Last Minute Advice!

[daniho]

I'm taking my exam on Saturday morning and I'm freaking out.
Anybody have any last minute advice/tips for the day of??
Did anyone have trouble staying awake during the exam? If so, what did you use to stay awake? I'm afraid of drinking coffee because I know I'll have to use the bathroom in the middle of the PAT section.. I did a dry run and that's exactly what happened.
Has anyone used 5 hr energy? How was that?
Any regrets/things that you wish you would've known going into the test??

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[Carbohydrates]

The day before the test, I studied a little in the morning, just reviewed some flashcard, did one PAT test on BC and that was it.
I went to bed early because my test is at 7a.m. So if you take your test in the morning, go to bed early. I know that the anxiety gonna keep me up, so I was in bed like at 8 to make sure I get a good night sleep.
I woke up a little early, drink coffee and get ready. I heard that you shouldn't drink coffee but I know my bladder, so I did it anyway. But if you know that you can't handle it, DON'T DO IT!!!
A lot of my friend recommend that you have a light breakfast, but I know that I was too worry to eat, so I didn't eat anything. I actually didn't eat anything the night before too. I knew the food gonna come right back up if I eat, so I didn't. I was fine. BUT ONCE AGAIN, KNOW YOUR BODY.

I was jamming out as loud as possible as I drove to the testing center. This put me in a good mood, so I wasn't worry about the test at all.

So just believe in yourself. You studied hard. YOU CAN DO THIS! I BELIEVE IN YOU!

 

[BeyonceFan1226]

Everything was a big blur for me but I do remember my fear of failure kept me completely energized during the exam. The only time where I can say my mind wasn't as racing was during the RC section and I don't know why.

I made sure I ate a decent breakfast though even though it was hard the morning of because I was so nervous. DEFINITELY take a snack with you to munch on during your break just in case. I had a Strawberry NutriGrain bar

I agree with Carbohydrates. YOU CAN DO THIS!

 

[Carbohydrates]

Everything was a big blur for me but I do remember my fear of failure kept me completely energized during the exam. The only time where I can say my mind wasn't as racing was during the RC section and I don't know why.

I made sure I ate a decent breakfast though even though it was hard the morning of because I was so nervous. DEFINITELY take a snack with you to munch on during your break just in case. I had a Strawberry NutriGrain bar

I agree with Carbohydrates. YOU CAN DO THIS!

I was jamming to Drunk in love and Photograph so I got the songs stuck in my head in whole time I was doing RC.

 

[NavyDDS1990]

I'm taking my exam on Saturday morning and I'm freaking out.
Anybody have any last minute advice/tips for the day of??
Did anyone have trouble staying awake during the exam? If so, what did you use to stay awake? I'm afraid of drinking coffee because I know I'll have to use the bathroom in the middle of the PAT section.. I did a dry run and that's exactly what happened.
Has anyone used 5 hr energy? How was that?
Any regrets/things that you wish you would've known going into the test??

1) stay calm otherwise you will make stupid mistakes
2) be confident. tell yourself you can kick ass
3) try not to drink any liquids that blocks your ADH (redbull, coffee, etc) and make you urge to pee a lot
4) good luck!

 

[hellofuturedentists]

I heard my heart beating due to nervousness through the entirety of the test. I'd say make sure you wear the noise headphones they offer, bring your ID, etc. Drive to the test center today and go inside to make sure you know how to get there, where the bathroom is, etc. Test your markers before you take your test. Also, if you get there early, they may let you start early and finish early.
Good luck!

 

[daniho]

Thank you so much for the advice and support/encouragement everyone!! You all are the best @hellofuturedentists @sexylife @Carbohydrates @BeyonceFan1226

 

[GrillKing]

Good luck! I'm sure you'll be fine

 

[SenoritaKorea]

I thought a frapaccino would give me some caffeine without the diuretic effect. Unfortunately, that was not the case. Sometimes I wonder if this made any difference, since I scored about 4 points higher than any bootcamp test I ever took (18avg BC). But honestly, adrenaline is going to kick in. The last thing I felt was sleepy. Details a blurry now one month later, but I do remember my hands got REALLY cold by the end of QR.

