What is the best way to handle stress during MCAT studying?

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[ChantillyLace]

Reward yourself for your efforts by taking breaks.
Study in a group might make studying fun.
Play MCAT games with like flash cards or something like that.

 

[ChantillyLace]

And for some...medication. (just kidding)

 

[b&ierstiefel]

if beer counts as medication, i highly recommend it

 

[Murtazor]

Break various objects around the house.

Go from 😡 -> 😀 in no time

 

[Anthropic]

What exactly are you stressing about?

If you are stressing while doing practice passages, get over it. This will hinder you on test day.

 

[bloHaZaRd]

punch the proctor

 

[UseUrHeadFred]

punch the proctor

That's too much of a GAMBLE...

...

 

[SlopinMunkyDude]

I second the quesiton of why you're getting nervous. You shouldn't be. Just keep studying and made it part of your routine. Treat it like a job. Melodrama is only going to hinder your efforts. Better yet, don't even treat it as a job, which people complain about all the time. Treat it like sleeping. It's something you do. You don't ask why; you just do it.

Best thing I ever did when studying for this test was just to remove myself from anyone else studying for the same thing. I had no links whatsoever outside of SND when I studied. This was my deal.

 

[b&ierstiefel]

Just like the advice for studying for USMLE step 1, "avoid people who stress you out."

 

[superdevil]

study in your room with an attractive, promiscuous member of the opposite sex. every time you need a break.....[red face/chuckles]...you can er, um...."relieve yourself"...(TEE-HEE, TEE-HEE)... 😳 👍 😎

 

[jmritty711]

definitely go to the gym or some kind of physical activity to relieve stress. it makes you feel better physically as well as a mental break, so you will feel refreshed next time you sit down to study.

 

[brynn7]

smile a lot. i read that the act of smiling relaxes you and makes you happier...or something. anyway...it makes you look less like death when you arent sleeping and study 8 hours a day! 😀 😀 😛

 

[stoic]

Just when I didn't think I could take anymore studying... I'd grab a beer.

It worked!

 

[stinkycheese]

study in your room with an attractive, promiscuous member of the opposite sex. every time you need a break.....[red face/chuckles]...you can er, um...."relieve yourself"...(TEE-HEE, TEE-HEE)... 😳 👍 😎

Actually, if you have a steady SO, take sex breaks. I did. Instead of bonking right before lights out, we'd bonk when we needed a break (he was also in school at the same time). Then we'd have a half hour of couples' time (ie, laying in bed talking and dreading getting back up) and then we'd both get back to work. Then we'd go to sleep once we were too tired to think, usually several hours later.

This strategy ensures:
1. You have an effective and refreshing study break... just don't overdo the acrobatics so that you're not too tired to get back to work after.
2. You get your sex in. If you wait until bedtime after studying for 6 hours, you'll be too tired and stressed.
3. You can fall into bed at the end of the day without feeling guilty for not having sex, because you already had it. It's nice to be able to have that "head hits pillow and I am gone" feeling.
4. You get two valid evening study breaks: dinner, and sex. And you don't have to feel guilty for taking these breaks because you have to eat dinner, and you have to spend time with your SO.

This was all too much information, I am sure, but it's what I did.

 

[N-toxicologist]

....2. You get your sex in.....

😀 This is all important. If you don't get your "stress relief" in, you'll find yourself zoning out, thinking about sex during the verbal section on test day... 🙁 👎

 

[stinkycheese]

😀 This is all important. If you don't get your "stress relief" in, you'll find yourself zoning out, thinking about sex during the verbal section on test day... 🙁 👎

Haha, damn straight. My co-worker's boyfriend was studying for the MCAT at the same time I was and he would regularly request that they have a special sex appointment the night before his diagnostics and of course, the night before the MCAT to "help him concentrate" the next day.

Interestingly enough, the only time they couldn't meet up the night before a diag, he scored 3 points lower than on his previous. Make of that what you will...

 

[IllinoisStudent]

Have confidence in yourself. Think that MCAT is ur b****, and you are going to r*** her. Sorry for the profanity, but that kind of attitude really helps.

