Solution for test jitters

[nightowl]

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Why is it that before a test I freak out and end up making stupid careless errors because I'm freaking out? I get so nervous before tests and have no idea what to do about it, and I'm hoping for a solution before I take the MCAT because that would be awful. Anyone else deal with this?

I don't really procrastinate, pull all-nighters, skip class, or any of that, so it's like even when I know the stuff I freak out and feel like I've forgotten everything.... Feedback?

 

[firebody]

Why is it that before a test I freak out and end up making stupid careless errors because I'm freaking out? I get so nervous before tests and have no idea what to do about it, and I'm hoping for a solution before I take the MCAT because that would be awful. Anyone else deal with this?

I don't really procrastinate, pull all-nighters, skip class, or any of that, so it's like even when I know the stuff I freak out and feel like I've forgotten everything.... Feedback?

there's a funny solution that my cousin did to fix his problem. he actually had severe anxiety before any exam and the such and was pretty much on the verge of a mental breakdown into his second year of medical school where he was months away from taking the boards.

he ended up going to a psychologist(our uncle) and had himself hypnotized to calm down during studying and exams. it worked wonders according to him and wished he would have done it during undergrad and the MCAT. i never heard of anyone doing that before he did it this past summer, and i of course plan on doing it in the future.

 

[UDbiochem]

I used to have anxiety problems right as the exam is handed out. My best solution is to take a deep breath and tell yourself, "this isn't worth it." There are so many more things to be anxious about instead of exams... health, family, life in general are more important than exams. Just putting exams in perspective and making them stay exams, nothing more, makes me feel better.

 

[VPDcurt]

feeding the geese about 1hr prior to the exam tends to help people relax quite a bit.

 

[batchild39]

Why is it that before a test I freak out and end up making stupid careless errors because I'm freaking out? I get so nervous before tests and have no idea what to do about it, and I'm hoping for a solution before I take the MCAT because that would be awful. Anyone else deal with this?

I don't really procrastinate, pull all-nighters, skip class, or any of that, so it's like even when I know the stuff I freak out and feel like I've forgotten everything.... Feedback?

In my experience the only way to quell pre-test jitters is to be confident in your abilities. Specifically take as many practice tests for the MCAT as possible. You have an advantage with the MCAT in that you can get comfortable with the test beforehand. I realize that it seems like such a big part of your life being determined on just one day, but if you know the test you'll be fine.

It's important to not get jittered during the test as well. One of the most important things to do is get your timing down for the different sections. I've talked to a lot of people who just don't finish the verbal section. Every couple points you miss on that section really screws you over on the scoring tables, so you gotta finish and maximize your points. With good timing I had half an hour left on Bio, and was able to spot a couple mistakes I had made and relax during the test.

Anyways the most important piece of advice is to not leave questions unanswered as you go thru the test. I know people say to leave hard questions for the end, but that's crock. I used to get the most worked up thinking about all the questions i had left blank, and worrying about how I had to get back to them after I finished the other questions. Now that I always answer question when I see it, I don't get confused/stressed. Also if you save a question for later you end up reading it twice, and wasting time.

The point of this all is, if you can master your timing etc. you will do well on practice tests (and the real test), which will make you more confident, which will be the best cure for jitters. I dunno if that's wut you're looking for, but it helped my get a pretty darn good score (a couple times), so give it a try. (I also listen to Led Zep or Alan Jackson for an hour before going to the exam, keeps me happy) 🙂

 

[leiface]

I think a really good trick that helped me was developing a routine for the MCAT. I took several practice exams with TPR and every morning before the exams, I would go with my roommate to IHOP and get the same breakfast: coffee, 2 english muffins with apple butter, and 3 fried eggs. Then we'd hop in her big red van and drive off to the MCATs. During the morning of the actual MCAT, the breakfast routine completely helped calm me down and focus. It might not work for everyone, but it was probably one of the most important things I did.

