Pre-test superstitions

[LadyJubilee8_18]

Ok, so my room mate and I were talking about random pre-test rituals we do to give us good luck. In college, he did some crazy Tanuk Tanuk dance before every test. I used to take every test in college in my robe and house shoes. In medical school, I give high fives down the row I’m sitting in. Of course, there are the lucky pens and pencils. What are some of the silly things you guys do before tests?

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[bjackrian]

Um, I have two pet rabbits, and I very carefully rub their feet before I go to take an exam. I keep telling them they need to grow new, luckier feet. It doesn't seem to be working.

 

[Rogue Synapse]

What are some of the silly things you guys do before tests?

Spend the previous week on SDN, Wonkette, Achewood, and Facebook rather than studying. Has very predictable results.

 

[Law2Doc]

What are some of the silly things you guys do before tests?

I spend the weekend before every test studying. Sure it's ritualistic and silly but it helps me not freak on test day.

 

[MartianOddity]

Study of course, the whole week or 3 days before if I have no other choice.

I did have strange habits before tests (like not wearing black socks) but they're all gone now as I've grown insane in other ways instead.

 

[DoctorFunk]

The closest thing I have to a pre-test superstition is slamming a Mountain Dew and listening to the same Dizzee Rascal song right before the exam begins.

 

[GodoShingo]

My thing is to avoid using the computer in the morning and half an hour before I go to bed the night before.

 

[Ashers]

My friends and I meet up at some couches in the cafeteria lobby to "study" early in the morning before exams. The "study" sessions usually turn into stress relief when we see how insane the anxiety has made us. Good times.

 

[psipsina]

When I was younger my grandma gave me a jade statue with a little gold part that she bought for me while traveling (I think in India, but not entirely sure, I was young) . . . she told me that you could rub the gold piece and make a wish. I have wished for success before every exam/interview since then on this little statue and overall I think it has worked in my favor, and I am to superstitious to see what would happen if I don't , . . so I keep on doing it.

 

[eirinn152]

i'm with funk, slamming a dew and a little led zeppelin usually does it for me

 

[deleted109597]

Taking it with my trusty Viagra pen.

 

[donair]

-Grow an exam beard (at the very least I DO NOT shave on exam day)
-Lucky eraser (had it since high school and use it at every test)
-Listen to music to pump me up
-Before opening the exam I say a little prayer (b/c I can use all the divine intervention I can get!)

 

[Long Dong]

-Can't realy grow a beard so I just grow out an exam mustache.
-Lose about 5 pounds from not working out the week before an exam.
-No ill-na-na from the gf cuz she thinks I'm a biaatch the week before the exam.
-For boards extend PBS (pre board syndrome) out a month.

 

[xlithiumx]

-definitely don't shave for about 4-5 days before
-arrive at school 4 hours before exam for frantic "last minute" studying
-lots of caffeine
-10 minutes before exam listen to "Que Onda Guero" by Beck

 

[Captain Fantastic]

It's bad luck to be superstitious!

 

[SelflessAct]

I always say good luck to the people around me (you know, for some of that bounce-back karma). Does it work? Uh, no...not always. But I do it without fail every time!

 

[SugarDaddy]

Two words: Steve Perry

 

[EBI831]

well still in my senior year in college so i don't know if this applies to med school. but i must sit in my same seat i sit in in class, it personally pisses me off when someone takes it b/c i feel like they stole my vibes. silly, i know. i also try not to study up to 1 hour before it, i chill out and watch tv. i used to listen to franz ferdinand, "take me out" and modest mouses' "float on" but that was when the songs were popular.

 

[LJDHC05]

-Put a single cold beer into lunchbox
-Blast "Eye of the Tiger" for about 30 seconds before leaving for the exam, pissing off the sleeping PT students downstairs
-Buy a during-exam cup of coffee in the caf
-Get the good seat by the window for contemplating/zoning out/alleviating temporary "bubble vision"/looking at the squirrels running around because anything's more interesting than a biochem exam
-Finish exam as quickly as humanly possible, checking clock frequently and looking at the kids who finish before me to see where they are in the exam to ensure that I am on pace to finish early
-Open beer in the hallway walking back home and enjoy the victory beverage
-Study for next day's exam
-Listen to roommates b!tch about how they like totally failed and missed a ton of questions, especially #29 because there were 2 right answers and #84 didn't have a right answer
-develop paranoia and self-loathing based on roomates' account of exam
-Feverntly pray for P over the next 3-5 days
-Note marginally above-average score
-Resolve to study MUCH harder next time
-Then slack off for 2 weeks

 

[PinoyCytosis]

pre-test coffee

 

[jbar]

I wear hawiian shirts every day of the last week before qualifiers, started in college when that would be all that I would have left becuase I was too stressed to do laundry. Now it's good luck.

 

[ahumdinger]

I have a shirt from the Alfred Smart Museum of Art in Chicago that has the Smart Logo on it. I've worn that shirt at every exam this year. I also use black warrior pencils that are slightly blunted for faster bubbling, though there's never been a time crunch to really necessitate that feature.

 

[PenguinHead]

The only ritual I seem to have is waking up morning of in a confused hallucinatory state. Usually it has to do with whatever I was up 'till 4am studying. Back when I was in Gross, I would wake up thinking I was looking for some obscure ligament or nerve etc and just couldn't find it... It's terrible. Worse than a nightmare.

And it doesn't appear to bring good luck...