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Just now finding the time to post this but believe me it had been on my mind since the test, if you're anything like me reading breakdowns helps out a ton, and for the lack of a saying less cliche, I really wanted to do my part and give back.
My background - Just finished Junior year studying Human Biology, mid/low GPA (3.4 ovr/3.2 sci). I slacked a little Freshman year and let my GPA slip, but over the course of the next two years I changed my attitude entirely and have made a very clear upward trend. When it came time for the DAT I knew that it was my chance to make up for the weak grades, and while I was shooting for higher (always gotta!) I am satisfied with the outcome and hope that it will be enough to land interviews.
Time spent studying - By far the most complicated to explain. I started studying at the beginning of this most recent spring semester. Had a very busy schedule with work/clubs and a few tough classes like biochem, needless to say DAT studying wasn't working out so well. During the semester I routinely kept up with PAT which in my opinion helped a ton, but I dragged my feet through Chad's videos/Cliffs AP bio and this did nothing but waste my time. When the semester ended I finally got to business (or so I thought). I spent the first two weeks of summer still dragging my feet, mindlessly doing review. It wasn't until about a month back (maybe 3 weeks before my test) that I sat down and really went to war with my thoughts and changed my studying habits for the better. With all of that being said, I could tell you I studied for ~4 months, but in reality the real hard work occurred during 1. I can't speak for those who took pre-reqs a long time ago, however if you're still studying I say 1 whole month of dedication to the DAT is perfect.
Materials used - DAT bootcamp, DAT/Math Destroyer, Coursesaver (Chad's Vids), and last but not least the SDN forums!
DAT Bootcamp - Absolute must purchase, no ifs ands or buts. I used their tests and solutions as a study tool but the full lengths for test simulation. The PAT section is spot on. QR is also with the type of questions however they're a little easier on the real DAT. The sciences are also very representative. I bought the subscription a while back and after postponing my test twice was granted a few extensions, this saved me a lot of money and while I really didn't need to mention it I felt like it speaks a lot about their customer service. Not once did I message Ari and not receive a reply on the same day, that to me was crazy and lead me to believe they actually care about the outcome of our tests. If that makes any sense. It was just reassuring I guess.
DAT/Math Destroyer - Another great resource. I wasn't able to complete every section fully but believe me when I say I am 100% certain my score would be better if I had. It feels like the overkill people call it and you will be discouraged, but I totally recommend completing the destroyer in its entirety and reviewing it as much as possible. I ordered both a while back when I first started studying, and after not receiving a conformation email I called to quickly ask if it went through. What instead happened was a 40 minute conversation with Nancy all about the DAT/dental school and everything in between. She was the most pleasant person I've spoken to as a pre-dent. It was a great confidence boost, I really appreciate the time she gave and her kind words. I see Dr. Romano and her answering questions all the time, they are a huge help.
Coursesaver (Chad's Vids) - I recommend these to everyone. Even though I felt confident in the sections his videos cover it was a good review and being DAT specific was a plus. He usually mentions when something needs to be paid special attention too or when something can be looked past, I really liked this. I can't lie I wish I knew about these videos when I was taking gen chem as a punk freshman, maybe would've saved my GPA!
SDN forums - Good joke, right? Well I had to say it, the DAT section of the SDN forums has undoubtedly been my most frequently visited page the past few months. Take advantage of people's breakdowns! I say this lightly because you shouldn't look for shortcuts or cheat codes (hint hint, there aren't any), but instead use the forums as the resource they are and ask when you need help! I know I would've been lost without them.
Review method by section
Bio - I can't lie to you guys at all I barely reviewed bio. I was constantly discouraged by the crazy details of some of the info we "need" to know and it lead me to push bio to the side for a long time. I only reviewed the bootcamp bio subject tests and maybe half of the bio destroyer. I took a HUGE gamble relying on being a biology major and thankfully it paid off. With all of that being said... I feel dumb. I managed to do pretty well on bio when I thought my neglect was going to make it my worst section. DO NOT BE LIKE ME! I really recommend directing a lot of effort towards learning surface level information about EVERYTHING that could be thrown at you. Do not waste time getting lost in intricate details that only discourage you, instead do your best to just have a good understanding of what most things are and bio will go fine.
GC - I started with GC review nearly 4 months back watching chad's vids. I think it was spring break when I completed them. This was really dumb in my opinion because when I finally got to the bulk of my studying I had forgotten a lot of the review and had to keep going back. I also did about half of the gen chem destroyer and all of the bootcamp gen chem problems. Knowing both the destroyer and BC problems up and down is your best bet.
