What drinks to bring to MCAT?

[Turkelton]

I was wondering what is a good beverage for MCAT breaks? In other words whats a good drink thats not going to make me think about going to the bathroom during those difficult passages? Any suggestions? My MCAT is in 18 hours, prompt responses are appreciated.

I was thinking along the lines of gatorade, cold green tea or water, does that sound about right. Also are any of those beverages more anti-diuretic than the others?

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Live4Life]

Drink water and think about the five characteristics of hydrogen bonds, it will improve your score. Coffee and tea are diuretics.

 

[Steeler7588]

Gatorade AM. I had an 8 AM exam, I don't know if it for sure helped, but that kept me refreshed the whole day (I didn't eat much).

 

[BlueElmo]

I just brought mineral water. To tell you the truth, I didn't feel thirsty at all during the exam. But I forced myself to drink during breaks.

 

[spyderracing32]

I brought some red bull, but I'm a huge caffeine fiend. Regularly took my practice exams with a 2 liter of diet coke at my side, and regularly finished the whole thing before I was done with the bio section.

 

[lrkoehle]

Any strong alcohol will do, but don't be tempted to drink it during the exam breaks. Its for after the test when you are stressed as hell and freaking out about that one passage in PS or that question you didn't understand in BS. I really wish I had done this, even though I don't ever drink, that would have been the time for a drink.

 

[secants]

I bought a 32oz gatorade bottle (it was on sale), monster energy drink and those smaller starbucks cold cappachino drinks. Needless to say, unless you are comfortable running to the bathroom after each section ends, go easy on the drinks.

 

[SN2ed]

Gatorade is the best bet, though I didn't find a need to drink anything while taking the test. I wouldn't drink green tea because it is slightly diuretic.

 

[lrkoehle]

I bought a 32oz gatorade bottle (it was on sale), monster energy drink and those smaller starbucks cold cappachino drinks. Needless to say, unless you are comfortable running to the bathroom after each section ends, go easy on the drinks.

Wouldn't it be a good idea to just use the restroom after every section anyways? That's what I did, and i ate two granola bars each time too. I had bad experiences on my practice exams with getting hungry and needing to use the restroom, so I did not want to risk that at all on the big day. As for a drink to bring for real, I would say water is always a very good idea or a sports drink (keep in mind they are loaded with sugar though). What you drink while taking your practice exams is the same thing you should drink during your real exam. That also means you absolutely should not be drinking during any section of your practice exams, because you can't do that on the real thing, so that would be a very bad habit to develop.

 

[andrewjsl]

I actually made valerian iced tea (from the health store). I drank some in the morning, a tiny bit if I was feeling stressed during breaks, and the rest afterwards. Mostly though I just drank water.

 

[drzing]

i brought a 40oz for the break after the ps, a handle of vodka for the end of the verbal reasoning, coffee for the break after the writing, and an ice cream shake for the end of the test...they were all very very good choices...

i also ate a bologna sandwich during every break and went to the bathroom each time, just in case

also, i took approximatly all three breaks in their entirety...no need to rush..you can get back in and sit in front of the screen till it starts automatically

 

[BlackSails]

I brought everclear/gatorade for the breaks, and some water for after to prevent dehydration.

 

[decafplease]

I brought water. I don't like doing the potty dance in my seat with 30 minutes left in a section, so I stayed FAR FAR away from caffeine.

Most people I saw had water or gatorade/mineral water.

DON'T FORGET FOOD!! I brought some yummy almonds and some dried fruit. I kept my blood sugar from dropping too low without making me feel full or drowsy.

 

[Soba]

Coffee, water, and nutrigrain bars.

Took a sip of both liquids and a bite of the bar between each break.

 

[drzing]

on the real tip i brought energy drinks...not like real ones but Vault soda...drinks like a soda, kicks like an energy drink

you might also try 5 hour energy shots...they work well

 

[StIGMA]

I'd recommend 100% smoothy/juice type drinks. Try Odwalla / Naked / Sambazon type drinks.

 

[pseudoknot]

 

[StIGMA]

Don't forget 2x

Seriously though, whatever you drink will very likely not impact your score. Most people stick to water or powerade type drinks. As I said earlier, I prefer fruit smoothy drinks such as Odwalla. Some of the fruit smoothy drinks are lightly caffeinated, others are not, so check the label for your preference.

 

[da8s0859q]

Water.

My first MCAT, I made the mistake of downing a HUGE cup of tea before the first section.

Yeah, whoops.

 

[engineeredout]

 

[dragonfly99]

Bring water, and whatever food you can eat that won't make you have to run to the bathroom often (i.e. don't have 3 bowls of oatmeal before you go). LOL. When I took it years ago and I had taken Princeton Review and they brought us Subway for lunch as part of the deal for taking the class, which was very nice. I personally stay away from caffeine during these things because it just makes me have to urinate way too often...

By the way, every time you take one of these tests, someone will tell you "It's the most important exam of your life". However, just remember they give it again in a few months...and again...and again. Not that it's not important, but it's not the end of the world if you don't do great vs. if you do. Kind of like the pro football player whose team had just lost the Super Bowl. Reporter asked him "Mr so and so, aren't you very upset that you didn't win this most important of all games?". Player: "If this game is the most important one ever, why are they going to play it again every year?". Best of luck,
dr. B

 

[knivez]

I had a 250mL Red Bull before I walked in.

Then a 500mL Full Throttle after the Verbal Section.

Combine that with the 4 caffiene pills I took in the morning when I woke up (not a morning person at all), suffice to say, I was all but seizing by the time BS rolled around.

I sped through that BS like a chipmunk on expresso. Finished with well over 20 minutes to spare, but didn't have the patience to sit there all jacked up and read over the test. Took about 5 minutes reviewing then walked out, which was probably a mistake on my part (we'll see when the scores come out).

Lesson here? Overtaking caffiene helps a LOT in increasing your speed but unless you have extraordinary willpower to be able to sit tight through the entire 70min to comprehensively review that section, ease up on the stuff. Really.

 

[da8s0859q]

I had a 250mL Red Bull before I walked in.

Then a 500mL Full Throttle after the Verbal Section.

Combine that with the 4 caffiene pills I took in the morning when I woke up (not a morning person at all), suffice to say, I was all but seizing by the time BS rolled around.

I sped through that BS like a chipmunk on expresso. Finished with well over 20 minutes to spare, but didn't have the patience to sit there all jacked up and read over the test. Took about 5 minutes reviewing then walked out, which was probably a mistake on my part (we'll see when the scores come out).

Lesson here? Overtaking caffiene helps a LOT in increasing your speed but unless you have extraordinary willpower to be able to sit tight through the entire 70min to comprehensively review that section, ease up on the stuff. Really.

And if you're gonna do this, don't drink a lot of anything beforehand. If you do, uh, thou shalt need to piss like a ****ing racehorse.

 

[student1799]

And if you're gonna do this, don't drink a lot of anything beforehand. If you do, uh, thou shalt need to piss like a ****ing racehorse.

Agreed. That's why Gatorade is a good drink: it has a decent amount of sodium (80 mg per cup), which helps you retain water and reduces your need to use the facilities during the test.