caffeine and mcat

[emericana]

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Was wondering if any fellow caffeine addicts could help me out with my dilemma.

I am taking the mcat on saturday.

i am addicted... pretty badly (not joking) to caffeine.

I can barely go 1 day without it.

I wish this was not the case.. but it is.

I feel real off and not myself when its not in my system. Once again, I wish that I did not put my mental state in this way but I cant change it... especially in 2 days.


What am I supposed to do during the MCAT? When I cannot have caffeiene?

Should I just have some right before it and hope for the best? Caffiene pills?

I JUST tried to take AAMC 11 (my last practice test) and had to pause it half way through the second passage of physical sciences because I was loosing all focus because I have not had my coffee/ caffiene fix yet.

Advice? Any other junkies in this situation?

 

[nr6unhH]

Maybe take caffeine during your breaks? I mean it's a hassle to sign in and out but if that's necessary go for it. 10 mins break is pretty longgg b/t each section, you can pretty much do a lot of stuff even if you have to sign in/out

If you're worried about having to goto bathroom during the test, salt will help you a bit from having to go after drinking coffee

 

[emericana]

Maybe take caffeine during your breaks? I mean it's a hassle to sign in and out but if that's necessary go for it. 10 mins break is pretty longgg b/t each section, you can pretty much do a lot of stuff even if you have to sign in/out

If you're worried about having to goto bathroom during the test, salt will help you a bit from having to go after drinking coffee

Interesting. Maybe I will have some during the breaks.

When you say salt... do you mean just straight up eating table salt? lol? never heard of that!

 

[SeminoleVesicle]

I use NOS or a five hour energy shot when I need long term focus...

 

[NickNaylor]

Just make sure you bring some kind of caffeine source (energy drink, Starbucks Doubleshot, etc.) with you to the test center. You'll be allowed to leave the room and during the breaks you should have more than enough time to eat/drink a snack.

I will say that you probably should've worked this sort of thing out when you were doing your FL tests, though...

 

[RUc10]

Yea this is something you should have addressed long before exam date. You could have weened yourself off of it leading up to test time so that you wouldn't have to worry about it during the exam. Now it's up in the air whether or not what's in your system will get you through each section. It's not like any other time where you can say xxmg of caffeine gets me about 2 hours. You're trying to have an intense focus for a 4.5 hour period along with the stress of taking the exam itself.

I'd recommend just bringing caffeine pills with you which are fairly cheap. You can't take dosages more than once within 4 hours but if you likely already have a high tolerance... I'd recommend taking one pill right before the start of your exam and then another after the verbal section. I think each pill (at least with what I had) was about 200mg each or so.

That's my suggestion... clearly what you do is up to you and I'm not a doctor so any risks associated with doing that should be evaluated by yourself. Good luck.

 

[ru4real1666]

One cup of coffee is around 80-100mg (this is way less than a venti at starbucks, etc because that also has tons of sugar and is more than one cup of coffee). I usually find one 200mg pill to be way more than necessary so with my FLs I've been dividing it into half and taking half 10 mins before the test and half during the break before verbal.

 

[JustMeditate]

Yeah, you can have caffeine during the breaks. Jut be REALLY careful about how much you take, and what you take. If you need caffeine to focus, that's all well and good, but too much can cause headaches and shaking. So I wouldn't experiment with any energy drinks or pills you haven't used before. Worst case scenario, bring a thermos of coffee and drink it cold. You know your body, and how much caffeine you need, best. I remember trying just HALF of a five hour energy once, and I had a headache, and some dizziness, for two hours afterwards. Everybody's body is different. I wouldn't risk making yourself sick, with products you haven't used before, on test day.

 

[Holderlin]

I was really worried about this too. I understand they don't want people bringing in noisy food and drinks, but damn, you would think it would take one moment of thought to realize that they should make an exception for coffee/energy drinks that pre-meds have been dependent on for years. Maybe allow one drink in the test, or something like that.

Like everyone else says I think the problem can be managed by drinking a cup on the breaks.

It does suck though, what's the first thing I do when I'm reading a passage and a lose focus for a second or I'm having trouble following? I chug some dank-ass coffee.

So far I've been studying and taking practice passages while thoroughly caffeinated, but during the practice full lengths I follow the schedule and it's worked fine. You get plenty caffeine to function.