OC - Finally got to orgo after a few months of being scared of relearning. Chad's videos do a good job of covering the basics and then bootcamp and destroyer help assess what you need to cover more. I learned every bootcamp question entirely and then about half of the destroyer, again I beat myself up for not completing it. Between bootcamp and destroyer problems you will be well off. I didn't make it a goal to know the roadmaps by heart but after a couple days of reviewing them here and there you start to realize how easy it is to accomplish so I did it anyway, ended up paying off in my opinion.
PAT - Bootcamp all the way. I never bought crack the dat PAT like a lot of people recommended and I'm really glad I saved the money. Bootcamp's tests were extremely representative, with the exception of angles being only slightly easier on the real thing. In my opinion this section felt like a game, I even enjoyed stepping back from science review to take a PAT test here or there. I recommend treating them like a video game and playing them a little each and every day while you study.
RC - I took ONE bootcamp RC test! Yup, one!!! And holy crap was it stressful. I got a 19 and had absolutely no idea how. I constantly read in other breakdowns that the real DAT RC was much easier and just kinda banked on that being the case. This was very risky and I of course don't recommend it at all... My actual test's RC ended up feeling very similar to the one lone bootcamp test I took. Before I had even moved onto QR I regretted not practicing RC more. Do all of the bootcamp tests, it can only help prepare you.
QR - I started with chad's videos and breezed through them. Math has always come a little easier and chad's videos were no exception. I then moved onto the Math Destroyer and did only 5 exams I think. They were helpful but focused a little bit too much on complicated trig (beyond simple SohCahToa I guess) and of course didn't have the quantitative comparison questions included. Because of this I kinda put the book to the side, but I know that if I had completed the rest it only would've helped. I made sure to know every bootcamp problem and I think this effort is what paid off the most.
Practice tests - I used most practice tests as a learning tool rather than test simulation. I basically did my best to master Bootcamp's QR 1-10 and all science sections 6-10. Then at the start of my last week of studying I took Bootcamps full lengths (only SNS and PAT) to simulate and then study from. Two days before my test I took the SNS and PAT from the 2009 DAT as well. Scores are below
Bootcamp (Bio/GC/OC/PAT)
1 - 19, 23, 20, 22
2 - 17, 19, 19, 21
3 - 17, 22, 18, 23
4 - 18, 18, 21, 23
5 - 19, 19, 18, 22
2009 (Bio/GC/OC/PAT)
21, 19, 19, 25
As you can see I had pretty bad or inconsistent bootcamp averages. I gotta say I was EXTREMELY bummed out after taking these. I thought for sure I was going to end up postponing again or failing completely. But like many others say DO NOT let practice tests discourage you. Instead learn from the mistakes and revisit topics you need to. It ends up being really easy to diagnose your problem areas with practice tests and it helps direct your studying the last few days.
ACTUAL DAT!!! (AA, TS, BIO, GC, OC, PAT, RC, QR) July 13th, 2017
21, 21, 22, 20, 22, 25, 21, 22
BIO (22) - Wow... I don't know what to say. I was certain that if any section was going to ruin my test it was going to be bio, I ended up being wrong and couldn't be happier. While a lot of the questions in my test were very straightforward, there ended up being 10 that I had marked and really struggled with. It sucked so bad because the difference between knowing them and not could've been just having read their definition ONCE. It is all very surface level and to the point, do your best to know a little bit about EVERYTHING, rather than everything about a few things.
GC (20) - This section is very straightforward. Bootcamp's questions were really representative but my test ended up being practically entirely conceptual. This section is the one where I can say most comfortably that if I would've done the entire GC destroyer I would've done much better.
OC (22) - Again very straightforward. Felt exactly like bootcamp, much more than GC felt like the GC of bootcamp. I did have some really random questions though, and again like GC I can say comfortably that if I would've wen through all of the destroyer I probably would've covered them.
PAT (25) - Felt EXACTLY like a bootcamp PAT test. I was worried that keyholes and angle ranking would bring down my score because realistically those were the only sections I couldn't master. Thankfully the angle ranking questions were a little easier than bootcamps like everybody says. Everything else was exactly on par with bootcamp.
