going to cut your stress levels as much as taking a full week to relax and let information slowly seep out of your brain.
For what it's worth - some of the stuff I studied the night before (related to amino acids) ended up being high yield on the test. If I had taken all the advice to chill out for my last few days, that would have cost me 3-4 questions.
Do whatever floats your boat, but I say study as much as you can handle, it can only help! Good luck!