Last Week before MCAT

[NeuroscEYEnce]

Hello everyone. It's my last week before my mcat and I'm having trouble focusing and relaxing. I've studied a lot and taken practice tests and I wanted to reserve this week to chill and do some slight review. My problem is that I am over thinking and worrying about things not related to my exam. Like family, school, and my relationship. Especially my relationship has become distant in the past couple months and now I'm realizing it once I take a breather and realize my boyfriend is completely frustrated with my irritability and over stressed behavior. It's heart breaking because I really care about my relationship and I realize I need to find a balance between career and personal life. I haven't really been able to find it throughout my pre-med studies. I just want to feel happy and confident before my exam and all I can feel is, what have I done to my relationship. Shouldn't I be 100% focused on taking the exam? I don't know what to do.

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[captaincbr]

What to do: Relax

Being worried will not do anything productive for you. You have studied as much as you can, so there is no need to study extra hard just because your exam is near. If you want, just do some light reading on topics you have or had trouble with. Maybe a passage or two on those topics. Other than that, go have a nice dinner with your boyfriend, or go to the beach (if you're not in the pacific side, find some equivalent to this), watch a comedy show, go see a concert or movie, some bedroom romance or anything else that you love to do away from science. If you drink, a glass or two of wine will be very nice. (not too much though, save that for AFTER the exam)

Good luck, and have fun

 

[Signifier]

Smoke blunts and down 40s. Other than that, look at the 3 or 4 key things you struggle with. Don't worry.

 

[venacontracta]

This whole "relax the week before your MCAT and don't study" thing is way overblown. Hopefully by the time you take the MCAT you know how you normally prefer to take exams. If you study up to the last minute normally and get good grades I don't see any reason not to do the same thing with the MCAT. If you're a major test anxiety kind of person who normally has to zen out before a big test, then it probably is a good idea to relax before the MCAT.

 

[MonkfishSushi]

Do some exercise! A brisk run and some stretching will do wonders for stress and anxiety.

 

[spacemanxxx]

Do not touch any books or practice tests on the day bf4 test. Compartmentalize your personal life from your work life. Or, use your personal life to motivate you. See how important the MCAT in how much of a sacrifice you're making for this test. Don't guilt yourself into failure. Visualize yourself succeeding. Carboload on that day b4 test (complex carbs not simple). Also, this is no time to improve weaknesses, its time to strengthen the strengths.

 

[jhamaican]

...

 

[Yaphet]

I feel like the MCAT is important so you should be focused on doing well on it. You really just need to relax and be ready mentally to take it. I have news for you: your studying doesn't matter as much as you think it does. The biggest difference I've found (this is all anecdotal) in good and bad scores has nothing to do with studying and everything to do with mental approach, test anxiety, etc. Hang out with your boyfriend, talk to your friends and family, and just relax. You know you've prepared enough. Do you really think you'll look back when you get your score after weeks of studying and say, "Damn, if only I had looked over the citric acid cycle ONE MORE TIME!" I don't think so. Be confident in your preparation and your ability, and know that you will perform well!

 

[aSagacious]

I feel like the MCAT is important so you should be focused on doing well on it....

This probably goes without saying, but we here at SDN appreciate your contributions

 

[Yaphet]

This probably goes without saying, but we here at SDN appreciate your contributions

I don't appreciate being spoken to like that by a monkey. Even a monkey who can read.

 

[Geneticist]

Do not touch any books or practice tests on the day bf4 test. Compartmentalize your personal life from your work life. Or, use your personal life to motivate you. See how important the MCAT in how much of a sacrifice you're making for this test. Don't guilt yourself into failure. Visualize yourself succeeding. Carboload on that day b4 test (complex carbs not simple). Also, this is no time to improve weaknesses, its time to strengthen the strengths.

Welcome to SDN, Phil Jackson!

 

[torshi]

Smoke blunts and down 40s. Other than that, look at the 3 or 4 key things you struggle with. Don't worry.

future doc right hurr

 

[MyCarIsDirty]

Bungee jump the morning of the test. That'll take the edge off for you.

 

[image187]

forget studying this last week... hang out with your boyfriend and have a good time and relax yourself. if you think you've studied enough you probably have!

 

[rhcarolina]

I wouldn't necessarily put off studying completely... I would look at a few things you may have had trouble with on the practice MCATs. What really helped me the night before the test were the Kaplan flashcards that I had never opened before. Reviewing them helped me a lot of the PS section. I think it just jogs your memory a little.

And try to get a good nine hours of sleep every night leading up to the exam... I guess that's important every night though...

As for your boyfriend, I think he just needs to understand that there's only one more week left until you can really get back to the pre-MCAT days...

 

[TACMON]

god has the next mcat cycle already started? feels like yesterday i was taking it

 

[raltima07]

god has the next mcat cycle already started? feels like yesterday i was taking it

Becuase it was yesterday