Coffee or no coffee during the MCAT - that is the question

This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.

Raigon

This is an emergency.
10+ Year Member
15+ Year Member
Joined
Jul 5, 2008
Messages
444
Reaction score
4
Coffee boosts energy and I seriously lack energy and focus without coffee, but it makes you hyper and gives you the urge to urinate. And if I take too much, I tend to shake and lack concentration.

MCATs are about 2 months away though, so I don't have to worry yet, but just a question.

So do guys suggest coffee on the MCAT day? Dilute/Light Coffee? Or no coffee at all?

Members don't see this ad.
 
Coffee boosts energy and I seriously lack energy and focus without coffee, but it makes you hyper and gives you the urge to urinate. And if I take too much, I tend to shake and lack concentration.

MCATs are about 2 months away though, so I don't have to worry yet, but just a question.

So do guys suggest coffee on the MCAT day? Dilute/Light Coffee? Or no coffee at all?

I've drank a large coffee every day this summer.... it would be silly for me not to have one but given the time constraints and its diuretic qualities I'm going to to knock it down to a small on test day
 
Hey! I am also a coffee addict! I think that if it gives you energy and focus then you should have it. You still have time to experiment and see what amt gives you focus and what amt makes you too jittery. If you drink coffee then you should have some the day of the test...maybe not alot due to its diuretic effects.
 
Don't chug down a large coffee five minutes before the exam starts. Wake up early, drink the coffee, and make sure you go to the bathroom before starting. Nothing worse than being anxious and squirming in your seat because you have to go piss out 24oz of coffee.
 
Members don't see this ad :)
I'm a big coffee fan as well, but I used the two weeks before the MCAT to break my habit so I wouldn't need coffee on the day of the test. Those two weeks beforehand I kept exercising, going to bed on time and getting up at the same time I would on test day. I actually felt much better than I usually did when I drank coffee and it was a lot healthier.

Of course, as soon as the MCAT was over I went right back to my coffee addiction.
 
Do what is most normal for you. If you always drink a coffee, everday, then don't change anything for your MCAT. If you don't drink coffee that often, don't drink one before your MCAT. Changing your routine (either direction) with caffeine can have bad effects on your decision making ability, fatigue level and concentration.
 
Don't change what you do. If you are a coffee drinking, don't stop. Having coffee in the morning, for me, is an essential step. I'm up at 5AM. I have a cup or two of coffee, and then I go for a run. Depending on how long my run is, I probably have another cup when I finish if I don't have to be somewhere.

I plan on doing nothing different on testing day simply because you never know what will happen.

If you don't drink coffee, don't start. I have a friend who had his first coffee and he was shaking the entire day because he got caffeine poisoning. He was hypersensitive to caffeine.
 
Remember that caffine will block the synthesis of ADH by the posterior pituitary leading to a decrease in kidney absorption volume therefor the water is going to travel through the loop of heanly and solutes are going to be absorbed and osmotic pressure and SODIUM POTASSIUM PUMPS AND NONCOMPETITIVE INHIBITORS AND ALLOSTERIC INTERACTIONS AND MITOCHONDRIA AND INCLINED PLANES AND SIMPLE HARMONIC MOTION AND LUTEIN AND AAMC MOMENTUM RATE ORGANIC PARAMAGNETIC ENZYMES CALCITONIN ACID T-CELL OMFG ATP












I'm going to go lay down for a while
 
Remember that caffine will block the synthesis of ADH by the posterior pituitary leading to a decrease in kidney absorption volume therefor the water is going to travel through the loop of heanly and solutes are going to be absorbed and osmotic pressure and SODIUM POTASSIUM PUMPS AND NONCOMPETITIVE INHIBITORS AND ALLOSTERIC INTERACTIONS AND MITOCHONDRIA AND INCLINED PLANES AND SIMPLE HARMONIC MOTION AND LUTEIN AND AAMC MOMENTUM RATE ORGANIC PARAMAGNETIC ENZYMES CALCITONIN ACID T-CELL OMFG ATP












I'm going to go lay down for a while

Hahaaa! Good idea!
 