30 min break - I used this time to go to the bathroom, grab a small drink, and review my QR notes. My testing center didn't allow any notes inside the building even if they stayed in your locker, so during the break I had to go out to my car. That was fine with me though, I got a breath of fresh air, stretched out, and called my mom. At this point I was extremely concerned that the SNS went poorly, so talk about an uncomfortable half hour. I did my best to remain calm and remember that I still had work to do though.
RC (21) - Talk about a stressful hour. My first article was some of the most uninteresting and thick science related material I have ever had to read. It was so tough that I didn't finish it until I had 32 minutes left, I saw that time when I started the next passage and FREAKED out. Thankfully my next two passages were more interesting, less dense, and a little shorter. I managed to finish just on time not even with room for a breath before QR. It was extremely stressful. While I can go with others and say that RC on the actual DAT is a little easier than bootcamp I want you to remember I only took one bootcamp test. DO NOT BE LIKE ME. I took a huge gamble and I'm really glad it went okay. I told myself that for one hour I could treat these three articles like they were the most interesting articles ever but believe me when I say it was really tough. Do your best to get through all bootcamp RC tests, if they're anything like the one I took the simulated test stress can only help you prepare.
QR (22) - Just like PAT the QR section felt EXACTLY like bootcamp. My test involved trig but VERY basically (think SohCahToa), none of the tough "sin(x) x 2tan(x) = 10 what is the cosine of your moms butt" kind of stuff. Quantitative comparison questions were presented just like how they are in bootcamp and actually some were nearly the same, study those close and know rules that help for certain types and you will be set for this part of the real exam. I know math destroyer's problems would've helped me but I gotta say I am glad I didn't force myself to study the really complicated trig they include. Overall I think that Bootcamp is sufficient and knowing how to do every one of their problems will be more than enough, but math destroyer would be good for those who want more practice.
Survey - As the survey popped up my heart sank. I can't even begin to describe how I felt. Part of me wanted to click the next button as fast as possible and see those scores, while the majority of me wanted to run out of the prometric center without seeing them and never look back. I took my sweet a$$ time filling out this survey, at this point I felt like the test had went so bad I told myself I'd at least get my money's worth and stay the whole time. I was pretty livid about the markers and how dry they were so for the last survey question about comments/concerns I wrote "Markers were bone dry." I don't know why but to the emotionally drained me this was hilarious. I let out my last little chuckle over that and literally shook my head as I clicked next, expecting to see a horror scene. When they popped up and I saw how well I did I threw both arms in the air so damn high and hard I bet every test taker in there felt the wind. I damn near cried as I went through each one and saw they were all above 20.
Conclusion - Studying for the DAT was hard, it turned me into an entirely different person. I ended up losing my girlfriend because I was too focused on studying and nothing else. I basically gave up on fun. For a month straight I was in the same desk at my university's library from open to close. Hell, I didn't even have an appetite. It was NOT OKAY! All I wanted in life was to do well on the DAT and while I can say that motivation was strong it was really unhealthy. Do not forget to take care of yourself as you take on studying, it will really go a long way. Overall while I know my scores don't compete with the outliers on SDN I am very satisfied. I am incredibly relieved that it went how it did. This post is my best attempt at helping those getting ready to conquer this test. Please if you're reading and need help or want clarification PM me and I'd be more than happy to help as I can. I'll finish with a few random tips in a list as I couldn't really fit them elsewhere and I know a lot of them will be helpful. Thanks for reading!!!
TL;DR tips
-Get Bootcamp and at least the DAT destroyer (math optional in my opinion), do them both entirely. Treat all of the info within like it will be on your test.
-Be realistic with yourself. Know that success on this test isn't going to come as a handout. If you want it you need to work for it.
-DO NOT FORGET TO TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF. Eat well while you study, take frequent breaks, remember to still have fun every once in a while.
-Don't let practice tests get you down. Learn from your mistakes and review the topics as you find out you need to.
-Get used to a non-perfect studying environment. Where I studied I don't think I heard a voice for a month. My testing center wasn't the quietest though and any sort of distraction hurts. Do your best to prepare for the inevitable distractions (others talking, walking in and out of the door, etc.) and it will really pay off.
-Practice with markers and laminated sheets at least once!!! As I studied I never struggled with space on my paper, and often limited myself to certain areas/amounts of paper to make sure I was ready for the test. However none of that preparation is enough if you aren't ready for the dry, broad tipped marker they give you. While this wasn't the end of the world it was my biggest complaint, I really wish I had practiced with markers at some point.
-And finally... remain confident. I'd be lying if I said this step is easy, but believe me it is the most important. Constantly beating yourself up or feeling down about your studying will only make it worse. Keep a level head and remember that you can do this.