Be excited about MCAT..be eager to take it (even if ur not prepared). Have "bring it on" attitude.

 

[Nakhrewali]

AGREED!

 

[stinkycheese]

Have confidence in yourself. Think that MCAT is ur b****, and you are going to r*** her. Sorry for the profanity, but that kind of attitude really helps.

Be excited about MCAT..be eager to take it (even if ur not prepared). Have "bring it on" attitude.

It helps to think of the MCAT as a female that you are going to sexually violate? That is disgusting, and it is disgusting that in our society, we find it appropriate to "psych ourselves up" by using rape imagery.

I hope you never have a rape victim for a patient. Actually, I hope you never have anyone for a patient. Your thought process is vile.

 

[N-toxicologist]

Haha, damn straight. My co-worker's boyfriend was studying for the MCAT at the same time I was and he would regularly request that they have a special sex appointment the night before his diagnostics and of course, the night before the MCAT to "help him concentrate" the next day.

Interestingly enough, the only time they couldn't meet up the night before a diag, he scored 3 points lower than on his previous. Make of that what you will...

Aha!

This could be the key to my success in August.... 😀

 

[kidgorgeous]

jerk off more! 🙂 Sorry, in advance but self sex is the best sex till you have sex.

 

[IllinoisStudent]

It helps to think of the MCAT as a female that you are going to sexually violate? That is disgusting, and it is disgusting that in our society, we find it appropriate to "psych ourselves up" by using rape imagery.

I hope you never have a rape victim for a patient. Actually, I hope you never have anyone for a patient. Your thought process is vile.

Sorry, if u got offended. I was just trying to say that having confidence and enthusiasm about MCAT helps. I guess I used a little too explicit analogy for you.

 

[adamj61]

If I had a nickel for every time I heard some talk about butt raping, railing, raping, riding an exam I wouldn't need to go to med school 🙄

 

[adamj61]

It helps to think of the MCAT as a female that you are going to sexually violate? That is disgusting, and it is disgusting that in our society, we find it appropriate to "psych ourselves up" by using rape imagery.

I hope you never have a rape victim for a patient. Actually, I hope you never have anyone for a patient. Your thought process is vile.

You are vile! I hope you were joking...if not, I think someone needs to follow the above advice 😱

 

[JohnHolmes]

**** your g/f or b/f! 👍 😍 😛

 

[bella_dottoressa]

If I had a nickel for every time I heard some talk about butt raping, railing, raping, riding an exam I wouldn't need to go to med school

seriously. although i usually was more of one to say i got raped by the exam 😳

 

[Psycho Doctor]

actually that may be the only help 🙁 something to numb yourself

 

[Psycho Doctor]

You question why the OP is getting nervous? how about he/she thinks he/she won't get it all done in time or is afraid of not doing as well as he/she would like to.

Hey i'm feeling the pressure and I never used to get nervous over exams. I am beyond stressed right now. 😱 and it would help if i could get more than 2 hours of sleep a night. 😴

 

[Swack]

Are you guys planning on studying much the last week before MCAT? I basically took this week off and reviewed a little here and there. It definitely helped calmed me down before I took it.

 

[stinkycheese]

Sorry, if u got offended. I was just trying to say that having confidence and enthusiasm about MCAT helps. I guess I used a little too explicit analogy for you.

Oh, silly me. It's totally normal to equal having confidence and enthusiasm with raping someone!

You are vile! I hope you were joking...if not, I think someone needs to follow the above advice

I don't joke about the seriousness of rape. And I don't think it's a "joke" when people use the word "rape" to convey enthusiasm-- especially when talking about a test as a female and "raping her". Again, I ask: why is talk of raping women a good way to psych oneself up? You can't seem to answer that, you can only shoot back the classic comment that men say to women who they feel are "uptight" about sexual issues: "GO GET LAID!" Your behavior and comments are so boorish and predictable that it's sick.

If I had a nickel for every time I heard some talk about butt raping, railing, raping, riding an exam I wouldn't need to go to med school

If I had a nickel for everytime I heard someone use the word "n*gger", I wouldn't need to to to med school. That was life in the 50's. Did that make it okay? Why is it so goddamn socially acceptable to use the metaphor of raping women as a positive expression?

