Building stamina for the mcat

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dnase

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Does anybody have suggestions on how to build stamina for the mcat? A big problem I've been coming across is that I can do individual passages perfectly (time isn't an issue, either), but when I take full lengths I tend to give up 4/5ths of the way in.

It also sucks that my weakest section is PS, so I'm already demoralized from the beginning 😳
 
This might seem obvious but lots and lots of practice! You aren't going to compete in a marathon race without training long distances just like you can't expect to make it through a 5 hour exam without putting in the training time. The more full length practice exams you take, the "easier" it becomes. Well, the MCAT won't ever be easy but it makes tackling the whole exam feel manageable. I suggest treating each section as its own separate exam and to stop reflecting on each section after you finish it. I'm sure those of you who come from competitive sports backgrounds have had coaches preach this over and over again. Only focus on the task you are completing, not on the event you already finished or the events you still have to complete. So as soon as PS isover, forget about it and immediately start thinking about your verbal techniques so your mind prepared for the next section.

On days that you aren't taking a full length my MCAT instructor encouraged my class to study in set blocks to mimic the length of each section. So try spending about 70min at a time working on MCAT, take a 10min break to Facebook stalk then go back to studying for another 60-70min. Also make sure you are really pushing yourself. Once you get tired, push through one more passage or go over that chapter you hate. No excuses, making yourself do the work when you don't feel like it is probably the best way to build up that endurance.
 
This might seem obvious, but TAKE THE FULL TIME FOR BREAKS. Get up, walk around, eat something light, yes its a hassle to sign in and out but it helps a lot. And if you finish a section early, take an extra 5 or 10 minutes to just chill before clicking the finish button and then take the 10 minute break too.
 
I would like to add one more: give yourself less time in practice
In the test, you want to leave yourself some time to check/think over about the ones you are unsure. Or maybe it's just me.
 
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