Ideas for stamina issues on last section of MCAT

[michmaki]

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I am taking practice tests, and doing extremely well, but there is a marked difference in my first two sections and the last one (BIO) which I tend to do bad on, due to a loss of stamina. I tried coffee but that only seems to get me more groggy.....Any ideas out there???

 

[2003Applicant]

The MCAT is a stamina test as much as it is a test on your knowledge. Take many, many practice tests - as many as you can get your hands on. The more tests you take, the better your timing will be, and you'll still have energy by the last section.

It's like a marathon. You need to sit down for 8 hours at a time and prepare your mind for the real test.

When I was studying, I skipped the breaks and went straight through verbal, physical and bio. It took 5 hours rather than 8 because I didn't take the breaks. I'm not sure if this might be helpful to you also. Having breaks on the real test made it easier than those practice tests when I went through straight without any breaks. You might want to try that too - all sections with no breaks. It might help your stamina, but each person is of course different.

Good luck!

 

[srmonkey]

I always had the opposite problem - being groggy through VR and PS, then waking up after lunch. On the day of the test I actually started falling asleep during VR - whoops.
Coffee might be too much caffeine - try just soda. Also, eat a large lunch. I know it might be difficult eating when nervous, and it might make you momentarily groggy, but the calories will do wonders. Studies have shown that increasing the number of calories on test days increases the average score on other standardized tests, so eat up. The other key is to relax a little during your break - do not plan, do not study, do not review, just relax.

 

[BushBaby]

One word on the large lunch thing...you might want to kinda avoid that. Large lunch will make you full = sleepy.

Eat something that is NOT fatty and won't bring you down and give you that after lunch "I wanna nappy nap" feeling.

I am not sure what I will eat for lunch on that day. Stay away from turkey.
Maybe a nice sandwich or salad or whatever with a bottle of gatorade.