My background - Just finished Junior year studying Human Biology, mid/low GPA (3.4 ovr/3.2 sci). I slacked a little Freshman year and let my GPA slip, but over the course of the next two years I changed my attitude entirely and have made a very clear upward trend. When it came time for the DAT I knew that it was my chance to make up for the weak grades, and while I was shooting for higher (always gotta!) I am satisfied with the outcome and hope that it will be enough to land interviews.
Time spent studying - By far the most complicated to explain. I started studying at the beginning of this most recent spring semester. Had a very busy schedule with work/clubs and a few tough classes like biochem, needless to say DAT studying wasn't working out so well. During the semester I routinely kept up with PAT which in my opinion helped a ton, but I dragged my feet through Chad's videos/Cliffs AP bio and this did nothing but waste my time. When the semester ended I finally got to business (or so I thought). I spent the first two weeks of summer still dragging my feet, mindlessly doing review. It wasn't until about a month back (maybe 3 weeks before my test) that I sat down and really went to war with my thoughts and changed my studying habits for the better. With all of that being said, I could tell you I studied for ~4 months, but in reality the real hard work occurred during 1. I can't speak for those who took pre-reqs a long time ago, however if you're still studying I say 1 whole month of dedication to the DAT is perfect.
Materials used - DAT bootcamp, DAT/Math Destroyer, Coursesaver (Chad's Vids), and last but not least the SDN forums!
DAT Bootcamp - Absolute must purchase, no ifs ands or buts. I used their tests and solutions as a study tool but the full lengths for test simulation. The PAT section is spot on. QR is also with the type of questions however they're a little easier on the real DAT. The sciences are also very representative. I bought the subscription a while back and after postponing my test twice was granted a few extensions, this saved me a lot of money and while I really didn't need to mention it I felt like it speaks a lot about their customer service. Not once did I message Ari and not receive a reply on the same day, that to me was crazy and lead me to believe they actually care about the outcome of our tests. If that makes any sense. It was just reassuring I guess.
DAT/Math Destroyer - Another great resource. I wasn't able to complete every section fully but believe me when I say I am 100% certain my score would be better if I had. It feels like the overkill people call it and you will be discouraged, but I totally recommend completing the destroyer in its entirety and reviewing it as much as possible. I ordered both a while back when I first started studying, and after not receiving a conformation email I called to quickly ask if it went through. What instead happened was a 40 minute conversation with Nancy all about the DAT/dental school and everything in between. She was the most pleasant person I've spoken to as a pre-dent. It was a great confidence boost, I really appreciate the time she gave and her kind words. I see Dr. Romano and her answering questions all the time, they are a huge help.
Coursesaver (Chad's Vids) - I recommend these to everyone. Even though I felt confident in the sections his videos cover it was a good review and being DAT specific was a plus. He usually mentions when something needs to be paid special attention too or when something can be looked past, I really liked this. I can't lie I wish I knew about these videos when I was taking gen chem as a punk freshman, maybe would've saved my GPA!
SDN forums - Good joke, right? Well I had to say it, the DAT section of the SDN forums has undoubtedly been my most frequently visited page the past few months. Take advantage of people's breakdowns! I say this lightly because you shouldn't look for shortcuts or cheat codes (hint hint, there aren't any), but instead use the forums as the resource they are and ask when you need help! I know I would've been lost without them.
Review method by section
Bio - I can't lie to you guys at all I barely reviewed bio. I was constantly discouraged by the crazy details of some of the info we "need" to know and it lead me to push bio to the side for a long time. I only reviewed the bootcamp bio subject tests and maybe half of the bio destroyer. I took a HUGE gamble relying on being a biology major and thankfully it paid off. With all of that being said... I feel dumb. I managed to do pretty well on bio when I thought my neglect was going to make it my worst section. DO NOT BE LIKE ME! I really recommend directing a lot of effort towards learning surface level information about EVERYTHING that could be thrown at you. Do not waste time getting lost in intricate details that only discourage you, instead do your best to just have a good understanding of what most things are and bio will go fine.
GC - I started with GC review nearly 4 months back watching chad's vids. I think it was spring break when I completed them. This was really dumb in my opinion because when I finally got to the bulk of my studying I had forgotten a lot of the review and had to keep going back. I also did about half of the gen chem destroyer and all of the bootcamp gen chem problems. Knowing both the destroyer and BC problems up and down is your best bet.