 

[flighterdoc]

Go do something that requires absolute concentration and physical coordination.

For example, I'd go flying, and make instrument approaches to minimums, or go precision shooting (rifle and pistol).

 

[superdevil]

If I had a nickel for everytime I heard someone use the word "n*gger", I wouldn't need to to to med school. That was life in the 50's. Did that make it okay? Why is it so goddamn socially acceptable to use the metaphor of raping women as a positive expression?

i think its funny when people climb up on their pedestal to lecture someone about how to "not be offensive" and they say things like "goddamn." your deft use of irony really made my day. 👍

 

[IllinoisStudent]

stinkycheese, r u a non-traditional applicant?

U seem to out of touch with college lingo.

 

[stinkycheese]

i think its funny when people climb up on their pedestal to lecture someone about how to "not be offensive" and they say things like "goddamn." your deft use of irony really made my day. 👍

My issue is not what is "offensive" and what is not, and I feel sorry for you if all you could take from my message was that people should learn how "not to be offensive", because that was not my point at all. My issue is with what we as a society can and should be doing to stop the promotion of violence against women as a funny, acceptable topic of conversation, analogy, ad metaphor. Curse words do not encourage violence against a subset of the population. They may offend some, but they do not promote misogyny, racism, or prejudice. There is a huge difference. I am not on any "pedestal" and my goal is not for everyone to stop "offending" others. My goal is equality amongst the sexes and the cessation of violence against women in language and in action.

stinkycheese, r u a non-traditional applicant?

U seem to out of touch with college lingo.

I am 23 years old. I am well-aware that people use this terminology, but my college was very liberal and people did not find it funny to joke about rape. Sad that a school has to be liberal for that to happen.

Using rape as a "funny" way to encourage enthusiasm is a disservice to the women in our society. It promotes thinking that is misogynist and anti-female. It's always okay to talk about violating a woman or forcing sex with a woman-- my question is why is this so accepted in society?

Illinois, why does it matter if this is "college lingo"? Does that make it right? Does that mean people shouldn't speak out against it? If your mother or sister or girlfriend was raped, would you think twice about encouraging people to thnk of the MCAT as a woman tha they are going to rape?

 

[superdevil]

I feel sorry for you if all you could take from my message was that people should learn how "not to be offensive", because that was not my point at all.

thanks for your pity. i'm sorry i didn't grasp the exact thrust of your beef with everyone, and i hope that you feel a little better after telling me how it is.

And why do you insist on seeing a problem with someone who does not find rape "funny"? Why don't you look inside yourself and ask why you do find it acceptable?

if this refers to me (and not to IllinoisStudent), then you've done a *****ically spectacular job of putting words in my mouth just so you can have someone to fight. i NEVER said that rape was "funny". WHERE
IN THE HELL DID YOU PULL THAT FROM? i was only making a passing joke about your word choice, not assaulting your beliefs. i don't need to "look inside myself" for anything, because i think rape i terrible and quite unfunny.

did you just hear that, stinkycheese? ***I AGREE WTIH YOU***. pick on someone else if you need to vent, i don't need your finger-wagging, sanctimonious bullsh.t.

however, like i said, if this quote did not apply to me, then kindly disregard my rant.

THE END 🙄

 

[stinkycheese]

I was referring to the person who originally encouraged folks to look at the MCAT as a bitch to rape-- way to get pumped up. That wasn't you, and sorry if that wasn't clear in my post, but jesus christ, angry much?

Why is your goal here to criticize me instead of criticizing the statements made? People in this society get so up-in-arms when someone questions their style of "humor", but are all too willing to jump all over someone who stands up for a less popular opinion. 🙄

 

[superdevil]

I was referring to the person who originally encouraged folks to look at the MCAT as a bitch to rape-- way to get pumped up. That wasn't you, and sorry if that wasn't clear in my post, but jesus christ, angry much?

oh, i see.

yea, sorry if my rant was a bit angry. i've been "preached to" on SDN many times before, sometimes without rational provocation (ever heard anyone call it "Self-righteous Doctor Network"? ). my apologies for any offensive, off-topic ranting. me need sleep. 😉

ok, resume thread.