Remember that caffine will block the synthesis of ADH by the posterior pituitary leading to a decrease in kidney absorption volume therefor the water is going to travel through the loop of heanly and solutes are going to be absorbed and osmotic pressure and SODIUM POTASSIUM PUMPS AND NONCOMPETITIVE INHIBITORS AND ALLOSTERIC INTERACTIONS AND MITOCHONDRIA AND INCLINED PLANES AND SIMPLE HARMONIC MOTION AND LUTEIN AND AAMC MOMENTUM RATE ORGANIC PARAMAGNETIC ENZYMES CALCITONIN ACID T-CELL OMFG ATP












I'm going to go lay down for a while

Lol - this is the promise of our future =D. Yeah, I'll stick to my habits a few weeks before the MCATs. No sense in breaking the habits.

And yeah - make a T-shirt. It'll sell, and maybe it'll get you out of your student loans for Med School.

Ugh student loans. Gets me nightmares just thinking about it after my MCATs and applications.
 
Remember that caffine will block the synthesis of ADH by the posterior pituitary leading to a decrease in kidney absorption volume therefor the water is going to travel through the loop of heanly and solutes are going to be absorbed and osmotic pressure and SODIUM POTASSIUM PUMPS AND NONCOMPETITIVE INHIBITORS AND ALLOSTERIC INTERACTIONS AND MITOCHONDRIA AND INCLINED PLANES AND SIMPLE HARMONIC MOTION AND LUTEIN AND AAMC MOMENTUM RATE ORGANIC PARAMAGNETIC ENZYMES CALCITONIN ACID T-CELL OMFG ATP












I'm going to go lay down for a while

Best post ever.

But yeah, I'm a huge coffee/Red Bull drinker. But it makes me piss like a faucet, so I didn't have any coffee before the test. I did bring one of those iced coffees from the corner stores with me on some ice and had a few sips at each break. It gave me my coffee fix, but mainly by the taste, so I was good, and I wasn't squirming for 40 minutes waiting to finish a section.
 
I'm a huge coffee addict. But I also have the world's smallest bladder.

My solution to this conundrum on MCAT day: chocolate covered espresso beans. And lots of em'.

Worked.
 
Members don't see this ad :)
like everyone says, do whatever is normal. personally, i usually drink normal coffee mid-morning. on test day, i filled a thermos with my favorite specialty coffee/latte from the expensive coffee shop in my neighborhood and had it during the break before verbal. i loved it, so tasty (and a treat too, as i can so rarely afford to indulge in those $$$ lattes).
 
Ah, taking some coffee right before Verbal might give me a feel of doing some light reading in Starbucks. Except with pressure of doing an exam that is likely to determine or ruin my future, and the fact that all my future economics of my family rests on my shoulders, and that I still need students loans, and I still have college to finish and I still have to worry about so many things... with caffeine, being a competitive inhibitor, and and enzymes and receptors, kinetics is different from themordynamics, because of equilibrium, AND MY MIND ISN'T IN EQUILIBRIUM OMFG ATP. Damn you engineeredout. XD

NO MORE COFFEE!!!
 
I have been drinking that crystal light w/caffeine before the test, go to the bathroom @ every break, and drink more before the BS to avoid a crash, works well! but, definitely try it out before hand!!! good luck!
 
When I took the test a few years ago I was a coffee addict. Well, on test day at my usual coffee break time (1 pm) I CRASHED hard because I didn't drink any that day. You still have time to experiment and see what fits you best. When I retook the test I drank 5 hour energy. If you spread it out and drink 1/3 of the bottle before each section (instead of the whole thing at once), it really helps with the bathroom breaks and the jitters.
 
haha the 5 HOUR ENERGY - it worked its wonders for me today plus a little monster for the last section.. I needed it since I slept an hour the night before because of nerves - it sucked.
 