 

[daniho]

@SenoritaKorea I'm averaging 18/19's on all my test as well for BC... I'm trying not to stress and just learn as much as possible going in.
So yes to frappaccino? Cause that would be amazing if I could score 4 points higher on everything

 

[510586]

@SenoritaKorea I'm averaging 18/19's on all my test as well for BC... I'm trying not to stress and just learn as much as possible going in.
So yes to frappaccino? Cause that would be amazing if I could score 4 points higher on everything

Haven't taken the test yet, but, if allowed, I would drink something with caffeine during the break, not before the test itself. Seems that most people run low on endurance during the QR.

 

[FloorMatt]

Haven't taken the test yet, but, if allowed, I would drink something with caffeine during the break, not before the test itself. Seems that most people run low on endurance during the QR.

Do you think its worth it if someone barely has caffeine in the first place? I'm also on a strict no carb/gluten free/lactose free diet so idk what type of energizing snacks to have prior to the test and during the break... any thoughts

 

[510586]

Do you think its worth it if someone barely has caffeine in the first place? I'm also on a strict no carb/gluten free/lactose free diet so idk what type of energizing snacks to have prior to the test and during the break... any thoughts

I've just heard that QR is hard b/c time constraints and feeling tired (mostly brain feeling tired) by the time you reach it. If any section needs a boost in energy it's qr .

 

[hellofuturedentists]

Do you think its worth it if someone barely has caffeine in the first place? I'm also on a strict no carb/gluten free/lactose free diet so idk what type of energizing snacks to have prior to the test and during the break... any thoughts

Anything you would normally eat to fill you up. I ate eggs for breakfast and a granola bar (well, half of one) during the break. And brought water.

 

[ArugulaSalad]

I'd recommend a good breakfast and a snack (protein/granola bar) to eat during the break. My "breakfast" before the test was a banana and I forgot to take any snacks.. my stomach was growling pretty badly by the time I was doing the QR section. Made me feel all self-conscious and I felt bad for all the other students taking tests

 

[PDstudent16]

In terms of breakfast you don't need to eat a super heavy breakfast, but do make sure you have something! (eggs, breakfast bar, etc)

Some people say don't study the day of, some people go ham right up until the papers are being pulled out of their hands. Think about how you study for exams in school, and what kind of studier you are. Do what works for you. Personally, I had a plan to cover a bunch of material the morning of, but then said "oh screw it" half way through It's okay to just relax before going in, and is what I would recommend.

Make sure to bring a snack and water to have during your break, trust me you'll need to refuel

During the exam you're going to be nervous at first, but you'll get into the groove and settle in. Make sure you're just focused on the problem in front of you, and not thinking about the ones before or the ones too come. Make sure to take deep breaths, and remember all your test taking strategies (timing, process of elimination, etc)

GOOD LUCK!! Go kick that exam's butt

 

[SenoritaKorea]

@SenoritaKorea I'm averaging 18/19's on all my test as well for BC... I'm trying not to stress and just learn as much as possible going in.
So yes to frappaccino? Cause that would be amazing if I could score 4 points higher on everything

If you're in the 20-ish range, you have the ability! Just don't overthink it, and try your best to treat it like any other test you've ever taken! You're going to do great! Show those admissions ops how much you know! I remember having a moment where ... I just bypassed the "Natural Sciences" screen and dove straight into the Bio questions. Around 2-3 questions in, I said to myself, "omg, I'm taking the DAT." It's super surreal, and over before you know it!

And for the record--I was averaging 17 in Organic on BC, and I scored 8 POINTS higher on DAT! You've got this!

 

[cacajuate]

And for the record--I was averaging 17 in Organic on BC, and I scored 8 POINTS higher on DAT! You've got this!

I'm super glad you did that much better than your BC average but don't give false security. You most likely got lucky on your guesses..

Avg of 17 on BC should be worrysome if you are shooting for a solid 20.