 

[superdevil]

Why is your goal here to criticize me instead of criticizing the statements made? People in this society get so up-in-arms when someone questions their style of "humor", but are all too willing to jump all over someone who stands up for a less popular opinion.

ok, i'll try to make some clear-headed sense out of this...

its my opinion that this particular use of "rape" (as in "i will rape the MCAT") is so far removed in people's minds from the action of rape, that the connection isn't even made (well, at least not always). people hear the analogy, and instantly translate its meaning.

for instance, if you asked me how i did on my bio exam and i said "i really screwed the pooch, this time", you would (likely) just infer that, "oh, superdevil did not perform well." you wouldn't (hopefully) actually think, "he had sex with a dog?! why?! that's gross!"

now, of course, this does not make the analogy appropriate, but i think its at least a partial explanation as to why the entire forum didn't jump on IlliniosStudent's back about his use of language. for many, the translation is both subconscious and instantatneous.

 

[stinkycheese]

ok, i'll try to make some clear-headed sense out of this...

its my opinion that this particular use of "rape" (as in "i will rape the MCAT") is so far removed in people's minds from the action of rape, that the connection isn't even made (well, at least not always). people hear the analogy, and instantly translate its meaning.

for instance, if you asked me how i did on my bio exam and i said "i really screwed the pooch, this time", you would (likely) just infer that, "oh, superdevil did not perform well." you wouldn't (hopefully) actually think, "he had sex with a dog?! why?! that's gross!"

now, of course, this does not make the analogy appropriate, but i think its at least a partial explanation as to why the entire forum didn't jump on IlliniosStudent's back about his use of language. for many, the translation is both subconscious and instantatneous.

I understand all you have written and thank you for writing. But my question is, why is this socially appropriate at all? We know that he does not mean "rape" in the literal sense, but why is it okay to make the test into a woman (first) and then talk about raping it (second) as long as it's "just an expression?". Illinois student said, "make the MCAT ur bitch". Why is this socially appropriate language, even if is meant lightly? When will the tables turn? What if he had said, "make the MCAT your n*gga slave, and beat it!" "make the MCAT your Jew, and gas it!" "make the MCAT your f*aggot, and lynch it!!" "make the MCAT your Muslim, and behead it!" Would that have been okay? Why or why not?

Women are half of the population but are treated with much less respect than men. Why?

 

[superdevil]

I understand all you have written and thank you for writing. But my question is, why is this socially appropriate at all? We know that he does not mean "rape" in the literal sense, but why is it okay to make the test into a woman (first) and then talk about raping it (second) as long as it's "just an expression?".

here's where the situation becomes somewhat of a losing battle.

question: why is this socially appropriate?

answer: i have absolutely no idea.


really, things like this (for better or worse) have a way of integrating themselves into the culture. some things disappear with time (certainly our contemporary lexicon omits many offensive sayings of the 1800s, for example), others merely become obsolete when the literal meaning is far-enough obscured from the figurative meaning (see the "screw the pooch" example).

i'm sorry to say, but i think the only way that you'll avoid hearing the test-rape analogy is to A) become a totalitarian dictator and execute all who utter the phrase, or B) live to be about 250 years old.

i know it seems hopeless, but do you disagree with my assessment?

 

[stinkycheese]

i know it seems hopeless, but do you disagree with my assessment?

I do disagree. If more men were educated about how rape is not cool, funny, or "manly", then we wouldn't have these problems. Eradication of societal beliefs about rape must occur whether it is an uphill battle or not. Future physicians should not be using this terminology and I will fight it tooth and nail on this board and in life until I see some results... and then I will fight harder.

 

[superdevil]

If more men were educated about how rape is not cool, funny, or "manly", then we wouldn't have these problems

i think that's an over-simplification of the problem. i'm not convinced that most of the men who use this term honestly feel that rape is cool or funny. i think the rape-test (and its variants) analogy is more insidious; it is not merely a manifestation of true feelings.

the problem is too complex for a simple solution. that is part of why my posts regarding the subject are less optimistic than yours seem.