Interesting thread. I heard from a seemingly valid source that it is imperative to STOP DRINKING CAFFEINE NOW for an August test date to get it out of your system. I don't drink coffee but do drink 1 caffeinated 12-oz soda can every 1-2 days.

I was not going to drink caffeine on test day, just bring water or Gatorade, and practice by not drinking caffeine and just drinking H20/Gatorade on practice exams. So is it imperative to get caffeine "out" of your system a month before the test? Never heard of this before!!!
 
Interesting thread. I heard from a seemingly valid source that it is imperative to STOP DRINKING CAFFEINE NOW for an August test date to get it out of your system. I don't drink coffee but do drink 1 caffeinated 12-oz soda can every 1-2 days.

I was not going to drink caffeine on test day, just bring water or Gatorade, and practice by not drinking caffeine and just drinking H20/Gatorade on practice exams. So is it imperative to get caffeine "out" of your system a month before the test? Never heard of this before!!!

Its not imperative, especially if your only drinking a single pop. Most people who seem to need caffeine drink coffee, energy drinks, or copious amounts of pop. Unless you have a really low caffeine tolerance I can't imagine one pop would give you any problems.

however, as previous posters have said slamming a caffeinated beverage directly before starting the test raises the risk of needing to use the bathroom in the middle of a section.
 
I figure that on test day I'm going to be pumped up on some much adrenaline that caffine won't even be necessary.
 
The question is not coffee yes or no, it is what delivery system to use:

liquid during breaks, the coffee patch, pills, slow IV push...


Actually I used two 5 hour energy drinks that I sipped on during the breaks.
 
remember That Caffine Will Block The Synthesis Of Adh By The Posterior Pituitary Leading To A Decrease In Kidney Absorption Volume Therefor The Water Is Going To Travel Through The Loop Of Heanly And Solutes Are Going To Be Absorbed And Osmotic Pressure And Sodium Potassium Pumps And Noncompetitive Inhibitors And Allosteric Interactions And Mitochondria And Inclined Planes And Simple Harmonic Motion And Lutein And Aamc Momentum Rate Organic Paramagnetic Enzymes Calcitonin Acid T-cell omfg Atp

I'm Going To Go Lay Down For A While

Lololooooolllloll!!!!
 
120mg Ginkgo x1/day & 5 hour energy here. Can't decide between Red Bull & 5hour tho. Probably no difference. I think they're both Taurine.
 
I have been in denial for some time about this, but after several years of energy drinks, I have realized in my case:


Taurine + Caffeine = Headache
 
I consume caffeine in any and all forms like its my job.... did the same thing the morning of the test and it went fine.... the diuretic effect of caffeine is overstated.... you pee after you drink coffee because you just drank something as much as you pee after drinking coffee because it has caffeine.... the implication some people make seems to be that if some drink doesn't contain caffeine you just retain all the fluid..... probably a bit of a placebo effect working too. we've been told our whole lives that caffeine makes you go, you consume some caffeine, you become more sensitive to any urge to go.....

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/04/health/nutrition/04real.html
 
I did a cup of joe before the test (and peed it out before starting PS), an energy drink before VR, and caffeine gum during BS.

Like mentioned above, don't try new things on game day. This was stuff I was (sadly) used to.
 
This works for me and that is what I took before the test, unfortunately I was too nervous it didn't effect me well enough. I should have had Americano (two espresso shots and hot water and cream) mmmm!




5hourenergy_1_ad_450pix.jpg


Even higher concentration and less peeing.
 
moz-screenshot.jpg
starbucks-iced-coffee.jpg


hey, while we're on the topic... anyone know what happened to these things?? they worked so well for me, but then all of a sudden I couldn't find them anywhere in stores 🙁 did starbucks discontinue them?
 
have you looked for them at your local starbucks? they still sell them in my area....


moz-screenshot.jpg
starbucks-iced-coffee.jpg


hey, while we're on the topic... anyone know what happened to these things?? they worked so well for me, but then all of a sudden I couldn't find them anywhere in stores 🙁 did starbucks discontinue them?
 
