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Starting to Panic
- Thread starter TheSandlapper
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fogorvostan
Breathe. Stressing yourself out is only going to make it worse. Take a day off from studying and create a plan for the next few weeks.
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Why can't you delay it? Some people take theirs in July and still get in after finishing their app.
I'd take a day off. Maybe two to get your head clear. DON'T take the DAT if you aren't ready...not ready as in you don't know the difference between SN2, E2, etc.
I'd take a day off. Maybe two to get your head clear. DON'T take the DAT if you aren't ready...not ready as in you don't know the difference between SN2, E2, etc.
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deleted738762
If you had a 3.94 most of the stuff should be coming back to you.
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how in the world did you manage 3.948 while letting your self-esteem tank that low?
Open your books back up and you will know at least something. 3.948 ain't easy unless your university has grade inflation problem.
You got this!
1) Chad vids when you don't feel like studying. Just passively watch and absorb.
2) Cliffs ap bio, DAT destroyer
3) DATBOOTCAMP as final check.
Open your books back up and you will know at least something. 3.948 ain't easy unless your university has grade inflation problem.
You got this!
1) Chad vids when you don't feel like studying. Just passively watch and absorb.
2) Cliffs ap bio, DAT destroyer
3) DATBOOTCAMP as final check.
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schmoob
You do know your stuff, your anxiety is your own worst enemy.
I took the exam twice. I studied my butt off the first time, but I let my nerves get the best of me. The second time around I studied less, but focused on my well being. I did better. If you go in there with the right mindset, a confident attitude, and tell yourself that no matter what, the sun will come up tomorrow, you'll do well. Treat yourself to something after the exam and just tell yourself that no matter what, you're getting that reward regardless of your score.
Good luck and stay sane!!!
I took the exam twice. I studied my butt off the first time, but I let my nerves get the best of me. The second time around I studied less, but focused on my well being. I did better. If you go in there with the right mindset, a confident attitude, and tell yourself that no matter what, the sun will come up tomorrow, you'll do well. Treat yourself to something after the exam and just tell yourself that no matter what, you're getting that reward regardless of your score.
Good luck and stay sane!!!
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fogorvostan
"As you think, so shall you become."
It's corny, but it's true. If you go into the DAT saying that you are going to fail it, then you are only setting yourself up for failure. Go in confident. Your GPA destroys mine which shows that you did learn the material the first time around.
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schmoob
I'm not a mental health professional by any means, but it sounds like some of these issues are deeper rooted. I encourage you to seek someone to help you with these matters.
I understand the stress and anxiety of this process, and I can sympathize. But let's say you do well and get into your first choice school. The stress and anxiety are underlying, and the pressure and demands of dental school would likely result in triggering these feelings again.
Again, I encourage you to seek someone to help you. You will be more confident and perform better in your studies. I would also imagine the frustration of knowing your cognitive abilities, but the frustration of not being able to perform to your potential due to the anxiety.
Just know that you are not alone in this world, and there are lots of resources available to help you overcome this.
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After all this process is done and over with, you will feel a lot better. I know for me it was a darn painful process overall.
It will all be worth it in the end.
It will all be worth it in the end.
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schmoob
Well said.
Nothing in life comes easy (for most people). With risk comes reward. Nothing ventured nothing gained. All these clichéd expressions are honestly true. We sacrifice our time, our money, our sanity (temporarily), etc for an ultimate goal. If we want it bad enough, we will stop at nothing to get it.(disclaimer: I mean through hard work and morally ethical means, not the cutthroat gunner type).
What are our alternatives? Get some job and be slaves to our paychecks. Not that there is anything wrong with that, but none of us want that, which is why we're here working so hard.
I think with the cycle about to open up plus people have finals, there is a lot of anxiety floating around.
It'll all be ok.
FYI: If dentistry doesn't work out for me, I'm looking into becoming a motivational speaker 🙂
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Never
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schmoob
Yeah dude. I've seen that side and I don't want it. I also don't want it for my family. I don't want my kids to struggle. I want to be one of those parents who help their children succeed instead of putting them in situations that makes it more difficult for them to achieve their dreams.
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I literally get asked "Ew you want to be a dentist and look in peoples' mouths?" all the time. I want to be able to live a comfortable life, not worrying about paychecks.
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Truth.
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Sandlapper, I am you man. I graduated with a Bio degree and literally got a 3.94. I too, pumped and dumped the entire way. Retained virtually nothing. I made word associations my entire college experience which resulted in little true knowledge being stored (so I thought), and I was in a terrible boat for the DAT. Hi GPA's neeeeed an above average DAT and hopefully on the first shot or it looks like your university was weak or you cheated or something just doesn't add up. I graduated in may and was planning to take a year off before starting dental school, for the sole purpose that I was unable to prep for the DAT during school. I graduated, chilled for a few days, then hit the grindstone everyday all summer. Took DAT late august, got a 21 (24 Bio), I had my application in already, faxed my DAT scores and boom interviews and then acceptances. 2 weeks before I took the DAT I did terrible man, couldn't tell you ANYTHING about the material truly freaked out like you, watched my score get worse and worse and started to panic. Stop it. Chill for a day (don't open a thing). Take a full length exam. Then study smart (I wanted to study a book from cover to cover but needed to focus on certain sections. Take the full length, see where you are strong and where you are weak. Focus on your weaknesses first. Get application in and study all summer (assuming you want to enter in 2017) take the DAT at start or mid august and you are fine. That 3.94 is pretty rare, believe me its unusually high.
Test Day: I got to the exam and started, I had no idea what was happening I only knew I was bombing it, I started to panic (first 5 minutes) I had to skip a bunch of questions I just had no idea man, after about 20 minutes I calmed down, went back to the first 20 impossible questions, and was now able to answer them all, I was just stressed. Don't come out of your mindset during the test or studying, don't go into the realm of ohh my goodness (throw that away) just stay in the present, figure out the question you are looking at. Panic can kill your results, when you start to feel the panic just stop, and focus on the question.
Lastly, do not work are you crazy??! You are in a position in life to either (forgive me here), make it or not make it. The 2k you make this summer will never matter either way. You will never feel it. I had my books, my flashlight, and I survived on anything I could, just study and survive. Push your studying to just the weekends and I will be so pissed at you. Hardest part, get a 3.94, done. Finish strong my man, study like you didn't learn a thing the past 4 years ( I can relate exactly EXACTLY to what you are saying, that's why I had to reply.) I am you. Forget that job, if you NEED money to literally survive ( I didn't, on a college campus true survival is a joke) keep it to the weekends. Your task is to emulate me. Wake up everyday and hit the DAT 8am-noon, small break, 1-close. Your close is up to you. I hit like 9pm usually. This is everything (and nothing, keep it in perspective), but if you are interested in this dental game, we are interested in how hard you can push yourself, especially this summer. If I would of quit studying when it was starting to become unhealthy, I wouldn't be a rich dentist today. -One
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I agree with @DroppingBoxes that if you don't need to work, don't do it. Focus all of your energy into this exam. Make the exam your job. It was the only way I could personally get it over with.
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3.94 isn't summa? 😵
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schmoob
It was very difficult to balance everything while prepping. I think considering the situation I did alright, but if I had no other obligations but test prep, I would've done better.
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