 

[superdevil]

damn....go back and look at the title of this thread...

what the hell happened?

 

[velo]

I do disagree. If more men were educated about how rape is not cool, funny, or "manly", then we wouldn't have these problems. Eradication of societal beliefs about rape must occur whether it is an uphill battle or not. Future physicians should not be using this terminology and I will fight it tooth and nail on this board and in life until I see some results... and then I will fight harder.

Ok, but I think his post was more about the way things ARE whereas your's is about how you'd like things to be...so you don't necessarily disagree with him, you just wish things weren't that way

Why is it socially acceptable? I don't know either. I can see how you might be concerned. Using this rape imagery to describe real aggression might really be sublimated mysoginistic desire....However, I usually hear the test/rape imagery in reverse--i.e. "How was the test?" "Raped the s*** out of me." ...or if they did ok on the test "date rape, I got f*cked, but at least it bought me dinner"... I lived with engineers all 4 years of my undergrad, and we have an elite/highly competitive engineering program here...so i heard this stuff a lot....

Now, I guess you could argue that they were actually sublimating repressed homosexual desire, but I don't think this is likely... why would their dream lover come in the form of a theoretical and applied mechanics midterm....oh man if that were true those guys were messed up...glad i don't live with engineers anymore...

 

[adamj61]

Stinky cheese you are crazy. People also talk about getting raped by the test, with no such gender indicated. Can we discriminate against tests? It is a figure of speech, and everyone knows if everyone was getting laid as much as they wanted, the world would be a better place.

I hope my adcom members fall into this before they review my app 👍

 

[stinkycheese]

Why is it socially acceptable? I don't know either. I can see how you might be concerned. Using this rape imagery to describe real aggression might really be sublimated mysoginistic desire....However, I usually hear the test/rape imagery in reverse--i.e. "How was the test?" "Raped the s*** out of me." ...or if they did ok on the test "date rape, I got f*cked, but at least it bought me dinner"... I lived with engineers all 4 years of my undergrad, and we have an elite/highly competitive engineering program here...so i heard this stuff a lot....

What a disgusting view of date rape. "getting ****ed but it bought me dinner"?? What a terribly distorted and disgusting thing to say.

What is wrong with my peers? Is this really the future of medicine? How awful.

I didn't know using rape imagery was associated with elitism and competitiveness... I went to one of the top three liberal arts colleges in the country and we didn't use that kind of language.

 

[stinkycheese]

Stinky cheese you are crazy. People also talk about getting raped by the test, with no such gender indicated. Can we discriminate against tests? It is a figure of speech, and everyone knows if everyone was getting laid as much as they wanted, the world would be a better place.

I hope my adcom members fall into this before they review my app 👍

Rape is not equal to getting laid. Why did you bring up "getting laid" in your post? People who talk about getting raped by a test, well, that's their choice, but when you talk about getting "hyped up" and "psyched" for a test by pretending that it's a "bitch" you're going to rape, that's ****ed up.

I hope the adcom members recognize that there are so many premeds with a startling lack of social responsibility before they review your app...

Harsh post on my part, yes, but you started the personal attacks by calling me crazy. I shudder to think that someone who is so resistant to understanding gender inequality would ever become a physician and treat women.

 

[stinkycheese]

i think that's an over-simplification of the problem. i'm not convinced that most of the men who use this term honestly feel that rape is cool or funny. i think the rape-test (and its variants) analogy is more insidious; it is not merely a manifestation of true feelings.
.

Our society would not breed so many rapists if these subliminal messages about rape being "funny" or "cute" to talk about were not so prevalent. Is this the only answer to the problem? No. But non-pathological males should do their part to prevent the spread of anti-women sentiment, and this includes not using rape talk in this way.

The more I live life outside of my protected liberal arts college, the more I realize that women are still very much considered the lesser sex by our society, whether most people would agree with that consciously or not. I always knew things were bad, but...

 

[Tippy007]

Here's one way to reduce your stress level: stop reading the SDN forums, especially this MCAT one. It's filled with other pre-meds who are freakin' out about the MCAT. I took them MCAT in April and vowed that I wouldn't get back on this site until after it was over. Try it for a day and see if you feel better.