OC - Finally got to orgo after a few months of being scared of relearning. Chad's videos do a good job of covering the basics and then bootcamp and destroyer help assess what you need to cover more. I learned every bootcamp question entirely and then about half of the destroyer, again I beat myself up for not completing it. Between bootcamp and destroyer problems you will be well off. I didn't make it a goal to know the roadmaps by heart but after a couple days of reviewing them here and there you start to realize how easy it is to accomplish so I did it anyway, ended up paying off in my opinion.
PAT - Bootcamp all the way. I never bought crack the dat PAT like a lot of people recommended and I'm really glad I saved the money. Bootcamp's tests were extremely representative, with the exception of angles being only slightly easier on the real thing. In my opinion this section felt like a game, I even enjoyed stepping back from science review to take a PAT test here or there. I recommend treating them like a video game and playing them a little each and every day while you study.
RC - I took ONE bootcamp RC test! Yup, one!!! And holy crap was it stressful. I got a 19 and had absolutely no idea how. I constantly read in other breakdowns that the real DAT RC was much easier and just kinda banked on that being the case. This was very risky and I of course don't recommend it at all... My actual test's RC ended up feeling very similar to the one lone bootcamp test I took. Before I had even moved onto QR I regretted not practicing RC more. Do all of the bootcamp tests, it can only help prepare you.
QR - I started with chad's videos and breezed through them. Math has always come a little easier and chad's videos were no exception. I then moved onto the Math Destroyer and did only 5 exams I think. They were helpful but focused a little bit too much on complicated trig (beyond simple SohCahToa I guess) and of course didn't have the quantitative comparison questions included. Because of this I kinda put the book to the side, but I know that if I had completed the rest it only would've helped. I made sure to know every bootcamp problem and I think this effort is what paid off the most.
Practice tests - I used most practice tests as a learning tool rather than test simulation. I basically did my best to master Bootcamp's QR 1-10 and all science sections 6-10. Then at the start of my last week of studying I took Bootcamps full lengths (only SNS and PAT) to simulate and then study from. Two days before my test I took the SNS and PAT from the 2009 DAT as well. Scores are below
Bootcamp (Bio/GC/OC/PAT)
1 - 19, 23, 20, 22
2 - 17, 19, 19, 21
3 - 17, 22, 18, 23
4 - 18, 18, 21, 23
5 - 19, 19, 18, 22
2009 (Bio/GC/OC/PAT)
21, 19, 19, 25
As you can see I had pretty bad or inconsistent bootcamp averages. I gotta say I was EXTREMELY bummed out after taking these. I thought for sure I was going to end up postponing again or failing completely. But like many others say DO NOT let practice tests discourage you. Instead learn from the mistakes and revisit topics you need to. It ends up being really easy to diagnose your problem areas with practice tests and it helps direct your studying the last few days.
ACTUAL DAT!!! (AA, TS, BIO, GC, OC, PAT, RC, QR) July 13th, 2017
21, 21, 22, 20, 22, 25, 21, 22
BIO (22) - Wow... I don't know what to say. I was certain that if any section was going to ruin my test it was going to be bio, I ended up being wrong and couldn't be happier. While a lot of the questions in my test were very straightforward, there ended up being 10 that I had marked and really struggled with. It sucked so bad because the difference between knowing them and not could've been just having read their definition ONCE. It is all very surface level and to the point, do your best to know a little bit about EVERYTHING, rather than everything about a few things.
GC (20) - This section is very straightforward. Bootcamp's questions were really representative but my test ended up being practically entirely conceptual. This section is the one where I can say most comfortably that if I would've done the entire GC destroyer I would've done much better.
OC (22) - Again very straightforward. Felt exactly like bootcamp, much more than GC felt like the GC of bootcamp. I did have some really random questions though, and again like GC I can say comfortably that if I would've wen through all of the destroyer I probably would've covered them.
PAT (25) - Felt EXACTLY like a bootcamp PAT test. I was worried that keyholes and angle ranking would bring down my score because realistically those were the only sections I couldn't master. Thankfully the angle ranking questions were a little easier than bootcamps like everybody says. Everything else was exactly on par with bootcamp.
30 min break - I used this time to go to the bathroom, grab a small drink, and review my QR notes. My testing center didn't allow any notes inside the building even if they stayed in your locker, so during the break I had to go out to my car. That was fine with me though, I got a breath of fresh air, stretched out, and called my mom. At this point I was extremely concerned that the SNS went poorly, so talk about an uncomfortable half hour. I did my best to remain calm and remember that I still had work to do though.