 

[Overmjnd]

If you're worried about having to goto bathroom during the test, salt will help you a bit from having to go after drinking coffee

or strap a hose....to yourself

 

[Donald Juan]

Good God, giving up caffeine before the mcat would have been horrible. I have given it up since the exam with no issues though. Now that I don't need to study for 10 hours a day, it's pretty easy to go without caffeine.

On my mcat day I brought in a monster energy drink, cracked it open about five minutes before the exam and had two or three big gulps, and then a few more sips in between each break. This seemed to be best for me, you need to know how much caffeine is good for you, don't just get nervous and chug a 22 oz nos and a five hour energy before the exam, your brain will be flying.

 

[patel2]

For those of you who gave up caffeine before the MCAT, how long did it take before you didn't feel tired all day?

I am on day 14 and I am starting to think this "give up caffeine and feel more alert than you ever have before" thing is a joke. Did I gave up my daily triple grande skinny vanilla latte and my afternoon sugar free Red Bull and my after dinner iced chai for no reason?

I gave up around 3 weeks before, and probably took a solid 2 weeks to get used to it. I really think it helped me because while caffeine is awesome, when it's combined with hte stress of test day, jitters can be pretty intesnse

 

[SN2ed]

I wouldn't suggest completely changing your caffeine habit just for a test. If you usually drink coffee, drink it. If you don't, then don't start.

 

[CodeBlu]

Give up caffeine?

WHY! It's so good, so precious... I saw caffeine free diet coke in the market the other day. I laughed.

I'd rather be hopped up on caffeine than not. Yes, I sound like a need for speed junky and I probably am. But I don't want to talk to you in the morning and listen to you spew nonsense and drivel unless I've had my colombian roast, or sumatra blend.

 

[CodeBlu]

That's what I was thinking when I stopped cold turkey. I still have a few months to get used to it, but I miss my caffeine!

Were you totally exhausted for the first two weeks? I am wondering if I am ever going to feel normal. I am already on day 14!

I had an ex-girlfriend who gave up caffeine... big mistake, it caused us to break up. Not kidding... she was INSANE. She became super clingy, and called every 30 minutes. Then she got upset when I talked to other girls (that were my cousins). She got paranoid, and all schizo like.

You made it to day 14? Props. You're dooing WAAAAY better than her. It was like a yo yo effect.

 

[patel2]

That's what I was thinking when I stopped cold turkey. I still have a few months to get used to it, but I miss my caffeine!

Were you totally exhausted for the first two weeks? I am wondering if I am ever going to feel normal. I am already on day 14!

you don't necessarily have to give it up, just consider cutting back. If your normal routine is 7 espresso shots each morning, then this combined with nerves on test day may pronounce the side-effects of caffeine: increased heart rate, jitters etc. But if your talking drinking a small cup of coffee or something on test day, I'm sure you'd be fine.

 

[Helen Wheels]

I saw caffeine free diet coke in the market the other day. I laughed.

Yeah, cola without caffeine is like a whistle that doesn't work... there is no point to it.

 

[SephirothXR]

http://blog.cgpgrey.com/coffee-greatest-addiction-ever/

 

[salim271]

I tend to get headaches right when I start to study if I don't have caffeine in me... that being said, I limit myself to one cup a day at the most to keep myself from becoming too dependent.

 

[MDminded]

I had an ex-girlfriend who gave up caffeine... big mistake, it caused us to break up. Not kidding... she was INSANE. She became super clingy, and called every 30 minutes. Then she got upset when I talked to other girls (that were my cousins). She got paranoid, and all schizo like.

You made it to day 14? Props. You're dooing WAAAAY better than her. It was like a yo yo effect.

You are kinda hilarious.

 

[CodeBlu]

You are kinda hilarious.

Hahaha, I am glad you think so.

Every bit of that story was true. She seriously went off the deep end. It was sad... I later found out that the poor girl had stopped taking her antidepressants. Which I didn't know she was on...

Anyone ever watch gossip girl? Some recent episode, Dan had the same thing happen. I swear that show is stalking my life for plots.

PS. Yes, guys can watch Gossip Girl. It's a well written show, much like the original Melrose Place or Cheers even. Thats all.

XO XO Code Blu

 

[MDminded]

Hahaha, I am glad you think so.

Every bit of that story was true. She seriously went off the deep end. It was sad... I later found out that the poor girl had stopped taking her antidepressants. Which I didn't know she was on...