Yeah I haven't seen those starbucks drinks they have the double shot espresso at my starbucks those work well!
 
Guys, I apologize in advance if this is off-topic for this thread but are you guys finding success in reading the Qs before attacking the VR passages?
 
I haven't necessarily done that, but if you use the EK verbal they make you practice that first. meaning they make you infer about the passage from the questions and give an estimated answer from just reading the questions. So it can be done, but it would be best to read Q if you are running out of time to read a passage.
 
Guys, I apologize in advance if this is off-topic for this thread but are you guys finding success in reading the Qs before attacking the VR passages?

Wayyy off topic.

But the answer is no. You're going to end up reading all the questions twice, which is a complete waste of time. Sure you'll have to go back to the passage for a question or two, but then you'll only be looking up one or two questions instead of trying to focus on every question while reading the passage.

Also, trying to look for specific information while you read for the first time is going to prevent you from absorbing the feel and idea of the passage as a whole.
 
I don't know red bull doesn't effect me as much, I do better with espresso shots and stuff or even just regular coffee does the trick.
 
Hey, what's everyone gonna do on the 14th?

I'm working a 1/2 day, gonna do some running n dribble the soccer ball a bit, and finally wrap up the night with a VR marathon.

Also thinking about doing a partial read-through of TPR "Cracking the CBT" at Barnes & Noble for about 3 hours before the exam on the 15th.
 
I took a practice test the morning before, goofed around all afternoon, went out for dinner with some friends in the evening. read a paper and sipped on some coffee the morning of.... personally I think your state of mind is much more important than studying at that point... you might cram something in during those last 24 hours, but I'll take my chances going in relaxed and forgetting about studying....
 
I have only read a few of the posts in this thread... so this may have been said already. I tried to keep the test day as normal as possible. So, if drinking coffee was the norm for me, I'd just follow the same thing I did for the practice tests.
 
Remember that caffine will block the synthesis of ADH by the posterior pituitary leading to a decrease in kidney absorption volume therefor the water is going to travel through the loop of heanly and solutes are going to be absorbed and osmotic pressure and SODIUM POTASSIUM PUMPS AND NONCOMPETITIVE INHIBITORS AND ALLOSTERIC INTERACTIONS AND MITOCHONDRIA AND INCLINED PLANES AND SIMPLE HARMONIC MOTION AND LUTEIN AND AAMC MOMENTUM RATE ORGANIC PARAMAGNETIC ENZYMES CALCITONIN ACID T-CELL OMFG ATP












I'm going to go lay down for a while

Classic.
 
wow the 5-hour energy drinks are as big as your thumb lol!
I never noticed that until I bought a couple of cans just now.
I think I'll stick to 1 shot before VR, and if needed, 1 more before BS.

wait two five hour energys not good haha! :scared::scared::scared:
 
Remember that caffine will block the synthesis of ADH by the posterior pituitary leading to a decrease in kidney absorption volume therefor the water is going to travel through the loop of heanly and solutes are going to be absorbed and osmotic pressure and SODIUM POTASSIUM PUMPS AND NONCOMPETITIVE INHIBITORS AND ALLOSTERIC INTERACTIONS AND MITOCHONDRIA AND INCLINED PLANES AND SIMPLE HARMONIC MOTION AND LUTEIN AND AAMC MOMENTUM RATE ORGANIC PARAMAGNETIC ENZYMES CALCITONIN ACID T-CELL OMFG ATP


ADH is synthesized by the hypothalmus, not the posterior pituitary...all humour was lost after I saw that error...🙁
 
If you've been drinking coffee before your practice tests, do it for the real thing. If you haven't, don't on the real thing. Simple.
 
Top