Nerves for MCAT?

[DeathandTaxes]

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I've been reading a lot that it's best to try to cool yourself down while taking the MCAT. In my personal experience, I feel as if I do better on tests and focus better when I'm stressed out. I'm just wondering whether anyone feels the same? Or is the MCAT an exam due to its very nature that it's better to remain calm?

The only hard part about having nerves, personally, is being unable to fall asleep the night before an exam and not getting a solid 7 hours. I've been trying to sleep at 12 and wake up at 7 routinely to prepare for the 8 am MCAT. Anyone else try doing this?

 

[Alucard6]

It really does depend on how you function. Some people will not study at all the day before to cool down, but others will still have study sheets 5 minutes before being seated.

Either way, I do not think that process matters. If you have a solid average on your AAMC exams, you will tend to get around that time unless something goes really wrong. Just stick to what you are most comfortable with, but just avoid burning yourself out or overdoing the nerves when it comes test day. It is okay if you like that stress over your shoulders, but do not overburden it.

 

[NextStepTutor_2]

Interesting! In Blink by Malcolm Gladwell, he points to research that shows there is the perfect amount of stress for these scenarios. From studies done on soldiers in war to professional athletes, there is a perfect amount of epinephrine that flows through your body to make you perform at your absolute best. Too much, however, and you become too frantic and your performance plummets. Too little and performance isn't optimal.

This could absolutely be applied to the MCAT. Practice getting to that perfect amount of rush on practice tests. This is a high stakes test for many of us so I doubt anybody remains perfectly calm while taking it and I don't think you should!

 

[Pierre Escargot]

I completely agree with the above poster. There's a certain amount of "alertness" that I think one must have to be able to perform quickly and efficiently as the MCAT demands, and that alertness comes from a bit of positive stress. Any less and you may not be able to extract the information from your memory quick enough. I did pretty well (32) and I feel as though my level of stress was appropriate for the task. Just don't let your nerves get the best of you. After all, your preparations will almost always ensure a solid result should you remain relatively calm.

 

[christinalouise]

Before every exam I wrote in University (and now the MCAT) I listened to Lux Aeterna (Requiem for a Dream). Somehow it turns all my nervous energy into "going into battle" mode. Lame, but effective. It always lead me to calm down and focus.