Anyone ever watch gossip girl? Some recent episode, Dan had the same thing happen. I swear that show is stalking my life for plots.

PS. Yes, guys can watch Gossip Girl. It's a well written show, much like the original Melrose Place or Cheers even. Thats all.

XO XO Code Blu

Oh. My. Caffeine + Antidepressants. Then she stopped both. Yikes. Must have been one heck of a roller coaster.

And guys that watch Gossip Girl = awesome 🙂 Though I've never seen it myself. I'm the Grey's Anatomy type.

My life is Bollywood movie, waiting to be used by Yash Raj.

 

[CodeBlu]

Oh. My. Caffeine + Antidepressants. Then she stopped both. Yikes. Must have been one heck of a roller coaster.

And guys that watch Gossip Girl = awesome 🙂 Though I've never seen it myself. I'm the Grey's Anatomy type.

My life is Bollywood movie, waiting to be used by Yash Raj.

She thought she didn't need them, because she was so in love with me. Maaaan forget that. I'm cool, but I am not THAT fly.

Are you indian? If so... I love your cuisine. SO MUCH. I could eat naan until I died. Along with lamb biryani. So so so so good.

Yash Raj will pick up on it... movie titled Desi Princess MD in the Making

 

[MDminded]

She thought she didn't need them, because she was so in love with me. Maaaan forget that. I'm cool, but I am not THAT fly.

Are you indian? If so... I love your cuisine. SO MUCH. I could eat naan until I died. Along with lamb biryani. So so so so good.

Yash Raj will pick up on it... movie titled Desi Princess MD in the Making

Yes I am. I only very subtlely gave that away, huh?

And the cuisine is pretty delish. I agree, naan is one of the world's most wonderful breads, but there are many more! Personal favorites include dosai (crepe) and in South India (which is where I'm from) we have palappam (which literally translated means milk bread). YUM YUM. Chicken tikka masala, paneer, so many favorites!

 

[patel2]

Made it to day 14 and then gave in to temptation... I am currently enjoying a venti iced chai latte in Starbucks 🙂

Oh well, I tried. I will just have to get used to taking the MCAT with caffeine.

lol you'll be fine. So long as your not addicted to the point where you need a thermos of coffee to sip on at each break

 

[CodeBlu]

Made it to day 14 and then gave in to temptation... I am currently enjoying a venti iced chai latte in Starbucks 🙂

Oh well, I tried. I will just have to get used to taking the MCAT with caffeine.

Good. Don't be a quitter. Caffeine loooooves you.

 

[ash286]

Caffeine can become pretty addicting (I need my daily Starbucks)... probably not a great idea to go completely cold turkey, just try to keep in under control and figure out a way to have some during the test. Don't think caffeine pills would be a great idea.

 

[RunawayMD]

Well you could find out from the test center if you will be able to drink your own cans of caffeine during the test. I actually did have a chocolate drink with caffeine and I drink coffee all the time. It's really important to sync your routine to what the MCAT will realistically be like. If you take the MCAT at 8 AM, then that should be your primary study time and also FL practice test time. This mcat study guide writes about this more in detail.

The bottom line is, if caffeine helps you, it can be very useful but it can work against you if you can't have any on the day of the MCAT. Call the test center and ask them specifically.

Cheers

 

[epsilonprodigy]

Yes I am. I only very subtlely gave that away, huh?

And the cuisine is pretty delish. I agree, naan is one of the world's most wonderful breads, but there are many more! Personal favorites include dosai (crepe) and in South India (which is where I'm from) we have palappam (which literally translated means milk bread). YUM YUM. Chicken tikka masala, paneer, so many favorites!

Think there'd be any objections to bringing in some paneer and naan, completed by a couple of samosas (or 10) into the test? That stuff is so good, there's no way it doesn't add at least 15 IQ points.

 

[CodeBlu]

Think there'd be any objections to bringing in some paneer and naan, completed by a couple of samosas (or 10) into the test? That stuff is so good, there's no way it doesn't add at least 15 IQ points.

It's great while you're eating it... if you're not eating it. It just smells good, and DISTRACTING.

 

[CodeBlu]

You can definitely eat, drink during the test. I drank my body weight in water during the test. I'm shocked I didn't have to pee as often though. Must have been my kidneys shut down or something due to stress. hahahah