 

[aparecida]

haha, I was so nervous before the MCAT I didn't sleep at all the night before. I lay there awake for eight hours. (I still did fine.)

Take a five second break between passages or chunks of questions. This can help clear your head.

 

[DrHopeless]

Yeah I couldn't sleep the night before either, I feel pretty much screwed by the MCAT, but it turned out to be better than I could ever hope for. I didn't finish the Verbal like 10 questions and still did fine on it. So don't worry man, luck was on my side that day and I hope it will be with you as well. One advice that I have for you is Sleeping Pill I wished that I had a good night of sleep, thing might have been a lot better, but as it turned out I am still pretty happy with the score.

 

[musiclink213]

i agree that you have to be confident in yourslef that you know the material, but i find having a little good luck charm (or 2) helps feel confident, for me anyway. What i do is i wear my star of david that my grandparents got for me from israel for my bat mitzvah, and a little figurine, which i call my lil hockey dude. he's about 2 inches tall, has a little hockey stick, and used to be a keychain, until the ring fell off. i just keep him in my left hand or my jeans pocket during the exam, and i feel surprisingly calm. but if i don't have one or the other, i get stressed, so i make sure to always have them.

 

[constructor]

take a hit right before the test... seriously, it helps.

 

[UCLAstudent]

Sleeping aids work like a charm for me ... I took them before the MCAT and slept from 10 PM to 6:30 AM. Another tip (and this is purely a psychological thing): when I am taking a midterm or final, I skip the first page. I find a question in the middle that I KNOW I will get right, and answer that first. It seems to help.

 

[stoic]

i occasionally get panic attacks and have had them during exams. it makes it somewhat difficult to do the exam. anyway, i started taking a beta blocker before exams and it's worked well.

this may or may not work for you (depending on what exactly is causing your anxiety). the point is there are several different things you can do, both with and without drugs, the often work for people. it would probably be worth it to mention this to your PCP if it's affecting your scores.

good luck,
s

 

[Psycho Doctor]

feeding the geese about 1hr prior to the exam tends to help people relax quite a bit.

ok, i'm going to bite. Is this a joke or some strange thing never once heard of?

 

[stoic]

ok, i'm going to bite. Is this a joke or some strange thing never once heard of?

lol... you're gonna **** when you find out what "feeding the geese" means

 

[Psycho Doctor]

I don't really procrastinate, pull all-nighters, skip class, or any of that, so it's like even when I know the stuff I freak out and feel like I've forgotten everything.... Feedback?

well i do procrastinate and frequently pull all-nighters so i guess i would be justified in freaking out during a test? actually i generally don't.

i would suggest getting meds if you can't psyche yourself out of it by convincing yourself you'll do better if you go in their confident...and praying a lot

 

[VPDcurt]

lol... you're gonna **** when you find out what "feeding the geese" means

no one seems to be getting it!!! i am disappointed in you people.


i actually posted something similar on a different thread hoping to reach a more diverse audience. we'll see how that works out.

 

[DrYo12]

I think the routine bit is the best way to calm yourself. I had a whole routine the night before and the morning of the MCAT and it worked ok for me. On the day before a practice test, I would do the same thing every time, same breakfast, same clothes, etc. While this is a little neurotic, it helped me to focus on test day and realise that it was just like any other time I had practiced and helped me concentrate during the exam. I too had a good luck charm--I took a really tiny locket and printed 45T on a piece of paper and pinned it to my bra strap in the morning before an exam.

The night before the first practice test, I slept about an hour and realised that this was going to happen every time, especially as the exam got closer, so I started taking a Tylenol PM the night before a practice test. I'd take it around 8:30-9pm and by about 10 I was ready to try sleeping. I tried it out ahead of time to make sure that I would be able to wake up after taking one. I'd usually wake up around 6-6:30 and was fine for the rest of the day...

Just some stuff I used...hope it helps!