RC (21) - Talk about a stressful hour. My first article was some of the most uninteresting and thick science related material I have ever had to read. It was so tough that I didn't finish it until I had 32 minutes left, I saw that time when I started the next passage and FREAKED out. Thankfully my next two passages were more interesting, less dense, and a little shorter. I managed to finish just on time not even with room for a breath before QR. It was extremely stressful. While I can go with others and say that RC on the actual DAT is a little easier than bootcamp I want you to remember I only took one bootcamp test. DO NOT BE LIKE ME. I took a huge gamble and I'm really glad it went okay. I told myself that for one hour I could treat these three articles like they were the most interesting articles ever but believe me when I say it was really tough. Do your best to get through all bootcamp RC tests, if they're anything like the one I took the simulated test stress can only help you prepare.
QR (22) - Just like PAT the QR section felt EXACTLY like bootcamp. My test involved trig but VERY basically (think SohCahToa), none of the tough "sin(x) x 2tan(x) = 10 what is the cosine of your moms butt" kind of stuff. Quantitative comparison questions were presented just like how they are in bootcamp and actually some were nearly the same, study those close and know rules that help for certain types and you will be set for this part of the real exam. I know math destroyer's problems would've helped me but I gotta say I am glad I didn't force myself to study the really complicated trig they include. Overall I think that Bootcamp is sufficient and knowing how to do every one of their problems will be more than enough, but math destroyer would be good for those who want more practice.
Survey - As the survey popped up my heart sank. I can't even begin to describe how I felt. Part of me wanted to click the next button as fast as possible and see those scores, while the majority of me wanted to run out of the prometric center without seeing them and never look back. I took my sweet a$$ time filling out this survey, at this point I felt like the test had went so bad I told myself I'd at least get my money's worth and stay the whole time. I was pretty livid about the markers and how dry they were so for the last survey question about comments/concerns I wrote "Markers were bone dry." I don't know why but to the emotionally drained me this was hilarious. I let out my last little chuckle over that and literally shook my head as I clicked next, expecting to see a horror scene. When they popped up and I saw how well I did I threw both arms in the air so damn high and hard I bet every test taker in there felt the wind. I damn near cried as I went through each one and saw they were all above 20.
Conclusion - Studying for the DAT was hard, it turned me into an entirely different person. I ended up losing my girlfriend because I was too focused on studying and nothing else. I basically gave up on fun. For a month straight I was in the same desk at my university's library from open to close. Hell, I didn't even have an appetite. It was NOT OKAY! All I wanted in life was to do well on the DAT and while I can say that motivation was strong it was really unhealthy. Do not forget to take care of yourself as you take on studying, it will really go a long way. Overall while I know my scores don't compete with the outliers on SDN I am very satisfied. I am incredibly relieved that it went how it did. This post is my best attempt at helping those getting ready to conquer this test. Please if you're reading and need help or want clarification PM me and I'd be more than happy to help as I can. I'll finish with a few random tips in a list as I couldn't really fit them elsewhere and I know a lot of them will be helpful. Thanks for reading!!!
TL;DR tips
-Get Bootcamp and at least the DAT destroyer (math optional in my opinion), do them both entirely. Treat all of the info within like it will be on your test.
-Be realistic with yourself. Know that success on this test isn't going to come as a handout. If you want it you need to work for it.
-DO NOT FORGET TO TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF. Eat well while you study, take frequent breaks, remember to still have fun every once in a while.
-Don't let practice tests get you down. Learn from your mistakes and review the topics as you find out you need to.
-Get used to a non-perfect studying environment. Where I studied I don't think I heard a voice for a month. My testing center wasn't the quietest though and any sort of distraction hurts. Do your best to prepare for the inevitable distractions (others talking, walking in and out of the door, etc.) and it will really pay off.
-Practice with markers and laminated sheets at least once!!! As I studied I never struggled with space on my paper, and often limited myself to certain areas/amounts of paper to make sure I was ready for the test. However none of that preparation is enough if you aren't ready for the dry, broad tipped marker they give you. While this wasn't the end of the world it was my biggest complaint, I really wish I had practiced with markers at some point.
-And finally... remain confident. I'd be lying if I said this step is easy, but believe me it is the most important. Constantly beating yourself up or feeling down about your studying will only make it worse. Keep a level head and remember that you can do this.
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