Severe test anxiety, can't even take a full exam yet :/

[crypticase]

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[BerkReviewTeach]

If you are willing to try most anything to see what helps (placebo effect, cosmetic changes, and mind exercises), then you should see how meditation before the start helps, how wardrobe choice helps, and how changing your pattern helps. I'd suggest trying a few things such as (1) starting with a passage other than Passage #1. Skip ahead and see if breaking the sequence helps. It may result in greater anxieties, but you might as well see firsthand. (2) Try wearing a "testing outfit". What outfit makes you feel most confident? If it's a suit, then wear a suit for your next practice exam. If it's pajamas, try that. See if you can create a positive environment that relaxes you that has helped you feel confident in the past. (3) Exercise right before your practice exam to the point of near physical fatigue. Anything beyond these environmental changes should be discussed with a professional. Good luck.

 

[BerkReviewTeach]

I sincerely hope that works. It may require a combination of things and it may improve with time, as you feel more confident in your abilities. Having seen some anxious people learn to cope and ultimately do well on this exam, I believe you will be able to do it. You just have to discover how to do it best.

 

[kb0275]

Smoke weed

 

[bears1992]

Smoke weed

Yes. There is a correlation between degree of bakedness and score. The AAMC recommends a good nights sleep before the test along with a giant bong rip in your car before the exam.

 

[westsidestoryz]

Go to the gym, you wont believe how much it helps your body and mind. Even after I study for 8 hours, after one hour of gym session, I get this intense, hot feeling in my core, which triggers my brain to wake up. Then I pick up the books and study for couple of hours more. It is immaculate, I tell ya

 

[AnotherLawyer]

I know this has been brought up before, but my test date is 8 weeks away, and I haven't been able to take a full exam straight through without panicking and stopping right after reading the first passage of a section. I am trying to get counseling for the anxiety I deal with, but it's been really difficult for me at the moment since so many of them are busy/booked. I've already brought myself to taking them untimed and I can manage maybe 1 or 2 sections at a time, but taking a full test under the test conditions hasn't been going well so far. It's as if my brain suddenly goes blank and I have no clue what the words on the screen mean, not even the so-called "easier" passages. Does anyone have anything they've done about this, minus therapy/meds?

If you've built an otherwise strong application it is very unnerving to think that this one test will make or break all your hard work. It is easy and comfortable to believe you are doing all the right things and will be successful on the MCAT. But it can be very frightening to sit down and see quantitatively where you stand. With that said, here are your options:

1. Don't take a FL. If you can't get through one in practice, you certainly won't succeed on the real thing. So this is a recipe for disaster.

2. Take a FL no matter how badly it sucks.

a. You do terribly. Now you know where you stand. If you show improvement, great. If not, you can make an informed choice to postpone.

b. You do great. You'll be less stressed and on your way to conquering the real thing.

Obviously option 1 is very bad and option 2 is not bad at all. So suck it up and take a FL already!

 

[westsidestoryz]

I know this has been brought up before, but my test date is 8 weeks away, and I haven't been able to take a full exam straight through without panicking and stopping right after reading the first passage of a section. I am trying to get counseling for the anxiety I deal with, but it's been really difficult for me at the moment since so many of them are busy/booked. I've already brought myself to taking them untimed and I can manage maybe 1 or 2 sections at a time, but taking a full test under the test conditions hasn't been going well so far. It's as if my brain suddenly goes blank and I have no clue what the words on the screen mean, not even the so-called "easier" passages. Does anyone have anything they've done about this, minus therapy/meds?

Btw, I've heard stories from test-takers. They felt like they did horrible and was about to void the exam. In the end, they got like 515+ and 520s. What Im saying is, nobody feels great after an MCAT unless youre a genius

 

[dwgrubbs1s]

If you are truly having panic attacks during testing, then you may want to see you primary healthcare provider. While I would recommend trying other methods first, your doctor may prescribe you a benzodiazepine for the panic. If you are going this route, and you do get prescribed a benzo, I would try it as soon as possible to see if it helps alleviate anxiety during the test. You can run through a couple of practice test and see if the medication helps or how it may affect your thinking process. The MCAT is definitely a test you do not want to have meltdown during the middle of the real deal, but you still have several weeks to figure out how to best handle the anxiety.

 

[Goro]

Absolutely do NOT take this exam until you get your anxiety under control! This is a career-deciding, high stakes exam, and taking it while not at your best bring your judgment into question, not just your intellect.

You will also need to get your anxiety fully under control to be a successful med student. Medical school is a furnace, and I've seen it break even healthy students. The #1 reason my school loses students to withdrawals, dismissals, or LOA is to mental health issues.

I know this has been brought up before, but my test date is 8 weeks away, and I haven't been able to take a full exam straight through without panicking and stopping right after reading the first passage of a section. I am trying to get counseling for the anxiety I deal with, but it's been really difficult for me at the moment since so many of them are busy/booked. I've already brought myself to taking them untimed and I can manage maybe 1 or 2 sections at a time, but taking a full test under the test conditions hasn't been going well so far. It's as if my brain suddenly goes blank and I have no clue what the words on the screen mean, not even the so-called "easier" passages. Does anyone have anything they've done about this, minus therapy/meds?

 

[DexterMorganSK]

If you don't have a heart condition, try a low-dose metoprolol (25mg). Exercise, meditation, and yoga helps as well.