Building Brain Endurance

[medblue]

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So I studied for a month and a half and I still didn't feel prepared for the exam. I've already taken Chem I & II, Bio I, A&P I & II, Micro, Trig, Physics I & II......... everything but Calc, which would explain the Math section but I'm not understanding how I performed terribly in the other sections.

My brain began to give out during the Chem section and I'm wondering what I can do to build endurance? About a month before the exam, I would study 6-8 hours a day. So I don't understand how I could be mentally tired when I practiced under the same conditions. I was confident going in and I felt great after the first essay, which went well, but once I got to Chem it was a nightmare. I don't know. I guess I just wanted to vent. So I guess I'll be seeing some of you in January. 🙄 😛

 

[97obw]

ginko-biloba ftw....

 

[ucftanaka08]

Wow, I felt the same way when I got to the Chem. section : (

medblue, do you take ginko-biloba? If so, does it work for you?

 

[confettiflyer]

lol...the brain isn't a muscle. guess you just gotta keep practicing.

or amphetamines ftw! haha

 

[medblue]

no i'm not but i cut out a lot of fatty foods about a month prior to the exam. i ate mostly health food. didn't do much good though 😎

 

[medblue]

lol...the brain isn't a muscle. guess you just gotta keep practicing.

or amphetamines ftw! haha

i know i just figured the more practice the better

 

[AngelaCL]

I left the August exam crying and ended up doing really well in most areas. Remember, this exam is graded on percentiles, so even if you missed a third of the questions you still might have done well in comparison to everyone else.

 

[97obw]

i would have said adderall ftw before you, but i got chewed up by some senile admin last time i talked about it....ya amphetamines ftw, clearing up your skin ftw too...scary fast heart beat and sweating ftl though

 

[fenil2005]

i think the only good thing abt the kaplan class was that it prepared me for the long 4 hours .....

 

[korey1015]

or amphetamines ftw! haha

That's actually true for me Yay for Adderall (Boo for actually having real attention problems that require Adderall 🙁)

 

[omnione]

I'm not going to go the drug route here.😉

The main idea is to have your brain be used to strenuous mental activity early in the morning. That's tough to do as I'm sure many of us aren't going full speed during a normal college day. Kaplan uses the strategy of having mock exams on Saturday mornings to get students prepared. One can practice aside from the Kaplan program too.

 

[confettiflyer]

Try brain age for nintendo DS...i play sudoku on that thing and all the little games. It probably has no scientific basis but it sure makes me feel more mentally alert.

btw Nintendo DS Lite is the best $130 i spent in '06 when it came out!

 

[medblue]

well i'm definitely not a morning person. maybe that's where i went wrong.

i'm going to look into the video games as an option too.

 

[Knickerbocker]

Think about what your brain uses as its primary energy source.

Some recommend carbohydrate loading similar to what runners do before a marathon.

 

[mustang sally]

My recommendations would be to get plenty of sleep the night before and eat a good (but normal) breakfast. I don't think I would try changing my diet a month before the exam, but who knows? Also if you are the kind of person who gets stressed during tests, I would try to find a way to reduce your stress. I think adrenaline dumping really leaves you exhausted.

Finally, I don't know if you're the kind of person who likes to read for enjoyment, but I read a lot and I really feel that it has helped me a great deal in school. First of all, it increases your speed and reading proficiency, which will help you to take tests more efficiently and build endurance. Second of all, reading will help build your vocab and reading comprehension skills.

Personally, I would avoid caffeine, energy drinks, or any weird drugs before tests. Feeling jittery does not help my performance. Just my $0.02.